Although this blog is primarily about the many differing door closers and floor springs I come across there are also ancillary products that are equally as important for a door to close behind you once you have passed through, with floor springs it is chiefly the top centre (normal hinges are sometimes used in conjunction with a floor spring). A top centre is the top pivot that sits inline with the pin of the floor spring below and allows the door to swing on its arc.

I would like therefore to take this opportunity to introduce you to Archibald Smith's swing door centre/top pivot/top centre. This particular top centre was introduced to overcome the "evil" of wear which leads to the drooping of doors at the top and the "annoyance" of swing doors banging together as can be read in the above (those Victorians thought of everything). The article is from around 1872 as are the top pivots below which have worn extremely well for their age.

Link to article from The Architect magazine 1872:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_8vSInOb4k8C&pg=PA15&dq=archibald+smith+and+co%27s+adjustable+top+centre&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwig1MfE7KPbAhUHJcAKHeSkDlwQuwUIMDAB#v=onepage&q=archibald%20smith%20and%20co's%20adjustable%20top%20centre&f=false 

Readers of this blog new and old should realise that I have an interest in all things door springs! One of my interests is in the history behind the many inventors, manufacturers, distributors of and the varied differing designs of devices/door closers that incorporate a spring of some sort or another in some sort of fashion.

I have stated that Henry Downer is the first officially recognised in 1790, as the one to use a spring to shut a door. I have also elsewhere on this blog stated that I believe a Mr Smith is in fact or should be recognised as the first to use some sort of spring device to close a door beating Mr Downer by some 20 or 30 years (1760 or 1770).

Tonight and in this blog post I am going to somewhat upset the apple cart by highlighting passages from two books/sources printed in the 1850's that I have recently discovered that claim their company were the first!

The first published in 1850 from the book entitled "The British colonies: their history, extent, condition, and resources," it states:

"THWAITEs and REED, (established 1740,) Manufacturers of Church and House Clocks, Counting Machines, Watchman's Clocks, Wind Dials, Weathercocks, and all kinds of No. (original Inventors of the Spiral Door Springs) for Exportation,"

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=attQAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA165&dq=thwaites+and+reed+door+spring&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgz_PrpoHbAhWMDcAKHaJKAaQQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=thwaites%20and%20reed%20door%20spring&f=false

The second can be found in the The Builder Volume 9 published in 1851 where it also states the company of Thwaites and Reed were the original inventors of spiral door springs as can be seen below. 

"THWAITES and REED, original inventors of the spiral door-springs, beg to call the attention of the trade to these manufactured by them, which, for durability and ease in working, are superior to any other; they have been in use upwards of twenty-five years at the Bank of England, and many other public establishments.—To be had only at their ——factory for church and house clocks, counting machines, wind dials, fti.. 4, Rosamon street, Clerkenwcll. Established 1740."

https://books.google.co.uk/books?pg=PA490&dq=thwaites+and+reed+door+spring&id=cCRPAAAAYAAJ&output=text

Here is also a link regarding the history of Thwaites and Reed for those interested.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thwaites_%26_Reed

As always feel free to leave a comment

As you may well be able to see the Climax had parts missing and some major wear to the collar support, pin and cast iron case                                                                               

Here is a link to a wikipedia article on the Church

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Aldermary

I was planning on working on the top plates over the Bank Holiday weekend from the Robert Adams Sceptres but due to a power failure at the workshop I have been unable.

I have however been contacted by John from Australia who has sent me pictures of another Smiths I have not heard of before and he is having problems with.

I have advised him of my suspicions and await further correspondence with a view to help repair the Australian Smiths.

It seems Frederick Lassetter & Co Limited were huge in the early 19th Century right through to the early 20th Century.

Here is a link for those interested with regard to their history 

https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/f_lassetter_and_co

Lech, Michael, F Lassetter and Co, Dictionary of Sydney, 2011, http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/f_lassetter_and_co, viewed 28 Aug 2017

I have tried elsewhere on the blog to trace the history of who in fact produced the first device to close a door with the aid of a spring and admittedly I am still not quite 100% sure. Who A. Smith is, who Smith and Turner are and how either relate to Smith, Major, Stevens.

According to Abridgements of Specifications relating to Hinges, Hinge Joints, and Door Springs: A. D. 1775-1866, Parts 1775-1866, bottom of page 3 it clearly states A. D. 1790, April 13, - No 1742. Downer, Henry, - (is recognised for) "A spring for the purpose of shutting a door"

https://archive.org/stream/patentsforinven50offigoog/patentsforinven50offigoog_djvu.txt

Meaning that the first officially recognised person is therefore Henry Downer (1790) in so much as a spring is used to close a door.

In the same pamphlet/booklet on page 9 is reference to Joseph Smith, A. D. 1814, July 16, - No 3822. SMITH, Joseph, - "Spring hinges for doors and gates." From the description of the patent I believe this is the Smith of Smith and Turner fame.

A.D. 1814, July 16.— N° 3822. SMITH, Joseph. — " Spring hinges for doors and gates." A brass shoe, fixed on the bottom of the door, has a centre pin or pivot which passes through a fixed brass plate and is stepped into a socket. A lever, carried by the pivot (the pivot lever) and fixed to it, is furnished with a collar (or brass roller) which is between two levers on two different but concentric fulcra. The upper lever is fixed to a spindle connected with the interior of a spiral spring ; the under lever has its fulcrum on a collar con- nected with the spring box of the said spring. A fixed angular piece, in which is inserted a screw, regulates the distance of the upper and under levers when they are at rest. This invention is adapted for doors that open either one or both ways ; when the door opens to the right, the upper lever is forced back by the pivot lever, and " when opened to its extent, becomes light and easy in consequence of the spring having lost a great portion of its power, by means of the brass roller " <( having passed nearly to " the end " of the upper lever, thus, by the door opening, the pivot lever " obtains great power over the spring, and as the door *' closes, the spring regains its former strength." When the door is opened to the left, the pivot lever forces back the under lever, and the operation has the same effect as before described. A couple of toothed wheels, eccentrically pivoted, may be used instead of the upper and under levers. In fixing the door, an upper centre pin or pivot is fitted to the top of the door vertically over the pivot connected with the said brass shoe. [Printed, 6d. Drawing.]

Graces Guide appears to confirm my suspicions by the 1814 date as can be seen below although the advert from the site however does state they were established in 1799.
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Smith_and_Turner

From here:
http://www.hevac-heritage.org/electronic_books/lifts/7-express_lift_Co_Ltd.pdf

From here:
http://www.northamptonshirerecordsociety.org.uk/eNpp/NppNo2_e.pdf

It again clearly states "...the beginning of this business can be traced back to 1770 when Archibald Smith patented a spring door-closing device, improved models of which are made by the company to this day."

We also have further reference from Graces Guide and the name John Smith and a date of 1760:
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Smith,_Major_and_Stevens