IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINARS FOR SWING DOORS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Drummond, of Smith Street, King's Road,
Chelsea, in the County-of-Middlesex, Surveyor, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINARS FOR SWING DOORS"
Sealed the 19th September 1856, and dated the 20th March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Drummond at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th March 1856.
I, WILLIAM DRUMMOND, of Smith Street, King's Road, Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES FOR SWING DOORS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of spring
binge for swing doors, whereby a greater amount of swing or opening of the
door may be obtained than by the ordinary existing arrangements of such
hinges. The hinge, which may be applied either to the top, bottom, or centre
of the door, consists of a fixed internal spindle, forming the pin of the hinge,
and fitted with a square shank at one end, let into a corresponding socket, to
prevent it from turning when applied to the bottom of a door, which is the
position found most desirable; the lower portion of the spindle is formed with
a boss upon it, the upper surface or edge of which boss is cut spirally in two

page_text: opposite directions, so as to present an inclined surface; on this surface rests
the lower end of a metal tube, cut to correspond to the boss. A nut is fitted
on to the upper end of the spindle, and against this nut and a shoulder in the
tube bears a helical spring, which consequently tends to press the tube down-
wards against the spiral or inclined edge of the spindle boss. The tube is
contained in a box made fast to the door, and the upper end of the spindle is
steadied by a steel centre pin passed through a lug in the box.
By this arrangement of binge, it will be obvious that as the door is opened,
the tube turns with the door, will slide up the inclined boss and compress the
helical spring, which on the release of the door will force the tube back again
down the inclined boss, and thereby restore the door to its original position.
The chambered portion of the tube containing the helical spring is partially
filled with oil, and a leather packing is placed at the bottom of such chamber
to prevent the escape of the oil. The steel centre pin also works in oil or
other lubricating material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Drummond in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
DRUMMOND, late of Smith Street, Kings Road, Chelsea, in the County of
Middlesex, but now of Draycott Street, Cadogan Terrace, Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, Surveyor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me
the said William Drummond, Her special licence that I, the said William
Drummond, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Drummond, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES FOR SWING DOORS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Drummond, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and

page_text: seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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, the said William Drummond, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:―
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a vertical section, and Figure 2
is a horizontal section, of one of my improved spring hinges, and a portion of a
door to which it is applied. A is a square socket, which is fixed in the floor B;
C, D, E, is a pin, the lower part of which C is square and fits into the socket A ;
the upper part D, E, is cylindrical, and has a screw cut upon it at E. The
upper end of this pin terminates in a conical point, on which the door is sup-
ported in the following manner :-F, F, is a cast-iron frame, consisting of two
upright parts connected at top and bottom, and furnished with flanges f, f, by
which it is attached to the door G. A screw H passes through the upper part
of the frame F and rests upon the top of the pin C, D, E, which forms a pivot.
The screw H is secured by a set nut I, and it is made hollow.to receive a
supply of oil, and is closed by a small screw J. A cylindrical or conical part.
of the pin C, D, E, passes through a corresponding aperture in the lower
part of the frame F; the door is thus capable of turning freely upon the
pivot at the top of the fixed pin C, D, E, which carries the weight of the door.
The pin C, D, E, has an enlarged part at K, which is made with rising or
inclined surfaces at each side, ascending from a to 6. L is a piece of metal,
having inclined surfaces corresponding to those of the part K. The upper
part of this piece L is of a rectangular form, and capable of sliding up and
down between the uprights of the frame F; it is traversed by a cylindrical
hole, through which passes the pin C, D, E. In the upper part of the
piece L is a cylindrical cavity, which receives a portion of a spiral or helical
spring M, the upper end of which rests against a nut N, screwed on the pin
C, D, E, and secured by a set nut O. P, P, are two brass plates, which
inclose and conceal and protect the apparatus. When the door is in the
position shown in the Drawing it is at rest, and remains so; if, however, it be
moved either way from that position, the piece L turns with it and rises up
one or the other of the inclined surfaces and compresses the spring M. When
the door is released, the pressure of the spring forces down the piece L, and
brings the door back to its original position by the action of the inclined

page_text: surfaces... At the bottom of the cavity in the piece L is a leather washer,
covered by a metal washer, on which rests the spring M. The cavity is filled
with oil, which gradually oozės past the leather washer as the door is moved
backwards and forwards; the inclined surfaces and the cylindrical pin are
thus, lubricated. By removing one or both of the plates P, P, access is
obtained to the apparatus for the purpose of oiling or adjusting it; or the
frame.E may be so constructed as to be open at the back instead of at the
sides... The apparatus can then be oiled or adjusted at the back, and then
covered and protected by a single plate screwed on the back edge of the door.
This spring hinge may be fixed 'at the bottom of the door, as shown in the
Drawing, or at the top of the door, or it may be fixed at any intermediate
position, in which case the socket A is fixed by a bracket to the door post,
and a notch is made in the back edge of the door to admit it. .
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise, details and materials herein-before mentioned; as the
same may be varied; but what I claim is, the constructing spring hinges for
swing doors in such manner that the door is supended on a pivot, and the
spring is made to press' together two inclined surfaces of such form as to
cause the door to close although opened in either direction, the whole being
constructed as herein-before described:
In witness whereof; I, the said William Drummond, have hereunto. set
my hand and seal, 'this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
WILLIAM DRUMMOND: ' (L.S.)