GB2201994A

GB2201994A - Door reinforcing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2201994A
Application number: GB8804191A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neville Keith Mcdonald
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-23
Filing date: 1988-02-23
Publication date: 1988-09-14
Also published as: GB8704137D0; GB8804191D0

Abstract

Door reinforcing apparatus comprising a lock housing (2) for fitting over a mortise lock from an edge (4) of a door (6) in which the mortise lock is fitted, and fixing means (8) for fixing the lock housing (2) to the door, the lock housing (2) being larger than the mortise lock, and the lock housing (2) having first and second side walls (10,12) and an end wall (14) which define an open-ended cavity (16) which receives the edge (4) of the door (6), the first and the second side walls (10, 12) each having a key aperture (18) for receiving a mortise key for the mortise lock, and the end wall (14) having a lock bolt aperture (20) for receiving a bolt part of the mortise lock so that the bolt part of the mortise lock can pass backwards and forwards through the lock bolt aperture (20) during operation of the mortise lock. Reinforcement elements for the lock keeper and door hinge are also disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

DOOR REINFORCING APPARATUS This invention relates to door reinforcing apparatus.

Doors can be locked with either mortise locks or yale locks. The mortise locks are generally regarded as providing a more secure fitting than yale locks because the yale locks fit to the surface of the door whereas the mortise locks are set into the door. Even with mortise locks, criminals can sometimes force their way into an establishment by kicking or otherwise applying pressure to the door until the wood in which the mortise lock is set spinters and breaks. Such action on the part of criminals is becoming more and more frequent.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, this invention provides door reinforcing apparatus comprising a lock housing for fitting over a mortise lock from an edge of a door in which the mortise lock is fitted, and fixing means for fixing the lock housing to the door, the lock housing being larger than the mortise lock, and the lock housing having first and second side walls and an end wall which define an open-ended cavity which receives the edge of the door, the first and second side walls each having a key aperture for receiving a mortise key for the mortise lock, and the end wall having a lock bolt aperture for receiving a bolt part of the mortise lock so that the bolt part of the mortise lock can pass backwards and forwards through the lock bolt aperture during operation of the mortise lock.

The housing can be manufactured in various ways.

Thus, for example, the housing may be bent from a single sheet of metal. Alternatively, the first and second side walls and the end wall can be formed separately from each other and subsequently welded together.

The key apertures and the lock bolt aperture will usually be elongate apertures.

Preferably, the fixing means are screw bolts which each connect to both the first and the second side walls of the lock housing.

The screw bolts may-pass through sleeves with the screw bolts having flat heads which abut the outside of the first and the second side walls.

Preferably, the screw bolts have Allen key formations for enabling the bolts to be tightened. Other formations such for example as straight slots or cross-shaped slots may be employed. The bolts may be recessed into either of the first or the second side walls.

The first and the second side walls of the lock housing may be provided with apertures for receiving screws for fixing into the door.

The door reinforcing apparatus may include an angle member for fitting to a door jamb about a lock keeper in the doorjamb, the angle member having a front wall with a lock keeper aperture for receiving the lock bolt, and fastener apertures for receiving fastener means for securing the angle member to the door jamb.

Usually, the fastener means for the angle member will be screws for screwing into the door jamb.

The door reinforcing apparatus may also include a hinge housing for fitting over a hinge about which the door opens and shuts, and fixing means for fixing the hinge housing to the door, the hinge housing being larger than the hinge, the hinge housing having first and second side walls and an end wall which define an open-ended cavity which receives an edge of the door to which the hinge is fitted, the hinge housing having a hinge aperture through which the hinge projects, and a pair of projecting members which project outwardly from the end wall and which engage in complementary recesses in the doorjambwhen the door is closed, and the door reinforcing apparatus including receiver means for receiving the projecting members.

The receiver means may comprise a separate member for each projecting member. Alternatively, the receiver means may comprise a single member for receiving the two projecting members, in which case the single receiver member will be provided with a hinge aperture for enabling one side of the hinge to be secured to the door jamb.

The fixing means for the hinge housing may be screw bolts which each connect to both the first and the second side walls of the hinge housing.

