EP0351635A1

EP0351635A1 - Device for the adjustable fixture of the outer casings of door cases, window cases, etc. to the relative masonry

Info

Publication number: EP0351635A1
Application number: EP89112170A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico Vedova
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-07-22
Filing date: 1989-07-04
Publication date: 1990-01-24
Also published as: IT1225117B; IT8845748A0

Abstract

Device for the adjustable fixture of the outer frames of door frames, window frames, etc. to the relative masonry, which comprises an element (1) that can be inserted between one building element and another forming the wall (P) delimiting an opening in which the above frames are placed, the insertible element (1) cooperating with a slidable element (2) capable of being fixed lengthwise to a stile (5) of the outer casing, the insertible elements consisting of a hollow plate (1) having a hollow (13) frontally accessible from the opening, while the slidable element is a clamping element (2) consisting substantially of two section elements (22a-22b) cooperating on one side with the hollow (13) and on the other side with the stile (5), screw means (4) to provide reciprocal lateral and lengthwise positioning being included in cooperation with lateral faces (113) of the hollow (13), the action of the screws (4) causing also the clamping of the section elements (22a-22b) against the stiles (5).

Description

This invention concerns a device for the adjustable fixture of the outer casings of door cases, window cases, etc. to the relative masonry.
To be more exact, the device according to the invention can be fixed directly to the masonry during the building thereof at the vertical sides of the openings provided for the fitting of the cases and various units, whether the latter be doors, windows, structures ,grates or other like or equivalent units.
The outer casings are then fitted to the device and in turn accommodate thereafter the door cases or window cases , etc. together with the doors or windows when the wall has been completed.
For the fitting of the door, windows, etc. their cases are applied to an outer casing which has already been fitted to the wall.
Proper fixture of the outer casing to the wall is necessary for the correct use and working of the relative door, window, etc. and is difficult, requiring the employment of skilled labour and great time for its accomplishment.
In the traditional art fixture brackets, to which the outer casing is fitted thereafter, are applied to the wall at the sides of the opening in which the relative door case or window case will be located. This preliminary work leaves rubble and dirt which are not always acceptable.
The subsequent positioning of the outer casing must be accurate and requires checking, and this entails fixture by means of wedges too.
The mortars employed to fix the brackets cannot belong to the fast setting type since the shrinkage occurring in them would lead to cracking and resultant shortcomings. Moreover, the brackets and the outer casing cannot be used for at least one and a half to two days.
Owing to the wooden transverse stiffening rails employed in the assembly and mutual fixture of the elements forming the outer casing it is impossible to pass through the relative opening during all this time.
Furthermore, if the wall is opened too much for any reason, the subsequent filling with mortar causes cracks due to the difference in materials, with resultant shortcomings.
Next, it has to be borne in mind that, if any mistakes are made in positioning the outer casing, the state of the art can only remedy the situation by knocking everything down and starting again.
To avoid these shortcomings a more rational system for fixture of the outer casings was conceived and embodied, as described in IT 45703 A/81. This system provides for the employment of brackets which are inserted during the building of the wall between the elements forming the masonry and at the sides of the openings made for the doors and windows and their cases.
These brackets are provided with an element able to slide crosswise to them, this element cooperating with fixture means which in turn can slide in corresponding lengthwise slots made in the lateral stiles of the outer casing. These brackets enable a reasonable adjustment to be made in the fixture of the outer casing.
Although this teaching obviates a great part of the shortcomings of the state of the art, it entails limitations and difficulties in application. It does not make possible a quick, simple adjustment of the distance between the stiles of the outer casing and the sides of the opening to which the outer casing is fitted.
Movements along the stiles are restricted to the length of the slots made in the stiles, and this creates conditioning of the application.
The purpose of our present invention is to obviate all the above shortcomings and limitations very simply and rationally.
This purpose and the resulting advantages are achieved by a device for the adjustable fixture of the outer casings of door cases, window cases, etc. to the relative masonry forming the opening according to the invention, the general embodiment of which is disclosed in the main claim. The dependent claims describe variants of the main idea of the embodiment.
According to the invention a plate is provided which can be inserted between the elements of masonry forming the wall that defines the opening within which the doors, windows, etc. together with their cases have to be fitted.
A clamping element is provided together with the above plate and can move lengthwise and crosswise in relation to the plate.
An end of the clamping element rests outside the plate and can also be slidably engaged at the sides of the lateral stiles of the outer casing.
The plate consists of a substantially parallelepipedal box-type element having a limited thickness and one perimetric face open to enable the clamping element to be introduced.
The box-type element is arranged between the masonry elements with its open face turned towards the door or window opening and aligned with the edge of that opening.
The clamping element comprises two equal counterpart arms, which are inserted into the box-type element and obtain a reciprocal slide-fastener connection therewith.
Movable means, screws for instance, which are suitable to engage the arms of the clamping element are included in the side faces of the box-type element.
Let us now see a preferred embodiment of the invention as a non-restrictive example in the attached figures, in which: -

