Hinges

About Hinges and Hinge Manufacturers Including: Butt Hinges, Cabinet Hinges, Continuous Hinges, Door Hinges, Friction Hinges, Gate Hinges, Heavy Duty Hinges, Piano Hinges, Spring Hinges, Stainless Steel Hinges, Strap Hinges & Weld On Hinges.

Hinges are a type of hardware which allow two separate, parallel parts to be connected while retaining up to 180 degrees of swinging movement. Used in buildings, construction and equipment across industries, hinges are configured to create opening and closing movement on a wide range of furnishings and equipment. Different types of hinges, such as lift-off hinges,  spring hinges and weld on hinges, have various load capacities and special removable, spring loaded and space saving attributes. Short, sturdy butt hinges, stay-put friction hinges and concealed hinges are commonly used as door hinges and cabinet hinges; longer continuous hinges typically span the length of a joint and are often used in brass or stainless steel for aesthetic applications such as piano hinges. Strap hinges, or tee hinges, are equipped for many outdoor gate hinge and automotive applications, although smaller strap hinges may be used as ornamental cabinet or window hinges. Stainless steel hinges resist corrosion from air and water and are often used as heavy duty hinges in marine, auto and outdoor construction industries. Hasps are unique hinged latches to which padlocks may be attached.

The basic construction of a hinge consists of two separate flat "leaves" which are attached by screws to the two parts being hinged. One leaf is attached, for example, to a door frame, while the other is attached to the door. The interior of the leaves are curled into alternating "knuckles" which fit into one another and are secured by a pin. The width of each individual knuckle is referred to as knuckle length, and the width of two side-by-side knuckles from the two separate leaves is called "pitch". Knuckles in the two leaves are fabricated so that there is a gap, or "end play" between each knuckle and between knuckles and leaves. This allows the hinge to swing freely, without rubbing against itself and causing friction. Knuckles are sometimes swagged in order for the leaves to lay flat against one another or against the fixtures to which they are mounted. Cane bolts consist of a single pin fitted into the protruding eyes of a single leaf; these are considered heavy duty door hinges and are often used to save space. Hinges are commonly made from steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, brass or aluminum. Flat continuous hinges, butt hinges and heavy duty hinges are typically cold-rolled, although hinges for lighter applications may be stamped or laser cut. All hinges are variants of this basic design.

Hinges and Hinge Manufacturers Image Provided by Stocker Hinges div. of E.R. Wagner

Friction hinges' knuckles bulge outward, creating torque as the hinge swings, preventing the door or cabinet to which it is attached from swinging freely without control. Weld on, or barrel hinges, have no leaves or extremely short leaves which cannot be screwed into fixtures, but must be welded on. These hinges are strong, compact and provide aesthetic attachment for metal doors and metal frames in industrial equipment and facility applications. Specialty hinge types, such as spring loaded hinges and concealed hinges add an extra functional element to fixtures and equipment. Spring hinges operate with a spring coil wrapped around the pin, pushing the leaves either out or in. Used often in small parts and accessories, such as car cigarette ashtrays, spring hinges keep doors, cabinets and lids closed. Concealed hinges are specially designed only be visible from a compartment's interior. Kitchen cabinets usually employ concealed hinges to create a hardware-free, aesthetic look.

Specialty hinges are fabricated every day by hinge manufacturers looking to meet the demanding requirements of new, unusual applications. While hinges are commonly used in commercial and residential settings on cabinets and doors, most industrial machines use hinges of one kind or another, and proper hinge function can be critical for the safety of large-scale oil rigging, mining and material handling operations. New advancements have been made in plastic hinge manufacturing; most friction hinges are now made with plastic, a material far more durable under constant friction, and plastic hinges can be a lightweight, no-maintenance alternative to heavy, squeaky hinges on low-load equipment and fixtures. Hinge manufacturers often fabricate custom hinges for specialty applications, freely changing the hinge design to include multiple leaves, multiple knuckle sets, angled leaves or swagged knuckles.

Hinges and Hinge Manufacturers Image Provided by Marlboro Manufacturing, Inc.	Hinges and Hinge Manufacturers Image Provided by Knuth Hinge Company

Hinges and Hinge Manufacturers Images Provided by Larsen & Shaw Limited

Hinge Types

• Ball bearing hinges are used for high frequency and indoor applications and on doors with closers.
  
• Bronze bearing hinges are suitable for outdoor or other harsh environments.
  
• Butt hinges are secured to the door and the door frame. Swinging doors are one common application for which butt hinges are used.
  
• Cabinet hinges must be made from a strong, heavy material to prevent unevenness of cabinet doors.
  
• Continuous hinges, 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.
  
• Door hinges are used on a variety of doors in personal, office and industrial settings.
  
