GB2336621A

GB2336621A - Bolt fastening means

Info

Publication number: GB2336621A
Application number: GB9808505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Gerald Parker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-04-23
Filing date: 1998-04-23
Publication date: 1999-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2018-04-23
Also published as: GB2336621B; GB9808505D0

Abstract

Bolt fastening means 1 has a bolt 2 slidable in a housing 3 aligned opposite keeper 4. Bolt 2, as shown, has a circular configuration with an end 2a having an axial, eccentric pin P of circular cross-section co-operable with the internal surface of the receiving opening in the keeper to correct any misalignment between the bolt 2 and the receiving opening on appropriate rotation of handle H.

Description

1 BOLT FASTENING MEANS 2336621 This invention relates to bolt fastening

means, for example of the type utilised in retaining or locking an exterior door of a house to the surrounding doorjamb.

Door bolt fastening means are well known which include a door bolt slidably activated within a housing which is screwed onto an inside surface of the door (usually at the bottom or top of a door), said bolt cooperating with a keeper located (screwed) onto the doorjamb, the keeper having means for receiving an end of the bolt preventing the door from being opened relative to the doorjamb whilst the bolt is in a locked position. Even though such bolts have been used on doors (or windows or the like) for many years there still tend to be problems with such arrangements, more particularly because of some misalignment developing between the bolt and the receiving opening of the keeper due to the passage of time, warping of the door and/door jamb, door drift, wear, loosening of the door hinges and/or other reasons.

As explained in my previous Patent Specification No. GB2300877, with such known door bolt fastening means, should there be any misalignment of the bolt at the receiving opening it would then be necessary to forcibly move the door relative to the doorjamb, for example by pushing the door at the bottom inwardly of the jamb (if the bolt is located at the bottom of the door) whilst

2 substantially simultaneously attempting to slide one end of the bolt into the receiving opening, once correct alignment has been achieved. Patent Specification No. GB2300877 proposes an arrangement in which the bolt can be slid into the receiving opening of the. keeper despite misalignment of the bolt and receiving opening; the bolt then being rotatable to a position in which it is in correct alignment with the opening, said bolt and keeper being co-operable with one another during said rotation to compensate for or correct said misalignment.

Although the bolt fastening means described in Patent Specification No. GB 2300877 has been found to work well in practice, I believe my design can be still further improved. For example, my design as shown in the FIGURES of GB 2300877 is able to correct misalignment of the bolt at the receiving opening of the keeper in one direction of drift only i.e. a horizontal drift of a door away from the doorjamb. It may be disadvantageous in some instances that this design is not also capable of correcting any vertical drift i.e. misalignment in a vertical plane between the bolt and receiving opening that could occur if the door dropped relative to the doorjamb. In such circumstances, the door would have to be lifted relative to the doorjamb before the end of the bolt could be inserted in the receiving opening.

Additionally, it tends to be disadvantageous that 3 the receiving opening of the keeper has to be a different shape relative to the opening in the housing requiring separate manufacturing or machining operations to be performed on the bolt housing and keeper respectively. Such operations may mean that the manufacturing costs and/or manufacturing time and/or skill may be greater than need necessarily be the case. Also, the cross section of the receiving opening itself appears to be of more complex shape than need be the case.

Furthermore, the bolt fastening means is essentially right-handed i.e. sliding movement of the first position from left to right, with locking rotation being downward and if a left-handed bolt is desired, a bolt specific to the purpose of opposite hand would have to be produced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a bolt fastening means which is improved in at least some respect and/or to alleviate one of the aforementioned problems, or other problem, associated with bolt fastening means.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided bolt fastening means comprising a slidable bolt and a keeper, the arrangement being such that, in use, the bolt can be slid into a f irst position in a receiving opening in the keeper and rotated from said f irst position to a second position in which the bolt is 4 in correct alignment with the receiving opening, said bolt having an axial extension or pin with a guide surface at, or near, a location on the periphery of the bolt or axial projection thereof, which extension or pin extends into the receiving opening in said first position and which guide surface is co-operable with the receiving opening to compensate for, or correct, any misalignment of the bolt with the receiving opening occurring in said first position in any one or both of two directions mutually at right angles to one another, said guide surface being engageable with an inner surface of the receiving opening in at least said second position.

In one embodiment, the extension or pin may be eccentric to a main body of the bolt and/or extends from said location radially inwardly of the bolt to approximately the centre of the bolt. The cross section of the pin/extension may be fashioned to suit and may be elliptical or circular. Where the pin/extension cross section is elliptical, the minor axis of the ellipse preferably extends radially of the bolt.