Fig.1 gives a partly cutaway view from above of a device according to the invention, located in its position of application to a wall under construction;
Fig.2 shows a section along I-I of Fig.1;
Fig. shows a three-dimensional view of the various components of the device of Fig.1 broken down into its various parts.

The figures show a hollow plate 1 and a clamping element 2. In this example all the components of the device consist of metallic plate but can also be made of a plastic or another suitable material.
The hollow plate 1 consists of a parallelepipedal box-type element 1A formed with a lower element 11 and an upper element 12 having lengthwise side edges to constitute respective lateral wings 111 and 121,which in this example are partly superimposed.
The distance between the lateral wings 111 of the lower element 11 will advantageously be slightly greater than the width of the element used to build the wall, such as a brick, double brick, cellular or hollow brick or other type, with which the device has to cooperate according to the invention.
A substantially parallelepipedal hollow 13 open 14 at the front and having lateral faces 113 is located between the substantially parallel upper element 12 and lower element 11.
Arms 21a-21b of the clamping element 2 cooperate with the hollow 13 and are introduced advantageously therein 13.
The lower element 11 is slightly longer than the upper element 12 and forms an anchorage plate 18 that extends at the rear of the hollow 13.
The anchorage plate 18 may be provided with one or more holes 18a to improve anchorage to the mortar which binds the wall "M". Corrugations, knurls, slits, etc. may be included instead of the holes 18a.
The anchorage plate 18 may also be positioned on the two sides of the hollow plate 1.
The hollow 13 will advantageously have its rear, behind its frontal opening 14, closed by a rear wing 15, the purpose of this being to prevent mortar used for fixture in the application from being able to enter the hollow 13 of the box-type element 1A.
Threaded holes 16 in which screws 4 are engaged are made in the side faces 113 of the box-type element 1A near the ends adjacent to the open front 14.
The edges of the threaded holes 16 are preferably upset within to increase the length of the threaded portion.
Any other fixture means suitable for the purposes may equally well be provided.
The clamping element 2 consists of two substantially counterpart arms 21a and 21b which operate side by side and are introduced through the open front 14 into the hollow 13 of the box-type element 1A.
The arms 21a-21b consist of respective section elements 22a-22b, which are substantially equal counterparts of each other and have, at their end inserted into the hollow 13 of the box-type element 1A, inwardly protruding elements 23a-23b to act as fulcra; the arms 21a-21b consist of the jaws 24a-24b at their other end.
The section elements 22a-22b have a width equal to about one-third to one-sixth of the width of the hollow 13 of the box-type element 1A and a height slightly less than that of the hollow 13.
This enables the section elements 22a-22b to pass freely into the hollow 13 of the box-type element 1A and to move lengthwise and crosswise therein; such movements can be great enough to enable the necessary corrections to be made to the positioning of the outer casing.
In this example each of the inwardly protruding elements 23a-23b comprises a lengthwise fin 231a-231b, which juts out at a right angle from one side of the corresponding section element 22a-22b on the same plane as the transverse wing of the same and terminates at its free end in a short tract 232a-232b folded downwards at a right angle.
The jaws 24a-24b in turn consist of upright wings 241a-241b protruding from the ends of the corresponding section elements 22a-22b at a right angle towards the exterior of the assembly formed by the section elements 22a-22b.
The upright wings 241a-241b are bent at a right angle at their end opposite to the respective section elements 22a-22b so as to form two short parallel tracts 242a-242b and, lastly, terminate at their free ends with further short fins 243a-243b folded back at a right angle toward the inside of the assembly.
The fins 243a-234b can be replaced by inwardly protruding punched areas on the parallel tracts 242a-242b so as to clamp the side walls of a board 5 forming a lateral stile of the outer casing.
The parallel tracts 242a-242b may also extend along the whole thickness of the board 5 and therefore clamp the frontal wall of the board 5 by means of the fins 243a-243b.
When the inwardly protruding elements 23a-23b are substantially in contact with each other, the distance between the parallel tracts 242a-242b will be the same as the width of the board 5, and the distance between the vertical wings 241a-241b and the short fins 243a-243b will be the same as the width of reduced edges 51 defined by the lengthwise grooves 52 on the sides of the board 5.
The lengthwise grooves 52 define on each side of the board 5, on one side, the reduced edges 51 and, on the other side, protruding edges 53 which protrude further and are therefore longer advantageously than the reduced edges 51 by at least the thickness of the parallel tracts 242a-242b.
In the building of a wall "P" box-type elements 1A are inserted at suitable heights in a known manner at the sides of an opening which is made in the wall and in which it is necessary to fit a door, window, etc. together with its relative case. The box-type elements 1A are so positioned that the lateral wings 111 thereof are engaged at the sides of building elements "M".
