Pressure hinge device for glass door or panel

A shower door hinge for mounting a panel shower door and providing indexing for the door comprising:

• a base attachable above or below a door including means for securement to a supporting structure above or below a door;
• a clamping mechanism having first and second surfaces and an adjustable connection operable to move the first and second surfaces together adapted to provide clamping action on a perimeter portion of the door;
• a main shaft having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends, the second end including at least one indexing detent aligned along the longitudinal axis;
• a tram body on the base, the tram body comprising a block, an opening in the block, a sub-roller pin, and a bias member, the second end of the main shaft being rotatably positioned in the opening in the block, the first end of the main shaft extending out of the opening in the block, the sub-roller pin in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the main shaft and biased into abutment with the second end of the main shaft;
• a pivot body on the clamping mechanism, the pivot body comprising a complementary receiver for the first end of the main shaft and a securement mechanism which fixes the first end of the main shaft in the pivot body in an adjustable selected rotational orientation relative to the pivot body;
• so that when the sub-roller pin is aligned with the indexing detent, the biased member causes automatic indexing of the hinge and requires force sufficient to move the sub-roller pin out of the detent to rotate the tram body relative to the pivot body, and so that any rotational orientation of the pivot body relative the tram body when the sub-roller pin is in the detent can be adjustably selected.

A hinge comprising:

• first and second mounts;
• a pivot pin positionable in the first and second mounts along a pivot axis;
• a clamp to adjustably secure the pivot pin to and prevent rotation of the pivot pin relative to the first mount;
• a generally v-shaped slot extending parallel to the pivot axis along a portion of the pin in the second mount;
• a sub-roller pin held in the second mount and positioned in abutment with said portion of the pin;
• biasing means biasing the sub-roller pin against said portion of the pin.

A method of pivotally mounting a glass plate shower door at the top and bottom of the door to supporting structure comprising:

• clamping first members to a periphery edge of the door at aligned positions on the top and bottom of the door;
• securing second members to supporting structure defining the opening for the door at positions aligned with the first members when the door is in operative position relative to the opening;
• forming an indexing detent along a longitudinal axis of indexing portions of top and bottom pivot pins;
• positioning the top and bottom pivot pins between each first and second member with the indexing portions in the second members;
• biasing a member at least partially into the indexing detents;
• adjustably fixing other portions of the top and bottom pivot pins in the first members;
• thereby aligning the indexing detents at the top and bottom of the door for simultaneous operation when pivoting the door without having to mount the second members in precise rotational orientation to the door, first members, or pivot pins.

A hinge for a panel door comprising:

• a mounting base to facilitate mounting of the mounting base to a supporting structure above or below a door;
• a mounting member to facilitate mounting of the mounting member to a peripheral top or bottom edge of a door;
• a pivot pin extending between and having portions in the mounting plate and the mounting member respectively and defining a pivot axis which is generally parallel with a plane defining a door;
• a fixing mechanism in the the mounting member, the fixing mechanism fixing the pin in a selected rotational position in and disallowing rotational movement relative to the mounting member so that the pin rotates with the mounting member;
• an indexing mechanism entirely in the mounting base, the indexing mechanism allowing indexable rotation of the portion of the pivot pin in the mounting base.

A hinge for a panel door comprising:

• a mounting base to facilitate mounting of the mounting base to a supporting structure above or below a door;
• a mounting member to facilitate mounting of the mounting member to a peripheral top or bottom edge of a door;
• a pivot pin extending between and having portions in the mounting plate and the mounting member respectively and defining a pivot axis which is generally parallel with a plane defining a door;
• a fixing mechanism in the mounting member, the fixing mechanism fixing the pin in a selected rotational position in and disallowing rotational movement relative to the mounting member so that the pin rotates with the mounting member;
• an indexing mechanism in the mounting base, the indexing mechanism allowing indexable rotation of the portion of the pivot pin in the mounting base;
• a bearing positioned between the mounting base and the mounting member, the bearing taking a substantial amount of the load of the hinge.