GB2227519A - Door securing means - Google Patents

Abstract

A bolt (11) from a door (10) depresses a spring-biased bolt 26 so that lever 40 causes a further bolt 36 to enter a bore (12) in the door, bolts 26, 36 and lever 40 being mounted in corresponding openings which have been machined in a metal block 21 which is located in a recess in the floor. The part of the door adjacent its bore (12) is strengthened by a U-shaped member (70) which extends around the door edge. <IMAGE>

Description

Door Securing Means The present invention relates to a securing means and more particularly to means for securing a door or similar flap or leaf member.

Securing devices for doors are disclosed for example in GB Patent 1354285 and U.S. Patent 3746642. In these devices, a bolt mounted within the door can be moved outwardly to engage a movable member mounted within the door frame and arranged to actuate further bolts to slide out of the door frame to secure the door.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved securing means which provides a strong fastening with minimum detriment to the appearance of the door set.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided means for securing a door comprising an actuating means which actuates a slidable bolt member, both the actuating means and the first bolt member being mounted in or on the door and an end of the bolt being actuable by the actuating means between a first position, in which it is retracted, and a second position, in which it protrudes from the bottom of the door to engage in a retaining device located in the floor, the retaining device comprising a metal block which has been machined to produce at least first and second spaced parallel bores and a channel extending between the bores, the first and second bores respectively containing first and second movable members interconnected by a lever extending along the channel and the first bore being aligned in use with the bolt member, wherein movement of the first movable member away from the door by the bolt member causes the lever to move the second movable member from a first position, in which it is positioned clear of the door, into a second position in which it serves to secure the door.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a retaining device for a door comprising a metal block which has been machined to produce at least first and second spaced parallel bores and a channel extending between the bores, the first and second bores containing respective movable members interconnected by a lever extending along the channel, the arrangement being such that when a door-mounted bolt causes the movable member in the first bore to move in one axial direction, the lever causes the movable member in the second bore to move in the opposite direction.

Where a bolt protrudes from a door, there is a danger that a sideways force on the door will cause the material, usually wood, to split around the bore housing the bolt.

Thus according to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a strengthening member for the entrance to a bore in the edge of a door, the member having a U-shaped cross-section with a web portion having an aperture for alignment with the entrance to the bore, and two parallel arm portions with aligned passages for receiving retaining means passing through the material of the door.

The strengthening member may be used with either bolt bore of the above securing means or with the bolt bore of a conventional door.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig.l is a perspective view of the bottom corner of a door to be secured; Fig.2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale and on line A-A of Fig.3, of a retaining device for use with the door of Fig.l; Fig.3 is a top plan view of the device of Fig.2; Fig.4 is an end view of the device of Figs 2 and 3; Fig.5 is an end view on a further enlarged scale of a strengthening member for the door; and Figs 6 and 7 are top plan and side views respectively of the member of Fig.5.

Referring to Fig.l, a door 10 is provided with a vertically-slidable bolt 11 adjacent its free edge which is operated in conventional manner by a manuallyoperated latch or lock (not shown), both the bolt and the iatch or lock being conveniently mounted in a Ushaped channel member extending along a recess in the edge of the door. Spaced from bolt ill and extending parallel thereto is a bore, socket or recess 12 with a mouth 12'. Around mouth 12' there is disposed a strengthening member 70, to be described subsequently.

Referring now to Fig.2, mounted in a recess in the floor beneath the door 10 in its closed position is a retaining device 20. Device 20 comprises a substantially solid block of metal 21 which is machined to produce nine bores, e.g. by drilling, and one central longitudinal channel 22, e.g. by sawing.The nine bores comprise: two bores 23,24 for receiving screws to attach the block 21 to the bottom of the recess in the floor; a bore 25 for housing a first slidable floor bolt 26, which in use in the securing position is aligned with bolt 11 and is actuated by projection of bolt 11 from the door; a bore 35 for housing a second slidable floor bolt 36, which in use in the securing position is aligned with bore 12; a horizontal pivot bore 28; and four blind bores for receiving respective screws 32 which secure a top cover plate 33 to the top of block 21, cover plate 33 lying flush with the floor surface.

For ease of manufacture, channel 22 extends for the entire length of block 21 and to approximately three quarters of the depth thereof. Its longitudinally central region contains a lever 40 pivoted between its ends by a split pin or shaft 41 located in bore 28, and connected at its ends to floor bolts 26,36.

To retain the door 10 in its closed position, bolt 26 is depressed by bolt 11 and lever 40 causes bolt 36 to enter bore 12 in the bottom of the door. Upon retraction of bolt 11 a compression spring 42 acts on bolt 26 to pivot the lever back to its original position and to retract bolt 36, thus releasing the door.

Around mouth 12' and the adjacent part of bore 12 there is provided a strengthening member 70 in the form of a U-shaped support or saddle. Member 70 may lie over the door surfaces or may be inset to lie flush therewith.

It comprises a web portion 71 located under the bottom edge of the door and defining the bore mouth 12', and parallel arm portions 72,73, see Figs 5 to 7.

Horizontal screw members 74,75 are arranged to pass through aligned passages in the portions 72,73 to firmly secure the strengthening member to the door.

An advantage of the above described arrangement is that it provides a stronger retaining arrangement than a conventional bolt. Thus if a sideways force is exerted on the retained door, the stresses are taken up by both bolts 11 and 36, and the door does not move by more than an insignificant amount. Furthermore, any tendency for the material around bore 12 to split or become weakened is prevented by member 70. By recessing the retaining device 20 in the floor, a particularly robust arrangement is provided, it being virtually impossible to displace device 20 by force. Furthermore the retaining device is almost totally concealed and does not spoil the appearance of the door set. The machined block used for the retaining device is particularly cheap and easy to manufacture, with a minimum of machining operations.

The retaining device 20 may be mounted in a cement box in the underfloor recess. The machined block 21 may be provided with external side and/or bottom adjusters (not shown) to ensure correct positioning.

The actuating mechanism for bolt 11 may be a lever, a handle or a key-actuated lock.

One or more additional bolts 36 may be provided for large doors or additional strength. Moreover, securing means may be provided at the top of the door, in which case a retaining device 20 is embedded in the ceiling.

The securing means is usually employed with one of a pair of double doors. However, it may alternatively be used with a single door opening through 1800; in this case the bolt 11 is recessed in a channel in a major surface of the door, preferable adjacent to the leading edge thereof. It will be clear that if retaining devices are used for both of a pair of doors, at least one of them must have the channel for its bolt 11 in a major surface.

If desired, a section of the door 10 adjacent to the bore 12 may be made transparent to enable correct operation of the device to be easily checked. Both sides of the door may have transparent parts, and the visible part of the retaining bolt 36 may be brightly coloured.

It is envisaged that the machined block 21 and the strengthening member 70 may be employed separately.

Thus in an arrangement omitting member 70, one or more bolts 36 may emerge at either side of door 10, possibly engaging in door keeps protruding from the door.

Claims (11)

Claims

1. Means for securing a door comprising an actuating means which actuates a slidable bolt member, both the actuating means and the first bolt member being mounted in or on the door and an end of the bolt being actuable by the actuating means between a first position, in which it is retracted, and a second position, in which it protrudes from the bottom of the door to engage in a retaining device located in the floor, the retaining device comprising a metal block which has been machined to produce at least first and second spaced parallel bores and a channel extending between the bores, the first and second bores respectively containing first and second movable members interconnected by a lever extending along the channel and the first bore being aligned in use with the bolt member, wherein movement of the first movable member away from the door by the bolt member causes the lever to move the second movable member from a first position, in which it is positioned clear of the door, into a second position in which it serves to secure the door.

2. Securing means according to claim 1, wherein the second movable member is arranged to enter a bore in the door.

3. Securing means according to claim 2, wherein at least the entrance to the bore is strengthened by a surrounding U-shaped member extending around part of the bottom edge of the door and adjacent parts of the major surfaces of the door.

4. Securing means according to claim 1, wherein the second movable member is arranged to protrude from the floor at a location to one side of the door.

5. Means for securing a door substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A retaining device for a door comprising a metal block which has been machined to produce at least first and second spaced parallel bores and a channel extending between the bores, the first and second bores containing respective movable members interconnected by a lever extending along the channel, the arrangement being such that when a door-mounted bolt causes the movable member in the first bore to move in one axial direction, the lever causes the movable member in the second bore to move in the opposite direction.

7. A retaining device according to claim 6, wherein the movable member in the first bore is spring-biased.

8. A retaining device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the metal block has been further machined to produce further bores for securing the block to a recess in the floor and/or for securing a cover plate to the block and/or for receiving a pivot shaft for the lever.

9. A retaining device for a door substantially as described with reference to Figs 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A strengthening member for the entrance to a bore in the edge of a door, the member having a U-shaped cross-section with a web portion having an aperture for alignment with the entrance to the bore, and two parallel arm portions with aligned passages for receiving retaining means passing through the material of the door.

11. A door-strengthening member substantially as herein described with reference to Figs 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.