IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William McLean, of the City of Norfolk, in the
State of Virginia, in the United States of America, but at present
of 43, Castle Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William McLean at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th June 1870.
I, WILLIAM M'LEAN, of the City of Norfolk, in the State of Virginia,
in the United States of America, but at present of 43, Castle Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to invisible or concealed hinges applicable to
doors, windows, pianos, box and desk lids, and other similar purposes.
The object of this Invention is to render the hinges used for doors
or other like purposes invisible or concealed, and to fix the joint of the
door or lid so that it is always tight no matter at what angle within

page_text: its circle of swing, which is 180 degrees. The door, if desired, will
stand open at 90 degrees, and when opened under 90 degrees will close
again, or can be arranged as ordinary doors to stay open at any angle.
As regards arrangements for swing double doors, it is best for the right-
hand one to open before you, on either side, then there will be no
jamming going in or going out, and both wings will open at 180 degrees,
and will do all in duplicate as described above.
A hinge constructed according to this Invention consists of a semi-
circular metal swinging plate. This plate has on each edge a tube or
hole, through each of which passes a metal bar or rod. The edge of the
door is morticed or recessed to receive one edge of the semicircular
metal swinging plate with its respective bar. The edge of the door frame
is also recessed or morticed to receive the other edge of the semicircular
metal swinging plate with its respective bar. These bars are held in
position by means of suitable studs or screws as hereafter described. The
recesses in the edge of the door and door frame may be covered over with
a metal plate or metal box. On the outside of one plate or box there
may be cast or otherwise attached a tongue or stop. This stop may be
separately attached onto the door or door frame, when desired, and is
particularly useful in the case of the door frame being flush or having
no ledge to receive the door. The rods carrying the semicircular metal
swinging plate are held in position by adjusting screws.
screw into the wood of the door or door frame, and hold the rods in
position by means of the head of the screw, or may have a projection
for that purpose. The screws may screw through the metal plate or box
covering the recesses and into a hole or provision at each end of the bars
or rods, or there may be a suitable recess or groove in the metal plate
or box (covering the recesses) to receive the ends of the rods.
The screw may
In the case of prison, safe, and other like doors it is preferred that
the screws holding the rods shall be independent of the plate or box,
and shall pass right through the door, being fixed by a nut or riveted
at the opposite edge, or the screws may pass through the plate and
rods and be fixed by a nut or riveted. The swing of the door can be
adjusted by altering the position of the bars carrying the swinging plate,
that is, the door can be made so that it will stand open at any angle,
or that it will close from 90 degrees inwards, or from 90 degrees out-
wards, the bars acting as springs according to their position, arranged
by the adjusting screws. In the case of heavy doors, it is preferred to

page_text: have a collar or projection on the underside of the bar, so that the
swinging plate will rest on it. The edge of the swinging plate it is
preferred should be round, or a small anti-friction roller may be applied
with advantage.
In the case of doors, windows, box or desk lids, or other similar
purposes, any requisite number of the before-mentioned hinges may be
applied separately, as described, or they may be applied as follows,
namely, one continuous bar from top to bottom of the edge of the
door and carrying any suitable number of semicircular metal swinging
plates, as described, another bar passing through the outer edge of the
swinging plates and being attached to the door frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William McLean in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd December 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MCLEAN, of the City of Norfolk, in the State of Virginia, in the United
States of America, but at present of 43, Castle Street, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William McLean, Her special licence that I, the said
William McLean, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William McLean, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN HINGES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William McLean, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: 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 McLean, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 invisible or concealed hinges applicable to
doors, windows, box and desk lids, and other similar purposes.
The object of this Invention is to render the hinges used for doors or
other like purposes invisible or concealed, and to fix the joint of the
door or lid so that it is always tight no matter at what angle within its
circle of swing, which is 180 degrees. The door, if desired, will stand
open at 90 degrees, and when opened under 90 degrees will close again,
or can be arranged as ordinary doors to stay open at any angle. As
regards arrangements for swing double doors it is best for the right hand
one to open before you, on either side, then there will be no jamming
going in or going out, and both wings will open at 180 degrees, and do
all in duplicate as described above.
A hinge constructed according to this Invention consists of a semi-
circular metal swinging plate. This plate has on each edge a tube or
hole through each of which passes a metal bar or rod. The edge of the
door is morticed or recessed to receive one edge of the semicircular metal
swinging plate with its respective bar. The edge of the door frame is
also recessed or morticed to receive the other edge of the semicircular
metal swinging plate with its respective bar. These bars are held in
position by means of suitable studs or screws as hereafter described,
The recesses in the edge of the door and door frame may be covered over
with a metal plate or metal box. On the outside of one plate or box
there may be cast or otherwise attached a tongue or stop, the other a
plate or box having a suitable recess to receive the tongue or stop. This
stop may be separately attached on to the door or door frame, when
desired, and is particularly useful in the case of the door frame being
flush or having no ledge to receive the door. The rods carrying the
semicircular metal swinging plate are held in position by adjusting
screws. The screws may screw into the wood of the door or door frame,
and hold the rods in position by means of the head of the screw, or may
have a projection for that purpose. The screws may screw through the

