Blog Archives

AVON Adjustable Floor Spring

12/31/2015

Just before Christmas Gaz Bowden of Westcoast Door Services Ltd, New Zealand contacted us with regard to an Avon with a broken inner and outer spring. We are happy to have been able to source a couple of sets of the springs for them and offer advice and tips about the re-fitting of these. Now that would have been a site visit to remember!

Above is a NOS Avon with 2 NOS spring sets and below is the James Hill & Son Ltd of London swing door centre, as previously blogged about for comparison.

Any comments are greatly appreciated.

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Hope Chapel, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire.

12/27/2015

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We are currently in the process of repairing twelve Climax's for the Hope Baptist Church in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, the origins of which date back to 1777. The current chapel opened in 1857 and is still in use today with seating for a thousand.

Eight of the Climax's were set in to a mosaic floor so great care was needed in removing these, we also came across two pneumatic Invincible's.

The Climax's are we believe original to the building, the Parker, Winder and Achurch supplied Invincible's came later.

We are very sad to announce that over the Christmas holidays, Hope Chapel and the surrounding area has been subject to major floods. Here is a link to their own site: www.hope-baptist.org.uk

MFS offers our condolenses, if anyone reading this would like to offer support of any kind to the Chapel or wider community might we suggest contacting the above link?

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N.F. Ramsay & Co Ltd.

12/23/2015

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Here is a quick post of a 600 I came across supplied by N.F. Ramsay & Co Ltd London & Birmingham. I have covered extensively the 600 in many blog posts therefore I will leave you just the one shot of the striking patina that has formed on the brass cover plate.

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

12/22/2015

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Midlands Floor Springs has been established for nearly a year now, we have met many people and been to some fantastic historical and interesting places along the way. Whilst we have had a few teething problems we feel we have accomplished much and hope to continue going from strength to strength in the up coming year and beyond....as Del Boy likes to say "Next year Rodney we'll be millionaires."

We have some interesting jobs possibly lined up, involving some Gibbons Zenith's, a Colledge and Bridgen "Perfect," as all ready hinted at single and double action "Slaves," many Climax's, some Smiths and more modern transom closers and floor springs.

Thanks to all our customers, readers and especially our posters (Jess in particular). I would also like to thank my parents for their support, those that have aided from behind the curtains (you know who you are even if I don't), Del and Elaine, Johnathan, Tim, UK MAT, Paul R and any others I may have forgot (It is not on purpose).

MFS wishes all a very, very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Yannedis & Co London

12/22/2015

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I was recently called out to TRW Automotive in Cirencester where I met John who had problems with 6 400's originally supplied by Yannedis & Co London. We supplied only 4 from our NOS stock as 2 just needed adjusting, we also whilst there repaired a top centre for them, the link bar between adjuster and pin had come adrift.

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Smiths Spring

12/19/2015

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As promised here is what I know to be a true Smiths. To add to the confusion however is a page from a 1914 PFEIL,STEDALL & SON catalogue that shows three different types of Smiths, so a little more research will have to be done to clear things up regarding the Cartland adjustable, the original "Smiths" blog post and possibly the Newman version.

Multiple sets of springs for the Smiths and the Cartland adjustable, after much hardship, are on order and should be here mid/to late February.

After much further research I now believe that the "Smiths" was patented in October of 1833 by Andrew Smith of Princes Street London, I have still to find out if this Smith is the same as the Smith of Smith and Turner fame.

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Cartlands Adjustable

12/15/2015

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I must confess I may have made a mistake with identifying what I thought was a Smith's in an earlier blog post, it may in fact be a Cartland adjustable like the one below.

In the next blog post I will identify what i believe now is a true Smith's.

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James Hill & Co Ltd London

12/15/2015

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In this blog entry I would like to introduce you to a spring door centre supplied by James Hill & Co, London (Iron mongers). It is very similar to the Avon as wrote about in an earlier blog entry. There are minor differences between the two but these are so neglible this may even be an early version of the Avon.

Above is an 1898 advert for James Hill & Co, they were also manufacturers of lace-making machinery with premises in Nottingham.

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Christmas Trivia

12/13/2015

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Here are side by side shots of the ends of two closers, can you identify them?

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Climax 2400 Spring

12/13/2015

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I have spoken many times about the Climax on this blog and here I am again with a new variant of the Climax, this being the Climax 2400 Spring. It is a very small variant with only 4 springs working the mechanism. I presume this model is for very light internal doors.

In this last shot you can see how small the 2400 is compared to other Climax's.

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Robert Adams Crown Victor

12/7/2015

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I recently worked on another of the Robert Adams designed floor springs, this being the Crown Victor. The Crown Victor is very similar in design to the London Victor as previously blogged about although the Crown is for double action doors as opposed to the London which is for single action doors.

Note: As a quick way to identify, the Crown has no curved edge on the back edge of the box near the pin unlike the London.

Can you see how the socket has broke out at the back, this needed to be repaired for the closer to work smoothly?

The next shots show the fantastic bronze top pivot and shoe.

Hope you enjoyed this quick one, same as usual leave a reply if you are not shy.

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James Adams & Son Ltd. (The Slave)

12/1/2015

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I have been waiting some considerable time to visit this particular model floor spring and will in the future write a more in-depth blog article regarding it.

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AVON Adjustable Floor Spring

Hope Chapel, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire.

N.F. Ramsay & Co Ltd.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Yannedis & Co London

Smiths Spring

Cartlands Adjustable

James Hill & Co Ltd London

Christmas Trivia

Climax 2400 Spring

Robert Adams Crown Victor

James Adams & Son Ltd. (The Slave)

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