US2219824A

US2219824A - Door opening and door checking device

Info

Publication number: US2219824A
Application number: US317300A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph I Schonitzer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-02-05
Filing date: 1940-02-05
Publication date: 1940-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1957-10-29

Description

R. -l. SCHONITZER npoR ornnmc- AND noon CHECKING-DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I FIG.3

I INVENTOR. RUDOLPH I. SCHONITZER BY W 2 M 7 47 ATTORNEYS FIG.4

Oct. 29, 1940. R. l. SCHONITZER DOOR OPENING AND DOOR CHECKING DEVICE 2 sheetsesfieet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1940 FIG.6

v INVENTOR. RUDOLPH LSCHQNITZER.

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE noon ornnmc AND noon cnncxmc nnvror:

9 Claims.

This invention relates to door opening devices and to combined door opening and door checking devices, said devices preferably being of such character that they yieldingly resist (but only to a desirable degree) the closing of the doors with which they are used from the open positions to which said doors are automatically movable by said devices. As will hereinafter appear, devices embodying the present invention are particularly adapted for use with doors which are so hinged on their supporting structures that the hinge edge walls .of said doors and the hinge edge walls of said supporting structures are in oppositely positioned or generally abutting relationship when said doorsare in their closed positions, such as the doors of automobiles or the like, for example.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a device which comprises expansible means for association with, and which supporting structure therefor, said expansible means being put in the'desired loaded condition during the closing of the door and being capable, by its expansion, of automatically effecting, upon the unlatching of said door, the movement of said door to any desired open position, either a partially open position or the fully open position 01' said door. Preferably, said expansible means is of such character and of such compact form that it may be associated with (such as by being pivotally connected to) said door and its supporting structure between the general planes of the inner and outer side walls thereof, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device which comprises a pair of relatively movable elements in lapping relationship and by one or both of which is carried a compression spring or the like, one of said ele- 40 ments, in the use of said device, having pivotal connection to, or other suitable association with, the door to be automatically opened, and the other of said elements having pivotal connection t.Q.,,.9 r other suitable as o i omwifthwthe supporting structure for said door.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a combined door opening and door checking device which is efl'ective, upon the unlatching of the door with "which'it is used,to'

automatically open said door to any desired extent, and to check or arrest the opening moveis effective at all times on, a hinged door and the Another object of the presentinvention is the provision of a device which is effective; upon the unlatching of the door with which it is used, to automatically open said door to any desired extent, to check the opening movement of said door 5 when it reaches its fully open position, and to yieldingly resist (but only to a desirable degree) the closing of said door from the open position to which it is automatically movable.

. Other features of devices embodying the pres- 10 ent' invention are. their structural simplicity, which enables themto-be made and sold at low cost; their strong and rugged character, which enables them to have an exceedingly long life in service without requiring attention from-time to time; and the eiliciency with which they perform their intended functions, namely, the function of automatically opening to any desired extent the doors with which such devices are used and the function of yieldingly resisting (but only to a desirable degree) the closing of said doors from the positions to which they are automatically opened; or those two functions with the additional function of checking or arresting the opening movement of said doors when they have reached their fully open positions.

Further features of devices embodying the present invention are in part obvious and in part will appear from the following description of three of such devices, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an outside elevation of a portion oi a left front automobile door and that portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged,

partsof the outer side walls of said door and body portions being broken away to show the combined door opening and door checking device associated therewith, the door being in its closed position; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through said door and body portions, the view being on the line 2-2, Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through said door and body portions, on the line 2; Fig. 4 is averticai sectional-view through said body portion, on the line 4- 4, Fig. 4 2; Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the door in its fully open position; Fig.

