Doorstop

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A handmade wooden doorstop Wooden wedge door stop.jpg
A handmade wooden doorstop
A manufactured black rubber doorstop Black-doorstop.jpg
A manufactured black rubber doorstop
An integrated doorstop Waterson-door-stop.jpg
An integrated doorstop

A doorstop (also door stopper, door stop or door wedge) is an object or device used to hold a door open or closed, or to prevent a door from opening too widely. The same word is used to refer to a thin slat built inside a door frame to prevent a door from swinging through when closed. A doorstop (applied) may also be a small bracket or 90-degree piece of metal applied to the frame of a door to stop the door from swinging (bi-directional) and converting that door to a single direction (in-swing push or out-swing pull). The doorstop can be a separate part or integrated with a hinge or door closer.

Contents

History

Formally-produced doorstops trace their history to the 18th century in Europe, becoming widely manufactured in Europe in the early 19th century. By the mid 19th century, manufacturing had primarily moved to the United States. [1] Despite their early manufacturing, credit for the invention of the doorstop is usually granted to Osburn Dorsey, an African American inventor, in 1878. The doorstop was Dorsey's most famous invention and he received a US patent, number 210,764, for the invention. [2]

Usage

Holding doors open

A door may be stopped by a doorstop which is simply a heavy solid object, such as a brick, placed in the path of the door. These stops are predominantly improvised. [1] Historically, lead bricks have been popular choices when available. [3] However, as the toxic nature of lead has been revealed, this use has been strongly discouraged. [4]

Another method is to use a doorstop which is a small wedge of wood, rubber, fabric, plastic, cotton or another material. Manufactured wedges of these materials are commonly available. The wedge is kicked into position and the downward force of the door, now jammed upwards onto the doorstop, provides enough static friction to keep it motionless. [5]

A third strategy is to equip the door itself with a stopping mechanism. In this case, a short metal bar capped with rubber, or another high-friction material, is attached to a hinge near the bottom of the door opposite the door hinge and on the side of the door which is in the direction that it closes. When the door is to be kept open, the bar is swung down so that the rubber end touches the floor. In this configuration, further movement of the door towards being closed increases the force on the rubber end, thereby increasing the frictional force which opposes the movement. When the door is to be closed, the stop is released by pushing the door slightly more open, which releases the stop and allows it to be flipped upwards. A newer version of equipping the door with the stopping mechanism is to attach a magnet to the bottom or top of the door on the side which opens outward, which then latches onto another magnet or magnetic material on the wall or a small hub on the floor. The magnet must be strong enough to hold the weight of the door, but weak enough to be easily detached from the wall or hub. [6]

Preventing damage by doors

Another type of doorstop is used to prevent doors from opening too far and damaging nearby walls. In this case a rubber cylinder or dome—or a rod or block of rubber-tipped metal, wood or plastic—is screwed into the wall, molding or the floor in the path of the door. If it is attached to the wall, it may be either a few inches above the ground, or at such a height as to meet the doorknob. A short, wall-attached doorstop, usually a rubber dome or cylinder, is sometimes called a wall bumper. Rigid metal springs (also tipped with rubber or plastic) are used to absorb and more widely distribute the kinetic energy of the door swinging.

On occasion, stops are used that are fitted at the midpoint of the door, as part of the central door-hinge. Such stops are known as a "hinge stops" or "hinge pin" doorstops and are often used to prevent damage to baseboard molding. [7]

Holding doors closed

In his 1906 book The Right Way to Do Wrong, Harry Houdini recommends the use of a doorstop wedge to prevent a door from being pushed open from the outside, to deter burglars at night. [8]

Dialect usage

In various British English dialects, including those in the south-west, north-east and north-west of England, the word "doorstop" is cognate with "doorstep" in standard English, being derived from door and stoop.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Door</span> Movable barrier that allows ingress and egress

A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a doorway or portal. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security by controlling access to the doorway (portal). Conventionally, it is a panel that fits into the doorway of a building, room, or vehicle. Doors are generally made of a material suited to the door's task. They are commonly attached by hinges, but can move by other means, such as slides or counterbalancing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinge</span> Mechanical bearing connecting two objects

A hinge is a mechanical bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by an ideal hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation, with all other translations or rotations prevented; thus a hinge has one degree of freedom. Hinges may be made of flexible material or moving components. In biology, many joints function as hinges, such as the elbow joint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zipper</span> Device for binding the edges of an opening of fabric or other flexible material

A zipper, zip, or fly, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing, luggage and other bags, camping gear, and many other items, zippers come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. In 1892, Whitcomb L. Judson, an American inventor from Chicago, patented the original design from which the modern device evolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soundproofing</span> Methods to reduce sound pressure

Soundproofing is any means of impeding sound propagation. There are several methods employed including increasing the distance between the source and receiver, decoupling, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using damping structures such as sound baffles for absorption, or using active antinoise sound generators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tap (valve)</span> Valve controlling the release of a liquid or gas

A tap is a valve controlling the release of a fluid.

