Hinges Patents (Class 126/194)
  • Patent number: 5220747
    Abstract: The biasing mechanism of a refrigerator includes a spring connected to provide biasing force in the desired directions at the appropriate degrees of door opening and an arm and roller arrangement which compliments the action of the spring. Within about 30 degrees or so of its closed position the door is biased toward its closed position. From about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees of door opening the biasing mechanism slightly biases the door toward its open position. At about 90 degrees the door is stable and beyond about 90 degrees the mechanism provides an addition stable position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David N. Cherry, Kermit B. Keeling, Jr., Garland W. Insko
  • Patent number: 5088470
    Abstract: An access window for barbecue grills in which the access window is openable for acces to foods being cooked on the grill. The window includes a frame with a hinge associated therewith, the hinge being received by brackets on the grill hood. A handle is also provided for opening and closing the window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: W.C. Bradley Company
    Inventors: Charles W. James, Jr., James R. Carden, William E. Kirkland
  • Patent number: 5025776
    Abstract: An oven door hinge having stable positions in closed, broil and open positions of the door includes an elongated support member which extends along the side of the door, and a hanger with an elongated arm portion which removably seats in a recess adjacent the lower side of the oven cavity. The hanger also has a depending hinge portion which is pivotably supported on the support member adjacent its lower end. A translation member has its lower portion pivoted to the hanger arm portion, and an upper portion which is disposed within the support member. A spring is connected between the upper portion of the translation member and the upper end portion of the support member so that opening of the door displaces the translation member relative to the support member and hanger and tensions the spring. The support member and translation member have cooperating positioning elements to bias the door into its closed position and to hold the door in its broil position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1991
    Assignee: The Stanley Works
    Inventors: Roger T. Hanley, Stephen D. Belanger
  • Patent number: 5022379
    Abstract: Basically the present invention in its most simple form or embodiment is directed to a heat exchanger which provides for at least two heat exchange surfaces and which has the combustion of the fuel, which generates the heat, take place within the heat exchanger rather than the heat of combustion being introduced into the exchanger from an external combustion chamber and wherein the flame is directed into an opening of a truncated cone which cone has a shape approximating the shape of the flame and wherein the tips or ends of the flame "play" on an arcuate surface which is in thermal energy transfer communication with fluid to be heated which is at the unheated or ambient temperature. Additionally, note that the fluid, air in the case of a hot air system, is introduced into the passages where heat exchange will take place, and directed toward the hottest region of the combustion chamber. That is, the coldest air comes into thermal contact with the hottest region providing for maxinum heat exchange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1991
    Inventor: James C. Wilson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4817240
    Abstract: A hinge for a range door and the like having a frame bracket (18) adapted to be mounted to a range housing, a hinge arm (40) adapted to be mounted to a range door and pivotably mounted to the frame bracket (18) and a cam follower arm (16) pivotably mounted to the frame bracket (18). A cam follower element (76) on the cam arm (60) is biased by a tension spring (80) against a cam surface on a cam arm portion (46) of the hinge arm to counterbalance the weight of the range door. The cam surface has indentations (50, 52) which define equilibrium positions of the door for an ajar and fully open position. A tab stop (34) is struck out from the frame bracket (18) to stop the pivotable movement of the cam follower arm (60) as the hinge arm (40) reaches the fully open position (FIG. 5). The cam follower arm (60) has a number of indentations (64) for receiving one end (84) of the spring (80) to adjust the counter-balancing force on the oven door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Ace Manufacturing Co.
