Improvements in Door-checks.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLEIE DI DUIFICATION.
Improvements in Door-checks.
I, THOMAS CURLEY, of 98 Lyman Street, in the City of Waltham, in the
County of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Lawyer, 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 has reference to improvements in mechanism by which doors may.
be closed by spring-pressure which is automatically checked at the proper time to
allow the door to close without noise from slamming.
The objects of this invention are to produce a combined door-spring and
checking device which will be compact in size and shape and which can be readily
regulated.
The invention consists in certain peculiar features of construction and com-
bination of novel parts which will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed
out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the improved door-check with a portion
of the operating-arm.
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same showing the inner construction
thereof.
Figure 3 is a projected plan view showing the direction of the cam-groove when
represented on a plane surface.
Figure 4 is a view of a portion of the plunger showing the cam and the ball
working therein.
Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.
In the drawings 5 indicates the plunger-base which is secured in place by the
fastening-bracket 6 and on which is supported the mechanism of the door-check.
In the lower portion of this base 5 a chamber 7 is formed the bottom of which is
closed by a screw-cap 8 carrying the set-screw 9 in a central threaded perforation,―
the conical end of this set-screw engages with a perforation 10 in the cap-valve 11
which is thus supported on the upper end of the set-screw. The upper portion of
the base 5 is fashioned into a step 12 which is slightly concaved to catch any liquid
escaping down the surface of the plunger, this liquid being returned to the
chamber 7 through the passage 13.
The plunger 14, formed integrally with the base 5, has a central vertical
passage 15 which is continued through the valve-stem 16 which is secured to the
lower end of the plunger and extends downward into the chamber 7 the end resting
in the cap-valve 11 and being furnished near this end with the branch-outlets 17.
The plunger 14 has also a cam-groove 18, of a V-shaped cross-section, extending
partially around its circumference, its direction being upward somewhat abruptly
and then having a slight backward slant,-the upper end of this groove is con-
nected with the top of the plunger by the small vertical passage 19, while the lower
end of this groove connects with the circumferential packing-groove 20 formed
around said plunger.
The plunger-cylinder 21 fits snugly over the plunger 14, its lower edge being
shaped to seat into the step 12 of the plunger-base, at the upper end this cylinder
has a shank 22 to which the operating-arm 23 is secured and into the end of which
the regulating-bolt 24 is screwed and is secured by the lock-nut 25, the upper end
of this bolt having a central depression to receive the pointed end 26 of the coiled-
spring 27, which surrounds the cylinder 21, the lower end being rigidly secured to
the plunger-base 5.

page_text: In one of the walls of the cylinder 21, opposite the lower end of the cam-
groove 18, is secured a seat-piece 28 of hardened metal having a conical seat 29 to
receive the bearing-ball 30 which is free to revolve partially in this seat and
partially in the cam-groove.
The chamber 7 is partially filled with a non-freezing and easy-flowing liquid,
having lubricating qualities, while the operation of the door-check will admit air
thereto.
The end of the operating-arm 23 may be provided with a roller bearing against
the door, or this arm may be connected with the door by a suitable pivoted link,-
the bracket 6 is secured to the side of the door-frame.
In operation this door closing and checking device is extremely simple, the cap-
valve 11 is first adjusted by the set-screw 9 to partially close the outlets 17,--if now
the arm 23 be brought forward either from the pressure of the opening door, or
otherwise, the cylinder 21 will be turned and the bearing-ball 30, riding in the seat 29
and partially in the cam-groove 18, will rise in the groove, thus lifting the
cylinder and elongating the coiled-spring 27. At the first upward movement of the
cylinder, caused as described, a vacuum will be created in the chamber 7 which will
tend to draw the cap-valve 11 in place over the valve-stem 16, closing the outlets 17
and allowing the liquid to pass through the perforation 10 in the cap-valve and
thence along the vertical passage 15 to the upper end of the plunger. The forward
pressure on the arm 23 being continued, the cylinder 21, still riding on the bearing-
ball 30 working in the cam-groove, will rise until the highest portion of this groove
is reached and will descend slightly as the ball moves along the short descending-
arm of the groove, this descent being only sufficient to hold the cylinder in place
against the contraction of the elongated spring.
When it is desired to close the door, a slight push is sufficient to drive the
ball 30 over the highest point of the cam-groove, the spring 27 being allowed to
contract will act to quickly close the door, but will be retarded by the compression:
of the air and liquid contained in the cylinder 21, the liquid will be forced back
through the passage 15 driving the cap-valve 11 downward, the end of the set-
screw 9 will enter and close the perforation 10 and the liquid will be forced through
the outlets 17, which, being partially closed by the cap-valve, will allow the liquid
to pass very slowly and the door will close gradually and without noise.