6 is a'perspective view of one of the end mom- "bers of such door opening and door checking device, said end members being the parts which are pivotally connected to said door and body portions; Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the other end member of such device; Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the door open- 1:15 and door checking device of Figs. 1 to '7 inelusive reversely connected to a left front automobile door and its supporting body portion;

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 but showing said door openingand door checking device 5 assecured in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an axial section of a modified form of a door opening and door checking device embodying the present invention; and Fig. 11 is an axial section of still another form of a door opening and door checking device embodying the present invention.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to be understood that such invention is not limited to the details of construction or the specific arrangement of parts herein illustrated or described, as the invention obviously may take other forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Although devices embodying the present invention are applicable for use with any hinged door having its hinge edge wall oppositely positioned or in generally abutting relationship with respect to the hinge edge wall of its supporting structure (the structure on which said door is hinged), the 1 devices here involved are particularly useful, as

heretofore pointed out, with the doors of automobiles or the like, and for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, the use of one of such devices with present-day automobile doors is here shown and described.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to '7 inclusive, the reference numeral I designates: a portion of a left front automobile door, said door having its transverse front edge wall 2 suitably hinged, as is usual, on the transverse rear edge wall 3 of that portion of the automobile body shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive and designated generally by the reference numeral 4, a pair of exposed hinges I 4 being used for that purpose, and the door hinge axis being indicated by the reference numeral 8. As best shown in Fig. 2, when the door I is in its closed position, the door and body edge walls 2 and I (which edge walls are hereinafter termed 45 "hinge edge walls) are in oppositely positioned or generally abutting relationship, by which is meant that such hinge edge walls are oppositely positioned or disposed and either in actual contact, or, as here shown, relatively close to each 50 other.

Although any suitable means may be utilized for releasably retaining the door I in its closed position and for actuating said retaining means to release said door for opening movement, (said 65 retaining means being hereinafter referred to broadly as latch means) devices embodying the present invention are particularly useful in con- Junction with doors whose latch means have push-buttons or the like for effecting release aceo tuation of said latch means, as opening movement of said doors, to any desired extent, is automatically effected by the invention here involved. Projecting handles by the use of which presentday automobile doors are unlatched and manual- 35 ly opened, not only are dangerous (in that many severe injuries have been caused by them) but also, said projecting handles seriously interfere with the streamlining effects now desired for automobile bodies. Inasmuch as a device em- 70 bodying the present invention automatically effects, upon the unlatching of the door with which it is used, the opening of said door to its fully open position, the use with such a door of the present-day handles for door opening purposes 75 is wholly unnecessary. As a result, simple push? buttons or the like, desirable from many standpoints, may be used with the latch means of a door with which is used an automatic opening device of the character here involved.

The latch means, therefore, of the automobile door I of Figs. 1.to 5 inclusive may be, and

preferably is, of the type in which push-buttons or the like are utilized for effecting release actuation thereof. For example, said latch means may be of the form disclosed in my copending application for Door opening devices, filed August 21, 1939, Serial No. 291,240, or in other words, latch means embodying the invention of my prior Patent No. 2,094,413 for Door control mechanism. to which patent reference may be had, if desired. However, inasmuch as the latch means of the door I forms no part of the present invention, no latch means for such door is here shown or described.

As will hereinafter more fully appear, each of the devices here illustrated (devices which are capable of automatically swinging relatively heavy doors, such as present-day automobile doors, to partially open positions thereof or to their fully open positions) is of simple and inexpensive character and of such compact form that it may be easily and conveniently mounted between the general planes of the side walls of an automobile door and the general planes of the side walls of that portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged, there being (see Figs. 2 and 8) more or less alignment of the outer side walls of such door and such a body portion and more or less alignment of the inner side walls of such a door and such a body portion, when said door is in its closed position. As a result, the devices here involved not only are eminently satisfactory from structural and functional standpoints but also, are commercially practical for presentday automobile doors, as such devices are concealed from view when the doors with which they are used-are in their closed positions, and the extent of their exposure, even when'such doors are in their fully open positions, is such that said devices are entirely unobjectionable.

Although devices embodyingthe present invention may take various forms, as will be readily understood and as will hereinafter more fully appear, each of said devices, in its broader aspects, comprises expansible means for association with, and which is effective at all times on, the door to be automatically opened and the supporting structure therefor.

