GB2212545A

GB2212545A - Glazing system

Info

Publication number: GB2212545A
Application number: GB8827020A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Andrew Robins; Michael John Keavey; Keith Stanley Macdonald; Glyn Howard Davies
Original assignee: Cego Ltd
Current assignee: Cego Ltd
Priority date: 1987-11-20
Filing date: 1988-11-18
Publication date: 1989-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-11-18
Also published as: GB8827020D0; GB2212545B

Abstract

A glazing system in which a glazing panel 20 is retained in an externally facing rebate of a frame 2 by means of a bead 18 which is fitted to the frame outwardly of the panel is provided with security brackets 30 at spaced intervals around the frame for preventing removal of the panel from the outside when the bead has been removed. Each security bracket 30 has a fixing portion 32 which extends between the edge of the panel 20 and the base 4 of the rebate and is secured to the frame, and an outer panel retaining flange 36 which engages the outer face of the panel 20. The fixing portion 32 of each bracket 30 may be secured to the frame in a variety of ways, for example by having a portion shaped to engage with a retaining portion of the frame, or by means of a fixing screw or pin attached to the base of the rebate through an opening in the fixing portion 32. <IMAGE>

Description

GLAZING SYSTEM The present invention relates to glazing systems in which a glazing panel is fixed in a frame, such as a window frame, which is of the type having an externally facing rebate.

Various proposals have been made for fixing glazing panels into an outwardly facing rebate of a frame.

Such systems typically use an extruded, relatively rigid, external glazing bead which is fitted to the frame outwardly of the glazing panel, after the panel has been fitted, in order to hold the panel in place.

While it is desirable to be able to remove this bead readily in order to replace the glazing panel, such an arrangement does present a security problem since it is thus relatively easy for an intruder to remove the bead, and hence the glazing panel, from the outside in order to gain access through the window or other glazed opening.

The technical problem of providing a secure glazing system comprising a frame with an outwardly facing rebate and an externally fitted bead for retaining the glazing panel has been approached in the past by using special methods of fixing the bead to the frame so that it is difficult to remove. See, for example, GB-A-2 110 85 and GB-A-2 144 477.

According to the invention this problem is solved by providing the glazing system with at least one security bracket for preventing removal of the panel from the frame from the outside when the bead has been removed, the or each security bracket comprising a fixing portion which is located in the rebate between the frame and an edge of the panel and is secured to the frame, and a panel retaining flange which engages the outer face of the panel adjacent said edge thereof.

Preferably there is at least one security bracket secured to the frame adjacent each of two opposite edges of the glazing panel, and preferably there are two security brackets secured to the frame adjacent each of the two edges such that the brackets are positioned near the opposite ends of each edge. The two opposite edges of the panel may be at the head and sill of the frame or at the sides (jambs) of the frame, and if desired there may be at least one security bracket secured to the frame adjacent each edge of the glazing panel.

As will be appreciated, with a glazing system in accordance with the invention a would-be intruder will not be able to remove the glazing panel after removing the retaining bead, since the panel will still be retained by the retaining flanges of the security brackets and the brackets are secured to the frame such that they cannot be removed from the outside alone.

In one embodiment of the invention, the or each security bracket has a T-shaped flange at the inner edge of the fixing portion which engages in a correspondingly shaped groove of the frame, for example a weather strip groove, to attach the bracket to the frame. In order to allow the T-shaped flange of the bracket to enter the groove, the facing nibs defining the entrance of the groove are removed over a portion of the length of the respective frame member, and once the panel is in position the bracket is then slid along the frame member to a position at which the T-shaped flange is retained in the groove by the remaining portions of the nibs. The bracket may be restrained relative to the frame, such as by application of silicone sealant or some other sealing medium.

In an another embodiment, the or each security bracket is secured to the frame by means of the fixing portion sitting within a channel formed at the base of the rebate between the wall of the rebate and a bead retaining nib provided on the base. The bracket thus seats in the base of the rebate rather like a setting block, and a section of the bead retaining nib must be removed to allow the bracket to enter the base of the rebate during assembly of the glazing system. As in the previous embodiment the bracket is then slid along the frame member to a position where it is retained by the nib and may be suitably restrained from further sliding movement.

