GB2322905A

GB2322905A - Face lock for shoot bolt mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2322905A
Application number: GB9804568A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence James Dolman
Original assignee: Trojan Hardware and Design Ltd
Current assignee: Trojan Hardware and Design Ltd
Priority date: 1997-03-08
Filing date: 1998-03-05
Publication date: 1998-09-09
Also published as: GB9704852D0; GB9804568D0

Abstract

A longitudinally-displaceable transmission bar (12) of a shoot bolt mechanism, for a window or door, comprises a laterally projecting locking member (10) arranged to become engaged with a keep (14), the keep being secured to a fixed frame member opposing an edge member of the openable door or window. The locking member comprises a sleeve (24) which is retained on a stud (20) which projects from the transmission bar, a compression coil spring (26) being retained between a head flange (22) of the stud and an inner end flange (28) of the sleeve to urge the sleeve inwardly towards the transmission bar. A head flange (30) of the sleeve, at its outer end, is arranged to slide beneath spaced retaining flanges (58) of the keep when the locking member is introduced into engagement with the keep.

Description

SHOOT BOLT MECHANISM This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to shoot bolt mechanisms such as are usedfor securing opening windows and doors in closed positions.

Such mechanisms usually comprise a drive mechanism within a housing which is adapted to be accommodated in a recess in an edge member of a window or door. Ordinarily, two strip-like bolts arms extend in opposite directions from a front face of the housing, to be moved longitudinally by the mechanism. The bolt arms may be accommodated in shallow channels formed in an outer face of the edge member, end portions of the arms being projectable beyond the opposite ends of the edge member for engagement with keeps on an adjacent window or door frame. In an open condition of the mechanism, the bolt ends are drawn back from the keeps to permit the window or door to be opened.

In addition to engagement of the bolt ends with the door or window frame, it is known for the bolt arms to carry locking studs which project laterally from the arms for engagement with keeps secured to an adjacent member opposing the outer face of the edge member which bears the shoot bolt mechanism. The studs are ordinarily headed, so that in extending the bolt arms the stud heads become inserted under retaining lips of the keeps.

For proper and reliable engagement of the studs with their keeps in such a face locking arrangement, the positioning of the door or window edge member relative to the adjacent keep-bearing member is critical.

Manufacturing and installation tolerances must accordingly be tight.

Furthermore, difficulties can arise in use from structural movements of the members with changes of temperature, for example giving rise to the studs becoming engaged so tightly with their keeps that the mechanism jams.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved face locking arrangement enabling manufacturing tolerances to be increased.

The invention provides, in one of its aspects, a shoot bolt mechanism adapted to be secured to an edge member of a window or door and comprising face locking means projecting laterally from a transmission bar which is arranged to be driven lengthwise along a face of the edge member in operation of the mechanism, the locking means comprising keep-engaging means which is arranged for interengagement with a keep secured to an adjacent member opposing said face of the edge member and the keep-engaging means being resiliently displaceable relative to the transmission bar to accommodate variations in the distance of the keep from the transmission bar.

Since the keep-engaging means can be displaced relative to the transmission bar the precise distance from the transmission bar to the keep need not be so critical in effecting interengagement and in preventing jamming should that distance increase after interengagement. One or other, or both, of the keep-engaging means and the keep may comprise a suitably shaped deflecting surface arranged to cause such displacement of the keep-engaging means as may be necessary for interengagement during movement of the transmission bar.

The keep-engaging means may comprise means forming a head on a displaceable locking member of the locking means, the locking means comprising resilient means urging the locking member towards or away from the transmission bar. In a preferred construction, the locking means comprises a guide member secured to the transmission bar and bearing the displaceable locking member. The locking member may be in the form of a sleeve which is guided for movement over the guide member, a compression spring acting to urge the sleeve towards or away from the transmission bar. Most preferably, the compression spring is housed between the sleeve and the guide member to urge the sleeve towards the transmission bar.

The invention provides, in another of its aspects, a face locking mechanism for a door or window which is fitted with a shoot bolt mechanism secured to an edge member of the door or window, the locking mechanism comprising a first part comprising locking means which projects laterally from a transmission bar which is arranged to be driven lengthwise along a face of the edge member in operation of the shoot bolt mechanism, and a second part comprising keep-forming means which is adapted to be secured to an adjacent member positioned opposite the edge member, the locking means comprising keep-engaging means arranged for interengagement with the keep-forming means, and at least one of the keep-engaging means and the keep-forming means being resiliently displaceable relative to the transmission bar to accommodate misalignment in interengagement of the two.

In a preferred arrangement, resiliently displaceable keep-engaging means, mounted on the transmission bar, is arranged to engage with fixed (i.e. non-displaceable) keep-forming means. However, a spring element could be utilised in the keep-forming means if that were preferred, instead of or in addition to sprung keep-engaging means.

There now follows a description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings of a face locking mechanism which illustrates the invention by way of example.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating a displaceable locking member projecting from a transmission bar and positioned prior to interengagement with a keep; Figure 2 illustrates the locking member to a larger scale, being shown displaced from the transmission bar; Figure 3 is a plan view of the keep; and Figure 4 is a sectional view through an edge member of a window or door and an adjacent frame member and showing the relative positioning of the locking member and the keep.

A face locking mechanism for use in association with a shoot bolt mechanism is shown in Figure 1.

The locking mechanism comprises a first part comprising locking means 10 which is mounted on a transmission bar 12 of the shoot bolt mechanism. A second part of the locking mechanism comprises keepforming means 14.