'Ihree specific forms which devices embodying v the present invention may take are here illustrat ed. and each of those devices includes an expansible part/in the form of a coiled compression spring, and a pair of relatively movable, elongated elements by one or both of which said compressionspring is carried and guided during expansion and contraction thereof. Preferably, said elements are in lapping relationship (telescopic relationship, as here shown), and in the here disclosed use of the device of which they are parts, the front end portion of one of said-elements and the rear end portion of the other are pivotally secured by means of brackets or otherwise to the door to be automatically opened and to the supporting structure therefor. During the closing of the door with which such device is used, the coiled compression spring of such device is compressed and thereby put in the desired "loaded condition, and upon the unlatching of said closed door, said spring expands and thereby automatically effects the movement of said door to any desired open position. as will more fully appear.

In addition to automatically opening to the extent desired the doors with which the present v devices are used, said devices yieldingly resist, to any desired degree, the closing of said doors from the open positions to which they are automatically movable, the degree of such door closing resistance being dependent, of course, upon the compression resistance of the springs of such devices when said doors are in such open positions. Therefore, by the selection of a spring having the proper compressionresistance when the door with which it is used is in the open position-to which it is automatically movable, any desired resistance to door closing movement can be obtained, as will be readily understood.

Furthermore, devices embodyingthe present invention, (such as the device illustrated in Figs.

1 to 9 .inclusive, for example) may, if desired, determine the fully open positions of the doors with which such devices are used, or in other words, determine the extent to which such doors can be opened, thereby making wholly-unnecessary the use with said doors of separate checking means such as are now used with automobile doors for yieldingly or otherwise checking or arresting the movement of said doors when they have been manually swung to their fully open positions.

Referring now to the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, it will be noted that such device comprises a pair of telescopically related members, one of said members being in the form of a tube 8 and the other being in theform of a bolt 9, the head I0 of said bolt being disposed within said tube at all times. Surrounding said tube and said bolt is a coiled compression spring I2, the ends of which bear against suitable abutments with which said tube and said bolt are provided. As here shown, the front end of said tube and the rear end of said bolt are provided with simple and inexpensive sheet metal end pieces, which not only constitute the abutments for the ends of the compression spring I2 but also, .con-

stitute the means by which said tube and said bolt are pivotally secured to the automobile door I and the automobile body portion 4 on which said door is hinged.

The sheet metal end piece I4 here shown (see Fig. '7) for the tube 8 comprises a substantially flat abutment portion I5 having a centrally disposed aperture to enable it to be mounted on the front end portion of said'tube, and a pair of generally parallel perforated ears I6 which project, when said end piece is mounted upon the front end of said tube, forwardly beyond said tube and thereby provide a means for enabling said tube to be pivotally secured either to the 0 automobile door I or to the automobile body portion 4. To retain said end piece on the front end of said tube, said tube is provided at its front end with an annular flange I1, which may be economically formed as an integral part of said tube by a swaging operation or the like. As

shown, said tube flange I'I extends radially out- -ward and provides a rigid backing for the abutment portion I5 of the tube end piece, and as said abutment portion is firmly held against said tube flange by the compression spring I2, the assembly with said tube of its end piece is securely maintained.

