CA2079682C

CA2079682C - Fitting with a worm drive for moving a hinged window or door leaf

Info

Publication number: CA2079682C
Application number: CA002079682A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Roland Feith
Original assignee: Ferco International Usine de Ferrures de Batiment
Current assignee: Ferco International Usine de Ferrures de Batiment
Priority date: 1991-02-04
Filing date: 1992-01-30
Publication date: 2000-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 2012-01-30
Also published as: CA2079682A1; EP0527974A1; WO1992014019A1; DE9101258U1

Abstract

A fitting for operating a pivotable window leaf is provided with a worm drive (19, 9), adapted to be operated by means of a crank, in a drive casing (1) for pivoting a lever arm (11) connected directly or indirectly to the leaf. For the purpose of use at choice for windows mounted on the right-hand side or on the left-hand side, the lever arm (11) can be inserted into the opened drive casing in two positions at an angle of 180° to one another and coupled to the wheel (9) of the worm drive. The free end of the lever arm (11) is preferably connected by means of a connecting link (65) to the leaf (41), the latter being mounted on the frame by two pairs of mounting links (51, 53) of unequal lengths for pivoting about a virtual pivoting axis.

Description

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~~~J~ e1 Title: Metal fitting having a worm drive for moving a pivotally mounted window or door leaf.
Descri~pt ion The invention relates to a metal fitting for mov- ing a pivotally mounted leaf of a window or door, com-prising a drive casing which is adapted to be mounted on the fixed frame of the window or door and in which a worm drive, comprising a worm rotatable by means of a crank and a worm wheel meshing with said worm, and also a lever arm rigidly connected to said worm wheel are mounted, said lever arm extending out of the drive casing in the direction of the leaf and being directly or indirectly drivingly coupled to the leaf.
Fittings of this kind are known from United States Patent Specifications 2 635 485 and 2 732 726. Such fittings are used in particular for opening and closing window leaves mounted for pivoting about a vertical axis. In these arrangements the drive casing is mounted on the bottom horizontal member of the fixed frame, near the pivoting axis of the leaf. In order to be able to op-erate the worm drive conveniently by means of a crank, the worm is mounted in the casing with its axis inclined relative to the main plane of the casing. The axis of rotation of the crank coupled nondetachably or detachably to the worm then extends obliquely upwards into the room, so that the fitting can be conveniently operated.
A disadvantage of these known fittings consists in that they cannot be used at choice for windows mounted on the right-hand or on the left-hand side. The drive must be manufactured in two different models for either windows hinged on the right-hand side or those hinged on the left-hand side. In addition, it is a disadvantage that the free end of the lever arm must be joined to the leaf by means of a slide guide, which results in an unfavorable ratio between the opening and closing forces transmissible to the leaf and the operating stiffness of the fitting.
From United States Patent Specification 2 795 413 another fitting of this kind is known, which can be used at choice for windows hinged on the right-hand or left-hand side by turning the entire fitting 180° in relation to an axis at right angles to the frame. This can be done without structural modification of the fitting, but only if the axis of the worm also extends at right angles to the plane of the frame. A crank coaxially coupled to the worm would however then have to be turned in a plane ex-tending parallel to the plane of the frame, although turn-ing it in that way is often prevented by an inwardly pro-jecting window ledge or the Like. It is therefore usually desirable to be able to turn the crank in~a plane extend-ing at an oblique angle to the plane of the window frame.
For this purpose the known fitting is provided with a crankpin which extends at an angle to the axis of the worm and which is coupled to the worm by means of a bevel gear pair. For the conversion of the fitting from right-hand to left-hand mounting of the window it is necessary to detach a casing part in which said crankpin and one of the bevel gears are mounted and to reconnect it to the casing after turning it 180°. This entails an expensive design and complicated conversion work.
Another fitting of the kind referred to, which can be converted from right-hand to left-hand mounting, is know from United States Patent Specification 1 090 259. For conversion from right-hand to left-hand mounting with this fitting, both the lever arm and the sector-shaped worm wheel and the worm must be detached and each of these parts must be refitted after being turned 180°. The conversion procedure is therefore very complicated. In addition, this known fitting cannot be made with a crank axis extending obliquely to the plane of the frame.
The problem underlying the invention is that of so designing a fitting of the type indicated that it can be converted in a very simple manner for use at choice for window or door leaves hinged on the right-hand or left-hand side.
According to the present invention, there is provided, as a solution to this problem, a fitting for moving a pivotally mounted leaf of a window or door, comprising a drive casing (3) which is adapted to be mounted on a fixed frame of the window or door and in which a wore drive comprising a worm (19) rotatable by means of a crank and a worm wheel (9) meshing with said worm, and also a lever arm (11) detachably connected to said worm wheel to rotate therewith are mounted, said lever arm extending out of the drive casing (3) in the direction of the leaf and being directly or indirectly drivingly coupled to said leaf, wherein without changing positions in which the worm 3a wheel (9) and the worm (19) are installed said lever arm (11) is insertable into the drive casing (3) to be coupled to the worm wheel (9) in two alternative positions which are inverted by 180° with respect to each other.
The following embodiments to other advantageous developments of the invention.
Preferably the two alternative positions of the lever arm (11) are angularly symmetrical relative to a plane of symmetry (E) extending at right angles to a plane of the frame and through a pivoting center (M) of the worm wheel (9) .
Preferably the lever arm (11) is pivotable over an angular range bounded but stops and wherein a portion (lla) of the lever arm (11), which portion extends radially relative to the pivoting center (M), lies, in two end positions of a pivoting range, symmetrically to the plane of symmetry (E) extending through the pivoting center (M) and at right angles to the frame.
Preferably the portion (lla) of the lever arm extending radially relative to the pivoting center (M) is followed by a portion (llc) bent over relative thereto at an angle of about 45°.
Preferably the lever arm (11) extends through a cutout (31) in a plate (29) adapted to be fastened to a rabbet surface of the frame (40), the cut-out (31) having ends forming end stops bounding a pivoting range of the lever arm ( 11 ) .
Preferably the plate (29) is centered on the drive casing (3) by at least one centering pin (33) and is adjustable to different distances form the drive casing (3) .

