IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR HANGING DOORS AND BLINDS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, Patent Agent, of 38, Southampton
Buildings, London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR
HANGING DOORS AND BLINDS." A communication from abroad by Edwin
Prescott, of Hampton Falls, Rockingham, New Hampshire, United States of
America,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st March 1881.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, Patent Agent, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR HANGING DOORS AND BLINDS." [A com-
munication from abroad by Edwin Prescott, of Hampton Falls, Rockingham,
New Hampshire, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to devices for hanging blinds and doors, and embodies
improvements in hangers consisting of pivotted levers connected with the movable
door or blind and fixed frame work or building, so as to sustain and permit a free
longitudinal or sliding movement of the said door.
In hangers of this kind heretofore in use, the weight of the levers' is in such
relative position to the points of support thereof that the said levers tend to
remain in a certain position, or to return thereto when moved from the said
position, and unless this tendency is balanced or overcome the door will not remain
in the position it may be placed, as, for example, open or shut, but will tend to
return to the position where the levers hang in equilibrium.
This tendency has been overcome in several ways which are more or less
objectionable, and the present Invention consists mainly in novel devices and
their construction, having for its object to counterbalance the weight of the hanger,
or its tendency to return to a position below its fixed point of support.
The door is supported by two crossed levers attached together centrally, one of
the said levers being connected to the frame-work or door post, and herein called
the post-lever, and the other connected with the door, and called the door-lever.
The post-lever has to be guided on the door, and the door-lever on the post, in

page_text: order to give the proper movement to the door. It is desirable that the levers
should be very light, and at the same time sufficiently stiff.
The Invention consists in the combination of a truss-formed or light framed
door lever, and a truss-formed post-lever, one or both the said levers being bent or
provided with an off set at or near their point of junction or common pivotal point
whereby the arms of the levers each side their common pivotal point will move
one past the other, so that the levers cross both when the door is completely opened
and completely closed.
Also, in the combination with a truss-shaped door-lever, and a truss-shaped post-
lever, of a parallel motion device connected with the post and with the door-lever
to properly guide the said door-lever in its movement.
Also, in the combination with the post and door-levers, of a counterpose to
balance the weight of the said levers.
Also, in the combination with the post-lever, of a door-lever bent or curved, as
will be hereinafter described, to bring the pivotted points of the levers into
proper relation to one another, and reduce the friction of the door against its guide
ways.
Also, in the arrangement of the centre pivot of the crossed door levers at the
door-jamb side of the longitudinal lever drawn through the centres controlling
the connection of the door and post levers with the door and post, whereby the
door is lifted as it is opened.
The post-lever is connected at one end, preferably its upper end, with the post
or building, and loosely at its other end with the door, the connection being by a
stud provided or not with a roller which enters a guide at or near the middle of
the lower part of the door. The door-lever is connected, preferably at its upper
end with the door, and loosely at its lower end with the post or building by suitable
connections, as will be described, to properly guide it.
The point of connection of the post-lever with the post is the point-of support
of the entire weight of the hanger, and as the latter hangs downward therefrom it
will, in accordance with well known mechanical principles, tend to assume a
position with its centre of gravity below the said point, in which position both
levers will be vertical instead of inclined, and the door is in an intermediate
position, or half open.
This tendency of the hanger to come to the position with the door half open is
proportional to the weight of the levers, and in order to diminish this weight and
consequent tendency as much as possible, without reducing the strength or stiffness
of the levers, each lever is made as a truss, or of two bars connected cach with the
other at their ends, and near their centres, by means of a fulcrum piece which
receives a fulcrum pin which pivots the two levers together. The arms of these
levers project each side of their fulcrum-pin, and the levers are so shaped and
connected together at the fulcrum pin that the lower arm of the lever is made to
move past the door lever at one side, while the opposite end of the post lever
moves past the door lever at its opposite side.
This relative position and movement of one lever past the other is accomplished
by permitting one lever, as the post lever, to extend through the open space of the
other or door lever, so that the two arms of one or both levers occupy different
vertical planes, the upper arm, for example, passing in front of a rod of the door
lever, while the lower one passes behind another rod thereof.
The levers are so connected that the ends of such levers joined with the door
are longer than the ends joined with the post, the levers, as they approach into
parallel positions during the .movement of the door, act to lift the door, thereby
assisting in retaining it in any desired position.