    Inventors: Milo D. Sovis, Jr., James A. Parker
  • Patent number: 4817585
    Abstract: A semi-frameless door, per se, and in combination with a firebox opening and the like, utilizes a specially configured spacer frame to seal inner and outer glass panes and also, if desired, the firebox opening. Retainer plates affixed only to the outer glass ends and the spacer frame permits the outer pane to be curved with longitudinally extending exposed edges flush with the edge of the spacer frame to create a full glass covering of the opening. The glass size differences and black colored spacer frame create a size illusion and a shadow glow reflection when viewing the fire in the firebox. Inner retainer plates sealing the inner glass to the inside surface of the spacer frame have lip edges which are forced into contact with a fibrous seal disposed in a channel configuration within the opening when the door is latched to insure sealing of the opening should the door hinge ever loosen during extended use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Orrville Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard D. Craver
  • Patent number: 4784111
    Abstract: An oven especially--but not exclusively--for baking French bread has a single loading opening which is closed by a principal door having a fill opening therein which, in turn, is closed by a series of small longitudinal, superimposed folding doors. One edge of each folding door covers the adjacent edge of the folding door immediately next to it. The small doors either pivot over an arc 180.degree. or slide laterally. The back of the oven may be equipped with a set of doors, such as the small doors. A gap separates the front edge of plates for supporting the bread and the plane of the interior side of the small doors. The plates are relatively thin, movable perforated sheets. The ends of a latch or hook-up bar may slide into supports on the stiles of the loading opening or be held in struts provided on each side of the small doors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 15, 1988
    Inventor: Joseph Palomba
  • Patent number: 4726352
    Abstract: The assembly includes a container having two side walls, a rear wall, a top wall and a bottom wall which define in part an interior. An openable and closable door is provided for selectively providing access to the interior, the door being able to move between closed, intermediate and open positions. There is a first apparatus, connected to the door and the container, for permitting the door to rotate about a first axis of rotation between the closed and intermediate positions. There is also a second apparatus, cooperating with the first apparatus and the door, for providing a second axis of rotation spaced apart from the first axis, and for permitting lateral movement of the first axis and arcuate movement of the door about the second axis to permit the door to move below the bottom wall of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: Force 10 Marine Ltd.
    Inventor: George F. Radke
  • Patent number: 4665892
    Abstract: A fully assembled hinge mechanism for a door of a major appliance which comprises an elongated guide member arranged to be attached to the appliance at spaced apart front edges thereof having a pivotal door hanger lever extending therefrom, and a hinge arm pivotally connected to the door hanger lever and movable on the guide member to permit opening of a door on the hanger lever where the hinge arm is spring biased into contact with the guide member and the spring counterbalances the weight of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: The Stanley Works
    Inventors: Thomas W. Spargo, William J. Arute
  • Patent number: 4576574
    Abstract: A portable gas forge. The forge is comprised of a housing having an insulated interior and an opening for insertion of the article to be heated such as a horseshoe or the like. The forge is resistant to blow-out by wind when used in the field and has a specially designed burner connected to the top of the housing. The burner is connected to a source of gas such as an LP gas cylinder. A gas orifice is connected to an enlarged burner pipe having a bell-shaped primary air inlet adjacent the gas orifice. A source of secondary air is located at the exterior pipe connection to the housing to provide an annular air passage through the housing to the burner outlet to obtain maximum flame concentration in the housing and inhibit burn back or back flaming. An internal restrictor adjacent the burner pipe outlet is employed to increase the burner gas velocity and aid in secondary air aspiration and combustion efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1986
    Inventor: Robert E. Schantz
  • Patent number: 4515146
    Abstract: A fireplace door assembly having doors pivotally mounted on a frame to be mounted on the opening of a fireplace. The doors are mounted on hinges that provide adjustment along a vertical axis of rotation and the front of the frame. An adjustable fire resistant gasket is used for an air seal. A gravity operated latch is provided to maintain the door in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1985
    Inventor: Donald W. Wilkening
  • Patent number: 4315495
    Abstract: An oven door has a sleeve removably receiving a hinge element so the door may be released from its hinges for easy oven cleaning. The hinge element is in the form of an elongated and generally tubular structure having a somewhat resilient lever in its hollow interior, the lever being pivoted between its ends to the hinge element. The ends of the lever have projections extending out from a side of the hollow hinge element for resilient engagement with the sleeve to eliminate looseness between the door and hinge element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1982
    Assignee: Magic Chef, Inc.