In an alternative arrangement, the or each security bracket may be secured to the frame by a headed member, such as a screw, pin, or rivet having a shaft which passes through an opening in the fixing portion of the bracket and a further opening in the base of the rebate.

In this case, the security bracket preferably has an L-shaped cross-section of which one arm is formed by the panel retaining portion and the other arm is formed by the fixing portion. This arrangement has the advantage that the bracket can be inserted into position without requiring any modification of the frame as in the embodiments described earlier, although it will of course be necessary to make provision for the connection of the headed retaining members to the frame.

The opening in the fixing portion of the or each security bracket may take the form of a simple hole which is oversized relative to the shaft and head of the headed member to allow the fixing portion to be located over the head of the member during assembly of the glazing system. Alternatively, the opening in the fixing portion may take the form of a suitably shaped slot which opens at either the inner edge or a side edge of the fixing portion to allow entry of the shaft of the headed member during assembly of the system.

In each case, each security bracket is inserted between the respective edge of the panel and the frame after the panel has been placed in position in the rebate of the frame, and the bracket manipulated until the retaining member is properly located in the hole or slot of the fixing portion. The subsequent insertion of an internal wedge between the wall of the rebate and the inner face of the glazing panel then locks the security bracket in position by displacing the panel in an outward direction, causing the bracket to move with it (as a result of the engagement of the panel retaining flange with the outer face of the panel) until the shaft of the headed retaining member engages the edge of the hole or the terminal end of the slot such that the bracket cannot be disengaged from the member.

Embodiments constructed in this manner have the further advantage that while effectively preventing an intruder from removing the glazing panel after removing the retaining bead, they allow the panel to be removed easily by an authorised person. All that is necessary is for the internal wedge to be removed from the inside so that the panel can be displaced inwards by a sufficient amount to allow the security brackets to be disengaged from the headed retaining members and withdrawn from the outside.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a security bracket for a glazing system in which a glazing panel is retained in an externally facing rebate of a frame by means of a bead which is fitted to the frame outwardly of the panel, the bracket comprising a fixing portion for location in the rebate between the frame and an edge of the panel, the fixing portion having means for cooperating with the frame or a member attached thereto to secure the bracket to the frame, and a panel retaining flange for engaging the outer face of the glazing panel to prevent removal of the panel from the frame from the outside when the bead has been removed.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section through the frame and a security bracket at one edge of the glazing panel in a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 but showing a second embodiment; Figure 3 is another view similar to that of Figure 1, showing a third embodiment; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a security bracket as used in the embodiment shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative form of security bracket which may be used in the embodiment of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of another form of security bracket which may be used in the embodiment of Figure 3; and, Figure 7 is another view similar to that of Figure 1, showing a further embodiment.

Figure 1 shows a cross-section through an elongate frame member 2 which forms the head or sill of a window frame. The frame member 2 is an extruded section of aluminium or plastics material, for example uPVC, and has a conventional profile defining an outwardly facing rebate with a base 4 and an upstanding wall 6. Near the upper edge of the wall 6 there is a T-shaped groove 8 having its entrance defined by two facing nibs 10,12. This groove 8 is intended to receive a co-operating portion of an internal weather strip (not shown) and is referred to herein as the weather strip groove 8.

On the base 4 of the rebate towards its outer edge, the frame member 2 is provided with two further nibs 14,16 which define mutually facing recesses adapted to receive oppositely projecting flanges of a glazing bead 18 to secure the bead to the frame. The bead serves to hold a glazing panel 20 within the rebate of the frame and also to carry an external weather strip (not shown), the panel 20 being supported in position within the frame by shims and wedges (also not shown) in a conventional manner.

