IMPROVEMENTS IN. SPRING HINGES FOR CLOSING DOORS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Turner, of Bartholomew Close, in the
City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
SPRING HINGES FOR CLOSING DOORS."
Scaled the 6th February 1872, and dated the 8th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Turner at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th August 1871.
I, BENJAMIN TURNER, of Bartholomew Close, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING HINGES FOR CLOSING DOORS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in spring hinges used for
causing doors to close when opened in either direction, and consists
of an improved arrangement for adjusting the action of the hinge so
that the door shall hang exactly in its proper position when closed.
Also of an improved arrangement by which the strength of the
spring which closes the door may be varied so as to be applicable
either to light or to heavy doors.
Also to an improved arrangement of a lever upon the hinge, and
of curved levers acting upon the spring, by which the spring exerts
greater force when the door is closed than when it is open, and by

page_text: which the door can be made to open through an arc of more than
ninety degrees.
By the improved arrangements the spring and levers connected
with it can be removed when necessary without removing the door
from its hinges.
For the purposes of this Invention I take a box in which the spring
closing apparatus is contained in the usual way. This box is usually
fitted into an opening in the sill of the door to which it is to be applied,
so that the top of the box is level with the door sill. The vertical
axis of the hinge turns in a socket in the box at its lower end, and
at its upper end it works in a bearing attached to the box. To the
upper end of the axis which projects through this bearing I fasten
the door by means of a shoe or socket or in any other convenient
manner. And to the part of the axis between its bearings I fix or
make a lever, having at its end a vertical pin with or without a roller
upon it. When the door is closed this lever is arranged to stand
parallel with the sides of the box and at a point in plan between the
centre of the hinge and the outer end of the lever. I make a recess in
the bottom of the box into which a cylindrical case containing a coiled
spring fits loosely. This spring has its outer end attached to the
circumference of the case, and its inner end is attached to a spindle
which works freely through the ends of the case, and the lower end
of which works in a bearing at the bottom of the recess in the box.
The upper end of the case is prolonged upwards and forms a bearing
which revolves in a suitable frame attached to the bottom of the box.
This bearing is continued upwards above the frame, and is then made
hexagonal or polygonal in plan. The upper end of the spindle is also
continued upwards through this bearing and is also made hexagonal
or polygonal in plan. To the hexagonal part of the bearing is attached
a curved lever, and to the hexagonal part of the spindle is attached
a similar lever, curved in the opposite direction, so that if the ends
of these levers are separated they bend the spring, the tendency of
which is to keep them together. Between these two levers the pin
or roller at the end of the lever upon the hinge axis works. Between
the outer ends of the curved levers I make a screw which works through
a nut attached to the frame, in which the bearing at the upper end
of the spring case works. At each end of this screw I make a conical
collar, and I make them at such a distance apart that the ends of the

page_text: curved levers rest against them, and at the same time allow the pin
or roller described to move freely between them. By turning this screw
in its nut the position of the curved bars and of the roller between them,
and thus of the door, can be adjusted exactly so that the door hangs
exactly in its proper position when closed. Sometimes I place a lock
nut upon the screw. The pressure of the spring can be varied by
altering the position of the curved bars or levers upon the hexagons or
polygons on which they fit. By reason of the distance between the
centre upon which the lever attached to the hinge turns and that upon
which the curved bars turn the leverage of the latter is greater when
the door is closed, and it is accordingly kept more certainly shut, and
the length and curvature of the bars is such that the door may if
necessary be opened either way more than ninety degrees. By opening
the door as far as possible the frame with the spring case and spring
and the curved bars or levers and adjusting screw may be removed
from the box when required without taking the door from its hinges.
In the annexed Drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 2 is a plan of apparatus constructed according to my Invention.
A is a box in which the apparatus is contained, and which may be
closed by a cover or plate. B is the vertical axis of the door hinge,
of which the lower end works in the socket C and the upper end in
the bearing D which is attached to the box. To the upper end of the
axis B the door is attached by means of a shoe or socket E, or in any
other convenient manner. A lever is attached to the axis B, and has
at its outer end a pin or roller G. A recess H in the box between
the axis B and the roller G contains the cylindrical case I, and the
spring K, the outer end of which is attached to the case I, and the
inner end to the spindle L which passes through the case. The lower
end of the spindle L works in a bearing at the bottom of the recess H,
and the upper end in a bearing formed in the end of the case I. This
end itself works in a bearing formed in a frame M which is fastened
to the bottom of the box A, and after passing through the frame has
its end made hexagonal or polygonal to fit the end of the curved lever
or bar N. A similar lever or bar O curved in the opposite direction
is fitted upon the hexagonal or polygonal end of the spindle L, and the
pin or roller G works between the arms N and O. A stop is formed
upon a part of the frame M, and prevents the spring K from bringing
the arms N and O so close together as to hold the roller G fast. This

