GB2297792A

GB2297792A - Shoot bolt mechanism with a corner unit

Info

Publication number: GB2297792A
Application number: GB9502484A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terry Dolman
Original assignee: Feneseal Ltd
Current assignee: Feneseal Ltd
Priority date: 1995-02-09
Filing date: 1995-02-09
Publication date: 1996-08-14
Also published as: GB9502484D0

Abstract

A door or window security mechanism mounted on a leaf (not shown) has a transmission bar 15 which is moved linearly by a handle (not shown). The transmission bar 15 carries a shoot bolt 25 which is spaced laterally from the transmission bar 15 for added security and locking members 16 for engagement with associated keepers 21 on the frame. The motion of the transmission bar 15 is conveyed around a corner of the leaf to a second transmission bar 32 by a corner unit 30. This is generally L-shaped and guides a flexible drive transmission member 27 (figure 2, not shown) connected between the transmission bars 15,32. The flexible member 27 is spaced outwardly of an imaginary extension of the transmission bar 15 connected to the handle. This allows this transmission bar 15 to operate a shoot bolt 25 through the corner unit 30 without it intersecting the flexible member 27.

Description

DOOR AND WINDOW SECURITY DEVICES The invention relates to door and window security devices and in particular to shoot bolt mechanisms and locking mechanisms.

A door or window customarily comprises a square or rectangular leaf movable between a position in which the leaf is opened out of an associated frame and a position in which the leaf is closed into the frame. The leaf may be mounted on the frame by hinges of any known kind (including friction stays) and customarily includes a handle which operates a latch that engages the frame when the leaf is closed into the frame.

Such doors or windows are not particularly secure. They are vulnerable to being forced open at the corners of the leaf at the ends of the edge carrying the handle and latch. In addition, they can also be vulnerable to being forced upon at points along the edges which are not hinged, particularly where the leaf is very elongate, i.e. where one pair of parallel sides are much longer than the other pair of parallel sides.

In order to make such a leaf more secure, it is known to provide a shoot bolt mechanism having a drive operated by the handle and including a drive rod connected to the drive and extending along and parallel to an adjacent edge of the leaf to a corner of the leaf. At the corner, the drive rod carries a bolt and the mechanism is such that rotation of the handle moves the bolt between a retracted position and an extended position in which the bolt engages a keeper in the frame to lock the leaf to the frame.

Where the leaf is formed from hollow members, the drive rod and bolt can be mounted within the interior of such a member.

However, it is customary to provide such members with a channel in an edge surface of the member lying generally in a plane normal to the plane of the leaf. In this case, the drive rod and the bolt can extend along this channel and be guided by the channel.

It is a problem with such a channel mounted shoot bolt mechanism that, if the bolt, when in the locked position, is attacked, it can sometimes be retracted from the frame by bending or otherwise damaging the drive rod. This can to a certain extent be mitigated by strengthening the drive rod, but there is only limited room in the channel for such strengthening.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a shoot bolt mechanism for a door or window leaf comprising a drive rod for extending along a channel provided in a surface of the door or window leaf and a shoot bolt spaced laterally from and extending parallel to the drive rod and connected to the drive rod so that longitudinal motion of the drive rod causes corresponding longitudinal motion of the shoot bolt.

By spacing the shoot bolt laterally from the drive rod, loads applied to the shoot bolt are not transmitted to the drive rod. Accordingly, the drive rod can be comparatively lightweight and be accommodated easily in the channel.

The forcing of the leaf along the edges of the leaf away from the corners has previously been dealt with by providing a locking mechanism with a drive that is associated with the handle and which includes a drive member extending along the edge of the leaf carrying the handle, around a corner at the end of the edge and along the next successive edge. The drive member carries at least two locking members, one along the edge carrying the handle and one along the next successive edge. When the handle is rotated, the drive member slides back and forth along the edges of the leaf and, depending on the sense of rotation of the handle, moves the locking members into or out of engagement with keepers on the frame. When the locking members are engaged with the associated keepers, the leaf is locked to the frame and this provides additional security.

It is a problem with such an arrangement that it is difficult to combine such a locking mechanism with a shoot bolt mechanism. The shoot bolt needs to project from the leaf adjacent the corner, but at the corner, a unit must be provided for transmitting the drive from the locking system around the corner.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a door or window leaf comprising two members meeting at a corner, the members having respective edge surfaces lying generally in respective planes normal to the plane of the leaf, a channel extending along each edge surface with the channel meeting at the corner, and a corner unit for a locking mechanism including an L-shaped support having one limb received in one channel and the other limb received in the other channel, a flexible drive transfer member extending along said one limb, around the angle between the limb and along the other limb, the support holding the flexible drive member spaced outwardly of the channel receiving the first limb.

In this way, the portion of the drive transfer member extending around the angle is spaced away from the corner between the surfaces. This makes it easier to arrange a shoot bolt mechanism to operate through the unit.

The following is a more detailed description of some embodiments of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combined shoot bolt and locking mechanism, Figure 2 is an exploded view of the mechanism of Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a cross-section through members of a leaf and a frame of a window, with the leaf closed into the frame and carrying a mechanism of the kind shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the mechanism comprises a gear box 10 including a casing 11 and a face plate 12. The casing 11 contains a rotatable member 13 having a square section hole 14 for receiving a square section drive rod (not shown) for attachment to a handle (not shown). Thus, rotation of the handle in one sense or the other causes corresponding rotation of the member 13.

An arrangement within the casing 11 converts rotation of the member 13 into rectilinear movement of a transmission bar 15 having an end received within the casing 11 and extending away from the casing 11.

Arrangements for performing such conversion are well known in the art and will not be described in detail. An example is shown in GB-A-2280469.

The transmission bar 15 is formed by an elongate strip of metal with a central ridge (seen in Figure 3) to give the bar extra rigidity. The transmission bar 15 carries, intermediate the gear box 10 and the end of the transmission bar 15 remote from the gear box 10, a locking member 16. The locking member 16 comprises a body 17 provided with lugs 18 that fit into corresponding holes (not shown) in the bar 15. A screw 19 extends through the bar 15 from a side of the bar 15 opposite to the locking member 16 and engages the body 17 to fix the locking member 16 to the transmission bar 15. A widened head 20 is carried at the free end of the body 17 for engagement with a keeper 21 whose construction and mounting will be described below.

A connector 22 is connected to the transmission bar 15 towards the end of the transmission bar 15 remote from the gear box 10 and on the opposite side of the transmission bar 15 to the locking member 16. A screw 23 is used to effect this connection.

The connector 22 includes a tube 24 having a length generally parallel to the length of the transmission bar 15.

The tube 24 receives an end of a rod 25 with the other end of the rod 25 carrying a shoot bolt head 26. The position of the rod 25 relative to the tube 24 can be adjusted to adjust the position of the shoot bolt head 26 relative to the transmission bar 15. When correctly positioned, tightening of the screw 23 bites the screw into the rod 25 to fix the position of the rod 25 relative to the connector 22.

The end of the transmission bar 15 remote from the gear box 10 is connected to a flexible drive transfer member 27 of a corner unit 28. The corner unit 28 comprises inner and outer L-shaped members 29,30 respectively. The inner L-shaped member 29 nests into the outer L-shaped member 30 and between them they define a guideway for the flexible drive transfer member 27. The flexible drive transfer member 27 is formed from a plurality of lengths of spring strip, for example, 5 lengths of spring strip, arranged in a stack with the ends of the strip at one end of the member 27 being interconnected and the ends of the strips at the other end of the member 27 being interconnected. The member 27 is provided with an elongate slot (not shown) extending along the member 27 from a point adjacent one end of the member 27 to a point adjacent the other end of the member 27.The function of the slot will be described below.

The member 27 is connected at the other end to a second transmission bar 32 which extends at right angles to the first mentioned transmission bar 15.

The second transmission bar 32 carries a locking member 16 identical to the locking member described above with reference to the drawings.