The panel 20 is also held in the frame by a number of security brackets 22, of which one is shown in section in Figure 1. Each bracket 22 has a uniform section section along its length, which may be about 25mms, and may be cut from an extruded aluminium strip of the same section. In the present embodiment it is proposed that two such brackets 22 should be provided spaced apart along the length of both of the head and sill members of the frame. Further brackets could be provided where the frame is of particularly large dimensions, and if desired brackets may be located in the jambs of the frame instead of or as well as in the head and sill.

Each security bracket 22 has a profile which defines a channel section 24 sized to receive an edge of the glazing panel 20.. The inner wall 26 of the channel section engages the inner face of the panel 20 and carries a T-shaped flange 28 which is received and retained by the weather strip groove 8 of the frame.

The outer wall 29 of the channel section engages the outer surface of the glazing panel 20, and thus forms a panel retaining flange. As can be seen from Figure 1, even if the bead 18 is removed, the glazing panel 20 is retained by the wall 29 of each bracket 22, which in turn is retained by the engagement of the T-shaped flange 28 in the groove 8.

In order to assemble a window incorporating the security brackets 22, it is first necessary to prepare the head and sill members of the frame by removing an approximately 60mm length of the nibs 10 and 12 from the central portions of the head and sill members. Two brackets 22 are slid over each of the top and bottom edges of the glazing panel 20 until they sit side by side centrally of the panel. Silicone sealant is then applied to the opposite ends of the weather strip groove 8 of both the head and sill members of the frame, and the glazing panel with its security brackets attached is positioned in the window frame with the T-shaped flanges 28 of the brackets seating in the central portions of the weather strip grooves from which the nibs have been removed.The brackets 22 are then slid away from each other along the top and bottom edges of the panel towards each end of the head and sill members of the frame. During this sliding motion, the T-shaped flanges 28 are retained within the respective weather strip groove 8. At this stage the panel 20 may be shimmed up to the required height and further silicone sealant applied to each end of the brackets to prevent any further movement. In Figure 1 the edge of the panel 20 is shown spaced from the base of channel section 24 to illustrate the effect of shimming. The glazing of the frame is then completed in the normal way by fitting the bead 18 and the gaskets and wedges (not shown) in the usual manner.

The embodiment shown in Figure 2 is essentially the same as that of Figure 1 except for the construction of the security brackets and the way in which they are secured to the frame. In this case each security bracket 30 comprises a rectangular box section portion 32 which is dimensioned to fit in a channel formed at the base 4 of the frame rebate between the upstanding wall 6 and the bead retaining nib 14. The security bracket 30 also includes an L-sectioned flange 34 which extends outwards over the nib 14 from the upper edge of the box portion 32 and then at right angles to form an upstanding retaining flange portion 36 which engages against the outer surface of the glazing panel 20.

In order to assemble a window incorporating the brackets 30, it is necessary to modify both the head and sill members 2 of the frame by removing an approximately 60mm length of the bead-retaining nib 14 centrally from each member. The glazing panel 20 is then positioned in the frame, and two brackets 30 are pushed between each of the upper and lower edges of the panel and the base 4 of the rebate so that their box portions 32 pass through the central gap cut in the respective nib 14, and the retaining flange portions 36 lie adjacent the outer face of the panel. The security brackets 30 are then slid in opposite directions along the base 4 of the rebate behind the bead retaining nib 14 at the head and sill of the frame. Silicone sealant can be used as in the previous embodiment to prevent further movement of these brackets once they have been moved to the required position. Completion of the glazing is then carried out by fitting the bead 18 and the gaskets and wedges (not shown) in the usual manner.