page_text: stop consists of a screw P. working in a nut Q and having collars R and
S against which the bars N and O rest. By turning the screw P to
the right or left the position of the bars N and O and the roller G are
adjusted so that the door is in its exact position when closed. The
bars N and O are curved, as shewn in Figure 2, so that when the door is
wide open as shewn in dotted lines the spring and curved bars have
less leverage upon the roller G than when it is closed. And when the
door and lever F are opened to their fullest extent, as shewn in the
dotted lines in Figure 2, the frame M can be unscrewed and removed
together with the case I, the spring K, the spindle L, the bars N and O,
and the screw P, without unhinging the door.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
TURNER, of Bartholomew Close, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Turner, Her special licence
that I, the said Benjamin Turner, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Turner, 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
SPRING HINGES FOR CLOSING DOORS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Benjamin Turner, 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 was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Turner, 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 and accompanying Drawing.
This Invention relates to improvements in spring hinges used for
causing doors to close when opened in either direction, and consists of
an improved arrangement for adjusting the action of the hinge so that
the door shall hang exactly in its proper position when closed.
Also of an improved arrangement by which the strength of the spring
which closes the door may be varied so as to be applicable either to light
or to heavy doors, and to any amount required of force to open them.
Also to an improved arrangement of a lever upon the hinge upon the
door, and of curved levers acting upon the spring, by which the curve of
the levers and the position of their centres relative to the centre of the
hinge is such that the spring exerts greater force when the door is
closed than when it is open, and by which the door can be made to open
through an arc of more than ninety degrees if required.
By the improved arrangements the spring and levers connected with
it can be removed when necessary without removing the door from
its hinges.
For the purposes of this Invention I take a box in which the spring
closing apparatus is contained in the way well known and practised.
This box is usually fitted into an opening in the sill of the door to which
it is to be applied, so that the top of the box is level with the door sill.
The vertical axis of the hinge turns in a socket in the box at its lower
end, and at its upper end it works in a bearing attached to the box.
To the upper end of the axis which projects through this bearing I
fasten the door by means of a shoe or socket, or in any other convenient
manner. And to the part of the axis between its bearings I fix or make
a lever having at its end a vertical pin with or without a roller upon it.
When the door is closed this lever is arranged to stand parallel with the
sides of the box, and at a point (in plan) between the centre of the
hinge and the outer end of the lever. I make a recess in the bottom
of the box, into which a cylindrical case containing a coiled spring fits
loosely. This spring has its outer end attached to the circumference of
the case, and its inner end is attached to a spindle which works freely
through the ends of the case, and the lower end of which works in a
bearing at the bottom of the recess in the box. The upper end of the

