Improvements in Doors or Shutters for Buildings, Tramway Vehicles, Cupboards, Show-cases, and the like
Year: 1898

page_text: Reprinted
as amended in accordance with the decision of the Chief Examiner dated
the 1st day of September 1902.
Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1899
"Improvements in Doors or Shutters for Buildings, Tramway
Vehicles, Cupboards, Show-cases, and the like."
I, JOSEPH HENRI DIERICKX, of 26 Rue Courte, Uccle-lez-Bruxelles, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a novel door or closing device applicable, amongst other
purposes, to tramway vehicles, cupboards, show cases, apartments and so forth.
The object of the present invention is the construction of a door capable of opening
with the maximum of speed whilst necessitating only a minimum effort, and in which
all wedging or dislocation is avoided with certainty, even after long use.
My invention consists essentially in employing, for this purpose, two balanced
doors or leaves, each of which is mounted so as to be capable of rotation upon a
suitable axis, both being connected in such a manner that any displacement of one
leaf around its axis of suspension serves to effect a corresponding displacement of the
other leaf.
In carrying my invention into practice the door is formed of two leaves arranged in
such a manner as to close the opening of the frame.
One of the leaves is suspended upon an axis provided with a lever; the other leaf
is carried by a pivot and also provided with a lever. The two levers are connected by
a rod which is hinged at the extremities of the said levers.
When the door is closed the two leaves rest one against the other. When it is
desired to open the door it is only necessary to cause the one leaf to pivot around its
axis of suspension by slightly pulling the handle. In proportion as the one leaf
swings in one direction the other leaf swings in the other, and the two leaves assume
the open position.
As will readily be understood, this arrangement enables the weight of each of the
leaves to be balanced as exactly as may be desired, in such a manner that the effort
requisite for opening the door may be rendered very small indeed; in addition to
this, the opening of the door, to a given extent, is effected twice as rapidly as by the
means hitherto employed.
The arrangement described above is obviously capable of numerous applications,
not only with respect to doors but also for closing purposes of any kind, such as for
window shutters, photographic shutters and so forth, such diverse applications
requiring at most some modification of form, dimensions or of detail. It is likewise
obvious that this device is adapted to act in any position, whether vertical or
horizontal.
DL: Oh d
han 1000

page_text: "Improvements in Doors or Shutters for Buildings, Tramway
Vehicles Cupboards, Show-cases, and the like."
I, JOSEPH HENRI DIERICKX, of 26 Rue Courte, Uccle-lez-Brussels, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Builder, 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 improved arrangement of door or closing device
applicable, amongst other purposes, to tramway vehicles, wardrobes, windows
apartments and so on.
The improved door can be opened with the maximum of rapidity for which only a
minimum effort is required while at the same time wedging or dislocation of the part
is prevented in a most reliable manner even after prolonged use.
The essential features of this invention consists of two balanced doors or leaves
meeting diagonally or obliquely each mounted upon an axis on which they swing,
and connected one with the other in such a manner that the displacement of one of
the leaves upon its axis of suspension effects an equivalent displacement of the other
leaf. in the same or approximately the same plane.
The door or closing device may be combined, especially where it is used as a
window, with a hand-lever forming a fastener or locking. device and serving to enable
the window to be opened and closed with ease, while when used as a door for a tram-
way vehicle, it is provided with a spring to keep it open, or closed, without being
effected by the vibrations of the body of the vehicle.
My invention is shown, by way of an example in the accompanying drawings,
in which:-
Figure 1 shows a door constructed according to my invention with the two parts
or leaves closed, while
Figure 2 shows the same construction with the leaves open.
Figure 3 shows the door or closing device combined with a lever forming a fastening
or locking device, this construction being particularly suitable for windows.
Figure 4 shows the construction shown in Figure 3 in its open position.
Figure 5 is an end view of the same and,
Figure 6 shows one portion of leaf of a door combined with a spring especially
suitable for tramcars.
The door shown in Figures 1 and 2 is formed with two leaves or portions 1 and 2
arranged in such a manner as to enable the opening 3, forming the door frame, to be
closed.
The leaf 1 is suspended upon a pin 4 and is formed with an arm 5 while the wing 2
is supported upon a pin 6 and is formed with an arm 7. The two arms 5 and 7 are
connected together by a rod 8 pivoted by pins 9 to the extremities of the arm 5 and 7
respectively.
When the door is closed the wings 1 and 2 rest against one another.
For opening
the door it suffices to swing the leaf 1 around the suspension pin 4 by a slight pull
on the door handle 10. At the same rate as the leaf 1 swings in one direction, the
leaf 2 swings in the opposite direction and the two leaves will occupy the position as
represented by Figure 2.
It will easily be understood that with this arrangement the two leaves 1 and 2 may
be counterpoised with great precision so that the effort required for opening the door
is reduced to a minimum. Moreover the opening of the door of a given size can be
more rapidly effected than can a door as at present constructed.

page_text: In Figures 3, 4 and 5 I have shown a similar arrangement to that of Figures 1
and 2 for use as a window and which is provided with a handle 11 and spindle 12
which turns in a fixed socket 13. The spindle 12 carries a lever 14 in connection
with a curved limk 15 secured by its lower end to the arm 7 of the leaf 2 of the
window. To the arm 7 are also secured the two rods 8 for connecting together the
arm 7 of the leaf 2 and the arm 5 of the leaf 1. This leaf 1 is furthermore subjected
to the pull of a spring 16 which latter takes up a part of the weight of the leaf and
thereby facilitates the operation of opening or closing.
By depressing the handle 11 it moves through an arc of a circle around the axis or
spindle 12 thereby causing the lever 14 to force the link 15 downwardly to act
against the extremity of the arm 7 of the leaf 2. The movement of this leaf causes
the leaf 1 to move also so that the movement of the two wings is effected simulta-
neously and only a motion of the handle 11 through 90 degrees is required to fully
open the door or window.
I may here point out that the arrangement is such that when the window is closed
it will be impossible to open it without using the handle 11, owing to any effort
exerted to open one of the two leaves producing but the one result of causing a pull
in one direction.
This pull directed upon the lever 14 produces the only effect of causing the link 15
to abut against the spindle 12 of the handle 11.
In adapting my improved door to tramway vehicles or the like I provide a spring 18
as shown in Figure 6, the said spring being in tension and secured to a fixed point 19
situated below the fulcrum 20 of a bell-crank lever 21 to one arm of which latter the
other end of the spring 18 is secured, the second arm of the bell-crank lever being
articulated to the arm 7 of the leaf 2 of the door.
By this arrangement the leaf 2 (and consequently the door) when closed is subjected
to the action of the spring 18 which thus maintains the door in its closed position
against all vibrations and shocks. In opening the door the bell-crank lever 21 moves
through an arc of a circle as shown in dotted lines Figure 6 and takes the spring 18
to the opposite side of the fulcrum 20 of the bell-crank lever 21 and in this manner
the spring acts to keep the door in its open position.
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:-
A door characterized by two leaves meeting diagonally or obliquely suspended or
supported upon pivot-pins and each formed with an arm connected together by a
hinged rod in such a manner that any displacement or oscillation of one of the leaves
of the door causes a corresponding displacement of the other. in the same or
approximately the same plane substantially as described.
D
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant.