EP0430586A1

EP0430586A1 - Sills

Info

Publication number: EP0430586A1
Application number: EP90312727A
Authority: EP
Inventors: William R. Moore
Original assignee: Hm Hardware Ltd
Current assignee: Hm Hardware Ltd
Priority date: 1989-11-25
Filing date: 1990-11-22
Publication date: 1991-06-05

Abstract

An adjustable sill is provided for attachment in use to a frame member (10). The sill comprises an elongate sill member (12) having a plurality of adjustment members (14) captive therein. In use, the adjustment members co-operate with the frame (10), for example via nut members (15). The adjustment members (14) are spaced apart along the length of the sill member (12) so that local adjustment to the height of the sill can be made along the length of the sill, to provide a flush fit with the door member, window member or the like.

Description

The invention relates to sills for use with doors, windows and the like.
Doors, opening windows and the like are generally arranged to seal, along their bottom edge, against a sill attached to, or forming part of, a surrounding frame. When a conventional wooden door, window or the like is being fitted to a frame, the lower edge, and possibly the sill itself, can be adjusted in shape, for example by planing, to provide a flush fit.
With modern, preformed doors and windows manufactured of plastics material, alteration of the shape of the lower edge is not possible on site. The invention solves this problem by providing an adjustable sill.
Accordingly, our invention provides an adjustable sill for attachment in use to a frame member, the sill comprising an elongate sill member having a plurality of adjustment members captive therein, for cooperation in use with the frame member underlying the sill, the adjustment members being spaced apart along the length of the sill so that local adjustment to the height of the sill can be made along the length of the sill.
Each adjustment member may have an associated co-operating member, for attachment to or insertion in the frame member.
Each adjustment member may comprise a bolt or like male threaded member and each cooperating member may comprise a nut or like female threaded member to receive the bolt or like male threaded member.
Preferably each adjustment member is held captive by virtue of an enlarged head located within the sill member.
Each adjustment member may be insertable into the sill member by sliding the enlarged head along a T-shaped groove.
Each adjustment member may have its own associated transverse T-shaped groove, but it is preferred that there is a common longitudinally extending T-shaped groove.
The sill member may be arranged to grip the adjustment members and thus reduce any tendency for them to slide out of the spaced apart positions during fitting of the sill.
The sill member preferably has a plurality of access apertures in its upper surface, so that access can be gained to adjust each adjustment member.
Each adjustment member may, for example, have a screw driver slot or similar formation in its upper surface.
The sill member may be located on a support member, for guiding movement and/or protection.
The support member may comprise a metal channel having its mouth facing upwardly in use.
There may be means to provide at least one seal between the sill member and the support member.
The sill member may have grooves therein which sealingly receive the walls of the channel.
By way of example, specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-

Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of sill according to the invention, in use at the foot of a door;
Figure 2 is an exploded view to a larger scale, of the components shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the adjustment members;
Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the co-operating members for use with the adjustment members;
Figure 5 is a side view of the second embodiment of sill according to the invention in use at the foot of a door; and
Figure 6 is a plan view of the sill.

