Hinges that allow doors to close by themselves can prevent doors from being slammed. These self closing hinges can catch and slow down a door and then guide it gently to a closed position without any force.
Self closing door hinges are designed so that the door gets pulled shut as soon as it is released from its open position. It is very commonly used in kitchen cabinets, though you will find them in other doors on bathrooms and even in gates. These hinges are no different than conventional hinges in their construction, with having two plates that are connected by a pin that allows the plates to rotate away from and towards each other for the opening and closing of doors on which they are fixed. In a self closing hinge there is the addition of a spring that pulls the two plates together.
Some of these hinges that close automatically will even use gravity instead of springs for the closing action. This is done by by having the slots that hold the pin slide one over the other because of the sloping nature of the surfaces that abut against each other. These self closing door hinges will never fail, as long as the hinge moves freely. Even in the case of those hinges which contain springs, proper oiling and maintenance of the hinge can enable it to give a lifetime of service.
These hinges can be made from brass, steel, copper or any number of metals. You will also find them in PVC. They can be painted or finished in a variety of finishes that enable them to match any decor. Many of these hinges allow for adjustments so that the speed of closing can be changed to suit the user. The hinges have locking pins that fix the tension and which can be placed in various positions to adjust the tension afforded by the spring. These pins need to be removed and the socket at the top of the hinge rotated so that the desired tension is achieved. The locking pins are then inserted in again in the new position to complete the adjustment. Many doors will have more than one hinge and even three or more. Any adjustment you do must be carried out equally for each hinge o that the door closes uniformly.
Self closing hinges do need to be lubricated occasionally to ensure that they function properly.
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