3b As a further development of the invention the transmission of the opening and closing forces to the leaf is also to be improved. According to the invention this is achieved by the following embodiments Preferably the worm wheel (9) has a diameter that is larger than depth of the drive casing (3) at right angles to a plane of the frame.
Preferably the lever arm (11) has a free end connected to the leaf (41) by means of a connecting link (65) which is connected by pivot joints (63, 47) to the lever arm (11) and the leaf.
Preferably the leaf (41) is mounted on the frame (40), by means of two mounting links (51, 53) of unequal lengths, for pivoting about a virtual pivoting axis and wherein the connecting link (65) is articulated on the leaf (41) at a pivot point (47) which in relation to the pivot point (57, 61) of the two mounting links (51,53) on the leaf is offset in the direction of the fixed frame(40).
One embodiment of the invention will be explained mor fully with the aid of the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view in perspective of the components of the fitting;
Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the fitting mounted on the window, with the window leaf in the open position;
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2, with the leaf in the closed position;
Figure 4 is a schematic view of the fitting illus-trating the two possible positions for the mounting of the lever.
According to Figure 1, the drive casing comprises a casing box 3 in the form of a casting and a cover S
fastenable to the casing box by screws (not shown).
A seat 6 is formed both in the casing box 3 and in the cover 5 for a mounting pin 7, on which a worm wheel 9 and a lever arm 11 coaxial to the latter are rotatably mounted. By means of projections 13 embossed on the wheel 9 and engaging in corresponding openings 15 in the lever arm .11, the latter is coupled to said wheel 9 for rotation therewith. The lever arm 11 is an integral component con-sisting of a disk 11a which is coaxial to the wheel 9, an arm portion 11b projecting radially from said disk, and an end portion 11c which is bent over at an an angle of pre-ferably 45° to said arm portion and in whose free end a bearing hole 17 is provided.
In the casing box 3 a worm 19 is also mounted for rotation in a bearing 21 and meshes with and drives the worm wheel 9. The worm 19 has a shaft journal 23 which projects out of the casing and is suitably shaped, for ex-!, ample as a hexagon, for coupling to a crank (not shown) adapted to be fitted on the shaft journal 23. The axis of the worm 19 and of the shaft journal 23 extends at an angle, for example 30°, to the main plane of the dive casing (that is to say to the plane of the drawing in Fig-ure 1).
The casing box 3 is provided in the longitudinal direction with two extensions 25 in which holes 27 are formed to receive screws by which the drive casing can be fastened to the face, on the room side, of the bottom member of the fixed window frame.
The fitting also includes an angle plate 29, which is inserted into the rabbet of the fixed frame and, in the case of the arrangement of the screw holes shown in Figure 1, is for example screwed fast to the rabbet sur-face at right angles to the plane of the frame. In the leg of the plate 29 which lies against the rabbet surface parallel to the frame a slot 31 is formed for the passage of the lever 11. The Length of the slot 31 is so adjusted that the lever 11 can be pivoted over the required angular range, that is to say the pivoting range of the lever 11 is limited, not by the casing box 3, but by the slot 31 in the angle plate 29. The angle plate 29 is centered on the casing box 3 by means of two centering pins 33, which are slidably guided in corresponding holes 35 in the casing box 3, so that the angle plate 29 can be adjusted at any desired distance from the casing box in accordance with _, the dimensions of the frame profile in question.
Figure 2 shows the fitting mounted on a window. 40 40 designates the fixed frame and 41, the window leaf. The drive casing 1 is mounted on the bottom horizontal member of the fixed frame 40, on the visible surface pointing towards the interior of the room, and is screwed in place at the points 43. The angle plate 29 is fastened in the rabbet 46 of the frame profile. In the profile of the fixed frame 40 a suitable recess 45 is formed for the passage of the centering pins 33 of the angle plate 29 and for the lever 11. Figure 1 shows that the diameter of the worm wheel 9 and also that of the mounting disk 11a of the lever 11 are greater than the depth of the drive casing 1, so that the wheel 9 and the mounting disk 11 extend into the recess 45. The lever 11 can thus have a large pivoting angle range in relation to the drive casing 1, and this pivoting angle range is limited only by the length of the slot 31 in the angle plate 29.
. The leaf 41 is mounted on the top and. bottom mem-bers of the fixed frame by means of respective pairs of links of unequal length, only the links 51, 53 of the bottom mounting being shown in Figure 2. The longer link 51 is mounted on the fixed frame in a pivot bearing 55 and on the leaf frame in a pivot bearing 57. The shorter link 53 is mounted on the fixed frame in a pivot bearing 59 and on the leaf in a pivot bearing 61. The pivot bearings 55, 59 of the fixed frame anc! the pivot bearings 57, 61 of the leaf are in each case preferably situated in a common plane parallel to the plane of the frame and that of the leaf respectively. The length of the links 51, 53 and the distances between the pivot bearings 55, 59 and 57, 61 are so determined that the links 51, 53, as a four-bar linkage, control a:rypivoti~ng movement of the leaf 41 about a virtual vertical axis of rotation.
At the free end of the Lever 11 a connecting link 65 is mounted in a pivot bearing 63, the other end of said link being connected to the leaf 41 in a pivot bearing 47.
In relation to the pivot bearings 57, 61 of the mounting links 51, 53 the pivot bearing 47 is offset both in the direction of the plane of the leaf and at right angles thereto, that is to say it is situated nearer the bottom edge of the leaf 41 than the pivot bearings 61, 57 and it is offset from the common plane of the pivot bearings 57, b1 in the direction of the inside of the leaf.
For the operation of the drive 1 by means of the crank <not shown) fitted on the shaft journal 23, the lever 11 is turned so that the pivot bearing b3 moves on the circular arc 69. When the leaf is closed the fitting is in the position shown in Figure 3, in which the mount-ing links 51, 53 lie rectilinearly one over the other.
The lever 11 has been pivoted into its lowermost position, that is to say to one end point of its pivoting range. As can be seen in Figure 3, the distance Ll between the pivoting center M of the lever 11 and the pivot bearing 57, in which the connecting link 65 acts on the leaf 41, is shorter than the sum of the length LZ between the pivot-ing center M and the pivot bearing b3 at the end of the lever 11 and the length of the connecting link 65 between its pivot bearings 63 and 47. This means that in the closed position the articulated link arrangement formed by the lever 11 and the connecting link 65 has not yet reached its completely extended position in relation to the pivoting center M, so that in this position also the torque exerted by means of the worm drive relative to the pivoting center M is still producing a shearing force of the link 65 in the downward direction (in Figure 3). This means that in the closed position of the window leaf 41 the closing force exerted by means of the drive and of the lever 11 has not yet declined to zero.
In the closed position a closing plate 71 disposed on the leaf can engage behind a locking pin 73 on the fixed frame.
When the worm drive 9, 19 in the drive casing 1 is operated in the opening direction, the lever 11 is turned in the clockwise direction (in Figure 3>. It thus exerts a tractive force on the connecting link 65, thus producing a torque on the Leaf 41 because of the lateral offset be-tween the pivot bearing 47 and the pivot bearings 57, 61 of the mounting links 51, 53, so that said leaf begins to pivot. If the opening movement is continued, the parts finally reach the position shown in Figure 2, in which the leaf 41 is completely open and is situated approxi-mately at right angles to the plane of the fixed frame 40.