When the liquid is drawn to the top of the plunger by the upward movement
of the cylinder a portion will work down, through the passage 19 and the cam-
groove, into the packing-groove 20 and form a packing, should any portion of this
liquid be forced down to the end of the cylinder it will be caught by the concaved
step 12, acting as a drip-cup, and this liquid will be returned through the passage 13
to the chamber 7.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Claim 1. In a door-check, of the nature described, a plunger, having a central
vertical passage, supported on a base, a chamber containing liquid within said base, a
vertically-perforated valve-stem having transverse outlets extending downward
from said plunger and valves for closing said outlets, as described.
2. In a door-check, a spring-operated cylinder, a fixed plunger on which the
cylinder is movable, a seat-piece secured in the wall of said cylinder and having
a seat, and a bearing-ball movable in said seat and engaging with a cam-groove
formed in said plunger, as described.
3. A spring-operated cylinder, a fixed plunger on which the cylinder is movable,
a bearing-ball held in a seat in the wall of said cylinder and engaging with
a V-shaped cam-groove provided in the periphery of said plunger, a passage
connecting the upper end of said groove with the top of the plunger, and a
packing-groove surrounding said plunger and connected with the cam-groove, as
described.

page_text: 4. In a door-check having a movable cylinder, the combination therewith of a.
centrally vertically perforated plunger, supported on a base, having a concaved
step surrounding said plunger, a passage connecting said step with a chamber
formed in said base, a vertically-perforated valve-stem extending from the center
of the plunger into said chamber and having transverse outlets at the lower end
thereof, a perforated cap-valve fitting over the end of said valve-stem, and a
set-screw working through the bottom of the chamber and adapted to raise the
cap-valve to wholly, or partially, close the outlets in the valve-stem, as described.
5. A cylinder, a fixed plunger on which the cylinder is vertically movable, a.
coiled-spring, surrounding said cylinder, one end jourualled in the top thereof and
the other end rigidly secured to the base of the plunger, adapted to return the
cylinder to place by the contraction of the elongated spring, and means carried
by the cylinder adapted to engage the plunger to vertically move the cylinder, as.
described.
6. In a door-check and spring, the combination with the cylinder 21 operated by
the arm 23 against the contraction of the spring 27 and provided with the seat-
piece 28 having the conical seat 29, and the bearing-ball 30, of the plunger 14,
having the cam-groove 18 in which said ball engages, supported on the base 5, a
chamber 7 within said base, and one or more passages connecting the upper end of
the plunger with said chamber, as described.
7. In a door-check and spring, the combination with the plunger 14 supported
on the hollow base 5 and having the cam-groove 18, passage 19 and circumferential
packing-groove 20, a central passage 15 extending vertically through said plunger
and the valve-stem 16 secured thereto and provided with outlets, the centrally-.
perforated cap 11 movable over the end of said valve-stem, the seat-screw 9 by
which the cap 11 is adjusted, and the screw-cap 8 in a perforation in which the
set-screw works, of the cylinder 21 vertically movable on said plunger against the
contraction of the spring 27 journalled in the top thereof and provided with the seat-
piece 28 having the seat 29 and the bearing-ball 30 in said seat, adapted to engage.
the cam-groove 18, as described.
8. In a door spring or check, the combination with a cylinder, a plunger on which
the cylinder is movable, an arm secured to the plunger for operating the same, of a
coiled-spring, surrounding said cylinder, one end being rigidly secured to the plunger
or base thereof, the other end being conical in shape and journalled in an adjustable
bearing formed in part with or secured to said cylinder.
9. The combination with the cylinder 21, the plunger 14 having the hollow
base 5, the step 12 and a passage connecting said step with the hollow portion of
the base, of the arm 23, the spring 27, surrounding the cylinder 21, rigidly secured
at the lower end and having the upper conical end bent over to engage a bearing in
the upper end of the adjustable bolt 24 having the lock-nut 25, as and for the
purpose described.
10. In a door-check, in combination, a plunger furnished with a chamber and
having a passage located adjacent to the wall of the chamber and a second passage
centrally located with reference to the chamber, both connecting the chamber with
outer portions of the plunger, a screw-cap for closing the end of the chamber, an
adjustable device carried by the cap for regulating the flow of fluid through the
central passage, and a cylinder surrounding the plunger.
BW then Oth der ot An
A
1X04
THOMAS CURLEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.