In this way, each box-type element 1A is aligned automatically with the wall "P" itself.
The various box-type elements 1A are rested on a suitable layer of mortar deposited beforehand on the element "M" below and are then covered with further mortar, being thus included in a layer of mortar "SM" which is normally laid between the various rows of building elements "M" during the building of the wall "P".
The required box-type elements 1A are thus secured immovably at the two sides of the opening and, when the wall has been finished, will form together with the wall an assembly which will not lead to cracks or other shortcomings.
The box-type elements 1A are arranged substantially so as to cooperate with the edge of the opening.
The box-type elements 1A can be fitted not only to walls built of bricks or like elements but also to walls made with other systems, for instance cast concrete.
The application of such box-type elements 1A causes practically no appreciable increase in the times of construction of a wall and therefore in the corresponding costs too.
When the wall has been completed, the outer casings are fitted and comprise two lateral stiles made of corresponding boards 5 and possibly a transverse board to form the upper rail of the outer casing.
It is best to bear in mind that the outer casing can be formed advantageously of the lateral stiles alone since the upper rail has limited uses and can be removed completely.
The fitting and subsequent fixture of the outer casing can be carried out as follows.
Clamping elements 2 corresponding to box-type elements 1A fixed to the wall on the corresponding side of the opening where work is being carried out are fitted to a board 5 forming one of the lateral stiles of the outer casing.
This fitting takes place by inserting the jaws 24a-24b of each clamping element 2 on the sides of the board 5 in such a way that their short fins 243a-243b penetrate into the lengthwise grooves 52 and the arms 21a-21b of the corresponding clamping element 2 are brought together and are in the same plane.
The clamping elements 2 thus arranged are introduced into the hollow 13 of the corresponding box-type element 1A in such a way that the arms 21a-21b of each clamping element 2 are located between the inner ends of the screws 4, which have been inserted beforehand in the relative threaded holes 16. The screws 4 are then screwed in until their inner ends abut on the outer sides of the arms 21a-21b.
The inwardly protruding elements 23a-23b of the two arms 21a-21b will now be in contact with each other and will form the fulcrum of levers of the third kind, which in practice these arms 21a-21b form.
If the screws 4 are then tightened suitably as a first step, the jaws 24a-24b are tightened against the sides of the board 5 and clamp the same; at the same time the clamping element 2 is anchored by the pressure exerted by the screws 4 on the arms 21a-21b.
A first rough positioning of the board 5 is thus achieved and will have to be adjusted thereafter.
When the parameters of the positioning of the boards 5, such as vertical position (by plumb line), reciprocal distance, alignment with the wall, etc. have been checked with suitable instruments, the necessary corrections are applied.
The operations needed to achieve perfect positioning of the outer casing are simple, secure and speedy; in fact, the device in question enables displacements to be made in the space of the point of fixture achieved by the device according to three axes at right angles to each other, thus accomplishing a perfect final positioning.
In fact, if the screws 4 are slackened suitably, the clamping element 2 can slide lengthwise in the box-type element 1A and can thus enable the board 5 to move farther from or nearer to the respective side of the opening to which it is fitted.
At the same time the board 5, being clamped no longer by the jaws 24a-24b, can also slide vertically in opposite directions.
Moreover, if one screw 4 is slackened and the other one is tightened at the same time, the clamping element 2 and therefore the board 5 are moved transversely to the wall.
When the exact position required has been reached, the screws 4 of each device fitted are tightened up and the outer casing is thus anchored to the wall. The anchorage thus achieved is of a reversible type and this is very useful. In fact, this capability enables corrective action to be taken at any time without any problem so as to change previous positionings found to be wwrong.
Employment of the device according to the invention enables the outer casings to be fixed in a very simple way, so much so that anyone can fit the outer casings correctly without any explanation and this operation can be performed in much less time than that taken up with the usual applications, that too without any previous training.
When the outer casing has been fixed, the wall can be plastered, this being an operation assisted by the protruding edges 53, which form a guide for the wooden board employed to level the plaster.
The board 5 forming the lateral stiles of the outer casing may consist of a suitable plastic or metallic bar or a bar of another suitable material.
In the event of walls of great thickness two or more of the devices can be employed and be positioned on the same plane at a suitable distance apart.
These and other variants can be applied to the device which is the subject of this invention.

