US1956040A - Friction hinge - Google Patents

Description

E. M. MEYER FRICTION HINGE April 24, 1934.

Filed Feb. 5. 1932 Patented Apr. 24, 1934 UNETEE STATES FRICTION HINGE Edwin M. Meyer, Parkersburg, W. Va., assignor to Porcelain Products, End, Findlay, Ohio Application February 5, 1932, Serial No. 591,154

8 Claims.

"The invention which -ishere described, relates to improvements in hinges for the covers for doors of receptacles or housings. The invention is of particular advantage for the covers for doors of porcelain casings for high tension switches, cutouts or fuses.

These casings orhousings are generally made of porcelain and some special facility must be provided to permit convenient operation of the hinged door without deterioration or undue wear on either the parts of the hinge or the porcelain of which the casing and door is made.

Usually the hinge of the cover takes the form of a pair of oppositely disposed conical pivot or journals which are anchored in the housing or casing and extend into conical recesses in the door or housing. The door swings around these conical members and in frictional engagement with them. This type of hinge is subject to considerable deterioration and wear on the part of the conical pins and the use of porcelain friction surfaces has been found undesirable.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a combination of parts in which the porcelain of the casing and of the door is protected from frictional wear.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel means by which the cover is journalled on the housing but without frictional contact therewith. i

It is also an object of my invention to provide means for maintaining the normal desired spacing of the porcelain cover centrally of the open- "ing of the casing.

Among the objects of my invention is also a provision of a floating pivot which will yield resiliently in the movement of the cover but will hold the latter in any adjusted position by means of frictional tension.

The novel arrangement of parts also provides for ease in assembly, certainty of adjustment in position and economy of manufacture.

As illustrating my invention I have shown its preferred form in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view partly in section, of a hinged cover;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the housing,

and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. l.

I have illustrated diagrammatically the usual housing or casing 4 of a transformer cutout or switch. This housing forms the stationary or fixed member of the hinged connection and has at one end a pair of parallel spaced extensions 5, 5 extending below the bottom of the casing.

Each extension 5 is transversely bored to provide an opening 6 of convenient diameter. The outer end of the opening 6 is enlarged to form a counterbore 7 having a fiat bottom wall as shown in Fig. 1. The openings 6 have a common longitudinal axis or may be said to be alined with each other. The cover 8 forms the relatively movable member of the hinged connection and is of the same general dimensions as the casing 4 and has a central extension 9 which is adapted to fit between the extensions 5, 5 as shown in Fig. 1. This extension 9 has a transverse opening 10 formed of two flaring portions 11, 11 having a common axis and their smaller ends meeting within the extension 9. While I have indicated these portions 11, as conical it will of course be evident that any convenient shapemay be given them. The main consideration is that they form seats to hold firmly the operative parts 'of the'hinge.

Both the casing 4 and the cover 8 are formed of porcelain ware or other convenient material which may be molded or otherwise shaped in the form above described.

The recesses 11, 11 are adapted to receive a pair of hinge members illustrated in the drawing as the sleeves 12, 12. These sleeves are of non-corrosive metal or other suitable material which is free from liability of damage from the weather or other operating influences. It is necessary that these sleeves have considerable mechanical strength and offer considerable friction without wear. The sleeves are shown to have one tapered end which is adapted for firm engagement with the sloping walls 11, 11 and without movement relative to the walls during the operation of the hinge. e

The opposite end of each sleeve is extended as shown in 13 to form shoulders or abutments beyond the side surfaces of the extension 9.

The sleeves have openings through their center and these openings are enlarged as shown at 14.

A screw-threaded rod 15 runs through the axis of the recesses 11 and into the extensions 5, 5. This rod fits loosely within the openings of the sleeves 12, 12.

