GB2368092A

GB2368092A - An adjustable shoot bolt mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2368092A
Application number: GB0123955A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence James Dolman
Original assignee: Trojan Hardware and Design Ltd
Current assignee: Trojan Hardware and Design Ltd
Priority date: 2000-10-09
Filing date: 2001-10-05
Publication date: 2002-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2021-10-05
Also published as: GB2368092B; GB0123955D0

Abstract

A shoot bolt mechanism comprises bolt-driving means (10) and two bolt-arms (12) which extend in opposite directions from the driving means and are arranged to be driven thereby in opposite directions along their length, each bolt-arm (12) comprising an inner portion comprising a transmission bar (14) which is operatively coupled to the driving member (10), an outer portion preferably of metal comprising a bolt forming member (16), an intermediate portion (18) preferably of plastic which is arranged to adjustably connect the inner portion to the outer portion to form a bolt-arm (12) of required length, and bolt guiding means which is slidably interconnected with the bolt-arms (12) and comprises corner guides (24) through which the bolt forming members (16) become projected in use of the mechanism. The use of an intermediate portion (18) enables the length of the end portion to be minimised which reduces costs as if required only the end portion need be of hardened material. The intermediate portion (18) may be connected to the inner portion by means of a wedge or a self tapping bolt/screw.

Description

SHOOT BOLT MECHANISM

This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to bi directional shoot bolt mechanisms such as are used for securing opening windows and doors in closed positions.

Such mechanisms comprise a bolt-driving mechanism within a housing which is adapted to be accommodated in a recess in an outer face of an edge member of a window or door. Two bolt arms are ordinarily adapted to be accommodated within a shallow channel which extends longitudinally along the outer face of the edge member, outer end portions of the arms being projectable through guides, secured to corners of the window or door, for engagement with keeps on an adjacent window or door frame in which is herein referred to as a closed condition of the mechanism. In an open condition of the mechanism the bolt ends are drawn back from the keeps, through the corner guides, to permit the window or door to be opened.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements to the design of shoot bolt mechanisms which enable more convenient installation.

In our earlier British patent application GB 9724965.0 there is disclosed a shoot bolt mechanism of the kind in which the bolt arm is provided in two portions. An inner portion defines a transmission bar which at an inner end is coupled to a drive member. An outer end of the transmission bar is coupled to a bolt forming member which projects through the corner guide. To provide the required strength the bolt forming member is made from hard material, such as stainless steel. The connection between the inner portion and the outer portion comprises a bolt or the like which extends through an opening in the outer end of the transmission bar to

engage a threaded opening in the bolt-forming member whereby the two portions are prevented from relative movement. By providing a choice of position for security the threaded bolt to the bolt member, by way of providing a series of longitudinally spaced openings in the member the overall length of the bolt arm can be adjusted to accommodate different sized windows or doors. However, due to the hardness of the bolt member it is costly to produce with these tapped openings and also time consuming to manufacture.

According to the present invention there is provided a shoot bolt mechanism comprising bolt-driving means and two bolt-arms which extend in opposite directions from the driving means and are arranged to be driven thereby in opposite directions along their lengths, each bolt arm comprising an inner portion comprising a transmission bar which is operatively coupled to the driving member, an outer portion comprising a bolt forming member, an intermediate portion which is arranged to adjustably connect the inner portion to the outer portion to form a bolt arm of required length, and bolt guiding means which is slidably interconnected with the bolt arms and comprises corner guides through which the bolt forming members become projected in use of the mechanism.

The intermediate portion may be connected to the outer portion at one end by a bolt or the like which passes through aligned openings in both the intermediate portion and the outer portion. Conveniently, the two portions may be secured by one or more rivets. The intermediate portion may be made of plastics material. The outer portion may be made of metal or metal alloy for strength.

By providing an intermediate portion the length of the end portion can be minimised, which reduces costs. Conveniently the outer portion may then be produced from metal bar rolled from a coil and may optionally have a length substantially equal to the length of the corner guide plus the amount by which the outer portion is to protrude from the guide when the window or door is locked and so the mechanism is in the closed condition.

The inner portion may be secured to the intermediate portion by an adjustable bolt securing means whereby the length of the bolt arm can be adjusted, for example on installation. Of course, adjustment could be provided at the connection between the intermediate portion and the outer portion if required.

The bolt securing means may comprise a toothed fastener which is adapted to be moveable between a first position in which the inner portion can move relative to the intermediate portion and a second position in which the teeth bite into the intermediate portion to prevent relative movement between the intermediate portion and the inner portion. The toothed fastener may be substantially fixed relative to the inner portion in both the first position and the second position. By teeth we may mean ridges or serations or other forms which act to bite into the intermediate portion. Of course, in an alternative bolt securing means may be fixed relative to the intermediate portion with the inner portion being movable relative to the bolt fastening means when it is in the first position.

