IMPROVEMENTS. IN OR RELATING TO HINGES APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN KINDS OF FURNITURE AND THE LIKE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Parker and Walter Parker of 117 Curtain
Road in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS.
IN OR RELATING TO HINGES APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN KINDS OF FURNITURE
AND THE LIKE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Parker and
Walter Parker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
22nd October 1883.
FREDERICK PARKER and WALTER PARKER of Curtain Road London in the
County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO HINGES, APPLICABLE
TO CERTAIN KINDS OF FURNITURE AND THE LIKE
"
"
The object of this invention is to produce a double purpose hinge, which may be
combined with a lock if required and is suitable for use with our "Ambidexter
box ottoman couches (which are so made that the lid may be opened from
either side at pleasure) and other articles of furniture, trunks & and in fact
wherever a lid is required to be capable of being opened from either side.
A hinge resembling a common brass hinge, has one or more hooked catches or
projections attached to its underside; its upper side being secured to the lid of the
box or sofa. A suitable casing let into the side of the box contains a sliding bolt
with catches to match those of the hinge, a spring keeps this pressed forward
while one arm of a free bell or angle crank rests against the end of the bolt
opposite to the spring. Holes are provided in the case to admit the catches of the
hinge, and there is also a hole over the second arm of the bell crank.
An angle plate may be attached to the lid and provided with holes, preferably
square, in each flat of the plate, through this passes a quadrant, like the segment
of a circle, and having a suitable projection or pin to keep it in place. When the
hinge is closed up, the inner end of the quadrant enters the hole in the casing, and
rests just over the second arms of the bell crank. A handle is jointed to the outer
end of the quadrant in such manner that it can only be lifted a certain distance
without moving the quadrant, so as to then lie in line with the outer end of the
quadrant, this would give it a more or less horizontal position when the lid of the

page_text: box was closed. There would be at least two of these hinges, one at each side
of the box, and there may be as many more as necessary. The action is as
follows.
It being required to raise the lid from one side, the handles are lifted to the
more or less horizontal position and when lifted still further they operate in two
ways, they serve to force in the quadrants (of which there is one to each hinge)
which move the bell cranks which push back the lock-bolt and release the
fastening and they also serve to raise the lid with when the fastening is
released.
The hinges at the open side come away from the box altogether, being attached
to the lid, whilst those at the back of the box, having one part attached to the lid,
and the other to the box, open like ordinary hinges If the box be turned round,
the operation of the two sets of hinges and locks is reversed.
Where desired the "lock" can be made to act like an ordinary lock so that the
box cannot be opened without the proper key.
In a modification the spring and bell cranks may be dispensed with and the bolt
made with a suitable projection by which it could be moved, so that when the bolt
is slid, the box would ouly open from one side, the position of the bolts would have
to be reversed when the box had to be opened from the other side.
The hinge may be secured to the box if preferred and the bolt & to the lid, a
knob would then be attached to the bell crank so that the lifting of the knob
would release the bolt and lift the lid simultaneously. The objection to this form
is that the catches of the hinge project from the box and are liable to catch in the
dresses &
.. .. 5.
"
It will be evident that the details may be considerably varied without departing
from the spirit of this invention, for instance the quadrant could be dispensed with
and the bell crank or equivalent be pushed from the outside and the lid raised by
other handles, or without handles altogether.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Parker and Walter Parker in the Patent Office on the
22nd April 1884.
FREDERICK PARKER, and WALTER PARKER, of 117 Curtain Road in the County
of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO HINGES APPLICABLE TO
CERTAIN KINDS OF FURNITURE AND THE LIKE.
The object of this invention is to produce a double-purpose hinge which may be
combined with a lock if required and is suitable for use with our "Ambidexter
Box Ottoman Couches" (which are so made that the lid may be opened from
either side at pleasure) and other articles of furniture trunks & and in fact
wherever a lid is required to be capable of being opened from either side.
A hinge resembling a common brass box hinge has one or more hooked catches
or projections attached to its underside its upper side being secured to the lid of
the box or sofa. A suitable casing let into the side of the box contains a sliding
bolt with catches to match those of the hinge: à spring keeps this pressed
forward while one arm of a free bell or angle crank rests against the end of the
bolt opposite to the spring. Holes are provided in the case to admit the catches of
the binge and there is also a hole over the second arm of the bell crank
An angle plate may be attached to the lid and provided with holes preferably
square in each flap of the plate; through this passes a quadrant like the segment of
a circle and having a suitable projection or pin to keep it in place. When the
hinge is closed up the inner end of the quadrant enters the hole in the casing and
rests just over the second arm of the bell crank. A handle is jointed to the outer
end of the quadrant in such manner that it can only be lifted a certain distance
without moving the quadrant so as to then lie in line with the outer end of the
quadrant this would give it a more or less horizontal position, when the lid of the
box was closed-There would be at least two of these hinges one at each side of
the box and 'there may be as many more as necessary.
The action is as follows:-
...
1
It being required to raise the lid from one side the handles are lifted to the more
or less horizontal position and when lifted still further they operate in two ways
they serve to force in the quadrants (of which there is one to each hinge) which
move the bell cranks. which push back the lock bolt and release the fastening and
they also serve to raise the lid with, when the fastening is released.
The hinges at the open side come away from the box altogether being attached
to the lid whilst those at the back of the box having one part attached to the lid
and the other to the box open like ordinary hinges. If the box be turned round
the operation of the two sets of hinges and locks is reversed.
.
When desired the "lock" can be made to act like an ordinary lock so that the
box cannot be opened without the proper key.
In a modification the spring and bell-crank & may be dispensed with and the
bolt made with a suitable projection by which it could be moved so that when the
bolt is slid the box would only. open from one side. the position of the bolts would
have to be reversed when the box had to be opened from the otherside.
The hinge may be secured to the box if preferred and the bolt & to the lid a
knob would then be attached to the bell crank so that lifting the knob would
release the bolt and lift the lid simultaneously-The objection to this form is that
the catches of the hinge project from the box and are liable to catch in drosses &
It will be evident that the details may be considerably varied without departing
from the spirit of this invention for instance the quadrant could be dispensed with

