GB2329418A

GB2329418A - Stays

Info

Publication number: GB2329418A
Application number: GB9720095A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yurek Adrian Wronski
Original assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Current assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Priority date: 1997-09-23
Filing date: 1997-09-23
Publication date: 1999-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2017-09-23
Also published as: GB2329418B; GB9720095D0

Abstract

A pivot pin (19) connecting one end of a strut to a frame-mounted base of a window or like stay is made shearable to allow wider opening of the window in an emergency and to facilitate replacement of the pin it is located in a clevis (21) formed by a base member (23) and a cover (24) releasably held together e.g. by a screw (25).

Description

Stavs This invention relates to hinges in the form of stays, such as side hung window stays.

The invention is particularly concerned with the stay of the type in which there is an arm for supporting a load, a base for attachment to a frame, a linkage mounting the arm on the base for movement away and towards a position in which the arm overlies the base and including a clevis located in the base and attachable to the frame for retaining a pivot, in the form of a sheer pin, which connects a part of the linkage to the base and which can be broken for emergency use. Such a stay is described and claimed in our co-pending Patent Application No. 2287062.

Whilst the stay described in that Application has been extremely successful in terms of providing an emergency exit, there are significant problems involved in replacing the broken sheer pin and currently the remains of the sheer pin often have to be drilled out or the total clevis has to be replaced.

The present invention consists in the stay as described above characterised in that the clevis comprises of base, element and a separate cover, the base element and the cover having co-operating formations for locating the sheer pin and fastening means for releasably engaging the cover on the base to the hold sheer pin in the formations.

It will be appreciated that this arrangement not only facilitates the replacement of the shear pin, because this is simply done by the removal of the cover, it also enables the base to remain on the frame, when the stay is mounted and thus avoids any need for re-adjustment of the stay, because the pivot axes previously set up remain fixed.

Preferably the fastening means is a screw, which may engage in a threaded hcle in the base element. A fastener may be provided sor attaching the base element to the frame and the cover may define an opening allowing access to the fastener, whereby the clevis as a whole can be released from or attached to the frame.

It will thus be appreciated that when the stay arrives on site it is simply fixed to the frame as usual and the separable nature of the clevis does not in any sense interfere withthat function. At least one formation may be in the form of a recess, and where the formation in the upper cover is in the form of a recess that does not penetrate through the cover, the arrangement has the added advantage that the shear pin cannot be tampered with.

Although the invention has been defined above it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prior art window stay; Figure 2 is a section along the line A-A; Figure 3 is a side view of a clevis formed in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 is a side view of the cover of the clevis of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view from below of the cover of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side view of the base of the clevis Figure 3; and Figure 7 is a plan view of the base of Figure ó.

A stay, generally indicated at 10, comprises, as is well know, an arm 11 for carrying a window (not shown) , a link 12, a strut 13, a brace 14, a track member 15, and a slider 16. The link 12 is pivotally connected to the arm 11 and a slider 12, whilst the strut 13 extends between the track 15 and the arm 11 and is pivotally connected to each.

In the prior art arrangement in Figure 2, the pivot between the strut 13 and the track 15 is formed by a nylon rod 19 which sits in a vertical aperture 20, defined by an end piece or clevis 21 fixed to the track 15. The rod 19 is surrounded by the end 22 of the strut 13.

If an adult wishes to exit through the window, they will instinctively force the window away from the track 15 causing a substantial longitudinal output force along the strut 13. This will cause the end 22 to break through the rod 19 allowing the window, mounted on the arm 11, to cpen fully.

Figures 3 to 7 illustrate an alternative form cf end piece or clevis 21 which comprises a base element 23 and a cover 24 that are held together by a screw fastener 25. The base element 23 and cover 24 define aligned respective recesses 25, 27 which receive the rod 19 to retain the end 22 within the space 28 defined between the cover 23 and the base element 22. Preferably the base element 23 and cover 24 are cut away (at 29 and 30 respectively) adjacent to the recesses 26 and 27 so that the recesses are less deep on that side, enhancing the shearing of the rod or pin 19.

It will also be noted that the base element 23 and cover 24 are tapered at 31, 32 so that they can fit within the track member 15.

The base is formed with an aperture 33 through which a fastener 34 can pass to secure the clevis to the frame.

This aperture 33 may be surrounded by a land 35 which provides a locating surface for an aperture 36 in the cover.

The aperture 36 is sized so that the fastener 34 can be inserted and withdrawn through the aperture 36, allowing the clevis 21 to be mounted and dismounted as a whole. Similar locating formations surround the holes provided for receiving the screw fastener 25.

The shear pin 19 is of simpler construction than before and may be made of any suitable material including metal.

It may be weakened at one point or area to enhance shearing.

Claims

1. A stay including a load bearing arm, a base for attachment to a frame, a linkage for mounting the arm on the base for movement away and towards a position in which the arm overlies the base and including a clevis located In the base and attachable to the frame for retaining a pivot, in the form of a shear pin, which connects a part of the linkage to the base and which can be broken for emergency use characterised in that the clevis comprises a base element and a separate cover, the base element and the cover having co-operating formations for locating the shear pin and fastening means for releasably engaging the cover on to the base element to hold the shear pin in the formations.

2 A stay as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fastening means is a screw.

3. A stay as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a fastener is provided for attaching the base element to the frame and the cover defines an opening allowing access to the fastener whereby the clevis as a whole can be released from and/or attached to the frame.

4. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one formation is a recess.