Claims

1 - Device for the adjustable fixture of the outer casings of door cases , window cases , etc. to the relative masonry, which comprises an element that can be inserted between one building element and another forming the wall delimiting an opening in which the above cases are placed, the insertible element cooperating with a slidable element capable of being fixed lengthwise to a stile (5) of the outer casing, the device being characterized in that the insertible element consists of a hollow plate (1) having a hollow (13) frontally accessible from the opening, while the slidable element is a clamping element (2) consisting substantially of two section elements (22a-22b) cooperating on one side with the hollow (13) and on the other side with the stile (5), screw means (4) to provide reciprocal lateral and lengthwise positioning being included in cooperation with lateral faces (113) of the hollow (13), the action of the screws (4) causing also the clamping of the section elements (22a-22b) against the stiles (5).

2 - Device as claimed in Claim 1, in which the hollow plate element (1) comprises a frontal aperture (14) for access to the hollow (13) and lateral wing means (111) for lateral alignment on the elements forming a wall (M).

3 - Device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the hollow plate element (1) comprises means (18a) for anchorage to mortar (SM) that bonds the wall (M).

4 - Device as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the anchorage means (18a) are included in an anchorage plate (18) located at the rear of the hollow plate (1).

5 - Device as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the anchorage means (18a) are included in an anchorage plate (18) located at the side of the hollow plate (1).

6 - Device as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the hollow plate (1) includes threaded holes (16) located in its lateral faces (113) in the vicinity of its frontal aperture (14), the threaded holes (16) being suitable to cooperate with the screws (4).

7 - Device as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the section elements (22a-22b) of the clamping element (2) are substantially counterparts of each other and each of them comprises protruding element fulcrum means (23a-23b) suitable to abut against each other.

8 - Device as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which each of the section elements (22a-22b) comprises jaws (24a-24b) suitable to clamp the sides of the relative stile (5).

9 - Device as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the jaws (24a-24b) comprise fins (243a-243b) cooperating with lengthwise grooves (52) included in the sides of the relative stile (5).

10 - Device as claimed in any claim hereinbefore, in which the lateral portions at the sides of the lengthwise grooves (52) lie on different planes, the portion that cooperates with the inside of the outer casing protruding farther.