Self-closing hinge

Claim 2

The combination of a frame, a substantially solid and nonmetallic door and a hinge assembly for connecting the door to the frame for swinging between open and closed positions, said door having an edge portion defined by an edge surface and by inner and outer face surfaces, a slot formed in the inner face surface of said door adjacent said edge surface and terminating short of said outer face surface, said hinge assembly comprising a hinge pin, door and frame wings connected to said door and frame, respectively, and each having an ear received on said hinge pin, said door wing being swingable in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said hinge pin, said hinge pin being positioned within said slot and concealed from view from the outer face surface of said door, a spring-urged pressure member mounted on one of said wings and engageable with the ear of the other wing to urge said door to said closed position, said pressure member being at least partially received in said slot and being biased substantially radially toward said hinge pin in all positions of said door, said pressure member being biased toward said edge surface of said door when the latter is in said closed position.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 in which said door wing is formed with a pocket located adjacent said hinge pin and defined by an outer wall which extends generally edgewise of the plane of the door and by an inwardly projecting wall which extends inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, said outer wall being integral at one end with said inwardly projecting wall and being integral at its other end with the ear on said door wing, said door wing further including a mounting leaf integral with said inwardly projecting wall and extending generally parallel to said outer wall, said mounting leaf lying against the inner face surface of said door and being spaced inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, and said outer wall lying against the outer wall of said slot.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 2 in which said pressure member is disposed within said pocket and is engageable with the ear on said frame wing, said pressure member being guided by the outer wall of said pocket to move toward and away from said hinge pin, and a spring received within said pocket and loaded between said inwardly projecting wall and said pressure member to urge the latter toward said hinge pin and in a direction extending generally edgewise of the plane of said door.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 3 further including an opening formed in the outer wall of said pocket and at least partially receiving said pressure member, guide ribs formed on said outer wall and defining opposite edges of said opening, and grooves formed in opposite ends of said pressure member and slidably receiving said ribs to guide the pressure member for movement toward and away from said hinge pin.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 2 in which said slot is formed with an undercut section extending beyond the closed end of said slot, the inner side of said undercut section being covered by a lip defined by a portion of the door, a retainer disposed within said undercut section, and a bolt extending through said mounting leaf and threaded into said retainer and adapted when tightened to clamp said mounting leaf and said retainer to said lip.

Claim 7

The combination as defined in claim 5 further including a hole formed in said inwardly projecting wall, and a lug formed on one edge of said retainer and projecting into said hole, said lug being positioned to engage the inner wall of said hole and restrict fulcruming of said retainer on said lip when said bolt is tightened.

Claim 8

The combination of a frame having an edge surface and an outer face surface, a substantially solid and non-metallic door, and a hinge assembly for connecting the door to the frame for swinging between open and closed positions, said door having an edge portion defined by inner and outer face surfaces which overlap the outer face surface of said frame when said door is in said closed position, said edge portion being further defined by an edge surface when is offset from the edge surface of said frame when said door is in said closed position, a slot formed in the inner face surface of said door, terminating short of the outer face surface of said door and opening out said edge surface of said door, said hinge assembly comprising door and frame wings mountable on said door and said frame, respectively, a hinge pin interconnecting said wings for swinging of said door wing in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said hinge pin, said hinge pin being positionable within said slot adjacent said edge surface of said door so as to be concealed when viewed from the outer face surface of said door, the distance between the axis of said hinge pin and the plane of the edge surface of said door being constant in all positions of said door, and a spring-urged pressure member supported by one of said wings and biased substantially radially toward said hinge pin in all positions of said door, said pressure member being at least partially received in said slot when said door is in said closed position.

Claim 9

The combination of a frame having an edge surface and an outer face surface, a substantially solid and non-metallic door, and a hinge assembly for connecting the door to the frame for swinging between open and closed positions, said door having an edge portion defined by inner and outer face surfaces which overlap the outer face surface of said frame when said door is in said closed position, said edge portion being further defined by an edge surface when is offset from the edge surface of said frame when said door is in said closed position, a slot formed in the inner face surface of said door, terminating short of the outer face surface of said door and opening out said edge surface of said door, said hinge assembly comprising door and frame wings mountable on said door and said frame, respectively, a hinge pin interconnecting said wings for swinging of said door wing in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said hinge pin, said hinge pin being positionable within said slot adjacent said edge surface of said door so as to be concealed when viewed from the outer face surface of said door, the distance between the axis of said hinge pin and the plane of the edge surface of said door being constant in all positions of said door, and a spring-urged pressure member supported by one of said wings and biased substantially radially toward said hinge pin in all positions of said door, said pressure member being at least partially received in said slot when said door is in said closed position.

Claim 10

A hinge assembly for use in connecting a door for swinging between open and closed positions relative to a frame, said hinge assembly comprising a hinge pin, door and frame wings mountable on said door and frame, respectively, and each having an ear received on said hinge pin, said door wing being swingable relative to said frame wing and in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said hinge pin, said door wing having a pocket located adjacent said hinge pin and defined by an outer wall which extends generally edgewise of the plane of the door and by an inwardly projecting wall which extends inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, said outer wall being integral at one end with said inwardly projecting wall and being integral at its other end with the ear on said door wing, said door wing further including a mounting leaf integral with said inwardly projecting wall and extending generally parallel to said outer wall, said mounting leaf being spaced inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, a pressure member disposed within said pocket and engageable with the ear of said frame wing, an opening formed in the outer wall of said pocket and at least partially receiving said pressure member, guide ribs formed on said outer wall aNd defining opposite edges of said opening, grooves formed in opposite ends of said pressure member and slidably receiving said ribs to guide the pressure member for movement toward and away from said hinge pin, and a spring received within said pocket and loaded between said inwardly projecting wall and said pressure member to urge the latter toward said hinge pin and in a direction extending generally edgewise of the plane of said door.