The end piece I9 here shown (see Fig. 6) for the bolt 9 comprises a substantially flat abutment portion 20 having a centrally disposed aperture to enable it to be mounted on the threaded rear end of said bolt, and a pair of converging perforated ears 2I which project, when said end piece is mounted upon the outer end of said bolt, rearwardly beyond said bolt and thereby provide 5 a means for enabling said bolt to be pivotally secured to either the door I or the automobile body portion 4. To-retain said end piece on the rear end of said bolt. saidbolt has threaded on its rear end a nut 22, rotation of which nut relal0 tive to said end piece is prevented by the ears 2I of said end piece. As will be readily understood, said nut provides a rigid backing for the abutment portion 20 of the bolt end piece, and as such I abutment portion is firmly held against said nut 15 by the compression spring I2, the assembly with said bolt of its end piece is securely maintained. As here shown, the relative diameters of the tube 8 and the compression spring I2 are such that said spring more or less snugly surrounds 0 said tube, and as a result, there is no liability of lateral displacement of that end of the spring which engages the abutment portion I5 of the tube end piece I I. In order to prevent, however, any lateral displacement of that end of the com- 25 pression spring which engages the abutment portion 20 of the bolt end piece I9, saidabutment portion is here provided, at its periphery, with laterally bent flanges 23, the effect of which is to provide for this end of the compression spring 30 a socket or the like which efi'ectively prevents lateral displacement thereof. If desired, and as here shown, the socket forming flanges 23 of the end piece I8 may be integral parts of the metal of which such end piece is formed, the formation 35 of such end piece being eflected by simple shearing and stamping operations.

As heretofore pointed out, either of the two telescopically related members of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive may-be pivotally secured to 40 the automobile door I. That is to say, the tube 8 may be pivotally secured to the door I and the bolt 9 pivotally secured to the'automobile body portion 4, or the bolt 9 may be pivotally secured to such door and the tube 8 pivotally secured to 45 such body portion. In either case, the tube and the bolt are pivotally secured to said door and said body portion between the general planes of their inner and outer side walls, the general plane of any such side wall, as that term is here used, being'the plane which not only includes such side wall but which extends therebeyond.

In Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying v drawings, the bolt 9 is pivotally secured to the automobile door I, between the general planes 55 v of its inner and

outer side walls

24 and 25, and

the tube 8 is pivotally secured to the automobile body portion 4, between the general planes of its inner and

outer side walls

26 and 21. As there shown, the perforated ears 2I of the bolt end piece I9 are pivotally secured, by the use of a rivet 28 or the like, to a bracket with which said door is suitably provided, such as to a bracket 29 secured to the hinge edge wall 2 of said door; and the perforated ears I 8 of the tube end piece 35 I4 are pivotally secured, by the use of a rivet 38 or the like, to bracket means with which said body portion is suitably provided, such as to the brackets 3| secured to the inner side Wall 28 of said body portion some distance forwardly of its 70 hinge edge wall 3. Such a mounting requires, of course, the provision of a suitable opening, such as the transverse slot 33 here shown, in said hinge edge wall for the extension therethrough of the bolt 9 and the compression spring I2 dur- 75 ing opening and closing movements of the door I,

and if the automobile body portion 4 is provided with a reinforcement pillar, such as the one here shown, it is also necessary to provide a suitable 5 opening, such as the transverse slot 85 here shown, in the transverse wall 84 of said pillar. Although the slots 83 and 38 must be in alignment, they need not be, and here are not, coextensive in length (see Fig. 4).

For the accomplishment of its door checking function. the device of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is provided with means for limiting the-movement of its bolt 8 with respect to its tube 8 during opening movement of the door with which such device is used, and inasmuch as said bolt is connected to and moves with said door, the arresting of bolt movement in a door opening direction also arrests, as will be readily understood, corresponding movement of said door. 20 As here shown, the device of Figs. 1 to 5 inelusive has the rear end of its tube 8 turned radially inward to provide an annular abutment flange 31, the location of said flange, with respect to the head ill of the bolt 8, being such that said flange is engaged by said bolt head'or by a resilient cushioning member associated therewith, such as the rubber disc 88 here shown-when the door with which such device is used has reached its fully open position. As a result, the movement of the bolt 9 in a door opening direction, and the corresponding movement of the door to which said bolt is pivotally connected, are limited or arrested, as desired, and it is therefore wholly unnecessary to provide for said door a separate checking means for the purpose of checking or arresting its opening movement when said door has reached its fully open position.

Instead of having such door opening device ex- 40 tend into the automobile body portion, as in Figs.

