GB2112437A

GB2112437A - Door frame with adjustable jambs

Info

Publication number: GB2112437A
Application number: GB08232454A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas Frank Hall; John Smith
Original assignee: ROTHERVALE JOINERY Ltd
Current assignee: ROTHERVALE JOINERY Ltd
Priority date: 1981-11-12
Filing date: 1982-11-12
Publication date: 1983-07-20
Also published as: GB2112437B

Abstract

An easily-assembled frame assembly, for example for door- frames, consists of upright members (1, 2) and a cross member 3 all of similar cross-section; the cross member is rebated (5) to enable it to lie tightly across the upright members. The height of the door-frame may be varied by means of removable extension feet (10) or a removable threshold plate (13). The frame assembly may be sold as a kit, including several pairs of feet (10) of different thicknesses. The frame may also be provided with members making up a storey height. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION ~ Frame assembly This invention relates to frame assemblies, for example for windows and, especially, doors.

Door-frames normally consist of two upright members connected to a cross member which lies across the top of the upright members. Window frames normally consist of two upright members, a cross member at the top and a sill member at the bottom. Although window-frames are normally pre-assembled, i.e. not on site, door-frames are normally assembled and fitted on site, and may require a good deal of work by the carpenter. The ends of the frame members are normally connected by mortise and tenon joints.

It has recently become popular to provide rectangular frames, e.g. door and window-frames, in kit form, i.e. including upright and cross members pre-cut in the factory in order to enable the on-site assembly of standard-sized frames and doors/windows. In one such system the uprights and the head members or lintels of the same cross-section, having an inwardly projecting shoulder against which the door or glass is to lie, and the ends of the lintel member are rebated and recessed to receive the tops and associated shoulder portions of the two upright members. This construction enables good positioning of the frame members in relation to each other, but a good deal of machining is required in the factory in order to minimize the carpentry work carried out on site.Furthermore, once the frame members have been cut in the factory, the maximum height of the door-frame has been determined.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a frame assembly for a door or window, the components of which may be readily produced in the factory and easily assembled on site, and which is flexible in use in terms of the heights of the frames.

According to the present invention a rectangular frame, for example for a door or window, comprises two elongate members forming upright members and a third elongate member forming a cross member, each of said members having an inwardly projecting shoulder, each end of the shoulder of the third member being rebated to enable the third member to lie tightly across the tops of the upright members, the bottom end of each upright member being provided with a removable extension.

The removable extension provided at the lower end of each upright member may take the form of a foot portion, suitably of the same cross-section as the upright member, attachable to the upright member by means of a dowel or dowels. The thickness of the foot determines the extent to which the upright member may be lengthened, and it is envisaged that in a door-frame kit, comprising two upright members and a cross or lintel member, there may be included several pairs of extension feet, of differing thicknesses, whereby the height of the assembled door-frame may be adjusted. Alternatively to the individual extenstion feet, the removable extension may take the form of a plate, e.g. a threshold plate, removably attachable to the upright members.

Preferably the upright and cross members of the door-frame have the same cross-section, and the uprights are suitably pre-drilled and recessed to accommodate locks, handles and hinges. The hinge recesses are suitably formed equidistant from the ends of the upright members, as are the lock recesses, in order that an upright member may be used on either the left-hand or right-hand side of the door frame, thus enabling the door to be fitted as a right-opening or left-opening door.

The frame of the invention may be provided with a storey height, which is a panel provided above the door frame, into which glass or plywood or the like is inserted. The storey height preferably comprises two upright members and upper and lower cross members, each of said members having an inwardly projecting shoulder and at least said upright members being of identical cross-section, said upright and cross members forming a rectangular frame.

In one embodiment, the lower cross-member of the storey height is provided by the lintel member of the door frame assembly, and a separate shoulder-forming member rests on and/or is attached to the top of the lintel member.

The upright and cross-members are suitably attached one to another by means of dowels.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an exploded view of a door-frame; Figure 2 is a cross-section of the frame members; Figure 3 is a cross-section of an extension plate; and Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a storey height in conjunction with a door frame.

The door-frame consists of two upright members 1, 2, and a cross-member or lintel 3.

The members 1-3 have the same cross-section, illustrated in Figure 2. Thus, each member 1-3 has an inwardly-projecting shoulder 4, against which the door (not shown) lies. The shoulder 4 on the upright members 1 and 2 runs the entire length of the upright members, but the shoulder 4 on the lintel 3 is rebated, at 5, to enable the lintel 3 to fit tightly on the tops of upright members 1 and 2. Fixing is by means of dowels 6 provided on the lintel 3, entering holes 7 drilled into the tops of the upright members.

The upright member 1 is provided with a recess 8 for a lock plate, and the upright member 2 is provided with recesses 9 for hinges. The recess 8 is formed at the centre of upright member 1, and the hinges 9 are formed equidistant from the ends of the upright member 2, in order that if required the members 1 and 2 may be inverted and transposed, if it is required that the door should fit the other way round.

At the foot of each upright member is provided a removable extension piece 10, having the same cross-section as the upright members, and provided with a dowel 11 for insertion in a hole 12 drilled in the lower end of each upright member. It will be appreciated that the extension piece 10 may or may not be used, as required.

Use of the extension piece increases the height of the door-frame, and the use of several interlocking extension pieces, or extension pieces of different thicknesses, enables the height of the door-frame to be adjusted to a substantial extent.

Alternatively, or additionally, to the extension pieces 10, the frame assembly may comprise a threshold plate 13, provided with dowels 14, for attachment in similar manner to the upright members 1 and 2. Such a member will normally be used when the door-frame is to be fitted to a room in which there is a fitted carpet.

Referring to Figure 4, the storey height comprises two upright members 21,22 and an upper cross-member 23. Members 21-23 have a cross-section identical to that of the door frame members 1-3, and have an inwardly projecting shoulder 24 corresponding to shoulder 4. The shoulder 24 on upper crnss-member 23 is rebated in the same manner as is the shoulder 4 on lintel 3 of the door frame assembly, as shown at 5 in Figure 1.

The lower cross-member of the storey height may be provided as a separate member having the same cross-section as the other storey height frame members. However, in the example illustrated, the lowest cross-member is provided by the lintel 3 of the door frame, the inwardly projecting shoulder being provided in this instance by a separate shoulder member 25 which is suitably attached to the top of the lintel 3.

The various members forming the rectangular storey height frame are attached together by means of dowels (not shown) received in corresponding dowel holes 26 in the respective frame members.

The upright members, the cross member and the storey height members will normally be made of timber, for example European redwood, the threshold plate may be of hardwood, and the extension pieces may be of timber or moulded plastics material, for example PVC.

All the members of the frame assembly of the present invention may be made in standard sizes in the factory, and several different standard sizes may be provided.

Typical dimensions are:~ Length A-688mm., 788mm., 888mm; Length B-64mm., 90mm., 11 Smm., 1 34mm; Length C-2044mm; Length D-29mm; Length E-12mm; Length F-S mm; Length G 42mm; Length H-1 Smm.

The cross-members 3 and 23 will have a dimension dictated by the width of the door frame; the lengths of the upright members 21 and 22 may be in the range 200-500mm.

The parts forming the storey height frame may be packaged and sold either separately or in conjunction with the parts forming the door frame assembly. The identical cross-section of the upright members makes them interchangeable.

Claims

1. A rectangular frame comprising two elongate members forming upright members and a third elongate member forming across member, each of said members having an inwardly projecting shoulder, each end of the shoulder of the third member being rebated to enable the third member to lie tightly across the tops of the upright members, the bottom end of each upright member being provided with a removable extension.

2. A frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removable extension is in the form of a foot portion, of the same cross-section as the upright member to which it is attached.

3. A frame as claimed in claim 1 wherein the removable extension is in the form of a plate removably attachable to the two upright members.

4. A frame as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the upright and cross members have an identical cross-section.

5. A frame as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the upright members are pre-drilled and recessed to accommodate locks, handles and hinges.

6. A frame as claimed in claim 5 wherein the recesses are formed equidistant from the ends of the upright members.

7. A frame as claimed in claim 1, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

8. A kit for assembling the rectangular frame claimed in claim 1 comprising two elongate upright-forming members and an elongate crossforming member, and either one or more pairs of removable extensions or one or more plates removably attachable to the upright-forming members.

9. A frame as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 including also a storey height comprising two upright members and upper and lower cross members, each of said members having an inwardly projecting shoulder and at least said upright membes being of identical cross-section, said upright and cross members forming a rectangular frame.

10. A frame as claimed in claim 9, substantially as described with reference to Figure 4 of the drawings.