GB2321487A

GB2321487A - A structure for joining glazed frames comprising a rod and corner post

Info

Publication number: GB2321487A
Application number: GB9701505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie George Briggs; Edward Kenneth Coventry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-01-24
Filing date: 1997-01-24
Publication date: 1998-07-29
Also published as: GB9701505D0

Abstract

A building structure has a glazing arrangement 2 comprising first and second frames 4 and 6 connected together by a corner post 12 and a rod 14 extending longitudinally of the corner post 12. The rod is attached to the frames via four apertured connecting members 16, 18, 20 and 22 positioned at each of the four corners 24, 26, 28 and 30 such that their apertures overlap and the rod 14 passes through them and is tightened in position by a nut 42 on a screw threaded portion 44 thus locking the first and second frames 4 and 6 together.

Description

A BUILDING STRUCTURE RAVING A GLAZING ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to a building structure having a glazing arrangement. The building structure may be, for example, a conservatory or a bay window in a house.

Where building structures have glazing arrangements comprising two frames which need to be connected together, problems sometimes occur in connecting the two frames together. It is an aim of the present invention to reduce these problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a glazing structure having a glazing arrangement comprising first and second frames which contain glazing and which are connected together by a corner post, a rod which extends longitudinally of the corner post, a first top connector member which is connected to a top corner of the first frame and which projects outwardly from the top corner of the first frame, a second top connector member which is connected to a top corner of the second frame and which projects outwardly from the top corner of the second flame, a first bottom connector member which is connected to a bottom corner of the first frame and which projects outwardly from the bottom corner of the first frame, a second bottom connector which is connected to a bottom corner of the second frame and which projects outwardly from the bottom corner of the second frame, the top corners of the first and the second frames being adjacent each other, the bottom corners of the first and the second frames being adjacent each other, the first and the second top connector members having overlapping port ions which are each provided with an aperture, the first and the second bottom connector members having overlapping portions which are each provided with an aperture, and the rod being such that it passes through the apertures in the first and the second top and bottom connector members and is tightened in position thereby to lock the first and the second frames together.

The use of the corner post, the rod and the connector members provides a simple way of connecting two frames together. Manufacturing costs and on site assembly time can be substantially reduced.

Usually, the rod will have a screw threaded portion and a nut at one end for tightening the rod in position.

The first and the second top connector members are preferably plate members. The plate members are preferably cranked. Similarly, the first and the second bottom connector members are preferably plate members, and the plate members are preferably cranked.

The building may include a third bottom connector member which is underneath the first bottom connector member. The third connector member is preferably a plate member. The plate member is preferably flat but it may be cranked if desired.

Preferably, the corner post has a longitudinally extending groove for receiving the rod.

Alternatively, the corner post may be provided with a bore for receiving the rod.

The first and the second frames may be made of any suitable and appropriate materials including aluminium, unplasticised polyvinyl chloride and timber. The connector members and the rod. will usually be made of a metal. The metal may be aluminium or any other suitable and appropriate metal that does not rust.

The building structure may be such that two or more of the frames may be connected together using an appropriate number of corner posts, rods and top and bottom connector members.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a building structure having a glazing arrangement; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the glazing arrangement shown in Figure 2; Figure 3 is a side view of a first or second connector member; Figure 4 is a top view of the connector member shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a side view of a third connector member; Figure 6 is a top view of the connector member shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a top view of a corner post used in the glazing arrangement shown in Figure 1; and Figure 8 is a cross section through the arrangement shown in Figure 1 and shows additionally an extruded filler member.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a glazing arrangement 2 which forms part of a building structure such for example as a conservatory or a bay window in a house. The glazing arrangement 2 comprises a first frame 4 and a second frame 6. The first and the second frames 4, 6 are hardwood outer frames which are designed to contain glazing in their central apertures 8, 10 respectively.

The first and the second frames 4, 6 are connected together by a corner post 12, a rod 14 which extends longitudinally of the corner post 12, a first top connector member 16, a second top connector member 18, a first bottom connector member 20 and a second bottom connector member 22.

The first top connector member 16 is connected to a top corner 24 of the first frame 4 and it projects outwardly from the top corner 24 of the first frame 4.

The second top connector member 18 is connected to a top corner 26 of the second frame 6 and it projects outwardly from the top corner 26 of the second frame 6.

The first bottom connector member 20 is connected to a bottom corner 28 of the first frame 4 and it projects outwardly from the bottom corner 28 of the first frame 4. The second bottom connector member 22 is connected to a bottom corner 30 of the second frame 6 and it projects outwardly from the bottom corner 30 of the second frame 6.