page_text: case is prolonged upwards and forms a bearing which revolves in a
suitable frame attached to the bottom of the box. This bearing is
continued upwards above the frame, and is then made hexagonal or
polygonal in plan. The upper end of the spindle is also continued
upwards through this bearing, and is also made hexagonal or polygonal
in plan. To the hexagonal part of the bearing is attached a curved
lever, and to the hexagonal part of the spindle is attached a similar lever
curved in the opposite direction, so that if the ends of these levers are
separated they bend the spring, the tendency of which is to keep them
together. Between these two levers the pin or roller at the end of the
lever upon the hinge axis works. Between the outer ends of the curved
levers I make a screw, which works through a nut attached to the frame
in which the bearing at the upper end of the spring case works. At
each end of this screw I make a conical collar, and I make them at such
a distance apart that the ends of the curved levers rest against them, and
at the same time allow the pin or roller described to move freely between
the levers. By turning this screw in its nut the position of the curved
bars and of the roller between them, and thus of the door, can be
adjusted so that the door hangs exactly in its proper position when
closed. Sometimes I place a lock nut upon the screw to retain it in
its proper position when adjusted. Sometimes I make one of the conical
collars to work upon the screw so that I can adjust the distance between
them. The pressure of the spring can be varied by altering the position
of the curved bars or levers upon the hexagons or polygons on which
they fit. By reason of the distance between the centre upon which the
lever attached to the hinge turns, and that upon which the curved bars
turn, the leverage of the latter is greater when the door is closed, and
it is accordingly kept more certainly shut, and the length and curvature
of the bars is such that the door may, if necessary, be opened either
way more than ninety degrees. By opening the door as far as possible
the frame with the spring case and spring and the curved bars or levers
and adjusting screw may be removed from the box when required
without taking the door from its hinges.
In the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and
Figure 2 is a plan of apparatus constructed according to my Invention.
A is a box in which the apparatus is contained, and which may be
closed by a cover or plate; B is the vertical axis of the door hinge
of which the lower end works in a socket C and the upper end in

page_text: the bearing D, which is attached to the box. To the upper end of
the axis B the door is attached by means of a shoe or socket E, or
in any other convenient manner. A lever F is attached to the axis B,
and has at its outer end a pin or roller G. A recess H in the box
between the axis B and the roller G contains the cylindrical case I
and the spring K, the outer end of which is attached to the case I, and
the inner end to the spindle L which passes through the case. The
lower end of the spindle L works in a bearing at the bottom of the
recess II, and the upper end in a bearing formed in the end of the
case I. This end itself works in a bearing formed in a frame M, which
is fastened to the bottom of the box A, and after passing through the
frame has its end made hexagonal or polygonal to fit the end of
the curved lever or bar N. A similar lever or bar O curved in the
opposite direction is fitted upon the hexagonal or polygonal end of
the spindle L, and the pin or roller G works between the arms N and O.
A stop is formed upon a part of the frame M and prevents the spring K
from bringing the arms N and O so close together as to hold the roller.G
fast; this stop consists of a screw P working in a nut Q, and having
collars R and S against which the bars N and O rest. By turning the
screw P to the right or left, the position of the bars N and O and
the roller G are adjusted so that the door is in its exact position
when closed, and the screw is held in its position by the lock nut W.
The bars N and O are curved, as shown in Figure 2, so that when the
door is wide open, as shewn in dotted lines, the spring and curved bars
have less leverage upon the roller G than when it is closed. And when
the door and lever F are opened to their fullest extent, as shewn in the
dotted lines in Figure 2, the frame M can be unscrewed and removed
together with the case I, the spring K, the spindle L, the bars N and O,
and the screw P, without unhinging the door. T is a loose cover which
is screwed or fixed upon the box A.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,-
First. The method of adjusting the spring hinge so that the door
hangs exactly in its right position when closed, as described and shewn
in the Drawings.
Second. The arrangement of curved levers adjusted to the lever upon
the hinge, so that the greatest leverage is upon the door when closed

page_text: and so that the spring and levers can be removed without unhinging the
door, as described and shewn in the Drawings.
Third. The arrangement of hexagonal or polygonal centres to the
curved spring levers so that they may be fitted in any position to give
the required strength to the spring, as described and shewn in the 5
Drawings.
Fourth. The general arrangement and combination of parts for the
purposes specified and shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Turner, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Seventh day of February, in the 1
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.