Hinges in History

---

 The earliest known pivot hinges date back to approximately 1600 B.C. These were found as wooden doors pivoting from stone sockets in Hattusa, which is in modern day Turkey. This is among the first evidence of hinges being used to make large objects movable. Hinges have undergone many changes and iterations in the centuries that followed. However, the rate of advancements was relatively slow until much later 

 Hinges have also been mentioned in the Old Testament. They are described as part of King Solomon’s temple, which would make them from around 970 and 931 B.C. 

 Hinges have also been found in Egyptian ruins dating back to between 760 and 650 B.C. Such hinges were believed to have been used on doors in Egyptian households. However, since metal was difficult and expensive to manufacture at the time, hinges could be acquired only by the wealthy. 

 The Roman empire was known for being at the forefront of technological advancement. They developed improved hinge systems, many of which we still see today. They used hinges for large public structures. However, they also introduced them for many household applications such as doors, drawers, and cabinets. 

 Many roman armour pieces also contained hinges to improve flexibility and mobility. In-fact, the Romans also had a Goddess dedicated to door-hinges named Cardea. 

 Metalwork advances also made the production of metal hinges easier during the Middle Ages. This was when iron wrought hinges were produced in large quantities. Such hinges were used to bear the load of the large doors in castles. Many of these hinges are still visible in old castles scattered around Europe. 

 Major hinge advancements were also made during the 16th century in English colonies. This was when different reinforced metals were utilized in the creation of strong hinges that could support large weights.

Early American colonists in Jamestown used hinges for a wide range of everyday applications. They used them for heavy wooden lids on top of food containers, window openings, and cabin doors.

They imported these hinges regularly from English colonies where they were produced. Many of these were created by blacksmiths, who would create hardware for colonists. Hinges were actually one of the items blacksmiths of the era produced most commonly.

 Industrialization accelerated greatly during the Victorian era. This saw the rise of machines that featured many moving parts and therefore required hinges. Many complex hinge types were developed in 19th Century America due to this reason. These were designed to give machines more speed and precision.

One notable innovation during this era was the introduction of ball bearings. Hinges that were designed with ball bearings could be opened more smoothly, and therefore proved to be very popular. 

 Many hinge advancements also came about due to war. Certain historical civilizations that used catapults relied on hinges for these weapons to work.

War in the 20th century also saw the advancement of several hinge types. However, they also gained popularity in many everyday uses. For example, special hinges were designed that allowed doors to swing in both directions. Other hinges were created to help early phones snap shut and open.

Ease of manufacturing also enabled different companies to create decorative hinges for homes. They also experimented with making hinge joints from different types of metals. Some tried coating them in different compounds to improve their corrosion resistance in marine applications.

The above information is from HingeOutlet.com