The intermediate portion may comprise a channel forming member which may conveniently comprise an upper channel and a lower channel, the lower channel being formed into the base of the upper channel whereby a portion of the base of the upper channel defines overhanging edge portions of the lower channel. The member may have a uniform cross

section along its length allowing it to be cut as a section from a continuous one-piece extrusion. The inner portion may be at least partially received within the upper channel. The outer portion may also be received at least partially within the upper and/or lower channels.

Each of the walls of the upper channel may have an inwardly extending overhanging portion and the inner member may be slidingly received within this upper channel.

The fastening means may comprise a first toothed portion which extends through an opening in the inner portion into the lower channel, and a second portion which biases the toothed portion in the lower channel upwards into engagement with the underside of the overhanging portion of the lower channel to prevent relative movement between the inner portion and the channel when the toothed fastener is in its second position.

The portion in the lower channel may include upwardly facing teeth that lie below the overhanging portions of the lower channel and which can bite into the overhanging portion of the lower channel. The teeth may deform a portion of the lower channel into one or more of the openings provided in the inner portion.

The second portion of the fastening means may comprise a wedge which can be forced between the first portion of the toothed fastener and the inner portion of the bolt arm to bring the teeth into engagement with the channel.

In an alternative, the first tooth portion may be provided with a threaded opening and the second portion of the fastening means may include a bolt which passes through the opening in the inner portion to engage the threaded opening whereby in use, tightening of the bolt draws the teeth of

the first tooth portion up to the underside of the overhanging portions of the lower channel such that the overhanging portions are forced up towards a head of the bolt. The thread of the bolt may therefore be complimentary to the thread of the opening.

A hole, or possibly more than one hole, may be pre-drilled into the base of the channel and the bolt tightened to pass through the opening in the first portion and into threaded engagement with the hole in the channel.

This prevents movement of the first portion relative to the channel.

Relative movement between the inner portion and intermediate portion is then achieved by tightening the bolt to trap the portions between the bolt head and the first toothed portion.

Preferably the bolt passes through an opening in the inner portion which is only slightly larger than, or the same size as, the threaded diameter of the bolt and smaller than the head of the bolt. The underside of the bolt head may be serrated to help it bite into the inner portion as the bolt is tightened.

By providing a fastener which bites into the channel the range of adjustment can be infinite compared to the prior art in which discrete openings are provided for receiving a fastening bolt. Very fine adjustment of length can therefore be easily achieved.

The opening of the inner portion through which the first portion of the toothed fastener passes may comprise two substantially parallel elongate longitudinally extending slots with one or more transverse openings being provided along side of each of the slots. Each transverse opening may correspond to a tooth of the fastener with the teeth deforming part of the intermediate member into each opening.

The first portion of the fastening means may include two depending legs which fit into the transverse openings and extend down into the lower channel. The teeth are provided on the end of each leg. A central bridge may be provided which interconnects the two legs. The second portion of the fastener may be driven under the bridge between the two legs.

Conveniently, each leg may carry three teeth.

The inner portion may be provided with two rows of openings, each opening corresponding to a tooth of the fasteners whereby the teeth can deform the intermediate portion into the openings.

There will now be described, by way of example only two embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a shoot bolt assembly in accordance with the invention in a retracted position; Figure 2 is a side view of the shoot bolt assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the toothed fastener used to prevent relative movement between the inner portion and intermediate portion of the assembly; Figure 4 (a) is a side view and (b) is an end view of the fastener in its first position to permit adjustment of the assembly; Figure 5 (a) is a side view and (b) is an end view of the fastener in its second position with the assembly fixed in length;

Figure 6 is an enlarged top view of portion of an alternative shoot bolt assembly in which the bolt fastening means has a different constructions ; Figure 7 (a) is a side view and (b) is an end view of the fastening means of Figure 6 in its first position to permit adjustment of the assembly; Figure 8 (a) is a side view and (b) is an end view of the fastening assembly of the second embodiment in its second position with the assembly fixed in length.

In a first embodiment, a shoot bolt mechanism for fitment to a window comprises a handle-operated bolt driving mechanism contained within a housing 10. Two bolt arms 12 extend in opposite directions from the housing, being arranged to be driven in opposite directions along their lengths by operation of the driving mechanism. In use, the driving mechanism (in its housing 10) is accommodated within a recess in an outer face of an edge member of a window sash, the transmission bars lying within channels which extend along the outer face in opposite directions from the recess. The two bolt arms are identical and only one of them will be described in detail.