• Gate hinges are used on gates and entryways. In addition to standard manual hinges, gate hinges are commonly automatic for convenience and protection.
  
• Heavy duty hinges can support heavy doors.
• Multiple pin hinges have more than one pin and are used for double action.
  
• Panel hinges are designed for use with doors that are set flush into a frame.
  
• Plain bearing hinges are used in a wide variety of applications that require low to moderate usage.
  
• Plastic hinges 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.
  
• Spring hinges are used on entryways requiring automatic closure. Spring loaded hinges can also be configured to open automatically as well.
  
• Stainless steel hinges 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.
  
• Standard cutoff hinges 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.
  
• Stop hinges are designed to limit the movement of the leaves to a certain angle
• Strap hinges are a type of hinge with long straps that attach to the face of exterior and interior doors and cabinets while allowing for up to 180 degrees of swinging movement.
• Weld on hinges are smaller hinges that connect two separate metal parts, typically doors and door frames, without the use of knuckles.

Hinge Terms

Back Angle - The angle of the hinges leaves, usually a minimum of 270, when the hinges are completely open.
 
Bent Pin - The pin found in hinges that contains a bent end to allow for easy removal of the pin. 

Both Leaves Half Swaged - When both of the leaves are swaged one half the pin diameter with a small space between the leaves when closed.

Closed - Refers to the position of the leaves of the hinges when they are parallel and together at the 0 position.

 
Coined Pin - A deformed end of a pin that causes the pin to be wedged into place when driven into hinges.
 
Crimped Ends - Hinges pins that can not be removed due to depression of the hinge knuckle.
 
Detent - A device that locks hinges in the open position.
 
End Play - The extent to which hinges leaves move axially.
 
Flat - Refers to the position of the leaves when they are at the 180 position.
 
Gauge - Hinges measurement reflecting the hinge leaf thickness.
 
Hinge Length - The measurement of hinges running parallel to the hinge pin from one end of the leaves to the other end of the leaves.
 
Hinge Width - Also known as "open width", it is the measurement of the width of hinges, including both leaves and the pin. Hinge width is a measurement perpendicular to the hinge pin.
 
Knuckle - Also referred to as joint, node, curl and loop it is the individual, hollow joint of a hinge through which the hinge pin is inserted.
 
Knuckle Length - The length of an individual knuckle, equivalent to one-half of the pitch.
 
Leaf - Component of hinges that extends laterally from the knuckle and revolves around the pin.
 
Leaf Width - The measurement from the pin to the end of the leaf. 

Lock Punch - Preventing leaf rotation by moving the material from adjacent knuckles to remove end play. It is located at the bottom of the knuckle in a uniform consistent pattern.

Offset - The process of decreasing leaf width through the formation of hinges leafs away from the hinge pin center. 

One Leaf Full Swaged - When one leaf is swaged equal to the pin diameter. Both are parallel while closed.

One Leaf Half Swaged - When one leaf is waged one half the pin diameter.

Opposite Standardd Cutoff - When the lower leaf has a notch at the left end and 3 knuckles.

Paint Clearance - The amount of space between the knuckle and the edge of the leaf in every position of the hinge during operation.

Pin - The rod inserted through the hinge knuckles to hold the hinge in place.

Pitch - The measurement reflecting the distance between the opposite ends of two adjacent knuckl

Plain Assembly - When the leaves aren't swaged and lay flat in the same plane in an open position.

Reverse Assembly - When the leaves aren't swaged and the opposing leaves extend laterally from opposite sides of the pin. The leaves don't close to a parallel position.

Reverse Swaged - When one leaf is swaged, as in reverse assembly, but the leaves will not close in a parallel position.

Side Play - The amount of leaf movement perpendicular to the pin. 

Spun Pin - Cold forming the end pins to a diameter larger than the inside portion to prevent axial movement. Mostlly used for tamper-proofing.

Spun Ends - Hinge pin ends that have been peened, or flattened, in order to prevent pin removal. Although a pin with both spun ends is not removable, a pin containing only one spun end is still removable.
 
Staked Pin - A hinge pin that is not removable due to the staking of the hinge backside.

Standard Cutoff -  A hinge that has an even number of full length knuckles (plain assembly only).

Stop Hinge - A type of hinge intended to provide a limitation on the angle of the hinge leaves to a particular degree. 

Stop Hinge, Inside - When the leaves open to a stop angle.

Stop Hinge, Outside - When leaves move open positions and stop at a specific angle.

Swaging - A process of increasing hinge leaf width through the formation of the hinge leaf or leaves either toward or away from the hinge pin center.

Welded Pin - A type of pin in which the splined portion is slightly larger than the inside diameter on the curl of the pin. Welded pins are used in some slip joint hinges.