GB2260159A

GB2260159A - Bolt assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2260159A
Application number: GB9220469A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Dunmore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-10-01
Filing date: 1992-09-29
Publication date: 1993-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-29
Also published as: GB2260159B; GB9220469D0

Abstract

A bolt assembly for inhibiting movement of the actuating lever of a louvre window/shutter in a manner which is both convenient to operate and resistant to tampering with from the other side of the window frame. The bolt assembly comprises a body 1, a bolt member 15 mounted for pivotal movement about axis 6 with respect to the body 1 and movable between a position in which movement of the lever is inhibited and a position wherein movement is uninhibited, a spring operated detent 5 held non-rotatably in bore 4 of the body 1 and axially movable so as to engage and disengage the bolt, and a separate actuator 32 adapted to extend through an axial aperture of the bolt to disengage the detent 5 and to rotate the bolt between said positions. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Bolt for louvre windows/shutters DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a bolt for louvre windows/shutters.

Louvre windows/shutters are composed of a plurality of elongate members journalled at opposite ends for pivotal movement and actuated (usually simultaneously) by a pivotally mounted actuating lever accessible to one side (usually the inside) of a frame in which the members are mounted. It is recognised that in certain circumstances and with certain equipment the actuating lever can be operated from the other, eg.

outside, of the frame thereby permitting the elongate members to be moved to an open position in which they can be removed thereby allowing entry through the resulting window aperture.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a means of inhibiting movement of the actuating lever in a manner which is convenient to operate and not readily tampered with from the other side of the window frame.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a bolt assembly for a louvre window/shutter comprising a body of or to be associated with a frame of the louvre window, a bolt member mounted for pivotal movement with respect of the body and movable into position to inhibit movement of the actuating lever of the window/shutter, a spring operated keep held non-rotatably in the body and axially movable between a first position in which it is engaged with the bolt and a second position in which it is disengaged from the bolt, and a separate rotary actuator adapted to displace the keep from engagement with the bolt and to rotate the bolt between one and the other of its first and second positions.

Conveniently, the rotary actuator is axially insertable into a bore in the bolt and preferably has a non-circular configuration (as viewed in cross-section) to provide for rotary driving engagement with the bolt which has a complimentary shaped reception bore. The keep conveniently has a non-circular configuration which mates with a complimentary shaped abutment of the bolt so that the bolt is held non-rotatably when the keep is engaged herewith. A particularly convenient construction arises where the bolt has a stepped bore, one part of which receives the rotary actuator and the other receives the keep. It is convenient for the bore receiving the keep to be of a different shape orrlarger than the hole to receive the actuator. This serves to provide an end position for the keep which is urged up to the end position by spring action.It is preferred for the keep and the bore in the bolt to have a common axis and it is further preferred that the axis be inclined relative to the plane of the louvre window/shutter frame with which the bolt assembly is associated in use. The separate axially insertable rotary actuator is preferably carried on the end of an actuating rod of a suitable length which is determined by the position of the louvre window/shutter in relation to an operator.

The present invention will now be described further by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view, showing internal detail in dotted outline, of a bolt assembly according to the present invention, Figure 2 is an end view in the direction of arrow A of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view of the body of the bolt assembly of Figure 1, internal detail is shown in dotted outline, Figure 4 is an end view in the direction of arrow 4 of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 3, Figures 6 and 7 are side and end views of a bolt keep, Figures 8 and 9 are an end view and side view of a bolt body closure, Figure 10 is an end view of a bolt, Figure 11 is a side view of the bolt of Figure 9, Figure 12 is a plan view of the bolt of Figure 9, and Figure 13 is a plan view of an actuator for the bolt assembly.

Referring to the drawings, a bolt assembly comprises a body 1 having a mounting face 2 and formed with countersunk holes 3 to opposite ends for securing the mounting surface to the frame of a louvre window/shutter. The body has a bore 4 which is square in cross-section and receives a correspondingly square cross-section bolt keep 5. The longitudinal axis 6 of the bore 4 is inclined with respect to the plane of the mounting surface 2 and the purpose of this will be described further hereinafter. Coaxial with the bore 4 and disposed at one end of the bore 4 and closing off the bore is a cylindrical portion 7 which receives one end of a compression spring 8. The other end acts against the end of the keep 5. A bolt body closure member 9 has a cylindrical through bore 10 which receives a corresponding cylindrical part 12 of a bolt member 15.The bolt member has a radial extension 16 which, in the illustrated embodiment, has two oppositely directed locking tabs 17, 18. The illustrated embodiment of the bolt is configured for left and right hand use by virtue of having the two latching lugs 17 and 18. In practice one or other of the lugs can be cut off when the user has determined whether the application calls for left or right hand configuration.

Alternatively, the bolt assemblies may be made as a dedicated left or right hand assembly. The bolt closure member has a threaded bore 19 to receive the threaded shank of a securing screw 20 which is received in a bore 22 of the body 1. It is preferred for the bolt closure and body to carry mutually engageable respective keyway formations for aligning the axis of the bore 10 with the longitudinal axis 6.

Regarding the further detailed construction of the bolt, this has a first square cross-section bore 26 open to face 27 of the bolt and a second reduced diameter square cross-section bore 28 open to the other end of the bolt and positioned coaxially with the cylindrical outer periphery 12. The smaller diameter bore breaks through into the larger diameter bore and generates retention shoulders 30.

Assembling is carried out by inserting spring 8 into bore 7, inserting keep 5 into bore 4, inserting the bore 12 of bolt 15 into bore 10 of the bolt closure and sliding the bolt closure member in the direction of axis 6 until the securing screw 20 can be engaged with the threaded bore 19. Depending on the radial position of the bolt the bolt keep 5 will either enter the bore 26 or axial movement of the bolt and bolt closure housing will serve to displace the bolt keep into bore 4. The provision of the square bore in the bolt means that there are three positions in which the keep can make cooperating engagement therewith and it will be appreciated that rotation of the bolt and the action of the spring 8 will serve to urge the keep bolt into bore 26 when either one of the positions is attained.

Referring now to Figure 13 there is shown an actuating device comprising a square cross-section end part 32 of a length which is at least equal to the distance between the one 27 and other 29 faces of the bolt or at least a sufficient length to be able to displace the keep from bore 28 when the actuator is inserted axially into the bore of the bolt. The square section of the actuator corresponds to the square section of bore 28 such that rotation of the actuator serves to rotate the bolt once the actuator has been inserted sufficiently to displace the keep bolt from bore 26.

In the illustrated embodiment the axis 6 is inclined at an angle of approximately 100 to the mounting surface 2 which is found convenient for introducing the actuator from a lower access point as it splays the actuator away from any aperturing within which the frame of the louvre window/shutter is received. In use the bolt assembly is secured to the frame in a position such that the bolt will inhibit movement of the actuating lever of the louvre system when it is turned to a position corresponding to that shown in Figure 2 for a right hand side position. Thus it will be understood that inserting the actuating device into bore 28 has the effect of displacing the keep axially against the force of the spring 8.

Eventually, a position will be reached where the keep is free of the bore 26 and rotation of the actuator will rotate with it the bolt to move it to between its first and second positions. Withdrawal of the actuating device assisted by the spring force, signals alignment of the keep with bore 26 and allows the keep to move back into engagement with the bolt to hold it in that position.

The components making up the assembly may be made of any suitable material, although moulding from a plastics material is preferred.

Claims

1. A bolt assembly for a louvre window/shutter comprising a body of or to be associated with a frame of the louvre window, a bolt member mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the body and movable into position to inhibit movement of an actuating lever of the window/shutter, a spring operated keep held nonrotatably in the body and axially movable between a first position in which it is engaged with the bolt and a second position in which it is disengaged from the bolt, and a separate rotary actuator adapted to displace the keep from engagement with the bolt and to rotate the bolt between the position in which movement of the actuating lever is inhibited and a position wherein movement is uninhibited.

2. A bolt assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the rotary actuator is axially insertable into a bore in the bolt.

3. A bolt assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the rotary actuator has a configuration which is non-circular in cross-section to provide for rotary driving engagement with the bolt which has a complimentary shaped reception bore.

4. A bolt assembly as claimed in Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the keep has a non-circular configuration which mates with a complimentary shaped abutment of the bolt so that the bolt is held non-rotatably when the keep is engaged therewith.

5. A bolt assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the bolt has a stepped bore, one part of which receives the rotary actuator and the other part receives the keep.

6. A bolt assembly as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the bore receiving the keep is of a different shape or larger than the hole to receive the actuator so as to provide an end position for the keep which is urged up to the end position by spring action.

7. A body assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the keep and the bore in the bolt have a common axis.

8. A bolt assembly according to Claim 7 wherein the axis is inclined relative to the plane of the louvre window/shutter frame with which the bolt assembly is associated in use.

9. A bolt assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8 in which the separate axially insertable rotary actuator is carried on the end of an actuating rod of a suitable length which is determined by the position of the louvre window/shutter in relation to an operator.

10. A bolt assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.