GB2276204A - Adjustable hinge - Google Patents

Abstract

A hinge comprising first and second leaves 11, 12 for attachment respectively to a door and a corresponding door frame. The leaf 11 has upper and lower knuckles 15, 16 between which an intermediate knuckle 22, of the leaf 12 is engaged. An elongate spindle 29 extends from the upper knuckle through the intermediate knuckle and into the lower knuckle to pivotally interconnect said first and second leaves. The spindle is in driving engagement with an eccentric bore 26 in a bush 25 rotatably received in the knuckle 22. Whereby the spindle can be rotated to rotate said bush in said knuckle about an axis spaced from, but parallel to, the spindle axis so as to effect displacement of the axis of pivotal movement of said leaves. In a further embodiment (Fig. 3) the spindle engages with eccentric bushes in the upper and lower knuckles 15, 16. <IMAGE>

Description

HINGES This invention relates to hinges particularly, but not exclusively, intended for pivotally connecting doors of aluminium or plastics construction to respective prefabricated frames formed from the same material.

It will be understood that hinges generally consist of a first leaf which is secured to an edge of the door, a second leaf which is secured to the door frame, and a spindle which passes through interengaged knuckles of both leaves pivotally to interconnect the leaves. The positioning of the points of attachment of the leaves to the door and the frame respectively determines the basic positioning of the door within the frame and there are known hinge constructions which permit adjustment within the construction of the hinge to effect adjustment of the basic position of the door within the frame without needing to alter the position at which the leaves are attached to the door and the frame respectively. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable hinge.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a hinge comprising first and second leafs for attachment respectively to a door and a corresponding door frame, one of said first and second leafs having upper and lower knuckles between which an intermediate knuckle, of the other of said first and second leafs, is engaged, an elongate spindle extending from the upper knuckle through the intermediate knuckle and into the lower knuckle pivotally to interconnect said first and second leafs, and, said spindle being in driving engagement with a bush rotatably received in one of said knuckles whereby the spindle can be rotated to rotate said bush in said knuckle about an axis spaced from, but parallel to, the spindle axis so as to effect displacement of the axis of pivotal movement of said leafs.

Preferably the hinge includes means for locking said bush against rotational movement relative to said knuckle when a chosen adjustment position has been achieved.

Preferably said bush is received in said intermediate knuckle.

Desirably the region of said spindle extending through said bush is of non-circular cross-section, and extends through an axially extending passage of correspondingly non-circular cross-section in said bush, said passage extending parallel to, but spaced from, the axis of rotation of the bush in the knuckle.

Conveniently upper and lower axial ends of said spindle are rotatably received in respective bushes in said upper and lower knuckles respectively.

Preferably said means for locking said bush against rotation relative to said knuckle includes a screw operated clamping mechanism.

Preferably said screw operated clamping mechanism includes a clamping element engageable with the bush and a screw-threaded member in screw-threaded engagement with the knuckle, and cooperable with said clamping element to displace the clamping element into engagement with the bush.

Alternatively said bush is received in one of the upper and lower knuckles, and the spindle is engaged in the other of said upper and lower knuckles through a correspondingly similar bush.

Conveniently said correspondingly similar bush is integral with said spindle.

Examples of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an adjustable hinge, Figure 2 is a sectional view of part of the hinge of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 of an alternative hinge construction.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the hinge comprises first and second metal leaves 11, 12 which conveniently are formed from cast, or extruded zinc, aluminium or aluminium alloy. The leaf 11 is intended for attachment to a door frame, and includes a base portion 13 drilled at 14 to receive screws or other securing devices for securing the leaf to the door frame.

Integral with the base portion 13 and extending outwardly therefrom are spaced upper and lower knuckles 15, 16 each of which has a through bore 17, 18 the bores having their axes co-extensive. A pair of relatively short, moulded synthetic resin, flanged bushes 19 having centrally disposed cylindrical bores 21 are introduced into the bores 17, 18 of the knuckles 15, 16 from the gap between the knuckles.

The leaf 12 includes an integral knuckle 22 which, in use, is the intermediate knuckle of the hinge. The shaping of the remainder of the leaf 12 can take a wide variety of different forms dependent upon the manner in which the leaf is to attach to the structure of the door. As is apparent from Figure 1 the leaf 12 has apertures 23 for receiving screws or other fastening devices for securing the leaf to the door in use. The knuckle 22 is generally cylindrical and has a co-axial through bore 24 within which is received an elongate cylindrical moulded synthetic resin bush 25 having an eccentrically positioned through passage 26 of "D"shaped cross-section. The bush 25 has a close but movable fit in the knuckle 22 and a moulded synthetic resin blanking plug 28 is used to close the outer, lower-end of the bore 18.The upper end of the bush 25 has a peripheral flange and a similarly flanged moulded element 27 is engaged in the lower end of the bore of the knuckle 22.

The knuckle 22 fits between the fully inserted bushes 19 and the flanges of the bush 25 and the element 27 bear against the inwardly presented flanges of the bushes 19. An elongate steel spindle 29 extends through the bushes 19 and 25 and is, throughout the majority of its length, of a "D"-shaped cross-section corresponding to that of the passage 26 of the bush 25. In the assembled hinge the spindle 29 is rotatably received in the bushes 19 and drivingly engages in the passage 26 of the bush 25.

The upper end of the bore 17 of the knuckle 15 is closed by a head 30 integrally formed at the upper end of the spindle 29. A grub screw 32 in screw-threaded engagement in a transverse drilling in the wall of the knuckle 15 extends between the upper end of the bush 19 and the lower end of the head 30 to engage in a circumferential groove 31 of the spindle, permitting rotational movement of the spindle within the knuckles 15, 16 and preventing axial withdrawal of the spindle therefrom. The bush 25, although a close fit within the knuckle 22, is rotatable therein when sufficient force is applied.

The pivot axis of the leaf 12 relative to the leaf 11 is the axis of rotation of the spindle 29 in the bushes 19. The axis of rotation of the bush 25 in the knuckle 22 is eccentric with respect to the pivot axis of the leaf 12 by virtue of the eccentricity of the passage 26 of the bush 25 and so the position of the leaf 12 relative to the leaf 11 (and thus the position of the door relative to the door frame in use) can be adjusted by rotating the spindle 29 in the bushes 19 while holding the leaf 12 against rotation.

The spindle 29 thus rotates the bush 25 relative to the knuckle 22, the eccentricity of the cylindrical surface of the bush relative to the axis about which the spindle rotates effecting bodily movement of the leaf 12 relative to the leaf 11.

Where, for example, when fitting a door within a door frame the face of the door adjacent the free edge thereof fits tightly against a seal on the door frame, but the part of the same face adjacent the hinge side of the door does not, then it may be possible to bring the hinge side of the door closer to the seal, without the need to alter the point of attachment of the leaf 11 and/or the leaf 12 to the respective frame or door, and without needing to disassemble the hinge, simply by rotating the bush 25 by means of an Allen key inserted into an appropriate aperture 33 in the end of the spindle 29.

The second leaf 12 includes a passage 34 extending from the base of the leaf 12 into the bore of the knuckle 22, the passage 34 being of generally rectangular cross section, two opposite faces of the passage being curved. Slidable within the passage is a locking element 35, of corresponding cross section such that movement of the locking element within the passage other than axial sliding movement is not permitted.

The end 36 of the locking element 35 closest to the bore of the knuckle 22, in use, slopes so as to conform, generally, to the outer surface of the bush 25. In a modification (illustrated in Figure 2), the end 36 is of part cylindrical shape conforming to the surface of the bush 25 to which it is presented.

A screw-threaded bore 37 extends from a side of the second leaf 12 into the passage 34, and receives a grub screw 38 having a generally conical tip. The locking element 35 is formed with a surface 39 confronting the bore 37 and grub screw tip and inclined so that engagement with the grub screw as it is screwed in, drives the locking element 35 towards the bore of the knuckle 22.

In use, after the first and second leaves 11, 12 have been attached to the door and frame, and the rotational position of the spindle 29 with respect to the second leaf 12, has been adjusted until the door is correctly positioned with respect to the frame, the grub screw 38 is tightened, the conical tip of the grub screw coacting with the inclined surface 39 of the locking element to push the locking element into engagement with the bush 25. Further tightening of the grub screw 38 causes the end of the element 35 to bear against the bush 25 thus locking the bush 25 in position relative to the knuckle 22. It will be recognised that the locking action of the element 35 on the bush 25 may simply be friction between the two, or the element 35 may actually bite into the surface of the bush.Moreover the element 35 may also have a wedging action pressing the bush hard against the surface of the bore in the knuckle. Desirable the action is such that the bush is locked against rotation in the knuckle without damage to the bush surface so that there is no impediment to subsequent rotation of the bush in a later adjustment. The relatively large surface area of the element 35 enhances this effect as it provides a large clamping area.

Although the passage 34 of the embodiment described above is arranged to communicate with an off-axis part of the bore of the knuckle 22, it is envisaged that the passage may be arranged centrally within the leaf 12 so that its axis would intersect the axis of the bore of the knuckle 22. It is further envisaged that the locking element may be moved into contact with the bush 25, and locked in this position, by means other than the grub screw described above.

In a modification (not shown) the bush 25 is replaced by a pair of bushes of similar form introduced into opposite ends of the bore 24, each having its own peripheral flange. The element 27 is thus omitted and the locking arrangement 36, 38 operates on both bushes or alternatively is duplicated.

In the alternative construction illustrated in Figure 3 the basic hinge components are similar to those described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, although it will be noted that the form of the leaf 12 differs. The difference in form of the leaf 12 does not effect the operation of the hinge. It can be seen that the form of the leaf 11 is very similar to that described above except that the bore 17 is internally screw-threaded, and receives a correspondingly screw-threaded, hard, synthetic resin bush 119 cut away adjacent its upper axial end to define a pair of diametrically opposed flats 121. The upper axial end of a steel spindle 122 is received in an eccentric through bore of the bush 119.

A plane cylindrical bush 123 formed from the same material as the bush 119 is rotatably received within the bore 118 of the knuckle 116 and is formed eccentrically with a passage or recess 124 of non-circular crosssection receiving a correspondingly shaped lower end region 125 of the spindle 122. The axis of the end region 125 of the spindle 122 is coextensive with the axis of the remainder of the spindle 122 and the eccentricity of the passage 124 is equal to the eccentricity of the passage in the bush 119. Moreover, the spindle 122 is a close fit within both the bush 119 and the bush 123 such that the spindle links the bushes to form a unitary construction whereby rotation of the bush 119 in the bore 117 gives rise to a corresponding movement of the spindle 122 and a corresponding rotation of the bush 123 within the bore 118.During such movement of the unit 119, 122, 123 the axis of the spindle 122 remains parallel to, but orbits around, the co-extensive axes of the bores 117, 118.

A cross drilling in the knuckle 115 receives a grub screw 126 for locking the bush 119 and thus the spindle 122 and bush 123 against movement relative to the leaf 111.

The knuckle 27 of the leaf 112 has a co-axial through bore 129 receiving upper and lower moulded synthetic resin bearing bushes 131. Each bearing bush 131 includes a hollow spigot 132 received within the bore 129 and, at one axial end thereof, an integral, annular disc-like portion 133 which seats against the respective axial end surface of the knuckle 127 and acts as a thrust bearing between the knuckle 127 and the knuckles 115 and 116 during use of the hinge.

The spindle 122 extends through the bores 134 and defines the pivot axis of the hinge. The spigot 132 of each bush 131 has an external axially extending rib 135 which is received in a corresponding axially extending groove 136 in the wall of the bore 129 of the knuckle 127 to lock each bush against rotation within the knuckle 127. The engagement of the spindle 122 in the bushes 131 constitutes the moving bearing of the hinge.

The position of the leaf 112 relative to the leaf 111 and thus the position of the door relative to the door frame can be adjusted by slackening the screw 126 and moving angularly the unit consisting of the bush 119, the spindle 122, and the bush 123, relative to the knuckles 115, 116 by turning the bush 119 within the bore 117. The eccentricity of the spindle 122 relative to the axis about which the bushes 119, 123 rotate effects bodily movement of the leaf 112 relative to the leaf 111.

By virtue of the fact that the axis of the spindle 122 orbits about the common axis of the bushes 119, 123 the forward and rearward movement is accompanied by a lateral movement of the leaf 112.

Naturally if the rotational adjustment of the bush 119 is a movement through 1800 exactly, and moves the axis of the spindle 122 out of, and then back into a plane containing the common axis of the bushes 119, 123 and lying at right angles to the plane of the door frame, then the lateral movement of the door within the door frame is cancelled out, and only the front to rear adjustment remains. Unfortunately in practice such an adjustment will be rare, and thus often adjusting the front to rear position of the door will also adjust the lateral position of the door.

Desirably (as illustrated) the bore 134 of each bush 131 of the leaf 112 is eccentric with respect to the through bore 129 of the knuckle 127, and each bush 131 has only two alternative permitted angular orientations relative to the bore 129, the two being spaced apart by 1800. The angular relationship between the permitted positions of the bushes 131 and the position of the leaf 112 in the door closed position is chosen such that turning the bushes 131 through their permitted 1800 relative to the knuckle 127 would effect lateral, but not forward and backward movement of the leaf 112 relative to the door frame. If it is found, after adjustment of the position of the spindle 122 as described above, that the lateral position of the closed door has changed too much, then it may be possible to correct the lateral position of the door by disassembling the hinge and changing the angular relationship between the bushes 131 and the bore 129 by the permitted 1800.

It will be recognised that if desired it would be possible to provide the bushes 19 of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 with eccentric bores, and two alterative, diametrically opposed insertion orientations into the knuckles 15, 16 to facilitate similar compensation in the hinge of Figures 1 and 2.

Claims (11)

1. A hinge comprising first and second leaves for attachment respectively to a door and a corresponding door frame, one of said first and second leaves having upper and lower knuckles between which an intermediate knuckle, of the other of said first and second leaves, is engaged, an elongate spindle extending from the upper knuckle through the intermediate knuckle and into the lower knuckle pivotally to interconnect said first and second leaves, and, said spindle being in driving engagement with a bush rotatably received in one of said knuckles whereby the spindle can be rotated to rotate said bush in said knuckle about an axis spaced from, but parallel to, the spindle axis so as to effect displacement of the axis of pivotal movement of said leaves.

2. A hinge as claimed in Claim 1 including means for locking said bush against rotational movement relative to said knuckle when a chosen adjustment position has been achieved.

3. A hinge as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said bush is received in said intermediate knuckle.

4. A hinge as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the region of said spindle extending through said bush is of non-circular cross-section, and extends through an axially extending passage of correspondingly non-circular cross-section in said bush, said passage extending parallel to, but spaced from, the axis of rotation of the bush in the knuckle.

5. A hinge as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein dependent upon Claim 3, wherein upper and lower axial ends of said spindle are rotatably received in respective bushes in said upper and lower knuckles respectively.

6. A hinge as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein said means for locking said bush against rotation relative to said knuckle includes a screw operated clamping mechanism.

7. A hinge as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said screw operated clamping mechanism includes a clamping element engageable with the bush and a screw-threaded member in screw-threaded engagement with the knuckle, and cooperable with said clamping element to displace the clamping element into engagement with the bush.

8. A hinge as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said bush is received in one of the upper and lower knuckles, and the spindle is engaged in the other of said upper and lower knuckles through a correspondingly similar bush.

9. A hinge as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said correspondingly similar bush is integral with said spindle.

10. A hinge substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A hinge substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.