GB2196041A

GB2196041A - Window frames

Info

Publication number: GB2196041A
Application number: GB08622863A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Friedrich Hoellrigl
Original assignee: Smith W H & Sons
Current assignee: Smith W H & Sons
Priority date: 1986-09-23
Filing date: 1986-09-23
Publication date: 1988-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2006-09-23
Also published as: GB2196041B; GB8622863D0

Abstract

A window frame includes both an opening to receive an internally glazed hinged sash 47 and an opening for reception of a glazing pane 46 abutting a reverse abutment (52) liner 57. Further the liner can replace an existing beading to convert externally glazed windows to internally glazed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Window frames This invention concerns window frames of a kind fabricated primarily from plastics extrusions, and window assemblies incorporating such frames.

It is well known to secure a window pane or like glazing panel in a rebate in a frame by means of a bead fitted to the frame at one side of the rebate, to trap the peripheral margin of the panel between the bead and an abutment wall of the frame defining the other side of the rebate. Where said one side is at the outside, the window frame is commonly referred to as being externally glazed, and conversely the frame is known as being internally glazed when said one side is at the inside of the frame.

Internal glazing is usual in continental Europe, because the bead is not exposed at the exterior of the buildings and can thus be made to be easily removable e.g. to facilitate replacement of broken windows, and because inwards opening windows are popular. However, in the United Kingdom it is customary to glaze buildings from the outside and outwards opening windows are popular, so that externally glazed frames have been adopted, and as a necessary consequence the glazing beads are exposed at the exterior of the buildings.

It is well known that it is possible to incorporate, in some but not all instances, one or more outwards opening hinged sash framed windows in an internally glazed window assembly incorporating non-opening windows, by constructing the main frame to incorporate reverse butt welds at the junction between portions of the main frame defining a glazing opening, to receive the non-opening glazing panel, and portions of the main frame defining a reception opening, into which the sash frame of the opening window is fitted, and by making welded mitre joints to join the ends of a Z-section or rebate reversing mullion or transom, common to both openings, to said junctions.

The making of such reverse butt welds is particularly exacting, time consuming and expensive, and, if not completed with particular precision, any inaccuracies in the reverse butt welds can give rise to difficulties in making the mitre joints thereby incurring further time, and possibly also materials wastage, costs.

The overall costs are increased by the time required to make the butt and mitre welds visually acceptable; by the increased difficulty in inserting frame stiffening or reinforcing members into the butt welded together portions of the main frame; and by the need to ensure adequate strength in such joints to withstand loads to which these joints are subjected during handling, transportation and installation of the window assembly.

The need for such reverse butt welds similarly arises where an inwards opening window is provided in an externally glazed window assembly.

An object of the invention is to enable the need for and costs of such reverse butt welds to be reduced or avoided.

According to the present invention there is provided a window assembly comprising at least one hinged sash openable window frame mounted in a reception opening in a main frame, wherein the main frame provides a glazing opening to receive a non-opening glazing panel; and characterised in thatt: (a) the glazing and reception openings are rebated similarly to provide abutment walls at one side of the main frame; (b) the openable window frame is glazable from said one side and, in a closed position, occupies said rebate to confront said abutment wall of the reception opening; and (c) said glazing opening is provided with a liner which occupies said rebate, provides an oppositely directed rebate and provides a glazing abutment wall at the other side of the main frame, to permit the non-opening window to be glazed from said one side.

The present invention further provides a window assembly comprising an internally glazed fixed or inwards openable window and at least one outwards openable window mounted in similarly rebated openings of a main frame; the main frame having a rebate reversing liner in the respective opening for each of the fixed or inwards opening windows, to permit said internal glazing of the fixed window or to accept a sash frame of the inwards opening window.

The liner may be a pre-assembled sub-frame fitted into the opening in the main frame, but is preferably formed by securing lengths of a L or T section plastics extrusion to main structural extrusions of the main frame, whereby to permit a relatively low-cost extrusion to be employed for the liner.