Each bore 6 carries an internally screw-threaded hinge pin 16. The hinge pin 16 has a flat head 1'7 adapted to rest firmly against the bottom wall in the recess 7. The screw-head 17 has a kerf 18 by which the screw may be drawn over the rod 15. It will be evident that as the two screws 16, 16 are drawn up over the rod 15 the head 1'7, 1'7

will be brought tightly against the bottom Walls of the recesses 7, 7 and the hinge pins will, therefore, be seated firmly in the position shown. The outer surfaces of the shanks 19 of the hinge pins form a bearing for the enlarged shoulders 13 of the sleeves 12. As shown at the right of Fig. 1 these sleeves can move freely over the hinge pins either longitudinally or circumferentially of the latter.

In order to center the extension 9 between the extensions 5, 5 there is provided on each shank 19 a helical compression spring 20. One end of this spring 20 rests against the head 17 of the hinge pin while the opposite end of the spring bears frictionally against the abutment shoulder 13 or the sleeves 12. In this way the equalizing tension imposed by the two springs 20 serves to center the extension 9 between the extensions 5, 5.

The tension exerted by the compression springs 20 when the hinge pins are screwed up tight on the rod 15 and against the bottom walls of the recesses '7 is sufficient to exert sufficient frictional tension on the abutments 13 to hold the sleeves 12 and consequently the cover 8 in any position to which the latter is moved. Nevertheless, manual adjustment of the cover 8 will readily overcome the frictional engagement between the springs 20 and the abutments 13 thus permitting the desired movement of the cover 8.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have provided a hinge which avoids the use of any of the porcelain surfaces for frictional sliding engagement. It will also be evident that means are provided for equalizing the frictional engagement on each end of the hinge and that the sleeves 13 are free to adjust themselves along the hinge pins subject only to the tension imposed by the springs 20. In this Way the porce lain parts may be formed to rough dimensions without the necessity of providing precise bearing surfaces. The sleeves 12 are firmly gripped by the cover and in turn are capable of free movement around the hinge pins. The frictional sliding surfaces are limited to the end 13 of the sleeves and this promotes the stability and long wear of the device.

While I have shown one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will, however, be apparent that many modifications and changes in minor details will comprehend within the scope 'of the invention as defined in the appended 2. A hinge adapted for use with a housing, opposed alined hinge pins therefor adapted to be carried by the housing, said pins being internally screw-threaded, a tie rod screw-threaded to said hinge pins and hollow journal members carried by the cover and surrounding the tie rod and the ends of the hinge pins.

3. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alined hinge pins having heads and adapted to be fixedly carried by the housing, a tie rod connecting said hinge pins, hollow journal members carried by the cover and surrounding the tie rod and loosely journaled on the ends of the hinge pins and equalizing members on the hinge pins between the journal members and the heads of the hinge pins.

4. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alined hinge pins on the housing, a tie rod drawing together said pins, alined sleeves carried by the cover loosely journalled over the ends of the hinge pins and means carried on the pins for applying pressure against the ends of the sleeves.

5. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alined hinge pins on the housing, a tie rod drawing together said pins, alined sleeves carried by the cover loosely journalled over the ends of the hinge pins for movement both radially and axially relatively to the housing and means carried on the pins for exerting frictional engagement against the said sleeves.

6. A hinge adapted for use with a housing and a cover, opposed alined hinge pins having heads and being adapted for mounting in fixed position on the housing, a tie rod drawing together said pins, alined conical sleeves carried by the cover and loosely journalled over the ends of the hinge pins for movement relative thereto both axially and radially and a helical compression spring on each hinge pin between the head thereof and the ad jacent end of a movable sleeve.

'7. Means for pivotally mounting a frangible cover on a frangible housing, comprising a pair of opposed alined hinge pins carried on the housing, a tie-rod connecting said pins, a pair of hollow journal members frietionally seated within the cover and rotatable therewith, said members loosely surrounding the tie-rod and being journaled on the hinge pins and springs on the hinge pins acting against the ends of said journal members.

3. A hinge comprising a pair of opposed fixed hinge-pins with enlarged heads and internally screwthreaded shanks, a tie-rod screw-threaded between said shanks, helical springs loosely carried on said shanks, hollow journal members loose- 1y mounted on said tie-rod and extensions on said members overlying the shanks of the hinge-pins and abutting the said springs.

EDWIN M. MEYER.

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