GB2092698A - A Joint Device for Connecting Together Hollow Frame - Google Patents

Abstract

The joint device is for joining together hollow stile and rail box- sections for doors or windows. It comprises two pads 15 between which a block 16 is trapped by a recess 25 in which complementary portions 23 of the block are received. Thus, the loose assembly can be inserted inside the rail to an extent limited by stop faces 27 on the pads. The pads are secured by screws 32 to the opposed webs 12, 13 of the rail, and the joint is completed by a threaded stud 18 extending through the stile and engaging with the block so that on tightening the rail is pulled up to clamp against the stile. The device prevents relative twisting of the rail and stile. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Cleat Device for Connecting Together Hollow Frame Members This invention relates to a cleat device for connecting together elongate hollow frame members, in particular (but not exclusively) the cleat device has application for connecting together stile and rail members of doors or windows formed of extruded sections. Such extruded sections are usually of aluminium and are of box-section and may have ribs, flanges or additional webs for strengthening or other purposes. The cleat device of this invention is devised for use with such extruded sections, but may have application for sections made of materials other than aluminium, for instance unplasticised poly-vinylchloride plastics materials.

It is already known to connect stile and rail members together by bolts or even rivets with reinforcement plates or blocks received within the hollow sections of the members. It is also known to provide corner cleats having two limbs extending normally to each other which are received within the stile and rail members and fastened thereto to form corner joints.

Some of the prior joint constructions are not simple to manufacture or assemble and require extensive and accurate drilling or piercing of the parts and cannot allow for any tolerances in manufacture. Many of such joints are weak and liable to twist or distort in use. Other constructions tend to cause stressing of the stile and/or rail members in assembly and fitting and the members can be deformed or damaged. In some cases, due to the local reduction of the material by drilling and piercing for several holes or wide openings, it is found necessary to use heavier sections to increase the strength.

Furthermore, in the construction of doors or windows, particularly of anodised aluminium materials, the finished aesthetic appearance is important, and certain joint constructions show on the outside faces so as to detract from good appearance.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cleat device which is simple in construction, easy to fit and assemble whilst ensuring a neat strong joint. Other objects of this invention are to provide a cleat device which can accommodate manufacturing tolerances, be varied in size for various sections, and to be fitted to prevent twisting and distortion of the joint.

According to this invention, in a door or window having hollow stile and rail members of substantially box-section, a cleat device joins a stile to the end of a transverse rail, the cleat device comrpises a block located within said end of the rail between two opposed pads fastened to opposed webs of the rail, each pad having a formation locating a portion of the block against movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rail, and a tensioning element extending in said longitudinal direction and transversely through the stile and in engagement with the block so that aligned end faces of the pads and the block are in load transmitting engagement with the stile.

By this invention, the cleat device comprises simple parts being a block, two pads and suitable tensioning element. The tensioning element would normally be a threaded fastener such as a stud, bolt, screw or the like. The tensioning element may engage within a threaded bore in the block extending parallel to the axial direction of the rail and extend through the stile section abutting an internal face of a web of the stile section. Alternatively, the block may have a projecting threaded stud arranged to extend through a hole in the stile and to be secured by a nut or suitable threaded member from the opposed side of the stile. Accordingly, once the block and pads are secured inside the end of the rail, only a simple fastening action through the tensioning element is required.

Preferably, the two pads are similar and have formations for locating the block therebetween.

Such formations may comprise a groove, rebate, slot, rib, lug or the like projection for complementary engagement with the portion of the block. The formations are preferably arranged to extend transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rail, and to permit loose assembly of the block between the two pads without any fastening together so that the loose assembly can be slid into the open end of the rail.

The pads may be fastened to opposed webs of the rail by suitable means such as screws, studs or the like, and these may be secreted by being located through holes or piercings in the upper and lower webs of the rail.

The pads may be provided with flanges, ribs or lugs forming stop faces to prevent the loose assembly of the pads and blocks wholly entering into the rail section and to ensure the location of the pads with pre-drilled holes or piercings in the opposed webs of the rail.

