Improvements in Apparatus for Closing Doors.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th July, 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Closing Doors.
I, JEAN GIGNEZ, of 37, Rue Philippe le Bon, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that kind of apparatus for effecting the
closing of doors in which a spring is employed enclosed within a case in combination
with a brake cylinder acting in a contrary direction to the spring.
My improvements relate partly to the construction of the piston which is moved
backwards and forwards in the brake cylinder and partly to the arrangement and
combination of the various parts of the apparatus, whereby the apparatus can
be more rapidly fixed and the door can be opened to an angle of about
180 degrees.
According to my invention the piston is constructed of a box on the bottom of
which, by means of a nut, a stamped leather washer is applied a steel spring serving
to keep the said washer pressed against the sides of the cylinder. This spring is
enclosed within the leather by means of an iron washer with a counter-nut. The
whole is traversed by a reduced portion of the piston rod fixed by means of an iron
washer and a pin.
The piston slides with slight friction within the cylinder. The compression of the
air in the bottom of the said cylinder constitutes the pneumatic cushion, the effect of
which is regulated by a screw working in a hole in the cylinder. When the door is
opened the piston is pushed forward in its cylinder and the air in front of the piston
escapes through the opening and the slight space existing between the thread of the
said hole and the thread of the screw whilst when the piston returns as the door is
being closed the air behind the piston is pressed by the latter and can pass out
through a small hole which also serves for lubrication. The escape of the air during
the advance of the piston can be controlled and regulated by means of the
said screw.
The spring containing box and the connection for the cylinder are fixed on the same
plate or strip, the result being the advantage of a workman being able to determine
at once with certainty the points of attachment of the said spring-box and the con-
nection whereas, otherwise, it would be necessary to find these points in each separate
case when fixing the apparatus which could heretofore, generally, only be accomplished
after several trials. The point of attachment of the connection for the rod which
connects the piston rod with the door can be at once seen. Hitherto the piston rod
has been directly connected to this rod and both were fixed at their common point of
junction to the lever situated on the rod of the spring-box. The objection to this
arrangement was that the door could never be fully opened. Now I apply on the
spindle of the spring-box a bell crank lever to one point of which the piston rod is
connected and the other rod at another point. This arrangement enables the door to
be opened to about 180 degrees. The bell crank lever carries the usual stop latch
by which this lever is placed in communication through the ratchet wheel with the
spindle of the spring-box.
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page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Closing Doors.
I, JEAN GIGNEZ, of 37, Rue Philippe le Bon, Brussels, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, 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 improvements in that kind of apparatus for effecting the
closing of doors in which a spring is employed enclosed within a case or box in
combination with a brake-cylinder acting in a contrary direction to the spring.
My improvements relate partly to the construction of the piston which is moved
backwards and forwards in the brake-cylinder, and partly to the arrangement and
combination of the various parts of the apparatus whereby the apparatus can be more
rapidly fixed and the door can be opened to an angle of about 180 degrees.
In the accompanying drawing-
Figure 1 is a plan of an apparatus for closing doors, constructed according to my
invention, and shewn applied to a door, a part of which together with a part of its
frame is shewn in horizontal section.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the reverse side of the spring-box to that shewn in
Figure 1 together with the parts which are attached thereto or in immediate connection
therewith.
Figure 2 represents a portion of the brake-cylinder in longitudinal section and the
piston and rod thereof in elevation.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the brake-cylinder shewing an end elevation of
the piston.
Figure 4 is a section of the piston.
According to my invention the piston, Figures 2, 3 and 4. is constructed of a disc
or washer having a hollow screw-threaded shank; on this disc or washer g', by
means of a nut gl, a stamped leather washer is applied, a steel spring serving to
keep the said washer pressed against the sides of the cylinder. This spring is enclosed
within the leather washer by means of an iron washer c and a nut . The whole is
traversed by a reduced portion of the piston rod b, fixed by means of an iron washer e,
Figure 2, and a pin or cotter f.
The piston slides with slight friction within the cylinder. The compression of the
air in the bottom of the said cylinder constitutes the pneumatic cush on, the effect of
which is regulated by a screw k formed with a notch and working in a hole in the
cylinder. When the door is being shut the piston is forced inwards in its cylinder A,
and the air bebind the piston, being compressed thereby, escapes through the slight
space existing between the thread of the hole h and the cavity formed by the notch of
the screw k, whilst when the door is being opened the piston moves outwards and
draws air in through the hole . A small hole (Figure 1) serves for lubrication.
The entry and escape of the air during the outward and inward movements
respectively of the piston can be controlled and regulated by means of the
screw k.
-
The box B which contains the spring and the connection C for the cylinder A are
fixed on the same plate or strip ', the result of which is that a workman can determine
at once with certainty the points of attachment of the said spring box B and con-
nection C whereas otherwise, it would be necessary to find these points in each separate
case when fixing the apparatus which could heretofore, generally, only be accomplished
after several trials. The points of attachment of the bracket 1) for the rod i which
connects the piston rod with the door can be at once seen. Hitherto the piston rod b
has been directly connected to the rod i and both were fixed at their common point of
junction to the lever situated on the spindle of the spring-box. The objection to this
arrangement was that the door could never be fully opened. Now I apply on the
spindle of the spring-box a bell-crank lever m to which the piston rod b is connected
at m' and the rod i at m². This arrangement enables the door to be opened to about

page_text: 180 degrees, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. The bell-crank lever m
carries the usual rawl m³ by which it is placed in communication, through the medium
of a ratchet wheel n¹, with the spindle of the spring-box B. The spring is set up
when the apparatus is to be fitted to the door by means of two pawls n, n pivotted to
the spring-box B. For this purpose, the pawls n, n being engaged with the ratchet
wheel n the latter is turned in the opposite direction to that in which the spring acts,
that is to say, towards the left hand of Figure 1, as far as possible, by means of the
bell-crank lever m and pawl m³. The pawls n, n will keep the spring from unwinding,
the lever m is then move towards the right hand when the pawl m³ will ride over the
teeth of the ratchet wheel and the lever m being again moved towards the left hand
the spring, will be still further wound up and so on until the required tension is
obtained. The pawls n, n are then thrown out of engagement with the ratchet
wheel n..
It will be obvious that the tension of the spring can be regulated at any time
afterwards by the same means.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and, in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In apparatus for closing doors a piston formed essentially of a leather-washer
pressed into a shape to conform to the interior diameter of the cylinder and combined
with a ring forming a spring and ensuring the pressure of the piston against the
cylinder.
2. Placing the spindle of the spring-box in communication with the piston rod b
and with the rod i by a bell-crank lever m which is fixed by one end so as to allow of
turning on the spindle of the spring-box in order to allow of the door being opened
to about 180 degrees.
3. Arranging the spring-box and the connection C for the cylinder on the same
plate in order to render the mounting of the apparatus easier and quicker.
4. The improved apparatus for closing doors herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 10th day of January 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.