AU617907B2

AU617907B2 - Window frame

Info

Publication number: AU617907B2
Application number: AU46738/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Joseph Sedlbauer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-05-12
Filing date: 1989-12-13
Publication date: 1991-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-13
Also published as: AU4673889A

Description

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04 617907 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents A;t 1952 Name of Applicant(s): Address of Applicant(s): Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: JOSEPH SEDLBAUER LOT ANDREW CAMPBELL ROAD NARANGBA QLD 4503 JOSEPH SEDLBAUER G.R. CULLEN COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 79 Eagle Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: WINDOW FRAME The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 THIS INVENTION relates to window openings in buildings and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with window openings in brick and block walls.

When window openings are provided in brick and block walls during the construction phase, it is necessary to include a lintel to support the blocks or bricks above the openi.ng and/or to provide strength for other loads over the opening. Such lintels are normally flat plate metal which are supported by the brick or block wall on both sides of the opening. Because these lintels are ,often required to support substantial weights, they must be relatively thick. In addition, since they are usually fabricated from iron or steel plate, they must be appropriately treated by galvanizing or the like to prevent deterioration. This all leads to a 'rF relatively expensive item. A further disadvantage is found in the fact that such lintels require a considerable amount of effort to accurately locate and set in position.

Another disadvantage associated with providing window openings in brick and block walls is that the bricks and blocks which edge the opening must be very accurately placed or else the window will not fii properly. Furthermore, even accurate placement of the edging bricks and blocks may i not always solve the problem of p,,'rviding a good water-proof edge with the window, and edge sealants or window trim are generally required.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a surround for a window opening in a brick or block wall, which obviates the noed for a lintel and which overcomes 3 the disadvantages of lintels mentioned above.

Another object of the invention is to provide a surround which does not call for any great precision in the alignment of the edge bricks or blocks, and which obviates the need for edge sealants or weather trim.

According to the present invention, there is provided a rolled shee' metal window section which comprises, in cross-section, a right-angled Z profile, one terminal edge of which has a re-entrant flange at rightangles thereto and the other terminal edge of which has, in S, r profile, an integral open-box flange structure with three I 1* S sides, wherein the side of said open box flange adjoining the said terminal edge extends in a plane substantially parallel to the web of the Z profile away from said web, the side ~i adjacent to said adjoining side extends inwardly in a plane ii substantially parallel to the top and bottom of the 2 profile, S and the third side of said open box flange structure is reentrant with respect to said Z profile and substantially parallel with said re-entrant flange on the opposite terminal S2O edge of Z profile.

The Z-profile has been found to provide 'the necessary strength characteristics to support substantial loads and to therefor eliminate the need for thick lintels.

The surround provides a more dependable and accurate window cavity for receipt of a prefabricated window. The surround is simple to insert by standard building techniques and can be adapted to firmly retain a prefabricated window by means of a suitable press-fit catch or like means. Such a

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p 'M i press-fit catch can take the form of a tongue clip which is preferably a partially cut-away pressing located in the Z profile portion of the surround. A plurality of such tongue clips will generally be included around the inner surface of the surround.

Because the surround can be formed from a continuous length of rolled metal which is cut into sections and buttjointed, it is relatively inexpensive to produce. Preferably it ic fabricated from galvanized iron or zinc alume of appropriate gauge depending on the size and location of the opening in the building.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- 4*al Fig. 1 is a partial end-on perspective view of a Zprofile window surround element according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the element of Fig. 1 fitted to a timber clad wall; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the element of Fig. 1 fitted to a cavity brick veneer wall; and Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view from behind showing an attachment means in a surround of the type depicted in Fig. 2; In all the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring to all the drawings, there is depicted a portion of a window surround which is particularly adapted for M uA *V T^ use with steel framed buildings. The surround comprises a right-angled Z profile portion 1 having a web 10 and terminal ends 11, 12. Flanges 13, 14 are formed on the terminal ends of the Z profile portion. Flange 14 is adapted to abut against the exterior cladding 15, 16 (see Figs 2 and 3) of the adjacent wall structure to ensure a good weather seal therewith. In Fig. 2, the exterior cladding is a weatherboard and in Fig. 3 the cladding is brick. Flange 13 provides a seal with the interior lining 17 and in addition provides a region of reinforcement for the terminal end 12 of the Z profile section against which the window frame 18 seats (see 1 a a p Fige 4) 00.

a °o Tongue clips 19 are pressed from the web 10 at continuous lengths which are cut and joined to form spaced locations on the window surround. Such clips are wT" temporarily deformed when the window frame is inserted past them, but thetrade immediately spring back to their Innon-stressed position as depicted in Fig. 4, when the tho depressing edgesurround of the window frame 18 has passed by. The clips then prevent removal of the window frae nd from the Q: surround.

The section is roll formed from galvanized iron into continuous lengths which are cut and joined to form rect,.ngular window surrounds. The joints may be riveted, welded or fixed together by any other standard technique known in the trade to produce strong rigid corners.

In use in the construction of brick and block walls, the window surround of the present invention need only be rested upon a brick or block course and built around so as to 7 I i i i produce a reliably sealed system into which a prefabricated window can be readily inserted without the common problems arising out of misalignment.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth in the following claims.

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Claims

2. A rolled sheet metal window surround section as claimed in claim 1 and which includes at least one tongue clip for retaining a window frame within the window surround.
3. A rolled sheet metal window surround section as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tongue clip comprises a partially cut-away pressing located in the web of the Z i profile portion of the surroui.
4. A prefabricated window surround comprising a plurality of sections as defined in any one of the preceding claims. A rolled sheet metal window surround section T- C 8 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 22nd day of August 1991 JOSEPH SEDLBAUER By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. t 2 22 22 i i I j I a A/L