Each pad may have a base face for abutting the inside face of the web. The pad may have a formation in the form of a channel and with a threaded hole extending through the bottom of the channel for receiving the fastener to secure the pad to the rail. The portion of the block is substantially complementary to the channel and is received within the channel. The channel extends transversely to the axial direction of the rail.

Other features of this invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment of this invention as depicted in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cleat device of this invention depicting the connection of a stile to a lower rail of a door, and Figure 2 is a vertical section through the assembled joint with the cleat device as shown in Figure 1.

With reference to the drawings, a hollow box section stile 1 (of which only part is shown) is arranged for connection to a hollow box-section rail 2 (of which only part is shown). In known manner, the stile 1 and rail 2 form part of a door which may be glazed or panelled. In constructing such doors, or even windows which are of similar construction, the rails are cross members connecting opposed stiles, possibly with intervening mullions. Various sizes, arrangements and styles can be provided by cutting rails, stiles and other members to required lengths or sizes.

Various types of hollow box-sections are used, and those depicted are only exemplary.

The stile 1 has front and rear walls 3,4 and a web 5 bounded by two inwardly directed lips 6 between which a suitable cover plate, or hinge/lock mounting plate (not shown) may be connected. An opposed web 7 is recessed between the edges of the front and rear walls which are formed with opposed flanges 8 and narrower lips 9 directed inwardly towards the recess between the front and rear walls.

The rail 2 has opposed front and rear walls 10, 11 of which the rear wall is extended upwardly to form a bead for engaging glazing or panelling forming part of the door construction. The rail 2 has a continuous lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 has a central slot 14 extending lengthwise thereof. This slot is provided for purposes of glazing or panelling, and like the bead is not a relevant feature for this invention.

In known manner, the stile and rail are of anodised aluminium with the respective front and rear walls of the stile and the rail being planar and arranged to be butted up to each other to form a contiguous surface at the joint. However, it should be understood, that in certain designs, the surfaces may not be planar.

The cleat device for connecting the stile 1 and the rail 2 comprises two similar pads 15, a block 16 having a central threaded bore 17 and a tensioning element being a set screw 18 with associated washer 19 and pressure plate 20.

The block 1 6 has a central body 21 of rectangular section through which the bore 17 extends. From each side of the body, that is upper and lower in use, there is a short flange 22 connecting the body to opposed integral portions 23 of rectangular section extending the entire with "w" of the body. The block 16 is of metal and may be an extruded section cut to a length corresponding to width "w" that, in turn, is selected in accordance with the internal size of the hollow rail so that the block can be inserted in the rail.

Each pad 15 has a flat base 24 and a channel shaped recess 25 arranged to receive å portion 23 of the block 16. One end of the pad has a rib 26 providing a stop face 27. The base of the pad is pierced by a threaded bore 28 opening to bottom of the recess 25, and a complementary clearance hole 29 is provided in the portion 23 of the block. As with block 116, the pad may be an extrusion cut to length "w".

As shown in Figure 1, the two pads 15 may be loosely assembled with the block 16 therebetween, and this loose assembly slid into the end of the rail section. The loose assembly is prevented from wholly entering the rail by the stop faces 27 engaging with the end face 30 of the rail, and at such position the threaded bores 28 are aligned with opposed holes 31 in the lower and upper walls 12, 13 of the rail so that suitable set screws 32 can be used to fasten the pads and block assembly to the rail.

The dimensions of the pads and the block are chosen with respect to the stile so that on such securing the respective end faces 33, 34 of the pads and block extend from the end face 30 of the rail, by a distance which is not more than to the distance of the outer face of the stile flanges 8 from the outer face of the stile provided by the lips 9.

The stile has a large clearance hole 35 in the web 5 and a smaller clearance hole 36 in the web 7, and these are provided at desired aligned positions with respect to the rail 2 and the threaded bore 17 of the block 16.

