GB2197677A

GB2197677A - A reinforcing device for door

Info

Publication number: GB2197677A
Application number: GB08726930A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Crothers; Henry Benjamin Sisk
Original assignee: KILHALE Ltd
Current assignee: KILHALE Ltd
Priority date: 1986-11-18
Filing date: 1987-11-18
Publication date: 1988-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 2007-11-18
Also published as: IE863039L; GB8726930D0; GB2197677B; IE57539B1

Abstract

A door stile reinforcing device 1 comprises two separate angle sections 10, 11 fitted respectively to the inner and outer faces of a door stile 2 to reinforce the stile in the region of a mortise for a lock 21. Side legs 15, 16 of the internal and external angle sections 10, 11 include enlarged cut-outs 17, 18 which overlap in use to accommodate a lock bolt. An alternative reinforcing device is of channel construction. The device is generally used in association with an angle section door frame reinforcing device which reinforces the door frame in the region of the lock bolt receiving mortise. <IMAGE>

Description

A REINFORCING DEVICE The invention relates to a reinforcing device for a door, and in particular to a reinforcing device for a door stile and a reinforcing device for a door frame, in particular for timber doors and frames for use in the region of a mortise for receiving a mortise lock or a mortise for receiving a lock receiver.

External doors are usually of the timber frame type and are commonly approximately 2.2 m high, 0.87 n. wide and 35 mm to 50 mm thick. The vertical structural components of the door are know, as stiles and are made from timber sections having a mortise for accommodating a mortise lock. A mortise in the door frame is cut to receive the lock bolt of the mortise lock. Mortise locks may be deadlocks, that is, without a handle and operated only by a key, or sash locks which have two bolts, one of which is operated by turning the handle and the other bolt operated by a key. For a typical mortise lock a mortise of 76 x m is cut in a stile of approximately 45 x 105 mm, thus leaving just 14 am of timber on either side of the lock housing over a vertical distance of 76 mm.Similarly, the mortIse cut in the door frame may leave only 16 mm thickness of timber in the part of the frame which has typical dimensions of 35 -x 45 morn.

Five lever mortise locks are frequently specified as a security requirement by insurance companies, and these locks are effective as long as they are in place.

However, a casual, unplanned, smash-and-grab burglar usually does not attempt to pick the lock. Instead, he normally uses crude methods to break the door or the door frame. This is surprisingly easy as a lever such as a crow bar inserted between the door stile and the frame can cause either or both elements to break at or near where they are weakened by the lock mortises. Indeed, a strong kick or a ahoulder charge may be sufficient in some cases to break the door frame or stile and allow the burglar to gain acces.

To counteract this it is known to provide a reinforcing kit comprising two narrow metal plates which are fixed to opposite faces of the door stile extending approximately 50 mm above and below the mortise. While this solution increases the resistance to bending of the door stile, it provides negligible additional resistance to the shear stresses in the weakened door stile where doors generally break during such crude attacks.

A second counter measure involves fitting a metal reinforcing strip to the inside face of the door frame extending above and below the lock bolt receiver. Again tis 8 reinforcemen; is of assistance bur is only a partial solution, as it does not effectively distribute the shear stresses involved when such an attack is made.

There is, therefore, a need for an improved reinforcing device for a door stile and a door frame to provide enhanced resistance to both shear stress and bending moments and distributes such loads more effectively from the lock bolt and the lock housings to the solid and unweakened parts of the door stile and frame.

Tbis invention is directed towards providing an improved reinforcing device According to the invention there is provided a reinforcing device for reinforcing a door stile or door frame adjacent a mortise, the device comprising an angle member having a facing plate meltlber fnr mounting to a face of a door stile or frame and a side reinforcing plate member for mounting to the side of a door stile or frame.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the side reinforcing plate member includes a cut-out portion to accommodate at least portion of mortise lock or lock receiver.

Preferably, in use, the facing plate member extends above and below the mortise.

Preferably, the side reinforcing plate member also extends, in use, above and below the mortise.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the cut-out is over-size to accommodate a range of sizes of mortise lock or lock receiver.

In one embodiment of the invention the facing plate member includes mounting holes for reception of fixing devices for mounting the device to a door stile or door frame.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the side -reinforcing plate member includes mounting holes for reception of fixing devices for mounting the device to a door stile or door frame.

In a particularly preferred aspect there is provided a reinforcing device for reinforcing a door stile wherein the facing plate member includes a hole for accommodating a lock spindle and a keyhole for receiving a key.