Claim 11

A hinge assembly for use in connecting a door for swinging between open and closed positions relative to a frame, said hinge assembly comprising a hinge pin, door and frame wings mountable on said door and frame, respectively, and each having an ear received on said hinge pin, said door wing being swingable relative to said frame wing and in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said hinge pin, said door wing having a pocket located adjacent said hinge pin and defined by an outer wall which extends generally edgewise of the plane of the door and by an inwardly projecting wall which extends inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, said outer wall being integral at one end with said inwardly projecting wall and being integral at its other end with the ear on said door wing, said door wing further including a mounting leaf integral with said inwardly projecting wall and extending generally parallel to said outer wall, said mounting leaf being spaced inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, a pressure member disposed within said pocket and engageable with the ear of said frame wing, an opening formed in the outer wall of said pocket and at least partially receiving said pressure member, guide ribs formed on said outer wall aNd defining opposite edges of said opening, grooves formed in opposite ends of said pressure member and slidably receiving said ribs to guide the pressure member for movement toward and away from said hinge pin, and a spring received within said pocket and loaded between said inwardly projecting wall and said pressure member to urge the latter toward said hinge pin and in a direction extending generally edgewise of the plane of said door.

Claim 12

A hinge assembly for use in connecting a door for swinging between open and closed positions relative to a frame, said hinge assembly comprising a hinge pin, door and frame wings mountable on said door and frame, respectively, and each having an ear received on said hinge pin, said door wing being swingable in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said hinge pin, said door wing having a pocket located adjacent said hinge pin and defined by an outer wall which extends generally edgewise of the plane of the door and by an inwardly projecting wall which extends inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, said outer wall being integral at one end with said inwardly projecting wall and being integral at its other end with the ear on the door wing, said door wing further including a mounting leaf integral with said inwardly projecting wall and extending generally parallel to said outer wall, said mounting leaf being spaced inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, a pressure member mounted on one of said wings and received at least partially in said pocket when said door is in said closed position, means guiding said pressure member to move linearly and substantially radially toward and away from said hinge pin in all positions of said door, and a spring mounted on said one wing and urging said pressure member against the ear of the other wing and in a direction extending substantially edgewise of the plane of said door when the latter is in said closed position.

Claim 13

A hinge assembly for use in connecting a door for swinging between open and closed positions relative to a frame, said hinge assembly comprising a hinge pin, door and frame wings mountable on said door and frame, respectively, and each having an ear received on said hinge pin, said door wing being swingable in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said hinge pin, said door wing having a pocket located adjacent said hinge pin and defined by an outer wall which extends generally edgewise of the plane of the door and by an inwardly projecting wall which extends inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, said outer wall being integral at one end with said inwardly projecting wall and being integral at its other end with the ear on the door wing, said door wing further including a mounting leaf integral with said inwardly projecting wall and extending generally parallel to said outer wall, said mounting leaf being spaced inwardly from said outer wall when said door is in said closed position, a pressure member mounted on one of said wings and received at least partially in said pocket when said door is in said closed position, means guiding said pressure member to move linearly and substantially radially toward and away from said hinge pin in all positions of said door, and a spring mounted on said one wing and urging said pressure member against the ear of the other wing and in a direction extending substantially edgewise of the plane of said door when the latter is in said closed position.

Claim 14

A hinge assembly as defined in claim 9 further including a retaining plate which is spaced outwardly from said mounting leaf when said door is in said closed position, and a bolt extending through said mounting leaf and threaded into said retaining plate and adapted when tightened to draw the retaining plate toward the mounting leaf.

Claim 15

A hinge assembly as defined in claim 10 further including a hole formed in said inwardly projecting wall, and a lug formed on one edge of said retaining plate and projecting into said hole.

Claim 16

A hinge assembly for connecting a door for swinging between open and closed positions relative to a frame having an outer face surface, said door having an inner face surface which overlaps the outer face surface of said frame when said door is in said closed position, said frame also including an edge surface extending generally perpendicular to the outer face surface of the frame, said hinge assembly comprising a hinge pin, door and frame wings each having an ear received on said hinge pin, said door wing being mountable on the inner face surface of said door and swinging in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said pin when said door is moved between said positions, said frame wing being mountable on the edge surface of said frame and being formed with an integral tab wrapped around and lying in contact with the outer face surface of said frame, and a prong projecting generally radially from the ear on said door wing and engageable with said tab upon swinging of said door to said open position thereby to prevent further opening of said door and to transmit through the tab and to the frame further opening forces imposed on the door.

Claim 17

A hinge assembly for connecting a door for swinging between open and closed positions relative to a frame having an outer face surface, said door having an inner face surface which overlaps the outer face surface of said frame when said door is in said closed position, said frame also including an edge surface extending generally perpendicular to the outer face surface of the frame, said hinge assembly comprising a hinge pin, door and frame wings each having an ear received on said hinge pin, said door wing being mountable on the inner face surface of said door and swinging in an arc about a fixed axis defined by the axis of said pin when said door is moved between said positions, said frame wing being mountable on the edge surface of said frame and being formed with an integral tab wrapped around and lying in contact with the outer face surface of said frame, and a prong projecting generally radially from the ear on said door wing and engageable with said tab upon swinging of said door to said open position thereby to prevent further opening of said door and to transmit through the tab and to the frame further opening forces imposed on the door.