The top corners 24, 26 Of the first and the second frames 4, 6 are adjacent each other.

Similarly, the bottom corners 28, 30 of the first and the second frames 4, 6 are adjacent each other. The first and the second top connector members 16, 18 have overlapping portions 32, 34 respectively. These overlapping portions 32, 34 are each provided with an aperture 36. The first and the second bottom connector members 20, 22 have overlapping portions 38, 40 respectively. The overlapping portions 38, 40 are each provided with an aperture 36. The rod 14 is such that it passes through the apertures 36 in the first and the second top and bottom connector members 16, 18, 20, 22. The rod 14 is tightened in position by tightening a nut 42 on a screw threaded portion 44 of the rod 14. The tightened rod 14 thus locks the first and the second frames 4, 6 together.

Figures 3 and 4 show the first top connector member 16. It will be seen that the first top connector member 16 is cranked and that it is provided with four apertures 46 for use in fixing to the top corner 24 of the first frame 4. The first top connector member 16 is a cranked plate member. The other connector members 18, 20, 22 are of the same construction as the connector member 16. More specifically, the four apertures 46 are counter-sunk, two from one side and two from the other side of the connector member 16. This means that the connector member 14 is reversible to become one of the other connector members, since only two of the apertures 46 are used on any one frame.

The glazing arrangement 2 comprises a third bottom connector member 48. This third bottom connector member 48 is shown most clearly in Figures 5 and 6. It will be seen that the third bottom connector member 48 is a plate member which is plain and not cranked like the connector members 16, 18, 20, 22. The third bottom connector member 48 has an upstanding sleeve portion 50. The sleeve portion 50 has a screw threaded bore 52 which receives a screw threaded end of the rod 14. Thus the third bottom connector member 48 forms anchor means for the bottom end of the rod 14. The third bottom connector member 48 is provided with three apertures 54 as shown for enabling it to be connected in position.

As best shown in Figure 1, the corner post 12, which is made of hardwood, is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 56 for receiving the rod 14. The groove 56 enables the corner post 12 easily to be inserted in position, it closes the gap between the first and the second frames 4, 6 that would otherwise be visible from the outside of the glazing arrangement 2. As shown in Figure 8, the inside of the glazing arrangement 58 would also have a gap but this gap is blocked by an extruded filler member 58. The extruded filler member 58 has a pair of legs 60 which are barbed at their ends as shown and which grip in the groove 56 of the corner post 12.

With the glazing arrangement of the present invention, the frames 4, 6 can easily be connected together without the need to fiist deglaze the frames.

This saves considerable assembly time.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the first and the second frames 4, 6 may be made from materials other than hardwood so that, for example, they may be made from aluminium or unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. The first and the second frames 4, 6 may extend at angles other than the angle shown in Figure 5 or they may extend in a straight line.

Claims

1. A building structure having a glazing arrangement comprising first and second frames which contain glazing and which are connected together by a corner post, a rod which extends longitudinally of the corner post, a first top connector member which is connected to a top corner of the first frame and which projects outwardly from the top corner of the first frame, a second top connector member which is connected to a top corner of the second frame and which projects outwardly from the top corner of the second frame, a first bottom connector member which is connected to a bottom corner of the first frame and which projects outwardly from the bottom corner of the first frame, a second bottom connector member which is connected to a bottom corner of the second frame and which projects outwardly from the bottom corner of the second frame, the top corners of the first and the second frames being adjacent each other, the bottom corners of the first and the second frames being adjacent each other, the first and the second top connector members having overlapping portions which are each provided with an aperture, the first and the second bottom connector members having overlapping portions which are each provided with an aperture, and the rod being such that it passes through the apertures in the first and the second top and bottom connector members and is tightened in position thereby to lock the first and the second frames together.

2. A building structure according to claim 1 in which the rod has a screw threaded portion and a nut at one end for tightening the rod in position.

3. A building structure according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the first and the second top connector members are plate members

4. A building structure according to claim 3 in which the plate members are cranked.

5. A building structure according to any one of the preceding claims in which the first and the second bottom connector members are plate members.

6. A building structure according to claim 5 in which the plate members are cranked.

7. A building structure according to any one of the preceding claims and including a third bottom connector member which sits underneath the first bottom connector member.

8. A building structure according to claim 7 in which the third connector member is a plate member.

9. A building structure according to claim 8 in which the plate member is flat.

10. A building structure according to any one of the preceding claims in which the corner post has a longitudinally extending groove for receiving the rod.

11. A building structure having a glazing arrangement, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.