The leaf 41 can of course also be adjusted to any intermediate position, and is automatically secured in any intermediate position because of the self-Locking action of the worm drive.
In order to convert the drive casing 1.from right-hand to left-hand mounting, which can be done either in the factory during manufacture or subsequently at the in-stallation site, the cover 5 is unscrewed from the casing box 3, the lever is removed from the wheel 9 and replaced on the wheel 9 after being turned lgp° , so that its pro-jections 13 engage in the reverse positions in the cutouts 15. The cover 5 is then screwed on again.
Figure 4 illustrates how the lever 11 can in this way be installed in two different positions 11 and 11' in the drive casing 1, the two positions 11 and 11' being angularly symmetrical to the plane E extending through the pivoting center M of the lever 11 and of the wheel 9 and at right angles to the plane of the frame.
This modification of the position in which the Lever arm is installaed is the only operation necessary for conversion from right-hand to left-hand mounting or vice versa. The wheel 9 and the worm 19 can remain in po-sition, and the orientation of the entire casing 1 is also not changed on conversion from right-hand to left-hand mounting. The shaft journal 23 is thus directed obliquely upwards for both right-hand and left-hand installation of the fitting. Merely by turning the angle lever 11, for example from the position 11 to the position 11' in Figure 2~?! ~ ~3 4, the effect is achieved that the starting position of "
the angle lever 11 is transposed in relation to the angular path bounded by the slot 31. In the position 11 shown in Figure 4 the angular path from the top end of the slot in the angle plate 29 to the bottom end of the slot is avail-able for the lever arm 11' for the closing of the window leaf, while i the position 11' the reverse angular path has to be travelled.