The bolt arm comprises an inner end portion 14 comprising a transmission bar of flat form. An inner end of the transmission bar 14 is coupled to the driving mechanism within the housing 10. The bolt arm comprises also an outer end portion comprising a bolt forming member 16, also in the form of a flat bar. Finally, the bolt arm comprises an intermediate member 18 which comprises an elongate channel shaped extrusion. The extrusion connects together the inner portion and the outer portion.

The outer end portion 16 is provided with an opening 19 in one end and is slotted into the channel of the intermediate portion 18. A rivet 20 passes through the opening 19 in the end portion and a complementary opening in the intermediate portion 18 to prevent relative movement.

The outer end portion of the bolt arm is arranged to slide through a slot 22 in a member forming a corner guide 24. The corner guide 24 is shaped to embrace a corner of the window sash, the guide 24 comprising a portion forming a mounting bar 28 which is arranged to be secured to the sash. The corner guide also comprises a head-forming portion 26 which extends at right angles to the mounting bar 28, the slot being formed at the junction between the mounting bar and the head.

The intermediate portion 18 is arranged to slide longitudinally within a channel formed in the face of the outer edge of the sash edge member. In use, the whole bolt arm comprising the inner, intermediate and outer portions, can slide relative to the channel.

The intermediate portion 18 defines a channel member which accommodates the inner member 14 within an upper channel below inturned overhanging edge portions 30,32 which form retaining flanges preventing lifting of the inner member from the intermediate portion. The base of the upper channel is provided with a lower channel or gutter 34 that runs the length of the member and which is also provided with inturned overhanging edge portions 36,38. These lower in-turned edge portions lie below the inner member 14. This can be seen clearly in figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

To fix the inner member 14 to the channel in adjusted position a two-part toothed fastener 40 is provided. The fastener 40 clamps together the inturned walls of the lower channel and the inner member. Two

transversely spaced elongate slots are provided in the end of the inner portion of the bolt arm through each of which a first part 42 of a respective leg of the toothed fastener depends to a position below the inturned edges of the lower channel. The legs are connected by a bridge 43 that lies above the portion of the inner member between the slots. Three out-turned teeth 41 are provided on the ends of each of the leg that lie underneath the in-turned edges of the lower channel in the channel member. A wedge member 44 is also provided which when driven under the bridge 43 pulls the teeth 41 upward into biting engagement with the underside of the in-turned edges. Simultaneously, a portion of the inturned edge is pushed into one of three openings 48 provided in the inner portion 14 to fix together the inner portion 14 of the bolt arm and the channel. A retaining lip 50 on the wedge 44 co-operating with a corresponding lip on the bridge holds the parts securely together.

In use, when the bolt arm is offered up to the window the transmission member can be slid relative to the intermediate member to provide the desired bolt arm length. Then the wedge 44 can be driven under the bridge 43 to fix the bolt arm at that length for subsequent use. To assist in alignment, indicia 60 can be provided on the end of the outer portion to show how far the bolt arm projects from the corner guide, i. e. a scale marked in millimetre intervals as shown in the drawings.

A second embodiment of a shoot bolt assembly is shown in part view in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that all parts of the assembly not shown in Figure 6 are identical to their equivalent parts in the first embodiment.

In this arrangement, the fastening means that prevents relative movement between the inner member 14 and the intermediate portion 18 has been modified. It comprises a self-tapping bolt or screw 50 having a head 51

which rests upon an upper face of the intermediate member whilst a threaded shank 52 of the bolt 50 passes through an opening 53 in the inner member 14 into the channel 18. The diameter of the opening 53 is substantially the same size as the diameter of the shank 52 yet sufficiently small to prevent the head 51 of the bolt 50 pulling through into the channel.

Inside the channel 18 sits a toothed fastener 60. This has two sets of upwardly directed teeth 61,62 which sit below the inturned walls of the channel 18. In the centre of the fastener 60 between the teeth is a threaded opening into which the shank of the bolt 50 is threadedly engaged. Normally, the bolt is engaged in the hole such that the teeth on the adjuster are clear of the inturned walls of the channel as shown in Figure 7 (a) and 7 (b) of the accompanying drawings. The length of the arm can therefore be adjusted by sliding the inner member 14 relative to the channel.

To secure the arm at a desired length, the inner portion 14 is slid into position on the channel 18. The bolt 50 is removed and a pilot hole 63 is drilled into the base of the channel. This allows almost infinite choice in the arm length. Alternatively, the bolt may be aligned with one of a set of spaced apart pre-drilled holes in the base of the channel.