The invention further provides an improved glazing bead for use in internal glazing, the bead being a rigid plastics extrusion having longitudinally extending lower formations for engaging a lower run of a window frame, and having an upper web shaped to provide a longitudinally extending upwardly open condensate collection channel spaced apart from a lateral seal engaging formation of the bead.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein: FIGURES 1 to 3 show diagrams taken from a guide for window frame manufacture provided by the applicants for window manufacturers to illustrate some of the steps necessary for forming a main frame (FIGURE 1) incorporating a reverse butt weld (FIGURE 2) and a mitred transom or mullion (FIGURE 3), in well known manner for an internally glazed window assembly incorporating an outwards opening window; FIGURE 4 shows a cross-section through part of a window assembly and glazing bead in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3, the known method of making a main frame 10 of which the left hand portion #defines a glazing opening 12 and the right hand portion defines a reception opening 13, requires: (a) the head and bottom forming structural extrusions 14 to be cut into portions 15 and 16 (FIGURE 2); (b) the portion 16 reversed relative to the portion 15; (c) the portions 15 and 16 to be butt welded precisely at a joint 17, as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 2; (d) the welded together extrusions 14 to be cut at the joint 17 to provide a notch 18; (e) a Z-section mullion extrusion 19 (FIGURE 3) to be mitre cut at each end 20 as indicated in broken lines; and (f) the ends 20 to be mitre welded into the notches 18; in addition to the usual corner welds being made between the stiles 21 and the ends of the extrusions 14, in order that an abutment wall 22 around the opening 12 lies at the outside of a rebate 24 of the main frame, and an equivalent abutment wall 23 around the opening 13 lies at the inside of a rebate 25 of the main frame to receive the outwards opening window sash frame (not shown) whilst permitting internal glazing of the opening 12 and sash frame. The cutting of the extrusions 14 and 19 must include a welding allownace 26 as indicated partially by chain broken lines in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Equivalent steps are necessary for frames in which the openings 12 and 13 are vertically superimposed, except in that the reverse butt welds are made in the stiles and the mitre welds are disposed at the ends of a transom, for which the rebate reversing Z-section extrusion 19 is employed.

In contrast thereto, in the window assembly of the invention shown in FIGURE 4, the structural extension 14 forming the stiles, the head (not shown) and the bottom 40 of the main frame is not reverse butt welded; and a standard T-section extrusion 44 is employed for the mullion (not shown) and the transom 42, so that the main frame provides an abutment wall 43 at the inside end of a rebate 44 around each opening 45 or 46 in the main frame. Where an opening, e.g. the opening 45, is to be closed by an outwards opening window having a sash frame 47, the frame 47 is hinged so that, when closed, it extends across the rebate to confront the wall 43, and the frame 47 is arranged so that a glazing panel 48 can be secured therein by internal beading 49,49A.

Where an opening e.g. the opening 46, is to be closed by an inwards opening window having a sash frame or by a fixed glazing panel, the main frame is provided with a liner 50. The liner 50 comprises lengths of a rigid plastics extrusion which provides: (a) a relatively shallow body portion 51 which occupies the rebate 44 and abuts or extends towards the wall 43; (b) a liner wall 52 at the outside end of the portion 51 to restrict the opening 46; and, optionally, (c) a stop flange 53 which extends away from the wall 52 to overlie the junction of the portion 51 and the rebate 44.

The body portion 51 provides formations 54 which may be employed to receive internal beading 49,49A to secure a fixed glazing panel 55 in the opening 46 between said beading and the liner walls 52.

The liner may be fixed by fasteners 56, bonding or welding to the structural, mullion or transom extrusions 14,41; and, additionally or alternatively, the portion 51 may have formations to engage in formations 60 provided by the extrusions 14,41.