Once glazing is complete, lateral movement of the brackets 20,30 in each of the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2 is prevented not only by the silicone sealant but also by any setting blocks used in the base of the rebate and by corner weld flashing. The internal wedge (not shown) will also prevent lateral movement of the brackets. Therefore, it would be extremely difficult for an unauthorised person who had removed the bead 18 to return the security brackets to the portion of the head or sill members where the nibs have been removed in order to disengage the brackets from the frame to allow the glazing panel to be taken out of the frame from the outside.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 each security bracket 40 is formed by an L-shaped member having a fixing flange 42 and a panel retaining flange 44. The fixing flange 42 projects into the rebate of the frame 2 between the base 4 of the rebate and the adjacent edge of the glazing panel 20, and the flange 44 engages with the outer face of the panel 20. The fixing flange 42 is provided with an opening 46 through which passes a self-tapping screw 48 which is screwed to the base of the rebate in the frame. As shown in Figure 4, the opening 46 in this embodiment is a circular hole which is oversized relative to the head 50 of the screw 48 to allow the fixing portion to be fitted over the head during assembly of the system. The opening 46 is thus also oversized relative to the shaft of the screw 48 and allows the bracket 40 a limited amount of lateral movement once fitted over the screw.In the installed position shown in Figure 3, the bracket 40 has been slid outwardly so that the head 50 of the screw 48 overlies the edge of the opening 46 to lock the bracket in position. The bracket and the glazing panel 20 are maintained in the positions shown in Figure 1 by an internal wedge (not shown) inserted between the upstanding wall 6 of the rebate and the inner face of the panel 20.

Instead of the screw 48 a headed pin may be used, in which case it will be push fitted into a clearance hole provided at the required position in the base 4 of the rebate. Another alternative is to use a 'peel-back' rivet which will be slidable in the clearance hole but will have its end remote from the head splayed to limit the amount the rivet can be withdrawn from the hole to that necessary to allow the fixing portion of the bracket to be located under the head.

Two alternative forms of the bracket 40 used in the embodiment of Figure 3, in which the hole 46 is replaced by a slot to facilitate assembly and removal of the brackets, are shown in Figures 5 and 6.

In the construction shown in Figure 5 the bracket 40' has a slot 52 which opens at a side edge of the fixing flange 42 and has an enlarged entrance 54 for guiding the shaft of the headed member into the slot 52 when the bracket is moved into position. The slot 52 extends from the edge of the flange 42 to the centre and there turns through 900 and terminates at 55 the same distance from the free longitudinal edge of the fixing flange 42 as does the periphery of the hole 46 in the bracket 40 of Figure 4. This form of bracket 40 must be produced in two mirror image versions for use in the opposite jambs of the window frame so that the entrance 54 of the slot 52 always faces the sill of the frame, otherwise the bracket may slide out of engagement with the headed member when the window frame is in a vertical position during installation of the glazing panel.

The construction of the bracket 40" shown in Figure 6 overcomes the need to produce two different versions of the bracket for use in the right and left hand jambs respectively. In the bracket 40" the slot 56 is T-shaped, with the base of the T opening at 58 centrally in the free longitudinal edge of the fixing flange 42. Each end 60,62 of the head of the T-shaped 0 slot 56 turns through 90 to terminate the same distance from the free longitudinal edge of the flange 42 as does the periphery of the hole 46 in the bracket 40 of Figure 4.

It would also be possible to define other shapes of opening in the fixing flange of the bracket. For example a keyhole shape could be used with the narrower portion of the keyhole adjacent the free longitudinal edge. of the flange 42 so that the shaft of the headed member is received in this narrower portion in the installed position of the glazing panel.

The security brackets of Figures 4,5 and 6 are preferably made of metal, for example aluminium, and in use several such brackets are positioned at intervals around the frame. Preferably two brackets are used in each jamb, each approximately 5cm in from the internal corner of the frame.

In order to assemble a window incorporating security brackets as shown in Figure 4,5 or 6, self-tapping screws 48 or other headed members are first fixed to the base 4 of the frame rebate where the brackets are to be located. The members 48 are inserted about 7mm from the upstanding wall 6 of the rebate, so that the heads 50 are just spaced from the wall 6 by 2-3mm and are also spaced above the base 4 by at least the height of the bead retaining nib 14 plus the thickness of the flange 42.

If, headed pins are used instead of screws these are simply push fitted into clearance holes at the corresponding positions in the base of the rebate. In this case the pins may be pushed fully down so that the heads rest on the base. This makes it easier to install the glazing panel.

