US781421A - Device for holding, releasing, and opening doors. - Google Patents

Description

I No. 7121;421. v PATENTBD JAN. 31, 1905..

' w. J. HASLAM;

DEVICE FOR HOLDING, RELEASING, AND OPENING moons. i APPLICATION rum) APR. 22. 19 04.

\ I IN-YENTOHI T no. 7s1,421.

UNITED STATES v I atented January 31, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. HASLAM, OF DRACUT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-- THIRD TO MERRITT K. JOHNSON AND THOMAS MCAVOY, OF LOWELL,

MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICEZFORIHOLDING, RELEASINIGQANID OPENING moons.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 781,421, dated anuary 31, 1905.

Application filed April 22, 1904. Serial No- 204,420

To a whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HASLAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in Dracut, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth 5 of Massachusetts, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Devices for Holding, Releasing. and Opening Doors, of'which' the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for hold- 1 ing, releasing, and opening doors, especially of coops, pens, and stables where domestic fowls or other animals are confined in the night, the object of the invention being to enable such fowls or other animals to be released in the early morning without the'personal attendance of the owner or keeper. By this device such fowls or animals may be allowed to go out of doorsor into another room in which their food has been placed overnight 2 without the necessity of extremely early rising on the part of the person whose duty is to look after them.

In carrying out said invention I use adoor which being closed at night is opened automatically' when released in the morning by the act of the fowls-or animals themselves in grasping a portion of food secured to a holding and releasing device, and thereby moving said device out of its holding position. The invention consists in the devices and com binations hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an inside elevation of awall of a coop or shed provided with my improvement, the door bec ing closed; Fig. 2, a similar view with the door open; Fig. 3, a plan ofthe wall and the door-raising drum and flexible connection, the door, and the catch-lever; Fig. 4, a plan of said drum, its attaching means, and operating 4 spring, the upper right-hand quadrant of said drum being removed to show said spring.

A represents a wall of abuilding, as a hencoop, cattle-shed, or similar structure for the lodging of domestic fowls or domestic-animals; a, an aperture or opening in said wall, serving as a doorway through which such fowls' or animals may have egress.

B indicates a door represented as capable of being moved vertically to open or close said doorway, said door having secured thereto, as 5.

by screws 6 straps 6, provided with loops 6, which surround' and slide on vertical rods CO, secured at their ends, as by screws or 'bolts, to the frame-pieces (4'0 of said Wall.

One end of a flexible connection, such as a cord, chain, or wire D, is secured to the door B by any convenient means, as by an eye-strap d, the shank of which is bolted at d to said door, the other end of said connection being attached to a drum E, actuated by a spring F to wind up said connection with sufiicient force to more than counterbalance the weight of said connection and door, when the door is free to move. The drum E turns on a stud G,

-which projects horizontally from the wall A 5 and is represented as being rigidlysecured to abar 9, held by bolts or screws g to said wall.

The spring F is shown as a helicalwirespring, one end of which is. fast to the free end portion of the stud G, the other end of said spring being, 7

secured to said drum at g so that when the A near one side of the door and is provided on one arm with an upwardly-extending catch h, adapted to hook over any suitable projection on the margin of the door, said catch being represented in Fig. 1 as hooking over the loop of one of the straps b, and thus prevent- 5 ing the opening of the door. The outer arm of the catch-lever H is provided with a springcliph adapted to grasp firmly a portion of food, as corn on the cob I, of such a nature that pecking or pulling on the food will draw down .99 said outer arm'and pull the hook or catch it out of engagement with the loop, allowing 1 the door to he raised by the spring-actuated drum E.. v

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a door, automatic means for opening said door, and a device adapted to prevent the operation of said opening means and provided with a food-holder and adapted to be moved by the attempted removal of food from said holder, to permit the operation of said opening means.

2. The combination of a door, automatic means for opening said door, a lever having a catch to engage said door and prevent the opening of the same, and provided also With aclip adapted to hold food, said lever being adapted to be moved by the attempted removal of food from said clip, to release said door.

3. The combination of a sliding door, suitable guides therefor, a drum, a flexible connection between said drum and door, a spring adapted to rotate said drum, to wind said connection upon said drum and to open said door, a lever provided with a catch to engage said door and hold the same in a closed position, and provided also with a clip to hold food, said lever being adapted to be moved by the attempted removal of food from said clip, to throw said catch out of engagement with said door.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. HASLAM.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. l\ i OORE, MERRITT K. JOHNSON.

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