The fixing means of the hinge housing may be the same as that employed for the lock housing. The hinge housing may also have screw apertures for receiving screws as mentioned above in connection with the lock housing.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lock housing; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an angle member for fitting to a door jamb; Figure 3 shows part of the lock housing and illustrates how it is fitted to an edge of a door; Figure 4 shows a lock housing which is like that shown in Figure 1 but which is for fitting to a glazed door; Figure 5 shows a hinge housing for fitting to an edge of a door, and receiver means for receiving part of the hinge housing; and Figure 6 is an exploded view of the arrangement shown in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3, there is shown door reinforcing apparatus comprising a lock housing 2. The lock housing 2 is for fitting over a mortise lock (not shown) from an edge 4 of a door 6 in which the mortise lock is fitted. The door reinforcing apparatus 2 also comprises fixing means 8 for fixing the lock housing 2 to the door 6.

The lock housing 2 is larger than the mortise lock. The lock housing 2 has a first. side wall 10, a second side wall 12 and an end wall 14. The first and second side walls 10,12 and the end wall 14 define an open-ended cavity 16 which receives the edge 4 of the door 6.

The first and second side walls 10,12 each have a key aperture 18 for receiving a mortise key (not shown) for the mortise lock. As shown, the key apertures are square.

The end wall 14 has a lock bolt aperture 20 for receiving a bolt part (not shown) of the mortise lock so that the bolt part of the mortise lock can pass backwards and forwards through the lock bolt aperture 20 during operation of the mortise lock. As shown, the lock bolt aperture 20 is rectangular.

The lock housing 2 can be made from a single sheet of metal by appropriately bending the sheet of metal to form the first side wall 10, the second side wall 12 and the end wall 14. The various apertures in the first and second side walls 10,12 and the end wall 14 would obviously normally be formed prior to the bending of the sheet of metal. Alternatively, the first and the second side walls 10,12 and the end wall 14 can be separately formed and then welded together.

As shown in Figure 3, the fixing means 8 are screw bolts 22 which each connect to both the first and the second side walls 10,12 of the lock housing 2. The second side wall 12 is provided with apertures 24 for receiving the heads 26 of the bolts 22. The door-facing surfaces 28,30 of the first and second side walls 10,12 tightly engage the sides of the door 6, The bolts 22 screw into nuts 32 which locate in apertures 33 in the first side wall 10. There are five apertures 53,24 respectively in each of the first and the second side walls 10,12, for receiving five screw bolts 22. The first and the second side walls 10,12 are also provided with apertures 34 for receiving fastener means in the form of screws for screwing directly into the door 6.

The key apertures 18 can be made slightly oversize as shown ' to accommodate various possible required positions depending upon different types of mortise locks employed such for example as Chubb or 5-lever mortise locks. A key plate 35 is fixed over the key aperture 18 to close it down appropriately as may be required. Similarly the lock bolt aperture 20 may also be an oversize aperture to take various sizes and positions of door lock bolt. An aperture 37 for a handle shaft can be provided where desired in the first and the second side walls 10,12.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown part of door reinforcing apparatus in the form of an angle member 36. The angle member 36 is for fitting to a door jamb (not shown) about a lock keeper (not shown ) in the door jamb.

The angle member has a front wall 38 with a lock keeper aperture 40 for receiving the lock bolt. The angle member 36 also has a side wall 42. The front wall 38 and the side wall 42 are provided with fastener apertures 44 for receiving fastener means in the form of screws for securing the angle member 36 to the door jamb.

It will be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that the door is reinforced on both sides of the mortise lock by using the lock housing 2 and also the angle member 36. When the lock housing 2 is fitted to the edge 4 of the door 6, the edge 4 of the door 6 will be rebated by a distance equal to the thickness of the end wall 14 so that the lock housing 2 will not extend beyond the edge 4 of the door 6. The end wall 14 is provided with apertures 46 for receiving screws like the apertures 34. The screw bolts 22 pass through sleeves 47 and the sleeves 47 help to provide extra strength.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a lock housing 2 similar to that shown in Figure i except that the lock housing 2 shown in Figure 4 is narrower. The lock housing 2 shown in Figure 4 is for a glazed door having only a relatively thin outer frame. In other respects, the lock housing 2 in Figure 4 is substantially the same as the lock housing 2 shown in Figure 1 so that similar parts have been given the same reference numerals and their precise construction and operation will not again be given.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, there is shown part of door reinforcing apparatus which includes a hinge housing 48 for fitting over a hinge 50 about which the door 6 opens and shuts. The door reinforcing apparatus also includes fixing means which are the same as the screw bolts 22 described above.

