Hinge

Claim 1

A HINGE FOR A COMPARTMENT LID COMPRISING A FIXED BRACKET HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL OPEN END SLOT PROVIDED IN ONE EDGE PORTION THEREOF AND A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PIVOT ELEMENT ON SAID BRACKET PROVIDED IN INWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO THE INNER END OF SAID SLOT, A LID SUPPORTING HINGE ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BRACKET ON SAID PIVOT ELEMENT, AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL TORSION BAR HAVING ITS ONE END SUITABLY FIXED AGAINST ROTATION AND ENDWISE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID BRACKET AND HAVING ITS OTHER END ENTERED LATERALLY INTO THE OPEN END OF SAID SLOT AND EXTENDING FREELY THROUGH SAID SLOT, THE PROTRUDING END PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR BEING BENT SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO DEFINE A CRANK ARM PORTION IN CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID BRACKET, AND ARRANGED SO THAT THE LID SUPPORTING HINGE ARM IS CLOSELY CONFINED BY SAID CRANK ARM PORTION AND SWINGABLE BETWEEN IT AND SAID BRACKET AND AN ABUTMENT ON THE HINGE ARM IN RADIALLY SPACED RELATION TO ITS PIVOT AND HAVING BEARING ENGAGEMENT DIRECTLY ON THE CRANK ARM PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR AND MOVABLE ALONG IT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SLOT IN THE OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENT OF THE LID, WHEREBY IN THE MOVEMENT OF THE LID FROM OPEN TO CLOSED POSITION THE ABUTMENT ON THE HINGE ARM CAUSES SAID TORSION BAR TO BE TWISTED AS SAID ABUTMENT MOVES ALONG THE CRANK ARM PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR TOWARD THE FREE END THEREOF SO THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE LID SUPPORTED BY SAID HINGE ARM ACTS THROUGH A PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING LEVERAGE ON THE TORSION BAR.