A Novel Arrangement of Door Closing Mechanism.
Year: 1891

page_text: ate of Application, 11th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Novel Arrangement of Door Closing Mechanism.
I, HUGO SCHNEEWIND of 101 Louisenstrasse, Crefeld, Germany, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to an automatic door closing device in which a wide band
or strap is moveably secured to the lintel of a door frame while its wide side is
stretched obliquely in a downward direction upon a roller by means of a weight
suspended at its other end, said roller being attached to the door parallely to the
upper edge thereof. When the door is opened, the roller slides under the band
and guides the latter towards the end which is nearest to the turning axis of the
door, whereby the end of the band situated below the roller is raised with the
weight suspended thereto. When the open door is released, the band is drawn by
the sinking weight over the roller in a direction opposite to the former and thus
closes the door.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my improved door closing device.
Figure 1 is a front view. Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a side view of the
door closed, while Figures 4 and 5 show the door partly open in front view, and
in plan.
To the lintel a of the door frame is moveably secured one end of a wide band b,.
this being effected in such a manner that a pin c is inserted through a metallic
eyelet fixed to that end of the band, said pin being firmly rivetted in a vertical
position to a metallic piece countersunk in the said lintel. Instead of the pin c,
a hook, or other similar device fixed in a recess formed in the said lintel may
likewise answer the purpose.
The band b extends from the pin c downwardly over a roller d formed preferably
of glass, porcelain, or the like, and fixed to the upper cross bar of the door e in
such a manner as to extend parallely to the upper edge of this bar as far as the
axis of rotation of the door on one side, and on the other somewhat beyond the
suspension point of the band b.
The roller d is preferably held at each end in bearings d', d', which are fixed to
the door.
To prevent the roller d from shifting in the direction of its length, the sides of
the bearings d facing one another are closed by a plate soldered thereto, Figure 4.
The band bears with its full width upon the roller d and is conveyed therefrom
in an oblique direction towards the post a' of the door frame, upon which the
door e is pivotted.
A guiding block is fixed above the middle of this post, projects perpen-
dicularly therefrom and has an eye piece likewise perpendicular to the said post,
the width and length of the eye being such as to allow for the passage of the
band b.
After the band has been drawn through the eye piece of the guiding block f
a weight g is suspended to a hook b¹ fixed to the lower end of the band, this weight
consisting of a cylindrical shell furnished with a removable cover and which may
be more or less filled with shot.
When the door is opened (Figures 4 and 5) the roller d slides in the manner
above stated below the band b and has to overcome the frictional resistance which
the loaded band bearing with its full width upon the roller opposes to the motion
of the roller, that is to say, to that of the door.
When the door has been opened at an angle of 90°, or somewhat over, the part

page_text: of the band 6 bearing upon the roller d arrives close to the end of the roller which
is nearest to the axis of rotation of the door..
To prevent in this place the band from being creased in a transverse direction,
which would happen if this part was to bear against any sharp projection of the
roller d, the corresponding end of this roller is gradually enlarged, and terminates
with a curved. flange. When the door is fully open, the band bears upon this
flange, over which it is raised without being creased, and as the door is released,
the loaded band is pressed against the roller d, and thus closes the door, the friction
of the band upon the roller preventing the said door from slamming..
The above described door closing device is also applicable to folding doors by
fixing one device to each door or leaf, the flange of the roller being dispensed with
in such cases.
It may be further remarked that the part of the band b suspended vertically
from the guiding block may be enclosed with its weight 9 in a box as a protection,
as clearly shown in the drawings.
g
It is furthermore obvious that the weight g may be replaced by a spring, one
end of which would be fixed to the lower end of the band while its other end
would be attached to the post a¹ of the door frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this, inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare, that what, I
claim is
1. An automatic door closing device, in which, a band b is fixed at one end to
the lintel a and bears with its wide side upon a roller d-secured to the upper edge
of the door e, this band being pressed by means of a weight g suspended at its
other end in such a manner that when the door is opened, the said band slides
upon the roller towards the end which is adjacent to the rotary axis of the door,
and is thus drawn-up, whilst after the door is released; the said band presses upon
the roller and thus closes the door, as set forth with reference to the annexed
drawings.
2. A door closing device of the kind above claimed, in which the weight is
replaced by a spiral spring fixed at one extremity to the lower end of the band b,
and at the other to the post a¹ of the door frame.
Dated thi 11th h
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street,.,London,,
Agent for the said Hugo Schneewind...
H. GARDNER,
4.
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Hugo Schneewind...