GB971535A - Improved hinge mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

971,535. Hinges. THOMAS HARRING- TON Ltd. Jan. 20, 1961 [Jan. 22, 1960; July 21, 1960], Nos. 2384/60 and 25438/60. Heading E2F. A hinge mechanism for supporting a closure cover 6, e.g. the door of a luggage locker in a motor coach, comprises two pairs of spaced arms 7, 8 disposed on opposite sides of an aperture, each arm being pivotally secured at one end to the cover and at the other end to a point adjacent the aperture and the arms of each pair lying in non-coincident parallel substantially vertical planes, the mechanism enabling the cover to be moved upwardly from a closed to an open position while remaining parallel to the aperture throughout its movement, and including means for retaining the cover in its open position against gravitational force. The arms may be arranged so that when the cover is fully open it can be tilted forwards sufficiently to cause the lines of the upper and lower arms to cross one another; alternatively the means for retaining the cover open may consist of spring cage assemblies 10. Each assembly comprises a piston 14 pivoted at one end to a lever 11 and fixed at the other end to a plate 18, and a pair of tie bars 17 fixed to end plates 15, 16 and pivotally connected at the lower end by an eye member 19 to the cover. A compression spring 13 works between the plates 15 and 18, and the lever 11 is pivoted to the upper arm 7 or 8 and carries a catch 21 with a protrusion 22 to limit the relative movement of the lever and the arm. The spring normally exerts a force tending to close the cover 6, but in the fully open position the line of action of the spring crosses the lever 11 so that the cover is held open.