The inner and outer L-shaped members 29,30 have respective first limbs 33,34 extending generally parallel to the first mentioned transmission bar 15 and respective second limbs 35,36 extending generally parallel to the second transmission bar 32. The first limb 33 of the inner L-shaped member 29 is provided with a slot (not shown). The drive transfer member 27 is, as suggested above, guided between the limbs 33,34 and an end of the member 27 includes a pin that extends through the slot. The end of the transmission bar 15 remote from the gear box 10 fits on to the undersurface 37 of the first limb 33 of the inner L-shaped member 29 and engages the pin, so connecting the transmission bar 15 to the drive transfer member 27.

This also has the effect of locating this portion of the drive transmission member 27 outwardly of the transmission bar 15. The purpose of this will be described below.

At the junction between the first and second limbs 33,35, the inner L-shaped member 29 is provided with a curved corner portion 38 which is of small radius. This constrains the flexible drive transfer member 27 to conform to a similarly sharp curvature.

The second limb 36 of the outer L-shaped member 30 is provided with five holes spaced at intervals along the limb 36 and extending through the limb 36. Two of the holes 39,40 are provided for the shoot bolt head 26 and, as seen in Figure 1, in the position of the shoot bolt head 26 shown in Figure 1, the shoot bolt head 26 extends through the hole 39 closest to the corner between the limbs 33,34,35,36 of the L-shaped members 29,30. The slot in the drive transfer member 27 ensures that, in such passage, the shoot bolt head 26 does not engage the drive transfer member 27.

The second hole 40 provides an alternative position for the shoot bolt head 26.

The second limb 35 of the inner L-shaped member 29 is provided with five holes (not shown) in register with the holes in the second limb 36 of the outer L-shaped member 30.

The three remaining holes 42 in the second limb 36 of the outer L-shaped member 30 are surrounded by respective annular flanges 43 which extend into associated holes in the second limb 35 of the inner L-shaped member 29. These provide fixing holes utilized in a manner described below.

The end of the drive transfer member 27 between the second limbs 35,36 of the inner and outer L-shaped members 29,30 is connected to an end of a tongue 35 that fits in the groove provided in the second transmission bar 32 and is connected to the second transmission bar 32 by a pin 45 and a screw (not shown). The second transmission bar 32 is on the outer side of the drive transfer member 27.

The mechanism described above with reference to the drawings is used on a generally rectangular door or window leaf which can be opened out of and closed into an associated frame. The frame is formed from connected members, one of which is shown at 46 in Figure 3 and the leaf is formed from interconnected members one of which is shown at 47 in Figure 3.

The frame member 46 is extruded from plastics or metal and includes parallel side surfaces 48 lying in respective planes generally parallel to the end of the frame and inner and outer edge surfaces 49 lying in respective planes generally normal to the plane of the frame.

The leaf member 47 has side surfaces 50 lying in respective planes generally parallel to the plane of the leaf and inner and outer edge surfaces 51 lying in respective planes generally normal to the plane of the leaf. The outer edge surface 51 is provided with a longitudinally extending Ushaped channel 52 with side walls 53 provided with respectively inwardly projecting flanges 54 spaced inwardly from the outer ends of the side walls 53, for a purpose to be described below.

The U-shaped channels 52 extend along the length of the leaf member 47 and along the lengths of the corresponding edge surfaces of the remaining members (not shown) making up the leaf. Thus, there is a continuous channel extending all round the leaf.

The leaf member 47 shown in Figure 3 is the member that carries the handle. It also carries the gear box 10 which is fitted by drilling through the base of the U-shaped channel 52 and inserting the casing 11 until the face plate 12 engages the flanges 54. Screws are then inserted through the face plate 12 to fix the face plate 12, and thus the whole gear box 10, to the leaf member 47.

As seen in Figure 3, when so positioned, the transmission bar 15 is supported on the flanges 54 and plainly the length of the transmission bar 15 is chosen so that the corner unit 28 is at the corner between the leaf member 47 and the next adjacent leaf member. The fitting of this corner unit 28 to the leaf will be described in more detail below.