    Inventor: David A. Jellies
  • Patent number: 4287873
    Abstract: A pair of spring-loaded oven door hinge mechanisms, mounted on a domestic range body and located at the lower corners of a counterbalancing oven door lock in a partially open position upon removal of the oven door to preclude accidental tripping of the non-counterbalanced hinge mechanisms. Reinstallation of the counterbalancing oven door unlocks the spring-loaded hinge mechanisms to permit normal oven door movement between open and closed positions. Each hinge mechanism includes a fixed roller normally engageable with a hinge blade projection to provide a broil position detent mechanism. The fixed roller snaps into a deep recess or notch in a movable hinge blade upon removal of the oven door to provide positive locking of the hinge blade to maintain the associated hinge mechanism in a partially open position, thereby facilitating oven door reinstallation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1981
    Assignee: White Consolidated Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Goins, Hubert H. Cardin
  • Patent number: 4269165
    Abstract: Composite oven door and hinge which is fixedly but detachably mounted on a stove. The door is pivotal between closed, broil and open positions and the hinge provides for counterbalancing in moving between broil and open positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Assignee: Mitchell Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Walter A. Wrotny, James D. McIntosh
  • Patent number: 4265501
    Abstract: A shelf cabinet assembled from a number of modular shelving units secured together with the aid of splicing members into a sturdy load bearing structure resisting bending and twisting tendencies. Each module includes a pair of side panels hinged to a rear panel so that the side panels can be folded flat onto the rear panel for containerization with a corresponding shelf, splicing members and assembling brackets and bolts. Each side panel has a channel like opening formed in the front edge thereof for receiving a splicing member. Angle brackets are secured to flanges on adjacent side panels and the shelf is positioned with a downwardly extending tongue between the side panel and the bracket and forced against a portion of the splicing member to secure the member in place and provide an integral structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1981
    Inventor: Charles R. Halliburton
  • Patent number: 4194321
    Abstract: A mechanism for use with a removable hinged oven door is provided and includes a hinge bracket pivotally secured to the oven housing. A channel frame is secured within the oven door and is adapted to receive the hinge bracket for rendering the door pivotally cooperative with the hinge bracket for movement between a door closed position and a door open position. A lever is pivotally secured to the hinge bracket for movement between first and second positions. In the first position the lever engages the channel frame to prevent removal of the door from the hinge bracket. In the second position the lever disengages from the channel frame to permit removal of the door from the hinge bracket and further maintains the hinge bracket in a predetermined position with respect to the oven structure when the door is removed from the hinge bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1980
    Assignee: Chambers Corporation
    Inventor: Gerald W. Hess
  • Patent number: 4163344
    Abstract: A hinge mechanism is provided for use with an oven housing having side walls, a rear wall, an access opening opposite the rear wall and a door for the access opening wherein the door is movable through a plurality of positions between a closed position and an open position. The hinge mechanism includes a bracket rigidly mounted to the side wall of the oven structure for pivotally securing the door to the side wall of the oven housing. The bracket includes specifically designed camming surface along the top edge. A lever is pivotally secured to the door and includes first and second arm members. A spring having first and second ends is provided for biasing the lever toward the side wall of the oven housing. The first end of the spring is attached to the first arm member of the lever, and the second end of the spring is attached to the side wall of the oven housing adjacent the bracket. The second end of the lever includes a cam follower for engaging the camming surface of the bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1979
    Assignee: Chambers Corporation
    Inventor: Richard M. Scherer
  • Patent number: 4160421
    Abstract: A fire door assembly for providing access to an enclosed space such as a furnace, fireplace, duct, tank or cistern including a movable flap having peripheral portions which can be positioned flush against a wall so as to close an access opening. A gasket or seal is provided along the access opening on the face of the outer wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1979
    Assignee: Intellectual Trade Cy S.A.
