BALL HINGES

• US 3,714,678 A
• Filed: 08/23/1971
• Issued: 02/06/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William L. Herron, William Weisz
• Original Assignee: William L. Herron, William Weisz
• Inventors: Weisz, William, Herron, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zugel, Francis K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aschenbrenner, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US05/173,765
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 16/171,172,128 287/21,88,89,90 285/381
• US Class Current: 16/224
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/04 relating to the use of free balls as bearing-surfaces E05D7/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 2011/045 located in line with the hinge axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furniture, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

A ball hinge device characterized by its economical construction in that a ball head screw is used in conjunction with a bracket which may be formed of sheet metal or of non-metallic resilient material which depends for its strength and support on the close fit between it and a slot machined into a supporting panel. A construction is taught in which the hinge may be attached to the supporting panel without the use of additional hardware.

Claims

1. A hinge comprising in combination:

a. a ball having attachment means thereon providing one leaf of said hinge;

b. a bracket formed from a resilient material, said bracket having attachment means thereon and having portions opposite each other containing parti-spherical sockets for said ball, said bracket forming the other leaf of said hinge, said ball being received in said parti-spherical sockets; and

c. a supporting panel of a thickness substantially equivalent to the diameter of said ball, said panel having a slot in an edge thereof of a width substantially equivalent to that of said opposite portions of said bracket having said ball received in said parti-spherical sockets thereof, said slot embracing said bracket adjacent said parti-spherical sockets in said opposite portions of said bracket and constraining said ball in said bracket, said attachment means of said bracket retaining said bracket in said supporting panel.

2. A hinge as recited in claim 1 in which said attachment means of said bracket comprises a first and second pair of ears depending from said opposite portions containing said parti-spherical sockets and, said supporting panel contains depressions in the surface adjacent said slot, shaped to receive said first pair of ears, said second pair of ears of said bracket disposed on the opposite surface of said supporting panel whereby said first pair of ears is held in said depression in said supporting panel by said second pair of ears pressing against said opposite surface of said supporting panel.