1 to 5 inclusive, said device may extend into the automobile door, and such a reverse mounting is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. As there shown, the tube 8 is located within the left front auto- 45 mobile door la, the end piece ll of such tube being pivotally connected to a bracket Ila suitably secured to the inner side wall 24a of said door some distance rearwardly of its hinge edge wall 2a; and the end piece i9 01 the bolt 8 is 50 pivotally connected to a bracket 29a suitably secured to the hinge edge wall 8a of the automobile body portion to. With such a mounting,

it is, of course, merely necessary to provide a suitable opening, such as the transverse slot 88a 55 here shown, in the hinge edge wall 2a of the door la, for the extension therethrough of the bolt 8 and the compression spring l2.during opening and closing movements of said door, all as will be readily understood.

go With either mounting, the compression spring I2, during the manual movement to closed position of the door with which it is used, will be compressed (as in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive and Fig. 8) and thereby put in desired loaded con- 5 dition, and upon the unlatching of said door, said spring will automatically effect, by the force of its expansion, the movementofsaid door to either a partially open position, or ashere shown, to its fully open position, the position of the 70 door I in Fig. 5 and the position of the door In in Fig. 9. 'If it is desired that either the door I or the door la be automatically movable to a partially open position only (and manually movable to its fully open position), it is merely l5 necessary to have weaker or shorter, or both,

the coiled compression spring of the device which is used with said door, or in other words, to have said spring of such character that it is incapable oi automatically moving said door beyond the desired partially open position, all as will be readily understood.

As heretofore pointed out, devices embodying the present invention not only automatically'effect, upon the unlatching of the doors with which they are used, the opening of said doors to the extent desired but also, yieldingly resist the closing of said doors from the positions to which they are automatically opened. Moreover, devices embodying the present invention also may effect, if desired, the checking or arresting of the opening movement of the doors with which such devices are used when said .doors reach.

their fully open positions, as will be readily understood from the foregoing description of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive. Inasmuch as the compression spring I! of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive is effective to fully open the door I or the door la, closing movement of either door from its fully open position is yieldingly resisted, and ma result, said door is releasabiy held or retained in its fully open position whenever it is moved thereto. With the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, therefore, no separate holding means is necessary for releasably retaining the door with which said device is used in its fully open position. If, on the other hand, the door l or the door la is automatically movable by the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive to a partially open position only, and ii the releasable retention of said door in its fully open position is desired, the use of separate holding means for said door is necessary for that purpose, although the closing of said door from said partially open position would be yieldingly resisted, of course, by said device. Therefore, if said door had a normal tendency to close, like most present-day automobile doors, it remains in the partially open position to which it is automatically movable. unless it were manually closed or manually moved to a further open position, all as will be readily understood.

In Figs. 10 and 11, two modified forms of devices embodying the present invention are illustrated, devices which include, in addition to coiled compression springs, telescopically related members of tubular form. In the device of Fig. 10, there is an outer tube 8a and an inner tube 81), and said telescopically related tubes are surrounded by a coiled compression spring in. The

ends 01'. said spring abut or engage, as here shown, suitable end pieces Ila with which the outer ends of said tubes are provided, said end pieces, ii."

desired and as here shown, being identical with the sheet metal and piece ll heretofore described and being maintained in assembly with the tubes 8a and 8b in the same manner in which the end piece It is maintained in assembly with the tube 8 of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive. For the pivotal connection of the device of Fig. '10 to a door structure and its supporting structure, such as to an automobile door and that portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged, suitable brackets, such asthe simple sheet metal brackets 40 shown in Fig 10, may be utilized,'

all as will be readily understood.

7 In the device of Fig. 11, a coiled compression spring I2?) is arranged within the telescopically related inner and'outer tubes 4| and 42. Ex-

tending transversely through the rear end por- "w tion of the inner tube II and the front end por tion of the outer tube "are rivets 43 or .the

like by which said tubes are pivotally connected to attaching brackets 49a, and although said rivets may serve, if desired, as the abutments for the ends of the compression spring I'Zb, the ends of said spring here engage sheet metal abutment members 45 of generally cup-shape, the cylindrical side walls of said abutment members being suitably slotted to enable them to be mounted, by endwisemovement thereof, upon said rivets, all as will be readily understood.

