GB2326661A

GB2326661A - Window frame edge-joint with beading absent from the region of the joint

Info

Publication number: GB2326661A
Application number: GB9712989A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jonathon Charles Wheeler; James Ralph Wheeler
Original assignee: WINDMILL SERVICES Ltd
Current assignee: WINDMILL SERVICES Ltd
Priority date: 1997-06-19
Filing date: 1997-06-19
Publication date: 1998-12-30
Also published as: GB9712989D0

Description

A WINDOW INCLUDING AN ANGLED JOINT The invention relates to a window including an angled joint.

Windows namally include a number of angled joints. In a latticed window or in a window where only part of the window can be opened, a plurality of Thrnnts is required.

In a uPVC window, this is usually achieved by machining the end of a first profile into a V-shape and then machining a V-shaped notch into the frame profile and welding the two together. This is a relatively complex method of fabrication requiring expensive specialised apparatus.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a windowframe including an angled joint, the windowframe comprising a plurality of hollow profiles, at least some of the profiles including beading to retain a windowpane, the beading being absent from the region of the joint such that the end of a first profile can butt against the side of one or more second profiles and is mechanically fastened thereto.

In this way, a much smaller amount of machining is required, principally the removal of beading, and the mechanical joint to the side of one or more second profiles will be strong. It will be appreciated that there is no satisfactory method of mechanically fixing the prior V-shaped joint as an alternative to welding.

The joint may be at any suitable angle but preferably is substantially at a right-angle.

This luther reduces the amount of machinery required as profiles normally terminate at a right-angled cut when supplied from the manufacturer.

A single second profile may be provided but in a preferred embodiment two second profiles are provided which are butted against one another. The two second profiles may be reverse butted against one another. This is a particularly advantageous embodiment.

In the prior art, where a window has a single pane, the beading can be provided on the outside which is very secure. On the other hand, if the window has a part which opens, the same frame can be used, but the window will open inwards, and the integral beading will be on the inside with beading being added to the outside of the window. This added beading can be levered out by an intruder who will then be able to remove the pane of glass from the window and gain entry to the house. The arrangement is not secure. By means of the invention, however, the frame around the opening part can have the integral beading on the inside. The window will open outwards. The integral beading on the window will be on the outside and the window will overlap the frame so that the entire window is secure. The two second profiles may be attached together in any suitable way and may be welded together.

The beading on the fastened profiles, preferably aligns to form a mitred joint.

The profiles may be mechanically fastened together in any suitable way. In one embodiment, a securing member is provided which is arranged to be received in the end of the said first profile and to which the first and second profiles are mechanically fastened. The securing member may take any suitable form and may include parts which are arranged in the shape of a U. Preferably, the securing member is cupshaped.

The profiles may be made of any suitable materials. While the invention has application to metal windows, such as aluminium windows, the invention is primarily concerned with windows made of plastics material and in particular uPVC.

Preferably a plurality of said joints is provided to define a frame opening within the main opening, the frame opening having beading on the inside, the frame opening receiving the second window frame which is openable with respect to the main window frame.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a window frame having an angled joint, the window frame comprising a plurality of profiles, at least some of the profiles including beading to retain a windowpane, the method comprising the steps of removing the beading from the profile so that the end of a first profile can be brought to butt against the side of one or more second profiles and mechanically fastening the first profile to the or each second profile in that arrangement.

The profiles are preferably fastened to form a joint which is substantially at right-angles.

There may be two second profiles and the method may include securing them together in butting relationship. The second profiles may be secured together in a reverse butt joint, for example by welding.

The beading may be removed so as to form a mitred joint when the profiles are fastened together. The beading may be removed in any suitable manner, and may be cut away by hand, or removed by a punch guillotine but preferably the beading is removed by mnnng An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a known window Fig. 2 is a cross-section at A-A. in figure 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a profile in the first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is a plan view of two of the profiles of Fig. 3 secured together; Fig. S is an end elevation of the arrangement of Fig. 4 showing the milling cutter; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the arrangement of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of another profile, according to the embodiment; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the profile of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the joint between the profiles; Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the joint of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a perspective view in cross-section in joint of Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is an elevation of a window including the joint of Figs. 9, 10 and 11; and, Fig. 13 is a side elevation in cross-section of the window of Fig. 12 at B-B.

A prior known window is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The window 10 comprises an outer frame 12 conducted of four d-shaped profiles 14 which are connected in right-angled mitred joints end to end to form a rectangular windowframe 12. Each profile 14 includes a bead 16 which is upstanding at the front edge of the profile 14. The window 10 includes a vertical cross-member in the form of a T-shaped profile 18. The arms of the T-shape comprise beading 20 which extends laterally to either side of the front edge of the profile 18. The cross-member 18 is connected to the outer frame 12 by welding.

The ends of the cross-member 18 have been machined to pointed V-shapes 22 and corresponding V-shaped grooves 24 have been cut into the upper and lower profiles 14 of the frame 12. To the left of the cross-member 18, a pane of glass 25 is received in the opening defined between the left-band half of the frame 12 and the cross-member 18.

The glass 25 is placed against the beads 16, 20 and a sealing and securing strip (not shown) is attached to the frame 12 and cross-member 18 around the window to seal the window in place.