Because the hinge housing 48 is of the same basic construction as the lock housing 2, similar parts have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. It will thus be seen that the hinge housing 48 has first and second side wallsa10,12 and an end wall 14. The first and the second side walls 10,12 and the end wall 14 define an open-ended cavity 60 which receives an edge 52 of the door 6 to which the hinge 50 is fitted.

The hinge housing 48 has a hinge aperture 54 through which the hinge 50 projects.

The hinge housing 48 has a pair of projecting members 56,58 which project outwardly from the end wall 14 and which engage in complementary recesses 60,62 in a door jamb 64 when the door 6 is closed.

The door reinforcing apparatus also includes receiver means in the form of a pair of plate members 66,68. It will be seen that each plate member 66,68 has a front wall 70 having an aperture 71 for receiving the projecting members 56,58. The front wall 70 also has four apertures 72 for receiving fastener means in the form of screws for fastening the plate members 66,68 to the door jamb 64. The plate members 66,68 also each have pegs 74 for fixing to the side of the door jamb 64 as shown in Figure 5.

The apparatus shown in Figures 5 and 6 enables the hinge part of the door 6 to be reinforced against being kicked or otherwise pushed in.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the apertures 24 and the screw bolts 22 can be omitted from the hinge housing 48 if desired. Also, other positions for the various apertures shown in the drawings can be employed.

Also, the door reinforcing apparatus of the present invention can be made and sold in the various illustrated parts and not all of the various illustrated.parts need to be fitted to one door.

Claims

1. Door reinforcing apparatus comprising a lock housing for fitting over a mortise lock from an edge of a door in which the mortise lock is fitted, and fixing means for fixing the lock housing to the door, the lock housing being larger than the mortise lock,and the lock housing having first and second side walls and an end wall which define an open-ended cavity which receives the edge of the door, the first and second side walls each having a key aperture for receiving a mortise key for the mortise lock, and the end wall having a lock bolt aperture for receiving a bolt part of the mortise lock so that the bolt part of the mortise lock can pass backwards and forwards through the lock bolt aperture during operation of the mortise lock.

2. Door reinforcing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the fixing means are screw bolts which each connect to both the first and the second side walls of the lock housing.

3. Door reinforcing apparatus according to claim 2 in which the screw bolts have Allen key formations for enabling the bolts to be tightened.

4. Door reinforcing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and the second side walls of the lock housing are provided with apertures for receiving screws for fixing into the door.

5. Door reinforcing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including an angle member for fitting to a door jamb about a lock keeper in the door jamb, the angle member having a front wall with a lock keeper aperture for receiving the lock bolt, and fastener apertures for receiving fastener means for securing the angle member to the door jamb.

6. Door reinforcing apparatus according to claim 5 in which the fastener means for the angle member are screws for screwing into the door jamb.

7. Door reinforcing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a hinge housing for fitting over a hinge about which the door opens and shuts, and fixing means for fixing the hinge housing to the door, the hinge housing being larger than the hinge, the hinge housing having first and second side walls and an end wall which define an open-ended cavity which receives an edge of the door to which the hinge is fitted, the hinge housing having a hinge aperture through which the hinge projects, and a pair of projecting members which project outwardly from the end wall and which engage in complementary recesses in the door jamb when the door is closed, and the door reinforcing apparatus including receiver means for receiving the projecting members.

8. Door reinforcing apparatus according to claim 7 in which the receiver means comprises a separate members for each projecting member.

9. Door reinforcing apparatus according to claim 7 in which the receiver means comprises a single member for receiving the two projecting members, the single receiver member being provided with a hinge aperture for enabling one side of the hinge to be secured to the door jamb.

10. Door reinforcing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9 in which the fixing means for the hinge housing are screw bolts which each connect to both the first and the second side walls of the hinge housing.

11. Door reinforcing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10 in which the hinge housing has screw apertures for receiving screws for screwing into the door.

12. Door reinforcing apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.