page_text: metal plate or box covering the recesses and into a hole at each end of
the bars or rods, or there may be a suitable recess or groove in the
metal plate or box (covering the recesses) to receive the ends of the
rods.
In the case of prison, safe, and other like doors it is preferred that the
screws holding the rods shall be independent of the plate or box, and
shall pass right through the door, being fixed by a nut or rivetted at the
opposite edge, or the screws may pass through the plate and rods, and be
fixed by a nut or rivetted. The swing of the door can be adjusted by
altering the position of the bars carrying the swinging plate, that is,
the door can be made so that it will stand open at any angle or that it
will close from 90 degrees inwards or from 90 degrees outwards, the
bars acting as springs according to their position arranged by the
adjusting screws, In the case of heavy doors it is preferred to have a
collar or projection on the underside of the bar so that the swinging
plate will rest on it. The edge of the swinging plate it is preferred
should be round or a small antifriction roller may be applied with
advantage.
In the case of doors, windows, box or desk lids, or other similar
purposes any requesite number of the before-mentioned hinges may be
applied separately, as described, or they may be applied as follows,
namely, one continuous bar from top to bottom of the edge of the door
and carrying any suitable number of semicircular metal swinging plates,
as described, another bar passing through the other edge of the swinging
plates and being attached to the door frame.
Such being the nature and object of this Invention for improvements
in hinges I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried out into practical
effeot, and in order that the same may be distinctly understood I have
hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation.
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawings illustrates a portion of a door open
at a right angle, 90 degrees, fitted with hinges according to this
Invention.
5'11
the door is full ABAN
100

page_text: Figure 4, a section through a, b, Figure 2.
Figure 5, a section through c, d, Figure 2.
Figure 6 illustrates on a larger scale the semicircular metal swinging
plate with parallel bars.
Figure 7, section of same through a,
Figure 8 represents a hinge according to this Invention fitted in metal
boxes or cases one of which is shown in section.
C,
Figure 9, section of same through a, b.
Figure 10, section of same through c, d.
a, semicircular metal swinging plate; a¹, tubes or holes through
swinging plate, through each of which passes b, b', metal bars or rods;
screwed studs holding bars 6 in position; d, (Figures 3, 4, and 5)
recess or mortice in doors to receive hinge; e, metal plate covering
recess or mortice; f, tongue or stop, Figure 6; 9, collar on bars for use
in the case of heavy doors. h, slot or hole in end of bars for adjusting
screw. In the case of prison and safe doors the bars or screws passes
through these slots and right through to the other edge of the door or
lid. K, K¹, (Figure 8) metal boxes or casings containing bars b, b', and
swinging plate; 1, boss or provision for securing ends of bars. The ends
of the bars may slide in as shown, or may be attached with a stud as
shown in Figure 1, or they may be attached by having a slot in the end,
as shown in Figure 6, with the holding screws or bolts passing right
through the door, or they may have their ends turned down and driven
into the wood as a "dog." m, screws holding cover or metal box. A
tongue or stop as shown at f, Figure 1, may be cast on to one metal case
or box in any convenient position, the other metal case or box having a
suitable recess or provision to receive it. Swinging plate a, Figure 8,
may have its lower edge n rounded off so as to reduce any friction there
may be, or there may be a small metal collar or antifriction rollar at o
on the metal plate or box and bearing on the underside of the metal
swinging plate a.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried out into practical effect, I would remark that I wish
it to be clearly understood that I do not confine myself to the several
proportions and relative dimensions or shape of the various parts of the

page_text: hinge as shown in the Drawings as it will be readily seen that the same
may be considerably varied without departing from my Invention; but
what I claim is, the combination of the swinging plate a, tubes a¹, a',
bars or rods b, b', whether fixed by stud, screw, or in any other manner
and jointly forming an invisible or concealed hinge, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William McLean, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
0
Witness,
FREDERICK J. CHEESBROUgh,
of 43, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
WILLIAM (L.s.) MCLEAN.