The sill forming the subject of this embodiment is intended to fit between the lower part 10 of a door frame, and the underside of a door 11 of plastics material. The sill comprises an elongate sill member 12, also of plastics material, an elongate metal channel 13, a plurality of adjustment members 14, and a plurality of co-operating members 15.
The sill member 12 has an elongate slot 16 in its underside, thus providing the sill member with two downwardly extending feet 17 and 18. Each of these feet initially seat in the bottom of the channel member 13, as shown in Figure 1, and each foot is provided with a pair of sealing ribs 19, which press sealingly against the sides of the channel member 13.
Above the slot 16 there is provided an elongate T-shaped groove 20 having a narrow portion 21 and a larger portion 22.
Each adjustment member has a plan shank portion 23, an enlarged head portion 24, and a threaded shank portion 25. The adjustment members can be spaced apart along the length of the sill member, at any desired location, by sliding the members along the T-shaped groove to take up the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Spaced apart along the upper surtace of the sill member 12 is a series of access holes 26 and in use each adjustment member is positioned centrally underneath one of the access holes 26.
The metal channel 13 is screwed to the flame 10 by screws (not shown) and the channel member 13 has a plurality of apertures 27 which are arranged in register with the access holes 26. A co-operating member 15 is screwed into the frame 10 underneath each of the apertures 27. Each co-operating member 15 has a central female screw threaded portion 28 shaped to receive the male screw threaded formation 25, and also has an external self-tapping thread formation 29 to enable the members 15 to be screwed into the frame 10, by inserting an Allen key or the like in a hexagonal formation 30.
Each adjustment member 14 has a screw driver slot 31 in its enlarged head 24 and the height of the sill member 12, relative to the channel member 13, can be locally adjusted by inserting a screw driver through any desired access holes 26 and rotating the associated adjustment member clockwise or anti-clockwise as necessary. This will cause the enlarged head 24 of the adjustment member which is being rotated to abut against the upper or lower surtace of the slot portion 22 to raise or lower that part of the sill as necessary.
At all times the sill member 12 is gripped securely by the rigid channel member 13, and a sliding seal is provided by the ribs 19.
On the side of the sill member 12 which would be on the exterior of the building, in use, there is provided a flexible flap 32 to reduce the risk of rain water entering the channel 13.
The underside of the door 11 is provided with sealing members 33 and an abutment member 34, which cooperate with the sill member 12 in a conventional manner.
The sill shown in Figures 5 and 6 is generally similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 4 and operates on the same inventive principal. Similar reference numerals are used in Figures 5 and 6 for similar parts.
The principal difference in this embodiment is that the sill member 12 is wider than the channel 13, and each of the side feet 17 and 18 of the channel 12 had a groove 35 therein, to receive one of the upstanding sides of the channel 13. Each of the grooves 35 is provided with two seals, 36 and 37, so that a double seal is provided at each side of the sill, as opposed to the single seal provided by the ribs 19 of Figure 2.
The sill 12 may be arranged, at the points 38, to grip the adjustment members 14 and thus prevent them from sliding out of the spaced apart positions in which they have been originally positioned, thus making fitting of the sill easier and quicker.
Alternatively, additional flexible plastic material may be provided at the points 38, to have the same effect.
Instead of using a simple screw driver slot 31, a cross, star or posidrive slot may be used.
The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.
All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.
Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. An adjustable sill for attachment in use to a frame member (10), characterized in that the sill comprises an elongate sill member (12) having a plurality of adjustment members (14) captive therein, for co-operation in use with the frame member (10) underlying the sill, the adjustment members (14) being spaced apart along the length of the sill member (12) so that local adjustment to the height of the sill can be made along the length of the sill.

2. A sill as claimed in Claim 1, in which each adjustment member (14) has an associated cooperating member (15) for attachment to or insertion in the flame member (10).

3. A sill as claimed in Claim 2, in which each adjustment member (14) comprises a bolt or like male threaded member and each cooperating member (15) comprises a nut or like female threaded member to receive the bolt or like male threaded member.

4. A sill as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which each adjustment member (14) is held captive by virtue of an enlarged head (24) located within the sill member (12).

5. A sill as claimed in Claim 4, in which each adjustment member (14) is insertable into the sill member (12) by sliding the enlarged head (24) along a T-shaped groove (20).

6. A sill as claimed in Claim 5, in which there is a common longitudinally extending T-shaped groove (20).

7. A sill as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which the sill member (12) is arranged to grip the adjustment members (14) and thus reduce any tendency for them to slide out of the spaced apart positions during fitting of the sill.

8. A sill as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the sill member (12) has a plurality of access apertures (26) in its upper surface, so that access can be gained to adjust each adjustment member (14).

9. A sill as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the sill member (12) is located on a support member (13), for guiding movement and/or protection.

10. A sill as claimed in Claim 9, in which the support member (13) comprises a channel having its mouth facing upwardly in use.

11. A sill as claimed in Claim 10, in which there is means (36,37) to provide at least one seal behind the sill member and the support member (13).

12. A sill as claimed in Claim 11, in which the sill member (12) has grooves (35) therein which sealingly receive the walls of the channel (13).