If rivets are to be used as the headed members as mentioned earlier, these are inserted through holes in the base of the rebate at the required positions with suitable spacers (e.g. slotted steel bars) located between the base and the heads of the rivets. The end of each rivet projecting through the base is then splayed to secure the rivet by pulling a mandrel through the rivet using a special tool in a manner similar to a 'pop' rivet. The spacers are then pulled or levered out from beneath the heads to allow the rivets to be pushed down to facilitate installation of the glazing panel.

The glazing panel 20 is then positioned in the window frame and the required brackets are slid over the edges of the panel in the regions of the already installed headed members. Each bracket is then manipulated to engage the shaft of the respective member 48 in the hole or slot of the fixing flange 42 of the bracket.

In the case of the bracket 40 of Figure 4 this involves sliding the fixing flange 42 over the head of the member until the head passes through the hole 46, and in the case of the bracket 40' as shown in Figure 5 this involves sliding the bracket towards the wall 6 of the rebate to one side of the member and then laterally along the rebate towards the member so that the shaft enters the slot 52 and becomes positioned in the portion between the centre and the end 55. In the case of the bracket 40" shown in Figure 6 the bracket is slid towards the wall 6 of the rebate so that the shaft of the member 48 enters and moves along the centre leg of the T-shaped slot 56, and is then slid laterally along the rebate towards the sill of the frame to bring the shaft to the corresponding end 60,62 of the slot 56.

If pins or rivets are used as the headed members, the heads of the members must first be raised from the base 4 of the rebate using a screwdriver or similar tool in order to allow engagement of the brackets with the shafts of the members.

The glazing panel 20 is then shimmed to the required position and the glazing completed in the normal way by fitting the bead 18 and gaskets (not shown) and by the insertion of wedges on the inner side of the glazing panel. The insertion of these wedges between the upstanding wall 6 of the frame rebate and the internal surface of the glazing panel 20 pushes the glazing panel outwardly towards the bead 18 and thereby also pushes the security brackets outwardly so that the shafts of the headed members engage the inner edges of the holes 46 or the ends of the slots 52,56, and the heads overlie the adjacent portions of the flanges 42.

The brackets are therefore firmly locked in position and, even if the bead 18 is removed, the brackets which are held by the headed members cannot be removed to release the glazing panel from the outside. As can be seen from Figure 3, the presence of the glazing panel prevents removal of the headed members even though, in the case of pins, these may not be tightly engaged in the holes in the base of the rebate.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 7 is similar to that of Figure 3 in that each of the security brackets 70 is formed as an L-shaped member having a fixing flange 72 and a panel retaining flange 74. In this case, however, the fixing flange 72 is wider so that it extends right up to the upstanding wall 6 of the frame rebate, and the fixing flange 72 is secured to the frame by means of a screw 76 (or alternatively a pin or rivet) which is fitted through aligned holes in the flange 72 and the base 4 of the rebate close to the upstanding wall 6 of the rebate.This arrangement facilitates assembly of the window by enabling the fixing screws 76 to be inserted after the glazing panel 20 and the security brackets 70 have been placed and positioned in the frame, the screws being inserted through the clearance which can be formed between the inner face of the panel 20 and the wall 6 of the rebate. Once the screws 76 have been fixed in position, the glazing is completed as described with reference to the earlier embodiments, the insertion of the internal wedges between the wall 6 and the inner face of the glazing panel 20 holding the panel 20 firmly in position against the panel retaining flanges 74 of the security brackets 70. As will be appreciated, this arrangement prevents any unauthorised removal of the panel 20 from the outside, but allows authorised removal simply by removing the internal wedges from the inside to provide access to the heads 78 of the screws 76 in order for the screws to be removed.

Claims

1. A glazing system in which a glazing panel is retained in an externally facing rebate of a frame by means of a bead which is fitted to the frame outwardly of the panel, the system including at least one security bracket for preventing removal of the panel from the frame from the outside when the bead has been removed, the or each security bracket comprising a fixing portion which is located in the rebate between the frame and an edge of the panel and is secured to the frame, and a panel retaining flange which engages the outer face of the panel adjacent said edge thereof.

