GB2169952A

GB2169952A - A stay

Info

Publication number: GB2169952A
Application number: GB08500745A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yurek Adrian Wronski
Original assignee: Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Current assignee: Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Priority date: 1985-01-11
Filing date: 1985-01-11
Publication date: 1986-07-23
Also published as: GB2169952B; GB8500745D0

Abstract

This invention relates to stays for windows and the like. A stay 10 comprises an elongated base 11 and load carrying arm 12, which is mounted on the base by a number of pivotal struts 13. An end member 15 is provided on the base with a pair of mutually outwardly inclined walls 16 and 17 formed to cooperate with the nose 20 of the arm 12 so as to guide the arm 12 in the initial stages of opening and closing of the stay 10. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A stay This invention relates to stays for windows and the like.

Stays in which an rm supports a window and is mounted on a base for movement between a first position in which the arm overlies the base and a second position in which it extends at an angle to the base are well-known. Before the elements of the stay come into operation on opening, there is, in existing stays, an initially pivotal movement of the arm itself whereby one end of the arm moves initially inwardly. The effect of this is to cause the corresponding corners of the window to dig into the frame resulting in disfiguring marks if not actual damage. To date no real solution has been found other than to place cover strips on the frame. It will be appreciated that such strips add an undesirable expense and are unsightly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved stay.

From one aspect the invention consists in a stay comprising an arm for supporting a load, a base, mounting means for mounting the arm on the base such that the arm can be moved between a first position in which it overlies the base and a second outward position in which it extends at an angle to the base, the base having an outwardly inclined face located such that an end portion of the arm engages the face in the closed position and on opening of the stay the end, and hence the arm as a whole, is forced outwardly by the face.

In a preferred embodiment there is a second outwardly inclined face spaced from the first face such that the end portion is received between the faces in the closed position and is angled and located to engage the end portion during closing to move the end portion against the first face. The end portion may have a pair of mutually inclined edges for engaging respective ones of the faces and the edges may be inclined at approximately the same angle, relative to the longitudinal axis of the base in the closed position, as the respective face. Conveniently the edge which engages the second face is curved.

The first face may be inclined at an angle between 5" and 30 to the longitudinal axis of the base and is preferably between 20 and 25". Similarly the second face may be inclined at an angle of between 50 and 80 to the longitudinal axis of the base and is preferably between 60 and 70".

The faces may be covered by a cap. From another aspect the invention consists in a stay comprising an arm for supporting a load, a base, mounting means for mounting the arm on the base, such that the arm can be moved between a first position which it overlies the base and a second outward position in which it extends at an angle to the base, one end of the arm having a pair of mutually outwardly inclined faces.

The invention has been defined above, but it is to be understood that it also includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in a number of ways and a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure l is a plan view of a stay in its open position; Figure 2 is a side view of the stay in its closed position; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the stay in its closed position.

The stay generally indicated at 10 comprises an elongate base 11 and a load carrying arm 12, which is mounted on the arm by a number of pivotal struts 13 as is well-known in the art. One of the struts is fixed while the other two are mounted at a slider 14 to allow the arm 10 to be moved from a first closed positioned shown in Figure 3 to the second open position shown in Figure 1.

As has been mentioned previously, there is a problem with traditional stays of this type in that the left-hand end of the arm 12 tends to pivot inwardly as a window mounted on the arm 12 is initially opened.

To overcome this problem the applicants' stay 10 is provided with an end member 15 which has a pair of mutually outwardly inclined upstanding walls 16,17 which provide similarly inclined faces 18 and 19. The left-hand end 20 of the arm 12 is cut away so that its edges 21,22 are generaily inclined to match the inclination of the faces 18,19 when the arm is in its closed position. However, the outer edge 22 is slightly curved for reasons explained below.

When a window supported by the arm 12 is closed the arm 12 moves from its open position, as shown in Figure 1, towards the closed position shown in Figures 2 and 3. As it does so the lefthand end portion 20 enters the mouth defined between the two walls 16,17 and the edge 22 engages face 19 causing a straightening pivoting of the arm 12 so that in the closed position the edge 21 fully engages the face 18 with the arm 12 lying parallel with the base 11.

On opening the arm 12 will attempt to perform the initial pivoting movement described above but is prevented from doing so by the engagement between the edge 21 and the face 18. Instead the end portion 20 is forced to slide along the face 18 until the struts 13 come into action and move the arm rapidly away from the base 11. As the face 18 is outwardly inclined relative to the base 11 the effect of the movement of the end portion 20 down the face 18 is to force the arm 12, and hence the window mounted thereon, outwardly and so the corners of the window are at all times heid against digging into the frame.

The inclined nature of the walls 16 and 17 and the edges 21,22 also help to ensure that the stay closes properly over the base and does not overshoot as can sometimes happen with traditional stays.

The walls 16,17 can be capped with a plastic member to improve the overall appearance of the stay and to avoid anything becoming trapped be tween the end 20 and the walls 16 and 17.

Claims

1. A stay comprising an arm for supporting a load, a base, mounting means for mounting the arm on the base such that the arm can be moved between a first position in which it overlies the base and a second outward position in which it extends at an angle to the base, the base having an outwardly inclined face located such that an end portion of the arm engages the face in the closed position and on opening of the stay the end, and hence the arm as a whole, is forced outwardly by the face.

2. A stay as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second outwardly inclined face spaced from the first face such that the end portion is received between the faces in the closed position and is angled and located to engage the end portion during closing to move the end portion against the first face.

3. A stay as claimed in claim 2 wherein the end portion has a pair of mutually inclined edges for engaging respective ones of the faces.

4. A stay as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the edges is inclined at approximately the same angle, relative to the longitudinal axis of the base in the closed position, as the respective face.

5. A stay as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the edge which engages the second face is curved.

6. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the first face is inclined at an angle between 5 and 20 to the longitudinal axis of the base.

7. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the second face is inclined at an angle of between 50 and 80 to the longitudinal axis of the base.

8. A stay as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the faces are formed on an element secured to the base.

9. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the faces are covered by a cap.

10. A stay comprising an arm for supporting a load, a base, mounting means for mounting the means on the base, such that the arm can be moved between a first position in which it over lies the base of a second outward position at which it extends at an incline to the base, one end of the arm having a pair of mutually outwardly inclined faces.

11. A stay substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.