Claims

1. A fitting for moving a pivotally mounted leaf of a window or door, comprising a drive casing (3) which his adapted to be mounted on a fixed frame of the window or door and in which a worm drive, comprising a worm (19) rotatable by means of a crank and a worm wheel (9) meshing with said worm, and also a lever arm (11) detachably connected to said worm wheel to rotate therewith are mounted, said lever arm extending out of the drive casing (3) in the direction of the leaf and being directly or indirectly drivingly coupled to said leaf, wherein without changing positions in which the worm wheel (9) and the worm (19) are installed said lever arm (11) is insertable into the drive casing (3) to be coupled to the worm wheel (9) in two alternative positions which are inverted by 180° with respect to each other.

2. A fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two alternative positions of the lever arm (11) are angularly symmetrical relative to a plane of symmetry (E) extending at right angles to a plane of the frame and through a pivoting center (M) of the worm wheel (9).

3. A fitting as claimed on claim 2, wherein the lever arm (11) is pivotable over an angular range bounded by stops and wherein a portion (11a) of the lever arm (11), which portion extends radially relative to the pivoting center (M), lies, in two end positions of a pivoting range, symmetrically to the plane of symmetry (E) extending through the pivoting center (M) and at right angles to the frame.

4. A fitting as claimed in claim 3, wherein the portion (11a) of the lever arm extending radially relative to the pivoting center (M) is followed by a portion (11c) bent over relatives thereto at an angle of about 45°.

5. A fitting as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lever arm (11) extends through a cutout (31) in a plate (29) adapted to be fastened to a rabbet surface of the frame (40), the cutout (31) having ends forming end stops bounding a pivoting range of the lever arm (11).

6. A fitting as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plate (29) is centered on the drive casing (3) by at least one centring pin (33) and is adjustable to different distance from the drive casing (3)

7. A fitting as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the worm wheel (9) has a diameter that is larger than depth of the drive casing (3) at right angles to a plane of the frame.

8. A fitting as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lever arm (11) has a free end connected to the leaf (41) by means of a connecting link (65) which is connected by pivot joints (63, 47) to the lever arm (11) and the leaf.

9. A fitting as claimed in claim 8, wherein the leaf (41) is mounted on the frame (40), by means of two mounting links (51, 53) of unequal lengths, for pivoting about a virtual pivoting axis, and wherein the connecting link (65) is articulated on the leaf (41) at a pivot point (47) which in relation to the pivot points (57, 61) of the two mounting links (51, 53) on the leaf is offset in the direction of the fixed frame (40).

10. A fitting as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the leaf is closed the distance (L1) between the pivoting center (M) of the lever arm (11) and the pivot point (47) on the leaf of the connecting link (65) is greater than a sum of the effective length (L2) of the lever arm (11) and the length of the connecting link (65).