The bolt 50 is then rotated so as to pass through the toothed fastener to engage the pilot hole 63 in the base of the channel. Upon further tightening the bolt 50 draws the toothed fastener 60 upwards and into engagement with the underside of the inturn walls of the channel. The inturned walls of the channel and the intermediate portion are thereby trapped between the underside of the bolt head and the teeth of the fastener.

Claims

1. A shoot bolt mechanism comprising bolt-driving means and two bolt arms which extend in opposite directions from the driving means and are arranged to be driven thereby in opposite directions along their length, each bolt arm comprising an inner portion comprising a transmission bar which is operatively coupled to the driving member, an outer portion comprising a bolt forming member, an intermediate portion which is arranged to adjustably connect the inner portion to the outer portion to form a bolt arm of required length, and bolt guiding means which is slidably interconnected with the bolt arms and comprises corner guides through which the bolt-forming members become projected inside of the mechanism.

2. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 1 in which the intermediate portion is connected to the outer portion at one end by means of one or more rivets.

3. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the intermediate portion is made of plastic material.

4. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any previous claim in which the outer portion is made of metal or metal alloy.

5. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any previous claim in which the outer portion has a length substantially equal to the length of the corner guide plus the amount by which the outer portion is to protrude from the guide when mechanism is in the closed condition.

6. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any previous claim in which the inner portion is secured to the intermediate portion by an adjustable bolt securing means whereby the length of the bolt arm can be adjusted.

7. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any of Claims 1 to 5 in which the outer portion is secured to the intermediate portion by an adjustable bolt securing means whereby the length of the bolt arm can be adjusted.

8. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 6 in which the bolt securing means comprises a toothed fastener which is adapted to be moveable between a first position in which the inner portion can move relative to the intermediate portion and a second position in which the teeth bite into the intermediate portion to prevent relative motion between the intermediate portion and the inner portion.

9. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 8 in which the toothed fastener is fixed relative to the inner portion in both first and second positions.

10. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 8 in which the toothed fastener is fixed relative to the intermediate portion in both first and second positions.

11. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any previous claim in which the intermediate portion comprises a channel forming member comprising upper and lower channels, the lower channel being formed in the base of the upper channel such that portions of the base of the upper channel form edges overhanging the lower channel.

12. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 11 in which the channel forming member has a substantially uniform cross section.

13. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 11 or 12 in which the inner portion is at least partially received within the upper channel and the outer portion is at least partially received within the upper and lower channels.

14. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 11,12 or 13 in which the walls of the upper channel have an inwardly extending overhanging portion.

15. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any of Claims 11 to 14 when they are also dependent on claim 8, in which the toothed fastening means comprises a first toothed portion which extends through an opening in the inner portion into the lower channel and a second portion which biases the toothed portion in the lower channel upwards into engagement with the underside of the overhanging portion of the lower channel when the toothed fastener is in its second position.

16. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 15 in which the first portion of the toothed fastener includes upwardly facing teeth which lie below the overhanging portion of the lower channel such that when the toothed fastener is in its second position, the teeth deform a portion of the lower channel into one or more openings provided in the inner portion.

17. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 15 or 16 in which the second portion of the toothed fastener comprises a wedge which can be forced between the first portion of the toothed fastener and the inner portion of the bolt arm in order to bring the toothed portion into engagement with the channel.

18. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any of Claims 11 to 14 when dependent also on claim 8, in which the toothed fastening means

comprises a first toothed portion, provided with a threaded opening, and a second portion which comprises a bolt such that, in use, tightening of the bolt draws the teeth of the first toothed portion up into the underside of the overhanging portions of the lower channel, forcing the overhanging portions towards a head of the bolt.

19. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 18 in which one or more holes are drilled into the base of the channel such that, in use the bolt is tightened into a hole to prevent movement of the first portion relative to the channel.

20. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any of Claims 8 to 10 or 15 to 19 in which the first portion of the toothed fastener passes through the inner member through two substantially parallel elongate longitudinally extending slots with one or more transverse openings alongside the slots where each transverse opening corresponds to a tooth of the toothed fastener.

21. A shoot bolt mechanism according to Claim 20 in which the first portion of the toothed fastener includes two depending legs, each of which fit into a transverse opening, extending into the lower channel, teeth being provided on the edge of each leg and a central bridge interconnecting the two legs, where the second portion is to be driven under the bridge.

22. A shoot bolt mechanism according to any one Claims 8 to 10 or 15 to 19 in which the inner portion is provided with two rows of openings, each opening corresponding to a tooth of the toothed fastener whereby the teeth can deform the intermediate portion into the openings.

23. A shoot bolt mechanism substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.