The post-lever having its fulcrum on the post has, as before described, a tendency
to fall as a pendulum and assume a vertical position, the position it occupies when
the door is half open, and this tendency is increased by the weight of the door-lever
pivotted upon it. The upper end of the door-lever and its fulcrum on the post-lever
travel as the door is moved in reversed arcs of circles of different radii, the levers being

page_text: of different lengths from their pivotal point, and the door lever being obliged to
lift the weight of the door as the said lever turns on its moving fulcrum, causes
the door to develop a force which opposes the tendency of the levers to assume the
vertical position, and consequently the door will remain in any position' in which it
may be left.
By making the levers on the light truss principle, their weight is so reduced
that a very slight difference in the lengths of the levers from their pivotal points,
causing only a small deviation in the direction of movement of the door from a
straight line, will be sufficient to counteract the tendency of the said levers to
return to the vertical position.
The lower end of the door-lever is guided in a straight line by a parallel motion
device, consisting of a rod connected at one end with the extremity of the said
lever and suitably guided.
The said rod is connected by a radius bar with the post.
In one case the said lever is provided with a friction roller to enter a guide in the
post similar to the one in the door; in either case the weight of the levers or hangers
gives a downward tendency at this lower guided end of the door lever, and the
weight of the levers may consequently be balanced by an upward pressure at the
lower end of the said door-lever.
In case the parallel motion device is used to guide the lower end of the door
lever, the rod may be extended beyond its guide, and be provided with a weight to
counterbalance the weight of the levers.
The rod then becomes a lever. This weight may be sufficient to completely
balance the weight of the levers, which may then be of equal length from their
pivotal point, so that the door may move in a straight line if desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th August 1881.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, Patent Agent, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR HANGING DOORS AND BLINDS." A com-
munication from abroad by Edwin Prescott, of Hampton Falls, Rockingham,
New Hampshire, United States of America.
This Invention relates to devices for hanging blinds and doors, and embodies
improvements in hangers, consisting of pivotted levers connected with the movable
door or blind and fixed frame work or building, so as to sustain and permit a free
longitudinal or sliding movement of the said door.
In hangers of this kind heretofore in use, the weight of the levers is in such
relative position to the points of support thereof that the said levers tend to
remain in a certain position, or to return thereto when moved from the said
position, and unless this tendency is balanced or overcome the door will not remain
in the position it may be placed, as, for example, open or shut, but will tend to
return to the position where the levers hang in equilibrium.
This tendency has been overcome in several ways which are more or less
objectionable, and the present Invention consists mainly in novel devices and their
construction, having for its object to counterbalance the weight of the hanger or its
tendency to return to a position below its fixed point of support.
The door is supported by two crossed levers attached together centrally, one of
the said levers being connected to the frame work or door-post, and herein called
the post lever, and the other connected with the door and called the door-lever.
The post lever has to be guided on the door and the door-lever on the post, in
order to give the proper movement to the door. It is desirable that the levers
should be very light, and at the same time sufficiently stiff.
The Invention consists in the combination of a truss-formed or light framed
door-lever and a truss-formed post lever, one or both the said levers being bent or
provided with an offset at or near their point of junction or common pivotal point,
whereby the arms of the levers each side their common pivotal point will move one
past the other, so that the levers cross both when the door is completely opened
and completely closed.
Also in the combination with a truss-shaped door-lever and a truss-shaped
post-lever of a parallel motion device connected with the post and with the door-
lever to properly guide the said door-lever in its movement.
Also in the combination with the post and door-levers of a counterpoise to
balance the weight of the said levers.
Also in the combination with the post lever of a door lever bent or curved, as
will be hereinafter described, to bring the pivotted points of the levers into proper
relation to one another, and reduce the friction of the door against its guide ways.
Also in the arrangement of the centre pivot of the crossed door levers at the
door-jamb side of the longitudinal lever drawn through the centres, controlling the
connection of the door and post levers with the door and post, whereby the door is
lifted as it is opened, substantially as described.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a door and hanger constructed in accordance
with this Invention, the door being shown in full lines as closed, and in dotted
lines as open.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the hanger showing the curved form of the
door-lever.
Figure 3, a modification of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, and
Figures 4 and 5, front and end elevations of a modified form, in which the
levers are pivotted to the door and post at the bottom and guided at the top.

page_text: The post-lever a is connected at one end, preferably its upper end, at 2 with the
post a or building, and loosely at its other end with the door b at b¹, the connection
being in Figure 1 by a stud provided or not with a roller, which enters a guide c
at or near the middle of the lower part of the door. The door-lever e is connected
preferably at its upper end, with the door at e¹, and loosely at its lower end with
the post or building by suitable connections, as will be described, to properly
guide it.