In a specially preferred embodiment of the invention the device comprises two oppositely directed angle members for engagement with opposite faces of a door stile, the side reinforcing members each having a cut-out portion to accommodate at least portion of a mortise lock.

Preferably, the cut-out portions together in use define a slot for accommodating a lock bolt cf a mortise lock.

Ideally, the cut-out portions each comprise enlarged cutout slots which overlap in use to accommodate a range of sizes of lock bolts of mortise locks.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a reinforcing device for reinforcing a door stile, the device being a channel construction, the flanges of the channel defining facing reinforcing plates for mounting to opposite faces of a door stile and the web of the channel defining the side reinforcing plate members.

In one embodiment of the invention the or each side reinforcing plate member is of planar construction for mounting to a planar side face of a door stile or frame.

In another embodiment of the invention the or each side reinforcing plate member is of stepped construction for mounting to a stepped side face of a door stile or frame.

In one aspect or the invention the reirlfelny device is for reinforcing a door frame wherein the cut-out is sized to accommodate at least portion of a mortise bolt receiver plate.

In one aspect, the invention provides a reinforcing device for reinforcing a door stile adjacent a mortise, the device comprising an angle member having a facing plate member for mounting to a face of a door stile and a side reinforcing plate member for mounting to the side of a door stile.

In another aspect, the invention provides a reinforcing device for reinforcing a door frame adjacent a mortise, the device comprising an angle member having a facing plate member for mounting to a face of a door frame and a side reinforcing plate member for mounting to the side of a door frame.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a door lock reinforcing kit comprising a door stile reinforcing device according to the invention and a door frame reinforcing device also according to the invention.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a reinforcing device for a door stile according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device of Fig. 1, in use, Fig, 3 Is a side elevational view of one part of the device of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of another part of the device of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the stile reinforcing device, in use, Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the device of Fig.

1 in use, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a reinforcing device for a door frame according to the invention, Fig. 8 is a = perspective view of the device of Fig. 7 in use, Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 7, Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view on the line X-X i Fig. 9, Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of the devices of Figs. 1 and 7, in use, Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view on the line XII-XiI in Fig. 11, Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a reinforcing device for a door stile according to another embodiment of the invention, Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a reinforcing device for a door frame according to another embodiment of the invention, Fig. 15 is a side elevational view of a reinforcing device for a door frame according to another embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 16 is a cross sectional view on the line XVI-XVI in Fig. 15.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figs. 1 to 12 thereof, there is illustrated a stile reinforcing device indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 for a door stile 2 and a frame reinforcing device indicated generally by the reference numeral 3 for a door frame 4. Both the stile reinforcing device 1 and the door frame reinforcing device 3 are according to the invention and are illustrated in detail in Figs. 1 to 6 and 7 to 10 respectively.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 6 the door stile reinforcing device 1 comprises two separate angle sections, namely an internal angle section 10 and an external angle section 11. The facing leg 13 of the internal angle section 10 is mounted to the internal face of the door stile 2 and the facing leg 14 of the external angle section 11 is fitted to the external face of the door stile 2. Side legs 15,it of the internal and external angle sections 10,11 include enlarged cut-outs 1715 respectively which overlap in use to accommodate the lock bolt 20 of a mortise deadlock 21 mounted in mortise in the door stile 2.Each of the side legs 15,16 also includes four spaced-apart elongate fastening receiving slots 22,23 respectively which also overlap in use to accommodate suitable fastening devices.

The facing legs 13,14 include fixing holes 30,31 respectively for receiving fastening means 32 which are preferably of the flush counter-sunk headless type or threaded pipe welded to one angle 10 or ll. One, and in this case both of the facing legs 13,14 include keyholes 35,36 through which a key is inserted to operate the lock 21.

Typically the angle sections 10,11 are of 1.5 mm thick metal and define, in use, a composite type integrated structure where the lock housing and weakened door stile in the region of the lock housing represent the core material of a sandwich construction which has a limited capacity to resist shear stresses. The composite type construction with the reinforcing angles provides resistance to both shear stress and bending movements and distributes such loads effectively to the solid and unweakened parts of the door stile.

It will be noted that the reinforcing device extends above, below and sidewardly of the mortise to reinforce the door stile.