2. A glazing system according to claim 1, in which there is at least one security bracket secured to the frame adjacent each of two opposite edges of the glazing panel.

3. A glazing system according to claim 2, in which there are two security brackets secured to the frame adjacent each of the two opposite edges of the panel, the security brackets adjacent each edge being positioned near the opposite ends of the edge.

4. A glazing system according to claim 1, in which there is at least one security bracket secured to the frame adjacent each edge of the glazing panel.

5. A glazing system according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the or each security bracket has a T-shaped flange at the inner edge of the fixing portion which engages in a correspondingly shaped groove of the frame to attach the bracket to the frame.

6. A glazing system according to claim 5, in which the or each security bracket has a channel shaped section, and the edge of the glazing panel is received in the channel.

7. A glazing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the or each security bracket is secured to the frame by means of the fixing portion seating within a channel formed at the base of the rebate between the wall of the rebate and a bead retaining nib provided on the base.

8. A glazing system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, in which means is provided for limiting or preventing movement of the or each security bracket relative to the frame in a direction substantially parallel to the respective edge of the panel.

9. A glazing system according to claim 8, in which the means for limiting or preventing movement of the or each security bracket comprises a sealant material binding the bracket to the frame within the rebate.

10. A glazing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the or each security bracket is secured to the frame by a headed member having a shaft which passes through an opening in the fixing portion of the bracket and a further opening in the base of the rebate.

11. A glazing system according to claim 10, in which the headed member is a screw.

12. A glazing system according to claim 10, in which the headed member is a pin which is axially slidable relative to the frame.

13. A glazing system according to claim 10, in which the headed member is a rivet which is splayed at its end remote from the head to limit the amount the rivet can-be withdrawn from the frame.

14. A glazing system according to any one of claims 10 to 13, in which the or each security bracket has an L-shaped cross-section of which one arm is formed by the panel retaining portion and the other arm is formed by the fixing portion.

15. A glazing system according to claim 14, in which the opening in the fixing portion. of the or each security bracket is oversized relative to the shaft and head of the headed member to allow the fixing portion to be fitted over the head of the member during assembly of the glazing system, the bracket subsequently being moved laterally outwards relative to the member to bring the edge of the opening under the head of the member to prevent removal of the bracket and being retained in this position when the glazing panel is displaced in the outward direction by the insertion of an internal wedge between the wall of the rebate and the inner face of the panel.

16. A glazing system according to claim 14, in which the opening in the fixing portion of the or each security bracket is a slot which enters at a side edge of the fixing portion, extends substantially parallel to the retaining flange, and turns through 900 towards the inner edge of the bracket before terminating short of the inner edge, the shaft of the headed member being relatively movable into and along the slot during assembly of the glazing system and being received and retained in the terminal portion of the slot when the panel is displaced in the outward direction by the insertion of an internal wedge between the wall of the rebate and the inner face of the panel.

17. A glazing system according to claim 14, in which the opening in the fixing portion of the or each security bracket is a slot which enters at the inner edge of the fixing portion, turns through 900 to extend substantially parallel to the retaining flange, and turns through a further 900 back towards the inner edge of the bracket before terminating short of the inner edge, the shaft of the headed member being relatively movable into and along the slot during assembly of the glazing system and being received and retained in the terminal portion of the slot when the panel is displaced in the outward direction by the insertion of an internal wedge between the wall of the rebate and the inner face of the panel.

18. A glazing system according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1, Figure 2, Figures 3 and 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A security bracket for a glazing system in which a glazing panel is retained in an externally facing rebate of a frame by means of a bead which is fitted to the frame outwardly of the panel, the bracket comprising a fixing portion for location in the rebate between the frame and an edge of the panel, the fixing portion having means for cooperating with the frame or a member attached thereto to secure the bracket to the frame, and a panel retaining flange for engaging the outer face of the glazing panel to prevent removal of the panel from the frame from the outside when the bead has been removed.

20. A security bracket according to claim 19, substantially as described with reference to Figure 1, Figure 2, Figures 3 and 4, Figure 5, Figure 6 or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.