    Inventor: Hans D. Heinen
  • Patent number: 4138988
    Abstract: A hinge assembly for removably mounting an oven door on the front wall of the cabinet of a food processing oven for movement between open and closed positions with respect to the oven cavity includes a hinge plate mounted in overlying relation with respect to the front wall at one side of the oven cavity, a hinge arm on which the oven door is removably mounted pivotally attached to the hinge plate, a support arm joined pivotally at one end to the hinge arm and extending into the oven cabinet alongside the oven cavity through an aperture in the hinge plate and an aligned aperture in the front wall of the oven cabinet and a spring attached at the opposite end of the support arm and cabinet frame, to bias the oven door to a "closed door" position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1979
    Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company
    Inventor: James E. Hurley
  • Patent number: 4099511
    Abstract: A wood burning stove has a fire chamber with an opening surrounded by a jamb, and a door having a pair of hooklike hinge rods is hinged to a hearth plate and is removable. The door has a gasket and, when, closed, the latches clamp the gasket against the jamb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1978
    Inventors: Kendrick H. McIntire, John E. McIntire
  • Patent number: 4096602
    Abstract: An arcuate door stop for use in limiting the opening of the door on a clothes dryer or other appliance having a similar type of downwardly pivoting access door, has an arcuate link pivotally secured, near one end, to the door and a plurality of detents spaced from the end secured to the door, which cooperate with a transverse roller mounted on the appliance to support the door in a like plurality of different open positions including a position in which the door is displaced substantially 180.degree. from its closed position and in spaced relationship to the face of the cabinet appliance to permit unobstructed access to the interior of the appliance. A spring serves to both bias the link into engagement with the roller and to counterbalance the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1978
    Assignee: Fedders Corporation
    Inventor: James K. Nelson
  • Patent number: 4021968
    Abstract: A counterbalancing hinge for range oven doors or the like includes the following features: (a) articulated members one of which is a bracket adapted to be secured to a supporting body structure such as a range and the other of which is an arm adapted to be received within an oven door or the like and carrying a counterbalancing spring, (b) means for selectively adjusting the counterbalancing spring, (c) door leveling means, (d) an arm latching and locking device activated when the door is removed from the arm, (e) a strain separable detent carried by the spring supporting arm to restrain the arm selectively in door-partially open position, (f) counterbalancing spring action controlling mechanism, (g) spring for retaining the door so it can be removed only when in partially open position, (h) only a screwdriver is needed for installing or removing the counterbalancing hinge relative to the installation, (i) only a screwdriver is needed to, adjust, remove or replace the counterbalancing spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1977
    Inventor: Willard E. Kendall
  • Patent number: 4001973
    Abstract: An appliance, such as a domestic oven, with a removable oven door hinged to the appliance. The hinge system includes a pair of hinge mechanisms, where each mechanism includes a stationary bracket supporting a pivoted door guide, a spring-loaded hinged lever carried by the door guide, and a separable mating member in the door for cooperation with the door guide. The door guide includes a slip-on self-supporting wire spring that is operable whenever there is a partial removal of the door from the door guide to cause a locking action between the door guide and the support bracket. When the door is reinstalled on the hinge mechanism, the wire spring is unlocked from the support bracket so the door may be closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 11, 1977
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Frank L. Rice, Arthur C. Wilson
  • Patent number: 3980856
    Abstract: A microwave oven has an up-opening oven door which is hinged to be movable in an arcuate path. The door moves between a closed lower position covering an aperture to the cooking cavity in the front surface of the oven cabinet and an open upper position above the aperture. The axis of this arcuate motion is adjacent the upper edge of the oven door and internal to the oven cabinet. Connecting arms extend from pivots within the cabinet through openings in the front surface of the oven cabinet, and connect to the oven door. To counterbalance spring biased linkage is fastened to the connecting arms and acts to bias the door to its open upper position when the door is opened beyond a neutral point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1976
    Assignee: Hobart Corporation
    Inventors: Kenneth D. Allen, Coy M. Tippy