The overlapping of the cut-out slots 17,18 and the fastening receiving slots 22,23 allow a range of sizes of door stiles to be accommodated by a single door stile reinforcing device 1 according to this embodiment of the invention. In addition, because the reinforcing device is in two separate parts, these may be independently fastened to the door stile using separate fastening devices. This makes the reinforcing device relatively easy to fit as there is no requirement for a single through hole to be drilled through the door stile which will line up with the fastening receiving fixing holes 30,31 so that a single fastening device may be used for fastening the reinforcing device to the door. This adds considerably to the flexibility of the rainfnrcing ng device.It Will also be appreciated that the keyholes 35,36 may be made oversized to accommodate a range of different mortise locks, Spindle holes (not shown) are also provided.

Referring to Fiae, 7 tO 10 the reinforcing device 3 for the door frame 4 is in this case of angle construction for fitting to the jamb of the door frame 4. One of the legs 40 of the angle defines a facing reinforcing plate and the other leg 41 of the angle defines a side reinforcing plate for the jamb 4 of the door frame. The side angle leg 41 includes a cut-back 43 for accommodating the bolt 20 of the mortise deadlock 21. Thus, the reinforcing device also ret | aces a conventional lock receiver plate. Both the facing angle legs 40 and the side angle leg 41 include holes for reception of suitable fastening devices 45. In this case the fastening devices 45 comprise counter-sunk screws however, any suitable fastening devices may be used. In particular, the fastening devices through the side angle leg 41 may engage the masonry surrounding the door frame 4 and in this case the fastening device may cctnprise a Rilti bolt.

It will be noted that the side angle leg 41 extends above, below and sidewardly of the lock bolt receiver cut-back 4.

to reinforce -the door jamb 4. The angle legs 40, 41, reinforce the door jamb and distribute the shear stress and bending moments applied to the unweakened parts of the door frame.

The reinlorcing device 1 and 3 according to this embodiment of the invention will fit may doors as the dimensions in relative locations of the lock bolts, spindle and keyholes are usually standardised. Thus, mortise deadlocks and sash locks are typically either two and a half inches (64mm) or three inches (76mm) deep lock housings.

The use of the reinforcing devices 1,3 according to this embodiment of the invention is also illustrated in Figs.

11. and 12.

Referring to Fig 13 there is illustrated a reinforcing device 50 for a door stile according to another embodiment of the invention. The reinforcing device 50 is in this case of channel construction and comprises a base web 51 which extends in use over the side of the stile 2 and a pair of inwardly directed side flanges elf12 which extend over and embrace portion of both faces of the stile 2. It will be noted that the base web 51 and side flanges 52,53 extend vertically above and below the mortise in the door stile 2 in which the mortise deadlock 20 is mounted. The side flanges 52,53 also extend inwardly of the mortise.

The web 51 includes a cut-out 54 for accommodating the lock bolt 20. The side flanges 52,53 include fixing holes 55 for receiving fastenings 56 which are preferably of the flush counter-sunk headless type. One or both of the flanges 52,53 also includes a keyhole 57 through which a key is inserted to operate the lock 21. The internal width of the base web 51 of the channel is a flush-fit on the door stile 2. Typically the channel is of 1.5 mm thick metal, and defines ine in use a composite type constructIon in which the base web 51 and flanges 52,53 define an integrated structure as in rolled steel joists, while the lock housing and weakened door stile in the region of the lock housing represent the core material of a sandwich construction.This composite type construction provides resistance to both shear stress and bending moments and distribute such loads effectively to the solid and weakened parts of the door stile.

The advantage of using a one piece channel construction is that increased resistance may be achieved however, such an arrangement has a disadvantage over the embodiment described above with reference to Figs, l to 6 in that it can only accommodate a very limited range of door stiles and mortise locks.

Typically the reinforcing device 50 is used in association with a reinforcing device 3 for an associated door frame 4 which is substantially as described above with reference to Figs. 7 to 10 and like parts are assigned the same reference numerals.

Referring to Figs. 15 and 16 there is illustrated a reinforcing device for a door frame indicated generally by the reference numeral 60 according to another embodiment of the invention. The device 60 is of angle construction having a facing leg 61 and a side leg 62. The side leg 62 in this case comprises an elongate cut-out slot 63 which is enlarged to accommodate a range of sizes of block receiver plates 64 and thicknesses of door jamb. The device 60 is fitted in a similar manner to that described above with reference to earlier drawings.

Usually the reinforcing devices for the door frame are of metal construction and approximately 2 mm to 3 mm thick and extend approximately 30 mm above and below the lock receiver plate, and are preferably of equal height to the door stile reinforcing device. Above and below the receiver plates the reinforcing device extends horizontally at least 35 mm from the edge of the frame.