page_text: and the bell crank or equivalent be pushed from the outside and the lid raised by
other handles or without handles altogether
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1. is a side elevation of the complete hinge
and Figure 2 a cross section on line z. z. Figure 1. the handle being shown in place
Figure 3. shows a modified form of the handle-Figures 4 and 5 are elevations
of a modified form of hinge catch and Figure 6 is an end view of the same
Figures 7 and 8 are a side and end view of a simplified form.
Like letters represent like parts.
A is an ordinary hinge but has the projecting catches. A' which pass through
openings in the top plate of the case B the upper plate of the hinge A is screwed
to the lid of the box or other article and the top plate of B to the side of the
box itself C is a sliding bolt having two catches C¹ which gear with the catches A¹
as shown in Figure 1. and are kept pressed forward by the spring D―E is a bell
crank or angle lever pivoted at E one arm of which E³ rests against a portion of
the bolt C and the other E³ is under the hole F in the top plate of the casing. It
will at once be seen that if E³ be depressed the bolt C will be moved and the
catches C¹ disengaged from the catches A¹ In figure 2-G is the quadrant one end
of which passes through the hole F (Figure 1), and rests upon E³ when the lid of
the couch is closed the quadrant G passes through holes in the angle plate I which
is screwed to the lid of the couch-H is the handle which hangs down but can be
pulled out as shown in dotted lines, but if raised beyond that position it forces in
the quadrant G depresses E³ and so releases the hinge A as already explained and
then serves to raise the lid by the square shoulder G³ preventing it from moving
beyond the position indicated by the dotted lines without moving the quadrant
with it-G¹ are stops to prevent G from moving too far in either direction.
The action of the releasing gear shown in Figure 3 is similar to that of the
quadrant but a straight lever J and jointed push pin K are substituted
Figure 7 is an elevation and Figure 8 a cross section on line y. y. Figure 7. of
a very simple and cheap form of combination hinge. A is the hinge secured to the
lid as before and B is the case let into the side of the box A¹ is a pin projecting
from the under side of the hinge-When the lid is shut down this pin A' which
has a round or pointed end forces its way in between the two springs L which hold
it sufficiently firmly, especially if the shank be made to fit the hole in the plate
as shown in Figuro 7.
In Figures 4. 5. back view, and in Figure 6 an end view of a modified form is
shown.
The plate A is secured to the front of the lid and plate B to the side of the box
A¹ are the bolts or catches which take into holes B' in plate B. The bolts A' slide
upon the rod M. and are kept apart by the spring N. the levers O are jointed
together at P and to the bolts A¹ at O¹
The lifting lever Q Figure 6 is pivotted at Q and passes through a slot in
plate A. and under the joint P-In figure 4. the bolts A' are separated and the
hinge is complete; in Figure 5 lever Q has been raised drawing with it levers O
and with-drawing the bolts A-The outer ends of the bolts A¹ are preferably
bevelled as shown so as to draw in when the lid is shut down and the corners of
the plate B may be also bevelled to assist this movement.
Having now described our invention and the method of performing the same
what we claim and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited letters
Patent is
First The hinge lock consisting essentially of the ordinary hinge A. provided with
catches A¹ adapted to engage with the catches C³ of the sliding bolt C said bolt
being retained in position by spring D and released by the angle lever E
substantially as described and shown in Figure 1. of the accompanying drawings.
Second. The hinge lock consisting essentially of the ordinary hinge A. provided with
catches A' adapted to engage with the catches 0 of the sliding bolt said bolt
being arranged to be operated by hand substantially as set forth.

page_text: Third In combination with the above described hinge lock the releasing appliance
substantially as described and shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
Fourth The double purpose handle H which serves to release the catches and to
lift the lid by.
Fifth The combination with the hinge A of the stud or projection A' which
separates the spring catches L as the lid is shut down and is then retained by their
pressure upon it substantially as described and shewn in Figures 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings
In Witness whereof we the said Frederick Parker and Walter Parker have
hereunto set our hands and seals this twenty first day of April in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty four,
FREDERICK DADIND