US3401422A - Hinge - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1968 Filed Sept. 15, 1965 J. v. VENTURA 3,401,422

HINGE 2 sheetsesheet 1 FIG.2

INVENTOR JOSEPH M VENTURA e cegfiilmgmmam NWORNEYS Sept. 17, 1968 J. v. VENTURA HINGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept 15, 1965 INVENTOR JOSEPH V. VENTURA ATORNEYS United States Patent 3,401,422 HINGE Joseph V. Ventura, 800 Main St., Malden, Mass. 02148 Filed Sept. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 487,526 Claims. (Cl. 16-54) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door hinge having a lower barrel with a leaf secured to it for attachment to a door frame with the barrel housing a cam. A pin rotatable in the barrel carries a follower associated with the cam, and a second barrel is removably mounted on the pin and carries a leaf which may be secured to the door.

This invention relates to hinges for doors, gates and other closures and more particularly comprises a new and improved hinge which includes as a part thereof a mechanism for biasing the door, gate or other closure to either an open or a closed position. Hereinafter doors, gates and other closures will collectively be called doors.

A variety of hinges are available which include some means that urges the hinge to either one of two extreme positions so as to bias the door hung on it to either a closed or an open position. The present invention is an improvement upon those devices which are now available.

One important object of this invention is to provide a combination hinge and door closure which is relatively inexpensive as compared to the heavy-duty hydraulic door closures now available.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a combination hinge and door closure which does not require the use of a separate stop to hold the door in an open position.

Another important object of this invention is to incorporate in a hinge, means for raising and lowering the door on the hinge without removing the door from the hinge.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for varying the force applied to the door by the door closure portion of the hinge without removing the door from the hinge or the hinge from the door frame.

To accomplish these and other objects, one embodiment of this invention includes among its features, a hinge having a barrel in which is located an annular cam. The cam face has two low positions displaced angularly from one another and separated by a high position. The low positions of the cam describe the extreme positions of the door. A pin is rotatably mounted in the barrel and carries a cam follower that rotates with it and which engages the cam face. Means are provided in the barrel for biasing the cam follower to either of the low positions on the cam depending upon on which side of the high position the follower lies. Means including a leaf are secured to the pin to enable the pin to be fastened to a door. A separate leaf is secured to the barrel enabling the barrel to be secured to the door frame.

In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, the cam face has a high and a low position which define the extreme positions of the door. The barrel may be filled with oil, and means may be included in the barrel to partition it into separate chambers communicating with one another through restricted passages. This arrangement confined to the hinge defines a dash pot to limit the speed of operation of the door.

These and other objects and features of this invention along with its incident advantages will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of two embodiments thereof, selected for pur poses of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

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FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a hinge and closure constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the hinge and closure in the open position;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken along the section lines 33 and 4-4, respectively, in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cam forming part of the hinge and closure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation view of another hinge and closure constructed in accordance with this invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cam in the embodiment of FIG. 6. p

In FIG. 1 the hinge and closure assembly is shown to include a first hinge barrel 10, a second uppersolid hinge barrel 12 and a pair ofleafs 14 and 16, respectively connected to the first and second barrels. The major portion of the mechanism is contained within the lower first barrel 10.

The first barrel 10 is generally cylindrical in shape and is oriented with its axis disposed vertically. The lower end of the barrel 10 is closed by aWall 18, and theupper end 20 of the barrel is open. Acam 22 is seated in the bottom of the barrel 10, and is oriented in the barrel by apin 24 which extends downwardly from its lower surface and registers with arecess 26 in thewall 18. Thus, thecam 22 is placed in the barrel and is rotated until thepin 24 registers with the opening 26, and when thepin 24 drops in place in the opening, the cam is properly positioned.

Thecam 22 is generally annular in shape having anaxial opening 28 which receives the lower end ofpin 30. Theupper cam face 32 ofcam 22 has a firstlow position 34 and a secondlow position 36 displaced approximately from one another, and the two positions are separated by a high position or rise 38 on each side. At the top of each rise 38 is abump 39. j

Thecam 22 cooperates with acam follower 40 secured to and rotatable with thepin 30 by virtue of the set screw orpin 43. In the form shown, thecam follower 40 has astem 42 which moves over thecam face 32. In FIG. 1 thestem 42 is shown to register with the secondlow position 36 of the cam face while in FIG. 2 thestem 42 is shown disposed in the firstlow position 34 of the cam face. It is to be understood that the cam follower may take the form of a horizontal pin through thehinge 30 or some other form capable of riding on theface 32.