Thus, the arm of the angle has a rectangular cut-out of approximately 35 x 178 mm when the block receiver plate has a vertical height of 178'mum. This cut-out allows the door frame reinforcing angle to be fitted above and below the lock receiving plate, including any projecting lips for a sash bolt.

It will be appreciated that the exposed faces of the door reinforcing devices according to the invention may be decorated in a variety of styles to suite the door type.

However, it is envisaged that in some cases to act as a deterrent it may be preferable not to hide or camouflage the presence of the reinforcing device in any way.

Preferably the height or vertical dimensions of the reinforcing device as fitted to the door and frame should be at least twice that of the mortise which is provided in the frsn. The width of the rein-torcinC device should at least equal that of the mortise.

It will be appreciated that the reinforcing devices may be easily adapted to non-standard configurations of keyhole and lock bolt and lock receiver. While the standard dimensions will allow a limited range of reinforcing devices for the door stile, there are wide ranges of possible reinforcing devices for the door frame. To accomodate variations in the mortise deadlocks larger spindle receiving holes and keyholes may be provided.

Similarly, to accommodate different key sizes, the keyholes cut in the door reinforcing device may be circular or oval shape, and larger than that of the largest common type of key used. In addition, the holes for the lock bolt in both the door stile reinforcing device and the door frame reinforcing device may be slightly larger than that of the lock dimensions to accommodate different lock manufacturers.

It will be appreciated that while preferably both the door stile and door frame are reinforced with a door stile reinforcing device and a door frame reinforcing device according to the invention, only one of the reinforcing devices may be used in some applications. Thus, the invention relates to the door stile reinforcing device per se, the door frame reinforcing device per se, and the kit for reinforcing comprising both the door frame reinforcing device and the door stile reinforcing device.

It will be appreciated that in fitting the door stile reinforcing device and the door frame reinforcing device for both, it may be necessary to cut back the existing door stile and frame over the height of the devices.

Claims

rLt

1. A reinforcing device for reinforcing a door stile or door frame adjacent a mortise, the device comprising an angle member having a facing plate member for mounting to a face of a door stile or frame and a side reinforcing plate member for mounting to the side of a door stile or frame.

2. A reinforcing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side reinforcing plate member includes a cut-out portion to accommodate at least portion of a lock bolt or lock receiver.

3. A reinforcing device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which, in use, the facing plate member extends above and below the mortise,

4. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the side reinforcing plate member extends, in use, above and below the mortise.

5. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4 wherein the cut-out is sized to accommodate a range of sizes of lock bolts or lock receiver.

6. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the facing plate member includes mounting holes for reception of fixing devices for mounting the device to a door stile or door frame.

7. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the side reinforcing plate member includes mounting holes for reception of fixing devices for mounting the device to a door stile or door frame.

8. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 for reinforcing a door stile wherein the facing plate member includes a hole for accommodating a lock spindle and a keyhole for receiving a key.

9. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8 wherein the device comprises two oppositely directed angle members for engagement with opposite faces of a door stile, the side reinforcing members each having a cut-out portion to accommodate at least portion of a lock bolt.

10. A reinforcing device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the cut-out portions in use together define a slot for accommodating a lock bolt.

11. A reinforcing device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the cut-out portions each comprise enlarged cut-out slots which overlap in use to accommodare a range of sizes of lock bolts.

12. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 1 to S for reinforcing a door stile, the device being of channel construction, the flanges of the channel defining facing reinforcing plates for mounting to opposite faces of 8 door stile and the web of the channel defining the side reinforcing plate members.

13. A reinforcing device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each side reinforcing plate member is of planar construction for mounting to a planar side face of a door stile or frame.

14. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 wherein the side reinforcing plate member is of stepped construction for mounting to a stepped side face of a door stile or frame.

15. A reinforcing device as claimed in any of claims 2 to 7 for reinforcing a door frame wherein the cut-out is sized to accommodate at least portion of a lock bolt receiver plate.

16. A reinforcing device for reinforcing a door stile adjacent a mortise, the device comprising an angle member having a facing plate member for mounting to a face of a door stile and a side reinforcing plate member for mounting to the side of a door stile.

17. A reinforcing device for reinforcing a door frame adjacent a mortise, the device comprising an angle member having a facing plate member for mounting to a face of a door frame and a side reinforcing plate member for mounting to the side of a door frame.

18. A door lock reinforcing kit comprising a door stile reinforcing device as claimed in claim 16 and a door frame reinforcing device as claimed in claim 17.

19. A reinforcing device substatially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.