Hinges are frequently used on pivoting doors, but also are seen on foldingladders and many other flexible mechanisms such as automobile hoods (bonnets), and even largebridges.
Ancient remains of stone, marble, wood, and bronze hinges have been found. Some date back to at leastAncient Egypt, although it is nearly impossible to pinpoint exactly where and when the first hinges were used.[1]
InAncient Rome, hinges were calledcardō, and also gave name to the goddessCardea and the main streetCardo. This namecardō lives on figuratively today as "the chief thing (on which something turns or depends)" in words such ascardinal.[2]
A barrel hinge consists of a sectional barrel (theknuckle) secured by a pivot. Abarrel is simply a hollowcylinder. The vast majority of hinges operate on the barrel principle.[4]
Butt hinge / Mortise hinge
Any hinge designed to be set into a door frame or door is considered a butt hinge ormortise hinge. A hinge can also be made as a half-mortise, where only one half is mortised and the other is not. Most mortise hinges are also barrel hinges because of how they pivot (i.e., a pair of leaves secured to each other by knuckles through which runs a pin).[5]
Butterfly / Parliament (UK) hinge
A decorative variety of barrel hinge with leaves somewhat resembling the wings of a butterfly.
Case hinge
Similar to butt hinges, but usually more decorative; most commonly used in suitcases, briefcases, and the like.
Used for furniture doors (with or without a self-closing features and/or damping systems), they consist of two parts: (1.) thecup andarm, and (2.) the mounting plate. They are also called "cup hinges", or "Euro hinges", as they were developed in Europe and use metric installation standards. Most concealed hinges offer the advantage of fullin situ adjustability for standoff distance from the cabinet face, as well as pitch and roll by means of two screws on each hinge.
Continuous / Piano hinge
This variety of barrel hinge runs the entire length of a door, panel, box, etc. They are manufactured with or without holes.
Flag hinge
A simple two-part hinge, where a single leaf, attached to a pin, is inserted into a leaf with a hole. This allows the hinged objects to be easily removed (such as removable doors). They are made in right- and left-hand configurations.[6]
H hinge
These capital H-shaped barrel hinges are used on flush-mounted doors. Small H hinges (3–4 in or 76–102 mm) tend to be used for cabinets, while larger ones (6–7 in or 150–180 mm) are for passage doors and closet doors.
HL hinge
Commonly used for passage doors, room doors, and closet doors in the 17th, 18th, and the 19th centuries. On taller doors, H hinges were occasionally used between them.
One-way hinge
A hinge which can only swing on one direction; the opposite of a two-way or double-action hinge.
Pivot hinge
This hinge pivots in openings in the floor and the top of the door frame. Also referred to as double-acting floor hinges, they are found in ancient dry stone buildings and, rarely, in old wooden buildings. They are a low-cost alternative for use with lightweight doors.[7] Doors with these hinges may be called haar-hung doors.
Self-closing hinge
This is a spring-loaded hinge with a speed control function. The same asspring hinge, usually usespring to provide force to close the door and provide a mechanical or hydraulic damper to control door close speed. That can prevent door slamming problem whileauto closes a door.[8]
Spring hinge
A spring-loaded hinge that provides assistance in closing or opening the hinge leaves. An innerspring applies force to keep the hinge closed or opened.[9]
Swing clear hinge
Also calledoffset door hinges, they are ideal for residential and commercial doors, they allow doors to swing completely clear of their openings.[10] They can easily comply with Fair Housing Act (FHA) code by providing a minimum ADA 32” clearance when using a 34” door slab.[11]
Since at leastmedieval times, there have been hinges todraw bridges for defensive purposes for fortified buildings. Hinges are used in contemporaryarchitecture where building settlement can be expected over the life of the building. For example, theDakin Building inBrisbane,California, was designed with its entrance ramp on a large hinge to allow settlement of the building built on piles overbay mud. This device was effective until October 2006, when it was replaced due to damage and excessive ramp slope.
Hinges appear in large structures such as elevated freeway and railroad viaducts, to reduce or eliminate the transfer of bending stresses between structural components, typically in an effort to reduce sensitivity toearthquakes. The primary reason for using a hinge, rather than a simpler device such as a slide, is to prevent the separation of adjacent components. When no bending stresses are transmitted across the hinge, it is called azero moment hinge.
A variety of self-actuating, self-locking hinges have been developed for spacecraftdeployable structures such assolar array panels, synthetic aperture radar antennas, booms, radiators, etc.[12]
The rod that holds theleaves together, inside theknuckle. Also known as apintle.
Knuckle
The hollow—typically circular—portion creating the joint of the hinge through which thepin is set. Theknuckles of eitherleaf typically alternate and interlock with thepin passing through all of them. (aka.loop,joint,node orcurl)
Leaf
The portions (typically two) that extend laterally from theknuckle and typically revolve around thepin.
Axial movement between theleaves along the axis of thepin. This motion allows the leaves to rotate without binding and is determined by the typical distance betweenknuckles (knuckle gap) when both edges of theleaves are aligned.
Gauge
Thickness of theleaves.
Hinge width
Length from the outer edge of oneleaf to the outer edge of the otherleaf, perpendicularly across thepin (akaopen width).
Hinge length
The length of theleaves parallel to the pin.
Knuckle length
The typical length of an individualknuckle parallel to the pin.
Leaf width
Length from the center of thepin to the outer edge of theleaf.
Pitch
Distance from the end of a knuckle to the same edge of its adjacent knuckle on the same leaf
A restraint device designed to secure an individual's wrists in proximity to each other consisting of two cuffs linked with a double or triple hinge. Hinged handcuffs cuffs tend to restrict movement more than chain-linked handcuffs, and they can be used to generate more leverage to force a suspect's hands behind the back, or to apply pain against the wrist, forcing the subject to comply and stop resisting.[14]
A hinge of flexible material (often plastic) that creates a join between two objects without any knuckles or pins. Molded as a single piece, this connection never rusts or squeaks, and has several other advantages over other designs, but is more susceptible to fatigue and breakage.[15]
Piano hinge
(or coffin hinge) a long hinge, originally used forpiano lids, but now used in many other applications where a long hinge is needed.
Old construction of hinges in the dry stone wall nearBignasco
Ancient pivot hinges, found in the dry stone buildings
A flushed door hinge
A barrel hinge made of wrought iron
A barrel hinge made of bronze strap
Increasing the number of loops to 3 allows the butt hinge axis to be fixed from both ends.
Door in furniture with spring to lock door both fully shut and fully open positions. It hides completely behind the door and has adjustment for fine alignment. Allows the door to open even when against a wall.
Rusty hinges on a building exterior
This door hinges on the stile and is called a haar-hung door.
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