Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances to Facilitate the Opening, Closing, Fastening, and Securing of Doors and Gates.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec.,. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances to Facilitate the
Opening, Closing, Fastening, and Securing of Doors and
Gates.
I, RICHARD HILL DAWE, of Cottingham in the East Riding of York,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES TO FACILITATE THE OPENING, CLOSING,
FASTENING AND SECURING OF DOORS AND GATES," to be as follows:-.
The primary object of my invention is to provide an effective, simple and
inexpensive appliance for fastening and securing doors and gates and for facilitating
the opening and closing of the same.
My invention is applicable to a great variety of doors and gates and as in all
cases the principle will be the same, a description of it as applied to a yard door
will suffice.
My improved apparatus and appliance comprises what may be called a jointed
stay, i.e. a stay with a joint commonly called a knuckle joint or hinge in or near
the middle, each end of which stay being provided with a plate, bracket or staple
to which it is attached by a hinge, joint or loop and by means of which one end
of the said stay is secured to the door and the other end to a post, wall or other
suitable place inside the yard.
When the door is shut, the stay is opened out to its full length in a straight line
and occupies a position of about 45° to the door, in which position the stay is
rigid and immovable and capable of withstanding great pressure from within and
without.
The knuckle joint in or near the middle of the stay (as is indicated by its name)
will only close in one direction, so that when open to the full, the stay becomes
perfectly rigid and in that position the door becomes secured until pressure is
brought to bear upon the knuckle joint of the stay, so as to bend the joint
outwards or inwards as the case may be and as the stay is thereby shortened the
door is proportionately opened and continues to open until the stay is completely
folded, in which position the door would be fully open to an angle of 90° or
thereabouts.
The door is secured when open by a hook or catch which holds the stay together
in its folded position. If desired the hook or catch can be so made and adjusted as
to secure the door when partly open or ajar.
Where double doors are used the employment of such stay will enable the
objectionable stop or projection now usually placed in the roadway to be dispensed
with as the door to which the stay is fastened cannot be moved past the limit of
the stay outwards neither can it be moved inwards so long as the stay is kept in line.
In some cases I provide the knuckle joint with a spring or stop like the spring of
a pocket knife so as to prevent the door rebounding when slammed or as au
alternative method of preventing the knuckle joint from being accidentally moved
out of line I provide a sleeve or forrule which is slipped over the joint when in
line-such sleeve or ferrule in some cases may be actuated and kept in position by
a spring or other equivalent means.
The stay herein described may be made either in wood with metallic joints and
hinges or in metal and by preference I should employ tubular metal so as to obtain
the maximum strength with the minimum weight.
Dated this 10th day of July 1891.
R. HEBER KADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE, SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances to Facilitate the
Opening, Closing, Fastening, and Securing of Doors and
Gates.
I, RICHARD HILL DAWE, of Cottingham in the East Riding of York,
Gentleman, do thereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES TO FACILITATE THE OPENING, CLOSING,
FASTENING AND SECURING OF DOORS AND GATES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The primary object of my invention is to provide an effective, simple and
inexpensive appliance. for fastening and securing doors and gates and for
facilitating the opening and closing of the same.
My invention is applicable to a great variety of doors and gates and as in all
cases the principle is the same, a description of it as applied to a yard door will
Buffice.
My improved apparatus and appliance comprises what may be called a jointed
stay e. a stay with a joint commonly called a knuckle joint or hinge, each end of
which stay being provided with a plate, bracket or staple to which it is attached
by a hinge, joint, pin or loop and by means of which one end of the said stay is
secured to the door and the other end to a post, wall, floor or other suitable place
inside the yard.
When the door is shut, the stay is opened out to its full length in a straight line
in which position the stay is rigid and capable of withstanding great pressure from
within and without, and the door cannot be opened until pressure is brought to bear.
upon the knuckle joint of the stay, so as to bend the joint upwards or downwards
or outwards or inwards as the case may be. As the door is opened. the stay
becomes proportionately shortened and continues to be shortened until the door is
fully open in which position the stay is completely folded.
The knuckle joint (as is indicated by its name) will only close in one direction.
The door is secured when open by a hook or catch.
