A NEW OR IMPROVED DOOR "SPRING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cartland, of Birmingham, in the County of
Wärivick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED DOOR
"SPRING."
Sealed the 27th January 1857, and dated the 11th August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cartland at the
"Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on "the
11th August 1856.
I, JOHN CARTLAND, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED DOOR SPRING," to be as follows:-
'The said door spring consists of a helical or coiled spring of iron wire, brass,
steel, or other wire, acted upon by means of a rod, arm, or lever, in such a
manner that the said coil or spring on the opening of the door is coiled or
uncoiled. The elastic force of the spring is thus exerted by a winding action
instead of by a lengthening or shortening one, as is usual with helical springs.
I prefer to carry my Invention into effect as follows:-The coiled spring is
fixed at its lower end to a vertical plate placed on the door frame. An arm, situated
horizontally, bears against the door at one end, and is fixed at its other end
to the top of the coil. As the door is opened the said arm exerts a winding
action on the coil, which by its resistance tends to close the door. A roller is
fixed on the door against which roller the arm bears. The spring may be
contained or concealed in one of the hinges of. the door..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Cartland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CARTLAND, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Cartland, Her special licence that I, the said John Cartland, my executors,
-administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Cartland, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and-vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED DOOR SPRING," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Cartland, my executors or
.administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, tho said John Cartland, do hereby declare the.
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:
My Invention consists of a new or improved door spring constructed
according to the methods herein-after particularly described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the accompanying Drawing.
My said new or improved door spring consists essentially of a helical or
coiled spring of steel, iron, brass, or other wire, the said spring being acted
upon in such a manner by its connection with the door or door hinge that the
said spring shall be coiled or uncoiled on the opening of the door. The
elastic force of the spring is exerted by a winding action instead of a
lengthening or shortening action, as is usual with helical door springs.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation, and
Figure 2 in section, an arm door spring, constructed according to my In-

page_text: vention. a is the helical or coiled spring fixed at the bottom 6 to the
shoulder c on the plate d. The upper end e of the spring is fixed to a rod f
passing through a hole in the shoulder 9. The arm h is fixed on the top of
the rod f. The plate d is fixed on the door post d', and a plate i is fixed on
the door . The arm h bears against a roller k on the plate i. When the
door is opened the arm h is moved in the direction of the arrow, Figure 2,
and the helical spring a coiled or wound up. The said spring a in its ten-
dency to uncoil itself presses the arm upon the roller k, and tends to close
the door.
Figure 3 represents in side elevation, Figure 4, in vertical section, and
Figure 5 in end elevation, a method of applying helical springs to door hinges,
which said application I think it well here to describe, in order that the next
described part of my Invention may be more readily understood.
I is the helical or coiled spring, one end of which is fixed at m into the
axis n. The other end of the spring is fixed at o into the axis p of the hinge.
The axis p is fixed at its lower end to the flap q of the hinge, and the axis n
is fixed near its upper end to the flap r. When the flaps q, r, are opened by
the opening of the door hung on the hinge, the spring is brought into a state
of tension, and by its elasticity tends to close the door.
Figure 6 represents in front elevation, Figure 7, in side elevation, and
Figure 8 in plan, a door spring constructed according to my Invention for
closing doors which open in two directions. Figure 9 represents in horizontal
section a portion of a door and door post with this spring applied thereto.
This spring very nearly resembles two of the hinges, Figures 3, 4, and 5,
connected together, as will be understood by reference to Figure 8, the two
flaps t, u, Figure 8, corresponding to the two flaps q, r, Figure 5, the flap t
also forming with the flap s a pair similar to the flaps r, q, Figure 5. The
springs (one of which is shown at w, Figure 6, the case being removed for
the purpose of showing the same) are connected with the axes x, y, of the
hinge in the way already explained with reference to Figure 4, a spring
similar to that represented at w being contained in the cylinder z. The flaps is
secured to the door post s', Figure 9, and the flap u is secured to the door u².
When the door is opened in the direction indicated by the dotted lines 1, the
flap u separates from the flap t, the motion being upon the axis y, and the
flaps s, t, remaining in contact. When the door is opened in the direction
indicated by the dotted lines 2, Figure 9, the flap t separates from the flaps,
the motion being upon the axis x, the flaps t, u, remaining in contact. When
the door opens in the direction 1 the coil around the axis y tends to close the

page_text: door, and when the door opens in-the direction 2, the coil around the axis a
tends to close the door:
.
Figure 1:0 represents in plan, and Figure 11 in elevation (partly in-section);
my new or improved door spring constructed as a box spring, to be inserted in
the floor for the purpose of closing a door opening in either direction. 3 is the
axis on which the door turns. The said axis 3 carries and arm 4, having at
its end a roller 5. 6, 7, are axes, with each of which the upper end of a
helical spring 8-is connected; the lower end of the said -spring is fixed .to
the box 9, as shown at 10. On the upper ends of the axes 6, 7, curved
arms 61, 71, are fixed respectively. The arm 4 is situated as represented
between the arms 6,7%. On opening the door the axis 3 carries the armi 4
and roller 5 out of the line in which they are situated, the said roller. 5
pressing against either the arm 6' or the arm 7', and causing the arm against
which it presses to turn the axis 6 or 7, and thereby to 'coil up the spring 8;
the said spring in its endeavour to uncoil itself exerts a pressure.upon. the
roller 5, and tends to close the door.. When the door is closed, the arms 6¹, 7¹²,
bear against the lower part of the axis 3. A roller-11 is placed upon.the
axis 3 to prevent the friction of the arms 6, 7, against. the said axis.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and. the manner of
-carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details. herein described and represented, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of my said Invention;: but
I claim as my Invention the new or improved door spring herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2; 6; 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the accom-
panying Drawing; that is to say, a door spring in which the tension of a
partially coiled or uncoiled helical spring is applied to the closing of a door,
whether the said spring be used according to either of the methods herein-
before described and represented in Figures: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9;. 10, and 11 of the
accompanying Drawing, or according to any modification of the said methods.
In witness. whereof, I, the said John Cartland, have hereunto: set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of February; in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
;
Witness,
RICHARD-SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw.
JOHN CARTLAND. (L.s.)