The form of these extrusions 14,41 was originally determined some time ago, and at that time the formations 60 were provided to accept beading for external glazing of the fixed windows. Thus the liner may be employed to convert an existing externally glazed fixed window to an internally glazed fixed or inwards opening window.

Accordingly, the invention further includes a method of converting an externally glazed fixed window to an internally glazed fixed or inwards opening window, by removing the existing beading and panel, inserting the liner 50, and internally glazing said liner or fitting an internally glazed pivotally mounted sash frame into the liner 50.

The bead 49 is of known form, whereas the lower bead 49A incorporates a drainage channel 61 and is drilled to allow liquid to flow down into a drainage system provided in the main frame.

Reinforcement, in the form of shaped metal members 62 may be inserted into the main extrusions during manufacture of the assembly, without impedance by reverse butt welds.

The liner 50 further provides an externally visible relief surround 57 which matches in general form the external appearance of the sash frame, and the wall 52 may be increased to give the surround the same width as the sash frame at a cost of some reduction of the useful glazing area.

The invention is not confined to details of the foregoing example, and many variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

For example, the terms inwards, outwards, internal and external are relative and a converse arrangement of the embodiment described is possible to provide externally glazed fixed and inwards opening windows without reverse butt welding of the main frame. The extrusions may have any suitable sections, of which a large variety of structural, transom, mullion, sash and other frame sections already produced by the applicants are suitable, and the shape and configuration of the liner may be modified to suit such sections.

Claims

1. A window assembly ccmprising at least one hinged sash openable window frame mounted in a reception opening in a main frame, wherein the main frame provides a glazing opening to receive a non-opening glazing panel; and characterised in that: (a) the glazing and reception openings are rebated similarly to provide abutment walls at one side of the main frame; (b) the openable window frame is glazable from said one side and, in a closed position, occupies said rebate to confront said abutment wall of the reception opening; and (c) said glazing opening is provided with a liner which occupies said rebate, provides an oppositely directed rebate and provides a glazing abutment wall at the other side of the main frame, to permit the non-opening window to be glazed from said one side.

2. A window assembly comprising an internally glazed fixed or inwards openable window and at least one outwards openable window mounted in similarly rebated openings of a main frame; the main frame having a rebate reversing liner in the respective opening for each of the fixed or inwards opening windows, to permit said internal glazing of the fixed window or to accept a sash frame of the inwards opening window.

3. A window assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the liner is a pre-assembled sub-frame fitted into the opening in the main frame.

4. A window assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 wherein the liner is formed by securing lengths of an L or T section plastics extrusion to main structural extrusions of the main frame.

5. A window assembly as claimed in Claim 4 as appended to Claim 1 wherein said plastics extrusion provides: (a) a relatively shallow body body portion which occupies the rebate in the main frame and abuts or extends towards the abutment wall of the main frame; and (b) a liner wall at the outside end of the body portion to restrict the opening.

6. A window assembly as claimed in Claim 5 when said plastics extrusion further comprises a stop flange which extends away from the liner wall to overlie the junction of the liner and the rebate in the main frame.

7. A window assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a lower run of the frame or liner is provided with a glazing bead in the form of a rigid plastics extrusion having longitudinally extending lower formations for engaging the lower run of the window frame or liner, and having an upper web shaped to provide a longitudinally extending upwardly open condensate collection channel spaced apart from a lateral seal engaging formation of the bead.

8. A window assembly constructed and arranged to avoid the need for reverse butt welds by incorporating at least one glazing reversing liner in a manner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A window assembly substantially as hereinbefore described and having a glazing opening fitted with a liner substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in FIGURE 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of converting an externally glazed fixed window to an internally glazed fixed or inwards opening window, by removing the existing beading and panel, inserting a rebate reversing liner, and internally glazing said liner or fitting an internally glazed pivotally mounted sash frame into the liner.

11. A method of converting an externally glazed fixed window into an internally glazed fixed or inwards opening window substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGURE 4 of the accompanying drawings.