US1935603A

US1935603A - Spring hinge

Info

Publication number: US1935603A
Application number: US662557A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward N Biegler
Original assignee: ALBERT G MCCALEB
Current assignee: ALBERT G MCCALEB
Priority date: 1933-03-24
Filing date: 1933-03-24
Publication date: 1933-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1950-11-21

Description

Nov. 21, 1933. E. N. BIEGLER SPRING HINGE Filed March 24, 1935 v llll j! 12g bzz/arzd 42mm W ikf.

Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES SPRING HINGE Edward N. Biegler, Whitehall, Mich., assignor of two-fifths to Albert McCaleb, Evansto'n,

Ill. 7

Application March 24, 1933. Serial No. 662,557

' 1 Claim. (01. 16-180) My invention contemplates and provides improvements in the construction and operation of spring hinges. a

A salient feature of the present invention is an improved mode of operation which is realized by reason of a novel relationship between the spring element and the other hinge elements by which said spring element is carried and with which it cooperates.

Each of the illustrative embodiments of my invention which are hereinafter described and subsequently claimed is characterized by its simplicity, sturdiness, cheapness of manufacture and the facility with which it maybe installed, have I its spring element replaced, or be converted from a spring hinge to a non-spring hinge and vice versa. r

Other features, objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed I description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating an embodiment of my invention which is particularly suitable for use in connection with gates and rela- 2'5? tivelyheavy doors and windows;

35.; parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 2 is a perspective illustrating an embodiment of my invention which is particularly suitable for use in connection with light hinged closures, such as screen doors and window screens;

" and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating certain modifications which may be made in the style of hinge shown in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar In Fig. 1 reference numeral 10 indicates a portion of a gate and 11 a stationary structure on which the gate is mounted by means of a plu-' rality of hinges of the kind illustrated.

The hinge exhibited in Fig. 1 comprises two

straps

12 and 13 which are secured, respectively, to the gate 10 and structure 11 by

countersunk screws

14, 14. The contiguous ends of the hinge straps preferably incline outwardly (i. e. away 45,; from the adjacent surfaces of the gate 10 and sta- 13, and the cylindrical portion 17 being carried by strap 12. As thus far described, the hinge is or may be substantially identical with strap hinges which are Well known and in common use.

The hinge pintle is in the form of one leg, 18, of a substantially U-shaped metal member 19, the

other leg of which is indicated at, 20. The-leg 18 preferably is passed through the aligned

cylindrical portions

16, 16 and 17 from beneath and may be upset, as indicated at 21, to prevent its withdrawal from said cylindrical portions. -1

prefer that the leg 18 of the U -shaped member, shall be freely rotatable with respect to each of the

cylindrical portions

16,16 and 17. However, it may have a tight fit with one or both of the

cylindrical portions

16, 16 if rotatable with respect to the cylindrical portion 17 or, conversely, may have a tight fit with cylindrical portion 17. pro vided it is freely rotatable with respect to each of the cylindrical portionslfi, 16.

The leg 200i the .U-shaped member 19 con- 12 and 13 respectively or, in the event the straps are quite short, against the surfaces to which said straps are secured. i

The arrangement of Fig. 3 is substantially identical with that of Fig; 1, with two exceptions.

Firstly,-the;leg 18 of, theU-shaped. member 19. 0

is provided with areduced and threaded upper extremity which receives a washer 26 and a nut 27 to prevent the withdrawal of the said leg 18 from the aligned cylindrical'portions 16,

16 and 1'7. Secondly, the'spring-supporting leg 35 20 is provided with a reduced upper end adapted to receive a washer 28 and a cotter pin 29 to 7 prevent accidental displacement of the spring 22 from the said spring supporting leg.

In the arrangement of Fig. 2 a'screen door or 0 window screen is illustrated at 30, and its frame at 31. The hinge comprises straps or

leaves

32 and 33, which are provided with the aligned cylindrical pintle-receiving portions 34 and 35,

35, respectively.

Screws

36, 36, preferably countersunk, secure the

straps

32 and 33 to the frame door (or window) respectively.

As thus far described, the hinge is or may be substantially identical with familiar makes of.

light'hinges commonly employed in connection 9 with screen doors and window screens. I prefer,

however, that the remote extremities of the straps be beveled, as indicated at 37, 3'7, to prevent said ends from engaging and holding the spring arms, presently to be described, in case 5 the spring arms in the operation of the hinge pass off the straps on to the adjacent portions of the surfaces by which the straps are carried.

In this embodiment of the invention, shown in Fig. 2, the hinge pintle is in the form of one l leg 38 of a U-shaped member 39, the other leg 40 of which constitutes a spring support. In this embodiment of the invention, the upper end of the leg 38 is shown as upset at 41 to prevent its downward withdrawal from the aligned cylindrical

pintle receiving portions

34 and 35, 35.

In this form of the invention, the cylindrically coiled spring 42 has its end portions bent and rebent to provide arms 43 and 4A which are not apt to become caught in the clothing of persons in the immediate vicinity of the hinges. These arms 43 and 44 bear and press against the

straps

33 and 32, respectively. 7

In the operation of each of the hereindescribed embodiments of my invention, the arms constituted by the ends of the spring are free to slide outwardly on the hinge straps (i. e. away from their pivotally connected ends) when the door or window is opened, and while energy is being stored in the springs, and are free to move inwardly when the door or window is moved to closed position by the energy thus stored in the spring. It is preferable that the extremitiesof the spring arms bear against the hinge straps throughout the operation of the hinge. However, it is contemplated that in some instances the hinge straps may be so short that the extrem-v ities of the arms of the spring may move off of the hinge straps when the door or window is moved to its fully opened position. In such cases, the ends of the straps are preferably beveled, as exhibited in Fig. 2. It is also possible to make the hinge straps so short that the extremities of the arms of the spring will at all times bear against the surfaces by which the straps are carried, rather than against the straps themselves. While such an arrangement is contemplated by the present invention, it is not preferred.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description, that many known types of hinges may be converted into the hinge of the present invention simply by removing the usual hinge pintle, replacing it by the U-shaped member of the present invention, and applying the spring of the present invention to the auxiliary leg of the U-shaped member, 1. e. the leg which does not constitute the pintle, but is parallel therewith. Thus manufacturers of conventional hinges are prepared to produce the hinge of the 30 present invention with but small additional tool expense.

Another important advantage of the hinge of the present invention is that its spring may be readily removed for repair or replacement in the 5 event that it becomes damaged or broken.

Still another advantage of the hinge is that it may be converted into a perfectly satisfactory hinge of the non-spring type simply by removing the spring from the auxiliary leg of the U- shaped member, and may be re-converted into a spring hinge by replacing the spring in its operating position.

An additional advantage of the hinge of the present invention resides in the fact that it is available for use in situations where the hinged margin of a door or window is but slightly removed from a wall at right angles to the plane of the closed position of the door or window. In such instances, that arm of the spring which usually bears against the hinge strap attached to the frame of the door or window, may bear against such wall or against a portion of the hinge strap turned into engagement with such wall.

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a spring hinge, the combination of a pair of hinge plates having pintle receiving portions, with a pintle comprising a rod of substantially U-shape having a pair of parallel legs one of said legs serving as the pintle and the other leg being" located in spaced relation thereto, and spring means, coiled about said second leg and slidably removable therefrom, said spring having oppositely extending ends slidably engaging the hinge plates and urging said plates in a predetermined direction.

EDWARD N. BIEGLER.