It will be seen that the point of connection 2 of the post-lever with the post is
the point of support of the entire weight of the hanger, and as the latter hangs
downward therefrom it will in accordance with well known mechanical principles
tend to assume a position with its centre of gravity below the said point 2, in
which position both levers will be vertical instead of inclined, as shown in Figure 1,
and the door is in an intermediate position or half open.
This tendency of the hanger to come to the position with the door half open is
proportional to the weight of the levers, and in order to diminish this weight and
consequent tendency as much as possible without reducing the strength or stiffness
of the levers each lever is made as a truss, or if two bars 3, 4, connected each with
the other at their ends, and near their centres by means of a fulcrum-piece 5, which
receives a fulcrum pin f which pivots the two levers together. The arms of these
levers project each side of their fulcrum pin f, and it will be noticed the levers are
so shaped and connected together at f that the lower arm of the lever a is made to
move past lever e at one side, while the opposite end of the lever a moves past the
levere at its opposite side.
This relative position and movement of one lever past the other is accomplished
by permitting one lever, as the post-lever, to extend through the open space of the
other or door-lever, so that the two arms of one or both levers occupy different
vertical planes, the upper arm, for example, passing in front of the rod 3 of the
door lever, while the lower one passes behind the rod 4 thereof.
The levers a, e, are shown as so connected at that the ends of such levers joined
with the door are longer than the ends joined with the post; the levers as they
approach into parallel positions during the movement of the door act to lift the
door, thereby assisting in retaining it in any desired position.
The post lever having its fulcrum on the post has, as before described, a tendency
to fall as a pendulum and assume a vertical position, the position it occupies when
the door is half open, and this tendency is increased by the weight of the door-
lever pivotted upon it. The upper end of the door-lever and its fulcrum on the
post-lever travel as the door is moved in reversed arcs of circles of different radii,
the levers being of different lengths from their pivotal point, and the door-lever
being obliged to lift the weight of the door as the said. lever turns on its moving
fulcrum causes the door to develop a force which opposes the tendency of the levers
to assume the vertical position, and consequently the door will remain in any
position in which it may be left.
By making the levers on the light truss principle their weight is so reduced that
a very slight difference in the lengths of the levers from their pivotal points,
causing only. a small deviation in the direction of movement of the door from a
straight line, will be sufficient to counteract the tendency of the said levers to
return to the vertic position.
In Figure 1 the lower end of the door-lever is shown as guided in a straight line
by a parallel motion device consisting of a rod g connected at one end with the
extremity of the said lever and suitably guided as at 6.
The said rod g is connected by a radius bar h with the post a¹.
In Figures 2 and 3 the said lever is shown provided with a friction roller to
enter a guide i, see Figure 3, in the post similar to the one b¹ in the door; in
either case the weight of the levers or hanger gives a downward tendency at this
lower guided end of the door lever e, and the weight of the levers may con-
sequently be balanced by an upward pressure at the lower end of the said
door lever.

page_text: In case the parallel motion device is used, as shown in Figure 1, to guide the
lower end of the door lever, the rod g may be extended beyond its guide 6, and be
provided with a weight w to counterbalance the weight of the levers a, e.
The rod g then becomes a lever having its fulcrum at 6. This weight w may be
sufficient to completely balance the weight of the levers, which may then be of
equal length from their pivotal point, so that the door may move in a straight line
if desired.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 3 the post lever a is guided at its lower
end by a radius-bar connected with the door. In this arrangement the lower
end of the door-lever moves in a slightly curved line in relation to the door, which
causes the door to incline a little as it is moved horizontally.
The post lever may be guided in this method, or by a parallel motion-device
similar to that shown in Figure 1, when owing to the construction of the door it
is inconvenient to make the guide 6¹ therein.
In this case the door lever is shown as guided by a groove i, and the weight of
the levers may be counterbalanced if desired by an upward pressure on the lower
end of the said lever, which may be applied in any suitable manner, as by a strong
spring, or preferably by a weight which may be attached to one end of a cord
passing over a pulley r, and connected at its other end with the lower end of the
door lever.
In the construction shown in Figures 4 and 5 the levers are connected at their
lower ends with the post, and with the door at or near its edge, and they are
guided at their upper ends.
