GB2148108A

GB2148108A - Door or like handle assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2148108A
Application number: GB08328435A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Henry Tierney
Original assignee: GROUP ARCHITECTURAL IRONMONGER
Current assignee: GROUP ARCHITECTURAL IRONMONGER
Priority date: 1983-10-25
Filing date: 1983-10-25
Publication date: 1985-05-30
Also published as: GB2148108B; GB8328435D0

Abstract

The handle 3 of a handle assembly is detachably mounted on and rotatable with a hub 2 which is rotatable relative to an attachment plate 1 of the assembly and engages with a spindle 13 for turning the spindle. Preferably the hub 2 is cylindrical and is received into an axial socket 16 in the handle 3 in which it is retained by a screw 17 in the handle tightened radially on to the hub in the socket. A shank 8 of the hub 2 is journalled in the attachment plate 1 and may be engaged by a spiral spring which urges the hub, and thereby the handle, to an initial angular position relative to the attachment plate. An inner end face 15 of the handle 3 closely overlies the attachment plate to conceal fixing screws of the plate. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to door or like handle assemblies This invention relates to door or like handle assemblies of the kind comprising an attachment plate and a handle, which may be knob or a lever, which is rotatable relative to the attachment plate and adapted to turn a spindle of a latch mechanism.

Such a handle assembly is hereinafter referred to as "of the kind described".

Hitherto the handle has been retained in position relative to the attachment plate either by securing it to the spindle which it is to turn, or by rotatably mounting it on the attachment plate. In either arrangement the handle has a socket of complementary cross-section to the spindle to receive an end of the spindle.

Where the handle is secured to the spindle there is the disadvantage that the connection between the handle and spindle can wear with use, with the result that although the handle is retained to the spindle it is not rigidly held to the spindle and its attitude on the spindle relative to the attachment plate can shift from the true attitude, making the assembly look unsightly and promoting the wear. In regard to the other arrangement, the means by which the handle is retained to the attachment plate is inside or behind the attachment plate. The assembly has therefore to be removed from the door or the like on which it has been fitted for use before the handle can be detached from the attachment plate for repair or replacement, if that is possible.

According to the present invention a door or like handle assembly of the kind described is provided wherein the handle is detachably mounted on and rotatable with a hub which is rotatable relative to the attachment plate and is engaged, or adapted to be engaged, with a spindle for turning the spindle.

The handle may have a socket in which the hub engages and is releasably secured therein, for example by means of a screw or screws applied to the handle and tightened into engagement with the hub. The socket and the hub, or at least the part of the hub which engages in the socket, are of complementary cross-section. The cross-sections may be circular or non-circular.

It is possible to provide for a larger area of surface to surface contact between the handle and the hub than has generally been possible between the handles and spindles of the known arrangements.

This enables the handle to be secured more positively than in the known arrangements, and with a greater resistance to wear at the connection.

The retention of the handle in its true attitude relative to the attachment plate can thereby be enhanced.

The means whereby the handle is releasably secured to the hub is preferably in front of the attachment plate so that the handle may be readily detached from the hub, if necessary, as for example for replacement or repair, or for fitting the assembly to or removing it from a door the like.

The handle may have a face which lies close to the front surface of the attachment plate around the hub. This face may overlie, and conceal, a fixing screw or screws of the attachment plate.

Preferably the hub has a shank which is journalled in the attachment plate for the rotation of the hub relative to the attachment plate. The shank may be retained to the attachment plate by means of a circlip fitted to it inside or behind the attachment plate. The shank may extend into a housing located inside or behind the attachment plate and accommodating a spiral spring in accordance with the handle assembly which is the subject of our patent application No. 8314114, the spring operatively engaging the shank to urge the hub, and thereby the handle, to an initial angular position relative to the attachment plate, and a drive plate being rotatable with the shank and engageabie with stop means at the housing to limit the extent of the angular movement of the drive plate and the handle.

The handle and attachment plate may be of various shapes and sizes, as desired.

An advantage of the invention from the manufacturing point of view is that the attachment plates and the hubs of handle assemblies in accordance with the invention may be assembled together and held in stock, if necessary, and the handles may be added subsequently to meet customers' requirements. A range of sizes and shapes of handles and attachment plates may be made, including variations in materials as well if need be, but just one form of hub may be made which is applicable throughout the ranges of the handles and attachment plates. By having the attachment plates already fitted with the hubs and held in stock, customers' requirements for combinations of shapes, size and/or materials of attachment plates and handles can be readily met by applying the selected handles, which may also be held in stock, to the selected attachment plates when the customers' orders are received.