A keeper 21 is connected to the outer edge surface 49 of the frame member 46. The keeper 21 comprises (see Figures 1 and 2) a body 55 provided with fixing holes 56 through which can pass screws to fix the keeper 21 to the frame member 46. The keeper 21 also includes a U-shaped receiver 57 provided with a peripheral flange 58 behind which the head 20 of the locking member 16 can engage in a manner described below.

A second keeper 21 is also provided on the frame member (not shown) which is adjacent the second transmission bar 32 for cooperation with the second locking member 16.

A corner unit 28 is fitted into the leaf member 47 and the next adjacent leaf member in the following way.

The width of the inner and outer L-shaped members 29,30 are such that they fit between the side walls 53 of the U-shaped channel 52. Thus the first limbs 33,34 of these members 29,30 will fit in the U-shaped channel 52 in the leaf member 47 and the second limbs 35,36 will fit in the corresponding U-shaped channel in the next adjacent leaf member. Screws can be passed through the holes 42 to fix the corner unit 28 to the leaf member.

When in this position, the portion of the drive transfer member 27 guided between the first limbs 33,34 of the members 29,30 is spaced above an imaginary extension of the first mentioned transmission bar 15. This means that this portion of the drive transfer member 27 is also spaced upwardly of the edge surface 51 of the leaf member 47.

There is room to accommodate these parts because of the clearances needed to accommodate the locking member 16 and the keeper 21.

In use, rotation of the handle in one sense operates the ger box 10 such as to draw the transmission bar 15 further into the gear box 10. This motion of the transmission bar 15 moves the locking member 16 away from the associated keeper 21. It also moves the rod 25 and the associated shoot bolt head 26 until the shoot bolt head lies in a retracted position with the end of the shoot bolt head 26 just projecting from the appropriate hole 39.

This motion of the transmission bar 15 is also applied to the drive transfer member 27 which slides and flexes relative to the inner and outer L-shaped members 29,30 and in turn slides the second transmission bar 32 in such a direction as to disengage the locking member 16 associated with that transmission bar 32 from the associated keeper 21. Plainly, relative movement between the drive tranfer member 27 and the shoot bolt head 26 is accommodated by the slot in the drive transfer member 27.

This is the inoperative position of the mechanism in which the leaf can be readily opened outwardly from or closed into the frame.

With the leaf closed into the frame, reverse rotation of the handle causes the gear box 10 to move the transmission bar 15 outwardly of the gear box 10. This results in longitudinal movement of the transmission bar 15 such as to engage the locking member 16 behind the flange 58 of the receiver 57 of the keeper 21, so locking the leaf to the frame.

In addition, this movement moves the rod 25 and the shoot bolt head 26 from the retracted position to an extended position in which the shoot bolt head 26 projects from the leaf at the corner to engage in a keeper (not shown) in the frame. This thus provides a secure fixing between the leaf and the frame at the corner.

The motion of the transmission bar 15 is passed to the second transmission bar 32 by sliding movement of the drive transmission member 27 between the L-shaped members 29,30.

The corresponding movement of the second transmission bar 32 causes the locking member 16 carried by that bar 32 to engage with the associated keeper 21 and provide a second locking engagement between the leaf and the frame.

It will be appreciated that the mechanism described above has a number of advantages.

First, it provides a mechanism that can be mounted in a groove customarily provided on the members forming the leaf of a window or door. There is no need to arrange the mechanism within the frame member. In addition, the mechanism incorporates both corner locking and edge locking in a single mechanism so giving a high degree of security. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the transmission bars 15,32 may each carry more than one locking member 16 with appropriate keepers 21 being provided on the frame. In addition, of course, there could be a further corner unit or units 28 for transmitting the motion of the second transmission bar 32 to a subsequent transmission bar or bars (not shown) extending along other edges of the leaf.