A die is a specialized machine tool used in manufacturing industries to cut and/or form material to a desired shape or profile. Stamping dies are used with a press, as opposed to drawing dies and casting dies which are not. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extrusion</span> Process of pushing material through a die to create long symmetrical-shaped objects

Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex cross-sections; and to work materials that are brittle, because the material encounters only compressive and shear stresses. It also creates excellent surface finish and gives considerable freedom of form in the design process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Door furniture</span> Items that are attached to a door or a drawer to enhance its functionality or appearance

Door furniture or door hardware refers to any of the items that are attached to a door or a drawer to enhance its functionality or appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Closure (container)</span> Devices and techniques used to close or seal a bottle, jug, jar, tube, can, etc.

A closure is a device used to close or seal a container such as a bottle, jug, jar, tube, or can. A closure may be a cap, cover, lid, plug, liner, or the like. The part of the container to which the closure is applied is called the finish.

A brake run on a roller coaster is any section of track that utilizes some form of brakes to slow or stop a roller coaster train. There are various types of braking methods employed on roller coasters, including friction brakes, skid brakes, and magnetic brakes. The most common is a fin brake, an alternative name for a friction brake, which involves a series of hydraulic-powered clamps that close and squeeze metal fins that are attached to the underside of a coaster train. Roller coasters may incorporate multiple brake runs throughout the coaster's track layout to adjust the train's speed at any given time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baseboard</span> Lowest part of an interior wall

In architecture, a baseboard is usually wooden, MDF or vinyl board covering the lowest part of an interior wall. Its purpose is to cover the joint between the wall surface and the floor. It covers the uneven edge of flooring next to the wall; protects the wall from kicks, abrasion, and furniture; and can serve as a decorative molding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Door closer</span> Mechanical device that closes a door in a controlled manner

A door closer is a mechanical device that regulates the speed and action of a door’s swing. Manual closers store the force used to open the door in some type of spring and reuse it to close the door. Automatic types use electricity to regulate door swing behavior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swaging</span> Metalworking process

Swaging is a forging process in which the dimensions of an item are altered using dies into which the item is forced. Swaging is usually a cold working process, but also may be hot worked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blow molding</span> Manufacturing process for forming and joining together hollow plastic parts

Blow molding is a manufacturing process for forming hollow plastic parts. It is also used for forming glass bottles or other hollow shapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living hinge</span> Flexible hinge made of a thin, durable material that allows repeated bending without breaking

A living hinge or integral hinge is a thin flexible hinge made from the same material as the two rigid pieces it connects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet door</span> Flap door for pets

A pet door or pet flap is a small opening to allow pets to enter and exit a building on their own without needing a human to open the door. Originally simple holes, the modern form is a hinged and often spring-loaded panel or flexible flap, and some are electronically controlled. They offer a degree of protection against wind, rain, and larger-bodied intruders entering the dwelling. Similar hatches can let dogs through fences at stiles. A related concept is the pet gate, which is easy for humans to open but acts as a secure pet barrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Door chain</span> Security device attached to a door

A door chain, security chain, or security door chain or chain door interviewer consists of a small chain attached to the door frame, which attaches to a track on the door for security purposes. It is a type of lock that is often used along with other types of locks to secure a door. They are commonly used on hotel and motel room doors.

The Hubley Manufacturing Company was an American producer of a wide range of cast-iron toys, doorstops, and bookends. Toys, particularly motor vehicles and cap guns, were also produced in zinc alloy and plastic. The company is probably most well known for its detailed scale metal kits of Classic cars in about 1:20 scale. Starting in 1960, Hubley participated for a couple of years with Detroit automakers as a plastic promotional model maker. Many Hubley toys are now sought-after collectibles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Young House</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The Isaac Young House is an historic wood frame house on Pinesbridge Road in New Castle, New York, United States. It was built about 1872 in the Second Empire style. Its owner, Isaac Young, was a descendant of early settlers in the area. He chose the Second Empire style, more commonly found in cities and villages than on farms, possibly as a way of demonstrating his affluence. The present structure appears to incorporate parts of a vernacular late 18th-century farmhouse, leaving several anomalies in the current house as a result. The house's position atop a low hill would have, in its time, given it a commanding view of the region, including the Hudson River and New York City's skyline.

An electromagnetic door holder is a simple electromechanical mechanism which can be used to hold a fire door or security door open until given a signal to release. A fire alarm control panel or a similar emergency control system usually powers and controls the door holder.

References

  1. 1 2 Smith, John C. and Nancy M. (23 August 2006). "Collecting Doorstops". The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. Katz, Jeff. "Who Invented the Door Stop?". Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. Prose, Elizabeth. "Those Weird Victorians: Knit Weldon's Lead Cushion, or Door Stop". PieceWork. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  4. Phelps, Anne. "Lead-Safe Housing Policy Guidance" (PDF). Centers for Disease Control.
  5. Thompson, Sara (1 October 2020). "Explorit: Everyday simple machines". Davis Enterprise. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  6. Mead, Taylor (1 March 2019). "This Is the World's Most Attractive Doorstop—Yes, It's Invisible". House Beautiful. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  7. Klimek, Mike (10 September 2016). "Two types of doorstops have advantages, disadvantages". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  8. Houdini, Harry (March 2007). The Right Way to Do Wrong: An Exposé of Successful Criminals. Cosimo, Inc. ISBN   978-1-60206-078-4.