In this case when the levers are vertical their centre of gravity is above their
points of support, and they are consequently in unstable equilibrium, and if
moved at all from their vertical position they tend to proceed still further
from it.
Their weight and tendency to move from the vertical position may be balanced
either by the weight of the door, the lengths of the levers form their pivotted
points being properly proportioned, the ends of the lever connected with the door
being the longer, as in the other case, or by an upward pressure on the upper end
of the door lever, or by both these methods combined.
In Figure 4 the two levers a, c, have their pivotal pin f arranged at the door-
jamb side of a line drawn through the said levers longitudinally from the centres
of their end connections, see dotted lines in said Figure. This arrangement of the
pin causes the door to rise as it opens, thus enabling the weight of the door to act
as a counterbalance to the weight of the hanger, or its tendency to spread about the
said pin as a centre; but for very heavy doors when heavy hangers are needed
this arrangement alone would lift the door more than is desirable, and it is
therefore considered essential to insure the best action of the door, and give to it
léss vertical motion to add to the apparatus the counterbalancing weight and
connections joined with the end of one of the said levers. As shown in Figure 4
the pin fis at the right of the dotted line for a door closing toward the right,
but for a door closing toward the left this pin must be at the left of this line, and
the entire connections of the hanger and door, and posts, must be reversed.
The end of the door-lever, Figure 4, is guided, and the weight of both levers
counterbalanced by the upper end of the door-lever, being connected with a barg
fulcrumed at 9, and provided with a weight w.
The bar g is connected at 10 with a radius bar h pivotted to the post. The
fulcrum point 9 of the bar g is shown as supported at the end of a link / connected
with the fixed frame-work, but it is obvious that it may be a guide, as shown in
Figure 1. Referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the post-lever a is supported
at 2 at one side of the hanger, taken as a whole upon the frame-work, this being
the fixed point of support of all the moving parts; while the door is connected
with the door lever at e¹, Figure 1, on the opposite side of the hanger, taken as a
whole, so that the main weight is at one side of the fixed point or support, and
consequently the upper end of the door lever and the door connected therewith

page_text: tends to move in the direction of the arrow, see Figure 2, and causes the door to
bear against its guide way.
This tendency is to a considerable extent overcome by curving the door lever
to bring its middle or fulcrum point f nearer the door than it would be if the
lever were straight, as shown in Figure 2, thus throwing the point f of the two
levers, which may be considered as a secondary point of support for the door,
further towards the door, the weight of which is hereby applied move nearly
vertically above it.
When the guided end of the lever is provided with a pulley or roller r, as shown
in Figures 2 and 3, that runs in a groove i or c, it has been found, when the groove
is left open at its end, to admit of the insertion of the said troller, that the two
parts. c, c³, forming the sides of the said groove are spread apart by the pressure
of the roller against them.
This has been obviated by tying the two portions together at their ends as by
the straps d', e¹, bolted thereto, and in order to allow the roller r to be inserted in
the groove without removing the said straps an opening 15 of sufficient size to
admit the roller is made at a point not reached by the said roller in its recipro-
cating movement caused by the normal operation of the door and hanger.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,―
1st. The combination of a truss-shaped or open framed door-lever and a truss-
shaped post-lever, substantially as described, whereby the opposite ends of each
lever are made to move past the opposite side of the other lever, substantially as
described.
2nd. In a door-hanger, a door-lever, and post-lever, the former connected at one
end with the door and guided at the other end on the post or frame work, and the
latter connected at one end with the post and guided at the other end on the
door, combined with a parallel motion device connected with the end of either
lever, and wholly on one side of the other lever at the said connected end, to
thereby properly guide the lever with which it is connected without interfering
with the movement of the other lever, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with the post and door-levers pivotted and guided as
described, of a counter-balance to balance the weight of the said levers, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
4th. The combination with the post-lever of a door-lever pivotted thereto, and
bent or curved as described to bring the pivotted point f of the said levers more
nearly under the centre of gravity of the weight of the door supported thereby,
whereby the friction of the door against its guides is reduced, substantially as
described.
5th. The combination of the lever and guiding projection thereon with the
guiding strips tied together at their ends, and provided with an opening to permit
the guiding projection to be inserted laterally within the groove between the said
strip, substantially as described.
6th. The arrangement of the centre pivot f of the crossed levers at the door-
jamb side of a longitudinal line intersecting the connections of the door and post
levers with the door and post, as in Figure 4, for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
Wч. MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)