A secondary frame 26 is provided within the right-hand half of the frame 12. This is made up of four T-shaped profiles 28. The profiles 28 are provided with beads 30, 32 at the rear, facing upwardly and downwardly respectively. The profiles 28 are connected to one-another at right-angles end to end by mitred joints. As shown in Fig. 2, glass, which may be in the form of a double-glazed unit 34, is placed against the upper beading 30 and sealed in place by sealing and securing strips 36.

It will be seen that the secondary window opens inwards which compromises internal space. Also, the sealing and securing strips 36 are on the outside of the window. These are capable of being levered out by a thief who can then lift out the glazing 34 and gain entry to the building.

Pigs. 3 to 13 show the embodiment of the invention. The window 50 of the invention is made up of a first profile 52 and a plurality of second profiles 54.

Each second profile 54 is d-shaped having a bead 56 extending outwardly from it. To form the joint with the first profile, a length of second profile 54 is cut in half, one of the halves is turned through 180 degs. and the two halves are butt-welded together. In this way, there is an upstanding bead 56 at the front of one profile 54 with an upstanding bead 56 at the rear of the other profile 54. The beads 56 are then milled using a milling cutter 58 as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The cutting edge 60 of the milling cutter 58 is trapezium-shaped in profile and moves in the plane of the butt-weld 62 from one bead 56 to the other. The central portion 64 of the milling cutter 58 cuts the beads 56 away completely to leave a flush surface 66. The angled surfaces 68 of the milling cutter 58 lie at 45 degs. to the central surface 64 and cut the beads 58 at that angle to leave slanting surfaces 70.

The first profile 52 has two beads, one extending to one side of the profile at the front of the profile and the other extending to the other side of the profile at the rear of the profile. The beads 72, 74 are machined to a 45 deg. angle to the end of the main part of the profile 52.

It is, therefore, seen that the first profile 52 will lie flush against the butt-welded profiles 54 with the beads 72, 74 making mitre joints with the slant-cut surfaces 70 of the beads 56 while the end of the first profile 52 fits flush against the flat land 66 as shown in Fig.

9. in order to secure the first profile 52 to the second profiles 54, a securing member 76 is employed. This is in the form of a rectangular sleeve 78 to be received within the end of the first profile 52, the sleeve 78 being integral with a plate 80 which is wider than the rectangular sleeve 78 so to lie flush with the outer surface of the first profile 52 when inserted to the end thereof. The securing member 76 is secured to the second profiles 54 by means of two screws 82 through the plate 80. The first profile 52 is secured to the securing member 76 by two screws 84 which extend tbrough the side surfaces of the first profile 52 adjacent the beads 72, 74.

It will thus be seen that a window similar to the prior art window can be constructed using the second profiles 54 for the outer frame 86. Unlike the prior art, however, the window of the invention has beading 56, 72 in the left half at the front of the window and in the right-hand half, where the secondary window is received, the beading 56, 74 is on the inside. The secondary window will, therefore, open outwards, preserving space within the building. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 13, using the same secondary window the sealing and securing strips 36 are on the inside and integral beads 30, 32 are on the outside so that the window is secure.

The invention provides a simplified method of making joints, in particular Joints, and by the use of reverse bun joints as disclosed enables a secure and space saving secondary window to be provided.

Claims

1. A windowframe including an angled joint, the windowframe comprising a plurality of hollow profiles, at least some of the profiles including beading to retain a windowpane, the beading being absent from the region of the joint such that the end of a first profile can butt against the side of one or more second profiles and is mechanically fastened thereto.

2. A windowframe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joint is substantially at a rightangle.

3. A windowframe as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein two second profiles are provided which are butted against one another.

4. A windowframe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the two second profiles are reverse butted against one another.

5. A windowframe as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the two second profiles are welded together.

6. A windowframe as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the beading on the fastened profiles aligns to form a mitred joint.

7. A windowframe as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a securing member is provided which is arranged to be received in the end of the said first profile and to which the first and second profiles are mechanically fastened.

8. A windowframe as claimed in claim 7, wherein the securing member includes parts which are arranged in the shape of a U.

9. A windowframe as claimed in claim 7, wherein the securing member is cupshaped.

10. A windowframe as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the windowframe is made of plastics material.

11. A windowframe as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the windowframe is made of uPVC.

12. A windowframe as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of said joints is provided to define a frame opening within the main opening, the frame opening having beading on the inside, the frame opening receiving the second window frame which is openable with respect to the main window frame.

13. A windowframe substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 3 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of making a window frame having an angled joint, the window frame comprising a plurality of profiles, at least some of the profiles including beading to retain a windowpane, the method comprising the steps of removing the beading from the profile so that the end of a first profile can be brought to bun against the side of one or more second profiles and mechanically fastening the first profile to the or each second profile in that arrangement.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the profiles are fastened to form a joint which is substantially at right-angles.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein there are two second profiles and the method includes securing them together in butting relationship.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second profiles are secured together in a reverse butt joint.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the second profiles are secured together by welding.

19. A method as claimed in any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the beading is removed so as to form a mitred joint when the profiles are fastened together.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the beading is removed by milling.

21. A method substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 3 to 13 of the accompanying drawings.