The offsetting of the rod 25 and the shoot bolt head 26 from the transmission bar 15 means that loads applied to those parts on unauthorized opening of the window are not transmitted directly to the transmission bar 15. Accordingly, the mechanism is particularly resistant to forced entry.

Further, since the curved portion of the drive transfer member 27 is arranged above an imaginary extension of the transmission bar 15, the shoot bolt head 26 passes through a generally planar portion of the drive transmission member 27.

This makes the arrangement of these parts much easier.

Further, no special cutting away of the channel 52 is required at the corners in order to accommodate the curved portion of the drive transfer member 27.

The mechanism does not require a particular depth to the Ushaped channel 52 since the mechanism sits above the flanges 54. The mechanism can thus be used with channels 52 of varying depths.

The transmission bars 15,32 do not need to be particularly sturdy. They can thus be made out of relatively thin gauged metal since they carry no particularly significant loads from the shoot bolt head 26.

The laminated structure of the drive transfer member 27 allows it to pass round the corner with a small radius of curvature while retaining sufficient strength to transmit the loads.

It will be appreciated that the gear box 10 may have a further transmission bar projecting from the other side of the gear box and extending to and around the opposite corner of the leaf and including parts corresponding to the parts shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

It will be appreciated that the locking members 16 and the associated keepers 21 may be omitted and the system used merely with the shoot bolt 26. In this case, it may be possible to omit the corner unit. Alternatively, the shoot bolt head 26 could be omitted and the mechanism used simply a as a locking mechanism operating the locking members 16 into and out of the keepers 21.

Claims

1. A shoot bolt mechanism for a door or window leaf comprising a drive rod for extending along a channel provided in a surface of the door or window leaf and a shoot bolt spaced laterally from and extending parallel to the drive rod and connected to the drive rod so that longitudinal motion of the drive rod causes corresponding longitudinal motion of the shoot bolt.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the shoot bolt comprises a rod having a bolt head at one end and being connected to the drive rod at an end thereof opposite said bolt head.

3. A mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the drive rod caries on a side thereof opposite the drive rod, a projection for engagement with and disengagement from an associated keeper on longitudinal motion of the drive rod.

4. A mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and including a corner unit comprising an L-shaped support carrying a flexible drive transfer member extending along one limb of the support, around the angle between the limbs and along the other limb, the drive rod being connected to one end of the flexible drive transfer member and a second drive rod being connected to the other end of the flexible drive transfer member so that longitudinal motion of the firstmentioned drive rod is translated by the flexible drive transfer member into longitudinal motion of the second drive transfer member, the shoot bolt extending generally parallel to one limb of the support and being supported by the other limb of the support.

5. A mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said other limb includes an aperture through which the shoot bolt projects during the longitudinal motion thereof.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said aperture is adjacent the corner between the limbs.

7. A mechanism according to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein the flexible drive transfer member comprises a flexible band, the band including an elongated slot in a portion thereof overlying said other limb of the support, the shoot bolt projecting through said slot.

8. A mechanism according to claim 7 wherein the flexible band is formed from a plurality of thin metal strips overlying one another.

9. A mechanism according to any one of claims 4 to 8 wherein the support defines a guideway for the flexible drive transfer member, the limbs being shaped for receipt in a channel extending around the associated leaf, the guideway in said first limb being spaced outwardly of the channel and the guideway in the second limb being within the associated channel, so that the flexible drive transfer member has a curved portion which extends around the angle between the limbs and is spaced outwardly of an imaginary extension of the portion of the channel rceiving the first limb.

10. A shoot bolt mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A door or window leaf comprising two members meeting at a corner, the member having respective edge surfaces lying generally in respective planes normal to the plane of the leaf, a channel extending along each edge surface with the channels meeting at the corner, and a corner unit for a locking mechanism including an L-shaped support having one limb received in one channel and the other limb received in the other channel, a flexible drive transfer member extending along said one limb, around the angle between the limbs and along the other limb, the support holding the flexible drive transfer member spaced outwardly of the channel receiving the first limb.

12. A leaf according to claim 10 in combination with a mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A door or window leaf substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.