Inasmuch as the devices of Figs. and 11 A are adapted to be pivotally secured to a door structure and its supporting structure, such as 15 to an automobile door and that portion of the automobile body upon. which said door is hinged, in substantially the same manner as the device of Figs. 1 to 9, and inasmuch as the devices of Figs. 10 and 11 operate in substantially the same manner as the device of Figs. 1 to 9 to automatically open to the desired extent the doors with which they are used and to yieldingly resist the closing of said doors from the open positions to which said doors are automaticallymovable, no further reference to the devices of Figs. -10 and 11 is believed to be necessary. It should be pointed out, however, that neither the device of Fig. 10 nor the device of Fig. 11 is shown as provided with means for limiting the opening movement of the door with which it is used. However, either of those devices can be made to accomplish that result by providing-its telescopically related members with means for limiting their extension or elongation, as in the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive and as will be readily understood.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

What I claim is:

l. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the hinge edge walls of said structures are in op- .positely positioned relationship when the door 45 structure is closed, said device comprising a pair of lappingly related elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls, and expansible means cooperable with said elements, said'ex- 50 pansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during the closing of the door structure and being effective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position. 55 2. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the hinge edge walls of said structures are in oppositely positioned relationship when the door 60 structure is closed, said device comprising a pair of elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls, expansible means carried by said elements, said expansible means being put in the 65 desired loaded condition during the closing of the door structure and beingeffective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position, and means associated with at least one of said ele- 70 ments for limiting the automatic opening movement of said door structure.

3. A. device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the 75 hinge edge walls of said structures are in oppcsitely positioned relationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprising elongated expansible means having one of its end portions pivotally secured to the hinge edge wall of one of said structures and having its other end portion located within and pivotally secured to the other of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls, said expansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during the closing of the door structure and being efiective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed door-structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

4. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the hinge edge walls of said structures are in oppositely positioned relationship when. the door structure is closed, said device comprising elongated expansible means pivotally associated with each of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls, said expansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during the closing of the door structure and being effective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position.

5. A device for automatically swinging to an open position, a closed but unlatched door strucso loaded to automatically swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open-position.

6. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed butunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the hinge edge walls of said structures are in oppositely positioned relationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprising a pair of elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structures between the general planes of its two side walls, expansible means carried-by said elements, said expansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during the closing oi the door structure and being eflective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position, and

positioned relationship when the door a pair of abutments one associated with each-of said elements for checking by their engagement with each other the opening movement ofsaid door structure when it reaches its fully open position.

7. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the hinge edge walls of such structures are in oppositely positioned relationship when the door structure isiclosed, said device comprising a pair of elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structures between the general planes of its two sidewalls, expansible means guided by said elements and confinedbetween two abutments, one associated with each of said structures, the confinement of said expansible means between said abutments during the closing of the door structure effecting the loading of said expansible means and said expansible means when so loaded being effective to automatically swing said closed door structure, it unlatched, to an open posi- 1 tion, and opposing abutments carriedby said elements for limiting by their engagement with each other the extent to which said door structure can be opened.

8. A device 'i'or automatically swinging to an openposition a closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the hinge edge walls of such structures are in oppositely positioned relationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprising a pair of elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structures between the general planes of its two ments carried by said elements for limiting by their engagement with each other the extent to which said door structure can be opened.

9. A device for automaticallyswinging to an open position a closed-but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the hinge edge walls of such structures are in oppositely positioned relationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprising a pair oi elongated elements, one pivotailysecured to each or said structures between the general planes 0! its two side walls, expanslble means surrounding said elements, said expansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during the closing of the door structure and being eilective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed door structure, it unlatched, to an open position, one 01' said elements being of tubular form for the telescopic reception of the other and said elements having opposing abutments for limiting by their engagement with each other the extent to which said door structure can be opened.

RUDOLPH I. scnom'rznn.