Theupper end 20 of the barrel 10 is internally threaded, and acollar 44 having a lower threaded portion 46 is threaded into theupper end 20 to form a closure for the barrel 10; The upper end of the collar is shown to extend above theupper end 20 of the barrel, and the upper portion is shown to be hexagonal in shape so that a wrench may be applied to the collar to loosen and tighten it. Beneath thecollar 44 in the barrel 10 is acompression spring 48 that forces thecam follower 40 downwardly on thecam face 32. It will be apparent that the downward action of thespring 48 will urge thefollower 40 and more particularly itsstem 42 to ride down from the high point 38 of the face so that the bottom of thestem 42 rests upon either of thelow positions 34 or 36. To retard the action of thespring 48 the slope of the face from the high 38 is rather shallow at the center, so that the door will not close too quickly. Further, when the door is open with the cam follower in thelow position 34, it is necessary for the cam follower to ride up out of the low 34 before the spring will assist in moving the follower to the other low 36.

AnO ring 52 forms a seal between thecollar 44 and the inner wall of the barrel 10, and a second O-ring 54 forms a seal about thepin 30 which extends through the opening 56 in the collar. The seals formed by the O-rings allow the barrel to be filled with a lubricant so as to enable thestem 42 to move with minimum friction over the surface of the cam. It also reduces friction between the other moving parts so that the door supported by the hinge may open and shut with minimum force.

As is evident from the foregoing description, thepin 30 is mounted for rotation in the barrel 10. The lower end 58 f the pin extends into the opening 28 in thecam 22, which opening acts as a guide to maintain thepin 30 in axial alignment with the barrel. Theupper portion 60 of thepin 30 extends upwardly beyond thecollar 44, and agroove 62, V-shaped in cross-section, is provided in the surface of the pin and extends axially thereof. The upper portion of the pin is in the uppersolid barrel 12. The relatively small hole in the upper barrel maintains the pin andbarrel 12 in constant axial align ment.

Thebarrel 12 is connected to thepin 30 by setscrew 64 threaded into thecylindrical barrel wall 66, so that the barrel and pin rotate with one another. It will be noted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 that theinner end 68 of the set screw 64 tapers to a point to mate with the V-shaped slot 62 in the pin. The V-shaped configuration of the slot .and the pointed end of the set screw serve to align thebarrel 12 properly with respect to the pin when the two are assembled. Theset screw 64 can conveniently be turned when the door is closed, i.e., when the hinge is in the position of FIG. 1.

Anotherscrew 70 is mounted in theupper end 72 of thesecond barrel 12, and the lower end of thescrew 70 engages the upper end of the pin and supports thebarrel 12 on it Thus, thebarrel 12 may be raised or lowered with respect to thepin 30 by tightening or loosening thescrew 70 in thewall 72. If desired, a cap (not shown) may be mounted on the top of thesolid barrel 12 to cover the adjustingscrew 70.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that several adjustments are provided in the hinge shown. First, by screwing thecollar 44 into or out of theupper end 20 of the first barrel 10 the compressive load applied to thespring 48 may be varied, so as to vary the compressive load exerted by the spring on thecam follower 40. When thecollar 44 is screwed further into the barrel 10, thespring 48 is compressed, and accordingly exerts a greater force upon thecam 40 urging it into a position wherein itsstem 42 is aligned with and engages either of thelow positions 34 and 36 of thecam face 32. On the other hand, when thecollar 44 is loosened in the barrel 10, the load imposed by thespring 48 is reduced. As yet another adjustment, theupper barrel 12 may be raised or lowered on thepin 30 by loosening and tightening thescrew 70. The advantages of such an arrangement will be made clear in connection with the description of I (the operation of the device which follows In use, the hinge is mounted by screwing theleaf 14 to the door frame by screws passing through theholes 74 provided in the leaf. Theleaf 16 connected to thebarrel 12 is screwed to the door through holes 76. Thespring 48 serves to bias thecam follower 40 to an angular position wherein the door is in either its closed or open position. When the door is moved against the bias of the spring, thepin 30 rotates, and thefollower 40 moves up to the high position 38. If the person releases the door in that position (opened approximately the door will move either fully open or fully closed, depending on what Side of the high point or bump 39 the follower is on. As thepin 42 moves from the closed portion, it raises somewhat onsurface 32 andpin 30 also moves upwardly. Consequently the door which is attached to thebarrel 12 also moves upwardly a distance equal to the dilference in elevations between the high and low cam positions. Elevation of the door in this manner has advantages. For example, the raised door .4, will pass over carpeting on the floor adjacent the threshold of the door as well as over any irregularities in the floor. Thebumps 39 prevent the door from being unintentionally thrown fully open without a push adequate to make the follower override them.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 7 the lower hollow barrel is similar to the barrel 10 in the first embodiment and provides a housing for thecylindrical cam 102. Thecam 102 as shown in FIG. 7 is provided with a pair of cam tracks 104 disposed opposite one another with the portion of each displaced 180 apart being equal in height to one another. Thecam track 104 has alow position 106 and ahigh position 108 separated by aninclined plane 110 which connects the two.

