Hinge structure for a closure member

Claim 2

A hinge structure for pivotally supporting and adjusting a closure member, such as a door, on an adjacent frame structure, comprising: bracket means adapted to be secured to said frame structure near the lower end thereof, said bracket means including a fixed support portion having an upwardly facing support surface adapted to be disposed below a portion of said closure member; internally threaded means adapted to be nonrotatably secured to said portion of said closure member in an axially upright position adjacent said bracket means; pivot pin means having a threaded portion in threaded engagement with said threaded means for permitting free relative rotation therebetween, said pivot means also including enlarged head means disposed adjacent the lower end thereof and positioned downwardly from said internally threaded means; cooperating guide means on said pin means and said bracket means for holding said pin means and said bracket means in pivotal relationship; said cooperating guide means including a pinlike projection fixedly connected to one of said bracket means and said pin mEans and a substantially cylindrical recess formed in the other of said bracket means and said pin means, said pinlike projection being received in said recess for permitting free rotational movement of said pin means relative to said bracket means around the axis of said pin means while preventing relative lateral displacement therebetween; and engageable positioning means coacting between said pin means and the support portion of said bracket means for yieldably resisting relative pivotal movement between said pin means and said bracket means during normal pivotal movement of said closure member relative to said frame structure so that pivotal movement of said closure member relative to said frame structure is effected by relative pivotal movement between said pivot pin means and said threaded means; said positioning means coacting between the upper surface of said support portion and the lower surface of said head portion and including a plurality of vertical camlike projections formed on one of said surfaces and a plurality of vertically disposed recesses formed in the other surface adapted to receive said projections therein, said projections on said one surface being angularly spaced from one another to define relatively planar support areas of substantial magnitude therebetween, and said recesses as formed in said other surface also being substantially angularly spaced from one another to define relatively planar support areas of substantial magnitude therebetween, whereby said support areas of said surfaces are normally disposed in engagement with one another during normal usage of said hinge structure.

Claim 3

A hinge structure for pivotally supporting and adjusting a closure member, such as a door, on an adjacent frame structure, comprising: bracket means adapted to be fixedly secured to said frame structure near the lower end thereof, said bracket means including a substantially horizontal flange having an elongated slot therein; pivot support means positioned on said flange and including means extending into said slot, and means coacting with said pivot support means for releasably securing said support means to said flange at any selected position while permitting said pivot support means to be adjusted lengthwise of said slot; internally threaded means adapted to be nonrotatably secured to said portion of said closure member in an axially upright position adjacent and above said flange; pivot pin means having a threaded portion in threaded engagement with said threaded means for permitting free relative rotation therebetween; said pivot pin means including an enlarged head portion provided adjacent the lower end thereof and positioned directly above said pivot support means, said head portion having a lower bearing surface adapted to be disposed in bearing engagement with the upper bearing surface of said pivot support means; cooperating guide means on said pin means and said pivot support means for holding said pin means and said pivot support means in pivotal relationship; said cooperating guide means including a pinlike projection coaxially aligned with said pin means and fixedly connected to one of said pivot support means and said pin means, and a substantially cylindrical recess formed in the other of said pivot support means and said pin means, said pinlike projection being freely rotatably received in said recess for permitting free rotational movement of said pin means relative to said pivotal support means about the axis of said pin means while preventing relative lateral displacement therebetween; and releasable lock means coacting between said pin means and said support means for yieldably opposing relative pivotal movement between said pin means and said support means during normal pivotal movement of said closure member relative to said frame structure, the pivotal movement of said closure relative to said frame structure being effected by relative pivotal movement between said pivot pin means and said threAded means; said lock means including a plurality of vertically projecting ridges projecting outwardly from one of said bearing surfaces, said ridges being angularly spaced from one another and extending substantially radially relative to the longitudinal axis of said pin means, said projections being substantially angularly spaced from one another to define substantially planar support areas of substantial magnitude therebetween; said lock means further including a plurality of vertical recesses formed in the other of said bearing surfaces, said recesses extending substantially radially relative to the longitudinal axis of said pin means and being substantially angularly spaced from one another to define substantially planar support areas of substantial magnitude therebetween; whereby said vertical ridges normally extend into said vertical recesses for nonrotatably connecting said pivot pin means and said support means whereby said pivot pin means is thus maintained stationary relative to said bracket means, said pivot pin means being manually rotatable relative to said support means whereby said ridges are cammed out of said recesses so that said support areas are spaced from one another to thus permit said pin means to be threaded into or out of said threaded means for adjusting the vertical position of said closure member relative to said frame structure.

Claim 4

A hinge structure for pivotally supporting and adjusting a closure member, such as a door, on an adjacent frame structure, comprising: bracket means adapted to be fixedly secured to said frame structure near the lower end thereof, said bracket means including a substantially horizontal flange having an elongated slot therein; pivot support means positioned on said flange and including means extending into said slot, and means coacting with said pivot support means for releasably securing said support means to said flange at any selected position while permitting said pivot support means to be adjusted lengthwise of said slot; internally threaded means adapted to be nonrotatably secured to said portion of said closure member in an axially upright position adjacent and above said flange; pivot pin means having a threaded portion in threaded engagement with said threaded means for permitting free relative rotation therebetween; said pivot pin means including an enlarged head portion provided adjacent the lower end thereof and positioned directly above said pivot support means, said head portion having a lower bearing surface adapted to be disposed in bearing engagement with the upper bearing surface of said pivot support means; cooperating guide means on said pin means and said pivot support means for holding said pin means and said pivot support means in pivotal relationship; said cooperating guide means including a pinlike projection coaxially aligned with said pin means and fixedly connected to one of said pivot support means and said pin means, and a substantially cylindrical recess formed in the other of said pivot support means and said pin means, said pinlike projection being freely rotatably received in said recess for permitting free rotational movement of said pin means relative to said pivotal support means about the axis of said pin means while preventing relative lateral displacement therebetween; and releasable lock means coacting between said pin means and said support means for yieldably opposing relative pivotal movement between said pin means and said support means during normal pivotal movement of said closure member relative to said frame structure, the pivotal movement of said closure relative to said frame structure being effected by relative pivotal movement between said pivot pin means and said threAded means; said lock means including a plurality of vertically projecting ridges projecting outwardly from one of said bearing surfaces, said ridges being angularly spaced from one another and extending substantially radially relative to the longitudinal axis of said pin means, said projections being substantially angularly spaced from one another to define substantially planar support areas of substantial magnitude therebetween; said lock means further including a plurality of vertical recesses formed in the other of said bearing surfaces, said recesses extending substantially radially relative to the longitudinal axis of said pin means and being substantially angularly spaced from one another to define substantially planar support areas of substantial magnitude therebetween; whereby said vertical ridges normally extend into said vertical recesses for nonrotatably connecting said pivot pin means and said support means whereby said pivot pin means is thus maintained stationary relative to said bracket means, said pivot pin means being manually rotatable relative to said support means whereby said ridges are cammed out of said recesses so that said support areas are spaced from one another to thus permit said pin means to be threaded into or out of said threaded means for adjusting the vertical position of said closure member relative to said frame structure.