It is possible also for attachment plates with the hubs to be supplied separately to a retailer for the retailer's customers to select and assemble combinations of the attachment plates and the handles for themselves.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which is an axial section through a handle assembly in accordance with the invention.

The handle assembly comprises an attachment plate 1, a hub 2 and a handle 3.

The attachment plate 1 is circular with a shallow peripheral skirt 4, a plain central aperture 5, and countersunk holes 6 spaced angularly about the central aperture for fixing screws for securing the attachment plate to a door or the like.

The hub 2 has a cylindrical body 7 from which an integral, co-axial shank 8 extends of a smaller diameter complementary to the diameter of the central aperture 5 in which the shank rotatably engages. A groove 9 is formed in the surface of the body 7 extending along a chord of the cylindrical shape. The hub is mounted on the attachment plate with the body 7 at the front and the shank 8 extending through the central aperture. Inside the attachment plate a circiip 10 is inserted in an annular groove 11 in the shankto retain the hub to the attachment plate. The countersunk holes 6 are positioned radially outwardly of the body 7 of the hub. A square-section hole 12 extends co-axially through the shank and body to receive the ends of a spindle 13 of complementary cross-section which the hub is to turn in use of the handle assembly.

In this embodiment the handle is a knob which is cylindrical with a domed outer end 14 and a flat inner end face 15. A socket 16 is formed extending co-axially into the handle from the inner end face 15.

It is of complementary length and diameter to the body 7 of the hub which is fully received into the socket. A grub-screw 17 engaged in a radial screwthreaded hole 18 in the handle opening into the socket, is tightened into the chordal groove 9 in the body 7 to secure the handle to the hub for the hub to be rotatable by the handle. The inner end face 15 of the handle lies closely adjacent to the attachment plate and extends radially past the countersunk holes.

For mounting the handle assembly on a door or the like for use, the handle is detached from the hub while the attachment plate is secured in position by the fixing screws engaged in the countersunk holes 6. The handle is attached to the hub subsequently and secured by means of the grub-screw 17 so that the fixing screws are concealed from view by the handle.

Claims

1. A door or like handle assembly of the kind described wherein the handle is detachably mounted on and rotatable with a hub which is rotatable relative to the attachment plate and is engaged, or adapted to be engaged, with a spindle for turning the spindle.

2. A door or like handle assembly according to claim 1 wherein the handle has a socket in which the hub engages and is releasably secured therein.

3. A door or like handle assembly according to claim 2 wherein the hub is releasably secured in the socket by means of a screw which is threadedly engaged in a hole extending through the handle into the socket transversely of the direction in which the hub is entered into the socket, and which screw is tightened into engagement.with the hub.

4. A door or like handle assembly according to claim 3 wherein the hub has a groove in its surface disposed transversely of the direction in which the hub is entered into the socket, and the screw is tightened into engagement with the hub in the groove.

5. A door or like handle assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the hub has a shank which is journalled in the attachment plate for the rotation of the hub relative to the attachment plate.

6. A door or like handle assembly according to claim 5 wherein a housing is located inside or behind the attachment plate, the shank extends into the housing, a spiral spring is accommodated in the housing and is arranged such that it operatively engages with the shank to urge the hub, and thereby the handle, to an initial angular position relative to the attachment plate, and a drive plate is rotatable with the shank and is engageable with stop means at the housing to limit the extent of the angular movement of the drive plate and the handle.

7. A door or like handle assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the handle has a face which lies close to the front surface of the attachment plate, and at least one hole for a fixing screw for securing the attachment plate to a door or the like for use is provided in the attachment plate and opens through the front surface opposite the said face of the handle such that when the handle assembly is fitted for use said face will overlie a fixing screw engaged in the hole.

8. In combination and adapted for use in a door or like handle assembly of the kind described an attachment plate and a hub the hub being rotatable relative to the attachment plate, being adapted to have a handle of the assembly detachably mounted on and rotatable with it, and being engaged with, or adapted to be engaged, with a spindle for turning the spindle.

9. A door or like handle assembly substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.