Thecylindrical cam 102 is secured against rotation by a downwardly extendingpin 112 which registers in acorresponding opening 114 provided in the bottom wall of thelower barrel 100. The cylindrical cam serves as a housing for a piston-type member 116 that carries a pair of radially extendingpins 118 opposite one another. The pins serve as cam followers and ride in the cam tracks 114. Thus, rotation of themember 116 within thecam 102 causes it to move up or down, depending upon the direction of rotation, because of the inclination of the cam tracks.

Themembers 116 carries ahinge pin 120 which corresponds to thepin 30 in the first embodiment. Thepin 120 extends upwardly from themember 116 throughcollar 122 screwed into the top end of thelower barrel 100. Aspring 124 is secured at its lower end to thecollar 122 and acts in torsion to urge themember 116 to rotate in a direction so that itscam followers 118 sit in thelow positions 106 of the cam tracks 104.

Thepin 120 has abore 126 extending through its center from top to bottom, and aradial port 128 extends from thebore 126 through the side of the hinge pin slightly above the top of thepiston member 116. A needle-typeadjustable valve 130 is formed at theport 128 by a threadedstem 132 which extends from the top of thehinge pin 120 downwardly to the vicinity of the port. The top of thestem 132 is provided with an Allen wrench socket or some similar device which enables it to be rotated so that it may be screwed into and out of the bore so as to vary the effective size of theport 128. It will be appreciated that thelower portion 134 of thebore 126 defines a passage through themember 116 which places thelower chamber 136 in thebarrel 100 and theupper chamber 138 in communication with one another.

Asecond passage 140* extends through themember 116 and communicates with the twochambers 136 and 138. Acheck valve 142 is provided in thepassage 140 so as to permit the flow through thepassage 140 fromchamber 138 tochamber 136. Flow in the opposite direction is prohibited through that passage by the valve.

Upper barrel 144 is secured to the upper portion of thehinge pin 120 in a manner similar to the upper barrel of the first embodiment. It will be noted, for example, that aset screw 146 cooperates with a slot provided in the upper portion of thepin 120 to prevent the upper barrel from rotating with respect to the pin. Further, theset screw 148 is provided in the top of the barrel to govern the height of thebarrel 144 on thehinge pin 120. Theset screw 148 preferably is provided with a central bore so as to allow access to the head of thestem 132.

As in the previous embodiment, the lower barrel (includingchambers 136 and 138) is filled with a lubricating fluid such as oil. In this embodiment, however, the oil serves as a dash-pot in cooperation with the passages .134 and 140 extending through themember 116. In the position shown in FIG. 6, the door is closed and thecam followers 118 are disposed in thelow positions 106 of thetracks 104. As the door is opened, theupper barrel 144 rotates causing thehinge pin 120 to .rotate with it. As the hinge pin rotates, thecam followers 118 ride up theinclined surfaces 110 until the door reaches its fully open position wherein thecam followers 118 are disposed in thehigh position 108. This opening action of the door is resisted somewhat by thecoil spring 124 which acts in torsion to resist rotation of themember 116 in a counter clockwise direction as the hinge is viewed from the top. This action is also somewhat impeded by the oil which fills thechambers 136 and 138. In order for themember 116 to rise in thecam 102, some of the oil must flow from thechamber 138 to thechamber 136 through thepassage 140. Thecheck valve 142 will open under the influence of the pressure of the fluid to allow flow to occur. When the door is open theseats 108 will serve to capture thecam followers 118 and retain the door in the open position against the bias of thespring 124. To close the door the operator need only push the door sufficiently to remove thefollowers 118 from theseats 108. When this is accomplished, thespring 124 serves to urge themember 116 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed from the top causing the followers to ride the incline planes 104 to thelow positions 106 of thetracks 104. This action is resisted by the oil in thechamber 136 that must flow upwardly through thepassage 134 and out theport 128 into thechamber 138. This resistance is controlled by the setting of the stern 132. If the stem is in a relatively high position to expose theentire port 128, the oil will flow rather readily and will not greatly resist rotation. However, if the stem is screwed downwardly to obstruct a major portion of theport 128, the oil will have a very marked damping effect and will cause the door to close very slowly in spite of the strength of thespring 124. 'It is to be understood that the door will automatically close when opened, unless the door is fully opened so as to cause thecam followers 118 to reach theseats 108.