On presenting the rail to the stile (or vice versa) the set screw 18 with the washer 19 is passed through the hole 35 in the web 5 to extend through the hole 37 in the pressure plate 20 which has been entered between the webs through the open end of the stile. The set screw 18 may be tightened by a tool inserted through the large hole 35 to bring the end face 30 of the rail into engagement with the lips 9 of the stile, and simultaneously to bring the end faces 33,34 of the pads 15 and block 16 into close proximity with the flanges 7 of the stile. The assembly may be tightened up as required to provide the rigid fixed joint.

On such tightening, it will be appreciated that any tendency for the block to turn or twist is prevented due to the fitting of the block between the pads. The central axial load applied by the set screw is distributed to the pads by the respective interengagements of the body portions 23 in the recesses 25 and high local stresses are avoided.

This means that deformation of the end rail is precluded on tightening.

Furt'iermore, in this exemplary embodiment, the pads and body of the cleat device project from the rail so that on tightening, these end faces engage within the recess of the stile and the end face 30 of the rail abuts the lips 9. Accordingly, as portions of the pads and block are received within the stile and the loads are distributed over the abutting faces, any tendency for relative twisting or bending between the stile and rail is avoided.

It will be envisaged that this form of cleat may be modified for different types of sections as used for stiles and rails. For instance, the respective profiles of the block and pads may be varied to suit the cross-section of the rail. The cleat body and/or the pads may be die-castings or, as described in the exemplary embodiment, extrusions cut to length.

The form of tensioning element can be varied and more than one can be used. The tensioning element could be fixed to the block and project therefrom and be engaged by a suitable threaded element such as a nut when the shank of the threaded element was extending through suitable clearance holes in the stile. The location and fastening of the pads can be varied, and for some applications, such as light-weight frames, these could be of a plastics material.

It is also considered that the formations on the pads and the blocks can be modified whilst still retaining the principle of this invention of locating the loose parts together whilst they are entered into the rail and maintaining such location during use. An alternative form may comprise a groove on each side of the body arranged to receive a lug or rib projecting from the pad. The groove and recess may be undercut whether respectively on the pad and block or vice versa. More than one recess or complementary formation may be provided. Preferably, the complementary formations are selected so as to permit the accommodation of manufacturing differences in the rail or other parts.

The frame members have been described as of anodised aluminium, however materials used and their finishes are optional. Other finishes such as paints, plastics or resin coatings may be used, for instance, aluminium with a fused powder coating of polyester.

Other advantages and features of this invention relating to simplicity of manufacture and assembly will be appreciated by those skilled or familiar with the construction of doors, windows or other frame-like members from hollow elongate sections.

Claims (9)

Claims

1. In a door or window having hollow stile and rail members of substantially box-section, a cleat device joins a stile to the end of a transverse rail, the cleat device comprises a block located within said end of the rail between two opposed pads fastened to opposed webs of the rail, each pad having a formation locating a portion of the block against movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rail, and a tensioning element extending in said longitudinal direction and transversely through the stile and in engagement with the block so that aligned end faces of the pads and the block are in load transmitting engagement with the stile.

2. The cleat device according to claim 1 wherein the tensioning element comprises a threaded fastener engaging a threaded bore in the block.

3. The cleat device according to claim 2 wherein the pads are fastened to opposed webs of the rail by threaded fasteners.

4. The cleat device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the pads are similar and are provided with formations complementary to formations of two opposed portions of the block.

5. The cleat according to claim 4 wherein the formations of the pads comprise a recess extending transversely to said longitudinal direction and in the form of a groove, slot or channel with the formation of the block portion being received therewithin.

6. A cleat device according to claim 4 wherein the formations of the pads comprise projections extending transversely to said longitudinal direction and in the form of a rib, lug, or like projection for complementary engagement with a recess formation in the block portion.

7. The cleat device according to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein the inter-engagement of the pads and the block is arranged so that the block is loosely trapped between the pads when received within the rail.

8. The cleat device according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the pads is provided with a stop face to prevent the loose assembly of the block and pads wholly entering into the rail section.

9. A cleat device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the pads and/or the body are formed of extrusions cut to a length corresponding to the width of the interior of the rail section.

1 0. A cleat device for joining a stile and rail together for a door or window and as substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.