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About Hinges
Hinges and door hinges are flexible joint mechanisms
that provide support to and allow for the turning or swinging movement
of the object to which they are attached. A hinge consists of two leaves
attached to the object and to the frame of the object. A set of knuckles
rests between the two leaves. The knuckles connect the leaves to one
another. A pin is inserted through the knuckle to secure the hinge in
place. A door hinge is considered right handed if, when standing against
the doorjamb, the door swings to the right.
There are many different types of hinges: continuous hinges, knife hinges,
and butt hinges. Each of the hinges comes with several assembly options.
Available in a variety of lengths, continuous hinges have assembly options
that include reverse assembly, one leaf swaged, both leaves swaged, one
leaf bent and offset. Pin retaining of butt hinges can be staked, brazed,
welded, knurled or peened. Butt hinges, whose corners can be flush cut
or formed with a radius, can be spring loaded and can have spring releases
with either single or double bolts. Knife hinges are usually used for
lightweight applications, such as lids for briefcases, but knife hinges
can also be used for heavier applications (e.g. tailgates). Knife hinges
can be made with or without detents, and the side play can be minimized
by joining the two hinge halves with a peened rivet, resulting in smooth
actuation and positive locking.
Hinges are versatile contraptions suited for numerous applications in
a variety of industries. Almost every entryway or enclosure with an attached
opening contains hinges. There are door hinges, gate hinges, window hinges,
locker hinges and cabinet hinges. Hinges come in many different material
formats, including plastic hinges and metal hinges, such as stainless
steel hinges and aluminum hinges. Other material forms include acrylic
hinges, aluminum hinges, brass hinges and titanium hinges. Thickness
of material ranges and depends on the hinge application. Hinges can be
laser cut to produce intricate inside and outside radiuses. And hinges
can also be graduated curves or precise circles.
When selecting a hinge, consider industrial application of your hinge,
environmental conditions of where the hinge will be used, size and weight
of object to be supported by the hinge and material the hinge will be
made out of. It is usually necessary to specify hinge length, open width
of the hinge, material thickness your hinge needs to be and type of hinge
you will need, pin diameter the hinge will use and the type of swaging
and finish required for the hinge. The hinge’s leaf widths must
be specified for hinges with unequal leaves. It is also helpful to know
the knuckle length of your hinges, the hinge’s end play, the pitch
size of the hinge and the paint clearance necessary for the application.
If standard hinges do not meet requirements, consider a custom hinge.
For hinges with holes, forming, etc., a blueprint or sample may need
to be provided to the manufacturer
Featured
Articles
http://www.allegiscorp.com/docs/hingeDesignGuide.pdf
http://www.the-home-improvement-web.com/information/how-to/door-hinges-installation.htm
Types of Hinges
- are used for high frequency
and indoor applications and on doors with closers.
- are suitable for outdoor or other harsh environments.
- are secured to the door and the door frame. Swinging
doors are one common application for which butt hinges are used.
- must be made from a strong, heavy material to prevent
unevenness of cabinet doors.
- ,
or “piano hinges,” are longer than standard hinges, usually
measuring five inches in length or more. Continuous hinges provide consistency
in strength along the entire length of the hinge, supporting the objects
to which they are attached and reducing the gap between objects and
hinges.
- are used on a variety of doors in personal, office and
industrial settings.
- are used on gates and entryways. In addition to standard
manual hinges, gate hinges are commonly automatic for convenience
and protection.
- can support heavy doors.
- have more than one pin and are used for double
action.
- are designed for use with doors that are set flush into
a frame.
- are used in a wide variety of applications that
require low to moderate usage.
- are beneficial because they do not require lubrication,
do not rust and remain silent and are more cost-effective
than hinges made of metals, including stainless steel hinges.
Most plastic hinges
are also ultraviolet (UV), chemical and heat resistant.
- are used on entryways requiring automatic closure.
Spring loaded hinges can also be configured to open
automatically as well.
- are
useful in situations in which they are exposed to oxidation and corrosive
substances, because
of the high corrosion
resistance of stainless steel (http://www.stainless-steel.us).
Common applications in which stainless steel hinges
are found include
marine,
oil/gas, petrochemical, chemical and pharmaceutical
applications.
- have an even number of full knuckles. When
the knuckle is facing up, a knuckle will be on
the left end and a notch
will be on the right end of the lower leaf.
- are designed to limit the movement of the leaves to a
certain angle
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