Where double doors are used, the employment of such stay or stays will enable
the objectionable stop or projection now usually placed in the roadway to be
dispensed with, as the door to which the stay is fastened cannot be moved past the
limit of the stay outwards neither can it be moved inwards so long, as the stay is
kept in line.
In some cases I provide the knuckle joint with a bolt or stop which locks the
knuckle joint and prevents it from being accidentally noved or shaken out of line,
if desired such bolt may be actuated and kept in position by a spring or other
equivalent means.
The stay herein described may be made either in wood with metallic joints and
hinges or in metal, and by preference 1 should employ tubular metal so as to
obtain the maximum strength with the minimum weight.
In some cases I arrange the stay so that it occupies a horizontal position both.
when the door is open and closed, in other cases I arrange the stay so that it may
occupy a horizontal position when the door is closed and the stay is rigid, and a
vertical position when the door is open, ie, in one case the action of the joint is
horizontal and in the other vertical; again in some cases I arrauge the stay, as for
instance when one end is secured to the floor, so that it occupies an angular position
to the ground when the door is closed, in the last position the joint would fold
upwards.
By preference I arrange for the joint to fold,, where the action is vertical,
upwards and when the action is horizontal, outwards and when practicable I adopt
the vertical (upward) action as the weight of the stay is then alone sufficient to
keep it in line.

page_text: When a bolt or stop is employed for locking the knuckle joint of the stay, it
can be made so as to hold the door ajar at any angle by cutting notches on the
inner hinge of the knuckle joint, into which the bolt or stop is slid.
The nature of any invention will be better understood on reference to the
accompanying three sheets of drawings.
Fig. 1. Sheet 1. illustrates a pair of yard doors closed and although only one
stay would be necessary in practice to secure both doors, two stays have been
shewn the one having a horizontal action and the other a vertical action.
Fig. 2. Sheet 1. illustrates the same doors partly opened and although the
illustration shews the stays folding, in one case what may be called horizontally
outwards, and in the other case vertically upwards; it will be obvious that by
reversing the stays the action would likewise be reversed viz. in one case the
stay would fold horizontally inwards and in the other fold vertically downwards.
Fig. 3. Sheet 2. shews the smaller door fully open with the stay folded vertically
upwards and likewise shews the catch by means of which the door may be held
open.
Fig. 4. Sheet 2. shews the position of the folded stay on the large door when
fully open the stay being folded horizontally outwards and likewise the catch in
position to secure the same.
I have not thought it necessary to furnish a sketch shewing one end of the stay
secured to the floor as the action would be similar to that already illustrated for the
vertical action of. the stay on the smaller door.
Fig. 5. Sheet 3. represents an enlarged view shewing the method of locking the
knuckle joint by means of a bolt and notch when the stay is fully open, and the
door closed.
Fig. 6. Sheet. 3 shews the face of the bolt and―
Fig. 7. Sheet 3. shows the hinge open to a right angle in which position the
door can be secured ajar.
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several figures on all
three sheets of drawings.
a, is the jointed stay.
b, is the knuckle joint or hinge on the same.
c, is a plate bracket or staple to which the stay is attached by a hinge, joint,
pin or loop, one end to the door and the other end to a post, wall, floor or other
suitable place.
d, is a hook or catch which holds the door open or holds the stay together in its
folded position:
e, is the bolt or atop by means of which the knuckle joint may be locked, and
is the notch.
I am aware that similar contrivances comprising a hinged stay and connections
have been employed for holding open the lids of boxes, couches, ottomans, and the
like receptacles and I wish it to be understood that I lay no claim to novelty in
this respect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invon-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
(1.) In appliances to facilitate the opening, closing, fastening and securing of
doors and gates, the combination and arrangement of parts and appliances
comprising a jointed stay with a knuckle joint or hinge, a plate, bracket or staple
to which the stay is attached by a hinge, joint, pin or loop, one end to a door and
the other end to a post, wall, floor or other suitable place and a hook or catch for
holling the stay together in its folded position, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and illustrated.
(2.) In appliances to facilitate the opening, closing, fastening and securing of
doors and gates the combination of parts and appliances as described in Claim 1.
together with a bolt or stop by means of which the knuckle joint or hinge on the

page_text: jointed stay may be locked or secured in line, or at any angle, substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 30th day of Santember 1901
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicant.