GB2304363A

GB2304363A - Vertically adjustable threshold bar

Info

Publication number: GB2304363A
Application number: GB9517183A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Christopher Allport; Susan Margaret Allport; Mark Charles Allport; Phillip Brian Allport; Hannah Susan Allport
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-08-22
Filing date: 1995-08-22
Publication date: 1997-03-19
Also published as: GB9517183D0

Abstract

A threshold bar 10 for a weather excluder comprises a base section 10' for fixing to the threshold 14 below the lower edge of a door 16 and a cover section 10" mounted on the base section 10' and having an upper surface 18 for engagement by one or more sealing members 30 along the lower edge of the door 16. A series of screw-threaded bolts 66 allow the cover section 10" to be vertically adjusted relative to the base section 10' to permit adjustment of the distance D between the upper surface 18 and the lower edge of the door 16.

Description

ADJUSTABLE THRESHOLD BAR FOR A WEATHER EXCLUDER This invention relates to a weather excluder of the kind comprising an elongate sill member (herein referred to as a "threshold bar") for locating on a threshold below the lower edge of a door and having an upper surface for engagement by at least one elongated sealing member extending along the said lower edge of the door. Such a'weather excluder is referred to herein as "of the kind defined".

When such weather excluders are first fitted the distance between the upper surface of the threshold bar and the lower edge of the door is set to an optimum distance within a narrow range which provides the most efficient sealing of the sealing member (typically a flexible resilient blade) against the upper surface of the threshold bar. However, over time, due for example to movement of the building due to natural settlement or shrinkage due to drying out, the distance between the upper surface of the threshold bar and the lower edge of the door can increase or decrease outside this narrow range, so that the tolerance allowed by the sealing member is no longer sufficient to provide an efficient seal.

In the past this has required bodily re-adjustment of the threshold bar, for example by the insertion of plugs, packing members or the like. The problem with this approach is that the plugs can become loose or are not fitted correctly.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a threshold bar for a weather excluder of the kind defined, wherein the threshold bar comprises a base section for fixing to the threshold below the lower edge of a door and a top section mounted on the base section and having the said upper surface for engagement by the sealing member, the top section being vertically adjustable relative to the base section to permit adjustment of the distance between the said upper surface and the lower edge of the door.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a weather excluder in a position of use and having a threshold bar according to the embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of the threshold bar of figure 1.

Referring to figure 1, a weather excluder comprises an elongate threshold bar 10 of extruded aluminium or other non-rusting lightweight metal or metal alloy which is fixed by a series of screws 12 (figure 2) to the threshold 14 below a door 16. In fact, as will be described in more detail with reference to figure 2, the threshold bar comprises base and top sections 10' and 10" respectively and the screws 12 actually fix the base section 10' to the threshold with the top section 10" being mounted on the base section. The threshold bar 10 has an upper surface 18 which generally has a slight downward incline towards the exterior of the building (in figure 1 the exterior of the building is assumed to be on the left hand side of the door 16 and the interior of the building on the right hand side).

It will be recognised that the threshold bar 10 is highly elongated in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the figure, and extends fully across the width of the door opening.

An elongate seal holder 20 is fixed to the lower edge of the door 16 by a series of screws of which one is shown at 22. The holder 20 is also made of extruded aluminium or other lightweight metal. The holder 20 has a downwardly and forwardly inclined drip deflection ledge 24 on the outside surface of the door and a plate 26 which extends under the bottom of the door. The plate 26 has two parallel channels 28 which accomodate and retain the heads of two flexible sealing blades 30 whose lower free ends engage the upper surface 18 of the threshold bar 10 to seal the gap between the threshold bar and the bottom of the door against rainwater and draughts. The upper surface 18 of the threshold bar 10 is stepped, as shown at 32, to assist in positive location of the free ends of the sealing blades 30 on the upper surface.The upper edge of the holder 20 is formed with a channel 34 facing the exterior surface of the door 16, and this channel is filled with a mastic 36 or other waterproofing sealing compound to stop rainwater finding its way down behind the holder 20.

Referring now also to figure 2, the threshold bar 10 is formed in two sections, a base section 10' which is fixed by the series of screws 12 directly onto the threshold 14 and a top or cover section 10" which is mounted onto the base section. The base section 10' has upstanding front and rear walls 40 and 42 respectively, connected by a base 44. The base 44 has an inverted channel 46 adjacent the wall 40 which is filled with mastic or other waterproof sealing compound 48. The base 44 further has a raised central portion 50, the screws 12 passing through this central portion 50 into the threshold 14 below to secure the base section 10' to the threshold.

The cover section 10" is generally in the shape of an inverted "U" and has outer walls 52 and 54 which depend from the front and rear edges respectively of a connecting portion 56 whose upper surface constitutes the upper surface 18 of the threshold bar. The dependent walls 52, 54 embrace the upstanding walls 40, 42 of the base section.

The underside of the connecting portion 56 has a downward-facing channel 60 defined by downwardly convergent walls 62 and 64. A series of bolts 66, each having a conical screw-like head 68 and a screw-threaded shaft 70, is retained under the connecting portion 56 by their heads 68 being inserted in the channel 60, as seen in figure 1. Since the convergent walls 62, 64 define a channel 60 with a restricted opening and the heads 68 of the bolts fit snugly within the channel, the bolts 66 cannot fall out of the channel. However, the bolts 66 can be slid along the channel 66 from one end to position them as necessary and they can be rotated while retained in the channel.

The raised central portion 50 of the base section 10' has a series of screw-threaded apertures 72 provided along its length, and the cover section 10" also has a series of apertures 74 provided along its length. Each aperture 74 in the cover section is in register with a respective aperture 72 in the base section below. Each bolt 66 has its shaft 70 in screw-threaded engagement with a respective aperture 72 and, due to the apertures 72, 74 being in register, the head of each bolt 66 is exposed through a respective aperture 74.

By rotating the bolts 66, for example by inserting a screwdriver into the apertures 74 to engage the heads 68 of the bolts, the cover section 10" can adjusted vertically relative to the base section 10' to allow the distance D between the lower edge of the door 16 and the upper surface 18 of the threshold bar 10 to be adjusted. This vertical movement is stabilised by a leg 76 extending down at an angle from the underside of the connecting portion 56 to bear against the side of the central portion 50 of the base section 10'. By this means it is possible not only to raise or lower the entire cover section by the same amount relative to the base section but also, by adjusting the bolts to different extents along the bar 10, to raise or lower the cover section more at one end than the other.

Claims

1. A threshold bar for a weather excluder of the kind defined, wherein the threshold bar comprises a base section for fixing to the threshold below the lower edge of a door and a top section mounted on the base section and having the said upper surface for engagement by the sealing member, the top section being vertically adjustable relative to the base section to permit adjustment of the distance between the said upper surface and the lower edge of the door.

2. A threshold bar as claimed in claim 1,, wherein the top section is mounted on the base section by a plurality of screw-threaded members such that the said distance can be adjusted by rotation of the screw-threaded members.

3. A threshold bar as claimed in claim 2, wherein each screw-threaded member has a head which is retained under the said upper surface of the top section and a screw-threaded shaft which extends downwardly into screw-threaded engagement with the base section, the head being rotatable while so retained and further being accessible through an aperture in thesaid upper surface to permit such rotation from outside the threshold bar.

4. A threshold bar as claimed in claim 3, wherein the head of the screw-threaded member is retained in a downward-facing restricted-opening channel formed under the said upper surface such that the screw-threaded member can be slid along the channel.

5. A weather excluder substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.