The tension of thespring 124 may be altered by turning thecollar 122. If the collar is turned in a clockwise direction, and effectively tightens the turns of thespring 124, the spring will exert a greater closing force on the door, but if the spring is somewhat relaxed by turning the collar counter clockwise, the force will be lessened.

It will be apparent that the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 has many of the advantages of the embodiment of FIGS. 15 and in addition includes the hydraulic dashpot to control or dampen the self closing action of thespring 124. The means for adjusting the various components are provided in both embodiments to achieve the desired results.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made of this invention without departing from its spirit. For example, while thespring 48 is shown to act in compression in FIG. 1, it will be evident that the spring could act in torsion if its ends are connected to thecollar 44 andcam follower 40 in the manner of the second embodiment. Other modifications are also possible. For example, while thecollar 44 is shown to have a hexagonal head to allow a wrench to be applied to it, the hexagonal head may be replaced by a socket or other expedient to receive a wrench to enable it to be turned. In this connection it is apparent in FIG. 1 that the adjustment cannot be made by turning thecollar 44 unless the door is open to expose the upper portion of the collar. In FIG. 2 it will be noted that the upper portion is exposed between the twobarrels 10 and 12. When the door is closed, the ends of the barrels substantially abut one another and enclose the upper portion of the collar.

Because numerous modifications may be made of this invention without departing from its spirit, it is not intended to limit the scope of this inventon to the two embodiments illustrated and described. Rather, it is intended that the scope of this invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. A door hinge comprising a first cylindrical barrel closed at its bottom and oriented with its axis vertical,

a cam disposed in the bottom of the barrel with its cam face facing upwardly,.said face being annular and having a pair of low positions connected by an inclined plane,

a pin coaxially mounted in the barrel and carrying a cam follower at its lower end in said barrel, said follower engaging the cam face,

a collar secured to the top of and closing the barrel, said collar being secured to and being rotatable with respect to the pin,

a spring disposed within the barrel bearing against the collar and follower and acting in compression to urge the follower to *rotate and move down the inclined plane to either of the low positions on the face of the cam,

a second cylindrical barrel coaxial with the first barrel and secured to the pin for rotation therewith,

a screw secured to the second barrel and engaging the pin for varying the height of the second barrel on said pin,

a leaf secured to each barrel for securing the second barrel to a door and the first barrel to a door frame,

and means for raising and lowering the collar in the first barrel for varying the compressive load imposed on the spring.

2. A door hinge as defined in claim 1 further characterized by a lubricant filling the first barrel.

3. A door hinge as defined in claim 1 further characterized by the second barrel being secured to the pin by a V-sh'aped groove extending axially in the side of the pin,

and a set screw secured to and extending radially from the second barrel and having a wedge-shaped end disposed in the groove.

4. A door hinge as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said collar being threaded and screwed into the top of the barrel,

and wrench engaging means provided in the collar and extending above the top of the barrel enabling the collar to be screwed into and out of the top of the first barrel when the sec-0nd barrel is raised off the top of the first barrel.

5. A door hinge comprising a barrel open at one end,

a cam disposed in the end of the barrel away from said open end and having a cam face with a low position and a second position displaced angularly from the low position with an inclined plane between the positions,

a pin having a portion within the barrel and carrying a cam follower which engages the face of the cam, said cam follower and pin being rotatable together within the barrel,

means biasing the pin and follower to an angular position wherein the follower lies against the low position of the cam face,

a leaf secured to the barrel, for attachment to a door frame,

a second upper barrel and a second leaf releasably secured to it for rotation with the pin, said second leaf being adapted to be secured to and support a door,

and means enabling the releasably secured second barrel and second leaf to be lifted off the pin with the door without removing the pin from the first barrel, further characterized by means for raising and lower ing the second barrel on the pin.

6. A door hinge as defined in claim 5 further characterized by means for raising and lowering the second 7 barrel on the pin.

7. A door hinge as defined in claim 5 further characterized by means closing the first named barrel,

and a lubricant filling the first named barrel.

8. A door hinge as defined in claim 5 further characterized by a partition dividing the first named barrel into two chambers and movable up and down in said barrel with the pin as the follower moves on the cam face.

a liquid filling the chambers,

and passage means through the partition limiting the flow of the liquid from one chamber to the other to retard the rotation of the pin.

9. A door hinge as defined in claim 8 further characterized by the second position on the cam face being a high position,

8 v t 10. A door hinge as defined in claim 8 further characterized by means disposed in the passage for regulating the rate of flow of the liquid through the passage means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,032 l/1893 Montgomery 16186 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,049,022. 8/ 1953 France.

385,664 3/1965 Switzerland.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

and means retaining the follower in the high position 15 D. L, TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner.

against the biasing means.

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