The shoot bolt mechanism is secured to an edge member 16 (Figure 4) of a window or door, the transmission bar 12 being arranged to be driven lengthwise along a face 18 of the edge member in operation of the mechanism. The locking means 10 (Figure 2) comprises a guide member in the form of a fixed cylindrical stud 20 which projects perpendicularly from the transmission bar. At its outer (free) end, the stud is formed with a surrounding head-flange 22. A locking member in the form of a sleeve 24 comprising a cylindrical body is mounted on the stud to slide freely over the head flange 22. A compression coil spring 26 is housed between the sleeve and the stud, acting between the head flange 22 of the stud and an internal flange 28 formed inside the sleeve at its inner end. At its outer end, the sleeve 24 comprises keep-engaging means in the form of surrounding head flange 30, an inner annular surface 32 of the flange (facing towards the transmission bar 12) being a frusto-conical surface forming an inclined deflecting surface. The sleeve 24 can be displaced on the stud 20 between the two extreme positions shown respectively in Figures 1 and 2, the spring 26 providing resilient means urging the sleeve inwardly towards the transmission bar 12.

The keep-forming means 14 (Figures 1 and 3) comprises a base 34 having a flat bottom surface 36. An upper surface 38 of the base is stepped to receive a keep member 40 in any one of four positions of heightwise adjustment from the bottom surface 36, an undersurface 42 of the keep member 40 being stepped in a form corresponding to that of the base. Two lugs 44, 46 projecting from the underside of the keep-member become engaged in vacant screw-clearance holes 48 of the base, and two screws 50, 52 inserted through the keep-member and the base secure the assembly to a frame member 54 (Figure 4).

The frame-member is positioned closely adjacent to the edge member 16, the keep-forming means being presented opposite the face 18 bearing the shoot bolt mechanism. With the mechanism in an open condition (i.e. the window or door unsecured) the locking means 10 is positioned adjacent to an entry end 56 of the keep member 40, as shown in Figure 1. Upon operation of the mechanism, to adjust it to a ciosed condition in which the door or window is secured, the transmission bar 12 becomes driven lengthwise (to the left, as seen in Figure 1). As shown also in Figure 3, the keep member presents, at its entry end, a pair of flanges 58, 60 bordering a receiving slot 62 for the sleeve 24 of the locking means 10. The flanges which extend generally in the direction of movement of the locking means with the transmission bar, are spaced apart by a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body of the sleeve 24 but slightly less than the diameter of the head flange 30 of the sleeve. Accordingly, when the sleeve has been introduced into the slot 62, by a longitudinal closing movement of the transmission bar 12, engagement of the head flange 30 beneath the keep flanges 58, 60 prevents separation of the window or door edge member 16 from the frame member 54.

Entry end faces 64, 66 of the keep flanges 58, 60 present a convergent entry to the receiving slot 62. More importantly, undersurfaces 68 of the flanges immediately adjacent to the entry end faces 64, 66 are inclined so as to provide deflecting surfaces which are arranged to co-operate with the deflecting surface 32 of the sleeve head flange 30, whereby to guide the head flange for entry into the receiving slot 62 beneath the keep flanges. The spring 26 of the locking means permits the necessary displacement of the sleeve 24. In this manner slight misalignments of the locking means with the keep flanges (in the direction laterally of the transmission bar and axially of the locking sleeve) can be accommodated, and furthermore jamming of the locking means under the keep flanges will be avoided should structural movements cause an increase in the separation of the edge member 16 and the frame member 54.

Claims

1. A shoot bolt mechanism adapted to be secured to an edge member of a window or door and comprising face locking means projecting laterally from a transmission bar which is arranged to be driven lengthwise along a face of the edge member in operation of the mechanism, the locking means comprising keep-engaging means which is arranged for interengagement with a keep secured to an adjacent member opposing said face of the edge member and the keep-engaging means being resiliently displaceable relative to the transmission bar to accommodate variations in the distance of the keep from the transmission bar.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 in which at least one of the keep-engaging means and the keep comprises a deflecting surface arranged to cause such displacement of the keep-engaging means as may be necessary for interengagement during movement of the transmission bar.

3. A mechanism according to either of claims 1 and 2 in which the keep-engaging means comprises means forming a head on a displaceable locking member of the locking means, the locking means comprising resilient means urging the locking member in a direction laterally of the transmission bar.

4. A mechanism according to claim 3 in which the locking means comprises a guide member secured to the transmission bar and bearing the displaceable locking member.

5. A mechanism according to claim 4 in which the locking member is in the form of a sleeve which is guided for movement over the guide member, a compression spring acting to urge the sleeve towards or away from the transmission bar.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5 in which the compression spring is housed between the sleeve and the guide member to urge the sleeve towards the transmission bar.

7. A shoot bolt mechanism comprising face locking means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A face locking mechanism for a door or window which is fitted with a shoot bolt mechanism secured to an edge member of the door or window, the locking mechanism comprising a first part comprising locking means which projects laterally from a transmission bar which is arranged to be driven lengthwise along a face of the edge member in operation of the shoot bolt mechanism, and a second part comprising keep-forming means which is adapted t9 be secured to an adjacent member positioned opposite the edge member, the locking means comprising keepengaging means arranged for interengagement with the keep-forming means, and at least one of the keep-engaging means and the keep-forming means being resiliently displaceable relative to the transmission bar to accommodate misalignment in interengagement of the two.

9. A face locking mechanism according to claim 8 in which resiliently displaceable keep-engaging means, mounted on the transmission bar, is arranged to engage with fixed keep-forming means.

10. A face locking mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.