Also, preferably, the bolt fastening means can be selectively assembled as a left-handed or right-hand bolt, which selection may or may not be reversible. In order to provide said selection, the bolt May be provided with a detachable handle engageable (preferably threadably engageable) in a selected one of two locating holes in the bolt, said holes usually being diametrically opposed to one another. The holes could be replaced by a single hole extending completely through the bolt.

Preferably, the bolt is slidably mounted in a housing with two axial slots diametrically opposed to one another to enable adaption from left- handed to righthanded operation or vice versa.

Preferably, a, or the, housing of the bolt fastening means has a raised tubular portion receiving the bolt, said raised tubular portion being of the same or similar external cross section to a raised tubular portion of the keeper and/or preferably the internal shape of said raised tubular portion of the housing matching the internal shape of the said tubular portion of the keeper. In one embodiment, the housing and the keeper can be manufactured from the same section material section.

A, or the, handle may overlap a plate portion of the bolt housing thereby allowing easier finger access to the handle.

Said two directions mutually at right angles may be horizontal and vertical and where provided on a door or window the bolt fastening means may provide for lifting the door/window relative to the door/window jamb and/or inward movement of the door/window relative to the jamb.

6 According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided bolt fastening means comDrisina a bolt slidable in an opening in a housing and a keeper, the arrangement being such that, in use, the bolt can be slid into a f irst position. in a receiving opening in the keeper and rotated from said first position to a second position in which the bolt is in correct alignment with the receiving opening, the bolt and keeper being co-operable with one another to compensate f or, or correct, any misalignment of the bolt with the receiving opening occurring in said f irst position in any one or both of two directions mutually at right angles to one another, the cross section of the housing opening being similar or identical with the cross section of the receiving opening in the keeper and/or the external cross section of at least a tubular portion of the housing containing the housing opening being similar or identical to the cross section of at least a tubular portion of the keeper containing the receiving opening.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bolt fastening means comprising a slidable bolt and a keeper, said fastening means being adapted for left-handed or right-handed operation (said adaption preferably being reversible) preferably by providing a detachable handle attachable to said bolt at different locations (dependent on left-handed or right-handed operation) and/or two opposed slots on a 7.. - _1 7, housing of the bolt, a particular one of which slots is used in left- handed or right-handed operation of the bolt as the case may be.

Further according to the present invention there is provided the combination of a door and door jamb provided with at least one bolt fastening means in accordance with any one of the statements of invention contained herein.

Further advantageous features of the present invention will be evident from the following description and drawings.

An embodiment of bolt fastening means in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following simplified drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a front view of a bolt and its associated housing adjacent a keeper; FIGURE 2 shows a section taken through the housing on line II-II of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 shows a section taken through the keeper on line III-III of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 4 shows a view similar to FIGURE 3 but with :1 8 one end of the bolt engaged in a receiving opening in the keeper in an alignment position; FIGURE 5 shows a view similar to FIGURE 4 but with the bolt rotated through an angle of 90,.and FIGURE 6 shows a view similar to FIGURE 5 but with the bolt rotated through 180 relative to FIGURE 4 and with the bolt still in alignment with the receiving opening in the keeper.

Referring to the FIGURES of the drawings, bolt fastening means 1 comprises a bolt 2 slidably mounted in a housing 3 shown in aligned opposed relationship with a keeper 4. The housing 3 consists of a rectangular plate portion 3a having four holes 3b at respective corners of the plate portion 3a, said holes being for the reception of screws or the like (not shown) to f asten the plate portion to a door or the like (for example the top or bottom thereof) in a manner which should be self- evident.

The housing 3 is provided with a central longitudinal outwardly raised tubular portion 3c in alignment with (but spaced by a gap g - see FIGURE 1) a similar portion 3d with the bolt 2 being slidably received in said aligned portions 3c,3d.. The bolt 2 has a generally circular configuration (see FIGURE 2) for the majority of its length but with the external diameter of 9 the bolt matching, or being closely received in, internal diameters of tubular portions 3c, and 3d.

Importantly, one end 2a of the bolt (the right hand protecting end as shown in FIGURE 1). has an axial extension or pin p of circular cross section with guide surface located at or near a location X on the periphery or circumference of the bolt (or axial projection thereof), said pin p being eccentric to the main body of the bolt (see FIGURES 4 to 6) for reasons to be explained later. The pin 2a extends radially inwardly from the peripheral location X on the bolt circumference to approximately the centre of the bolt as should be evident from FIGURES 4 to 6.

As shown more particularly in FIGURES 2 and 3, bolt 2 is provided with a generally cylindrical elongate handle portion H extending upwardly in FIGURE 1 and at right angles to the bolt 2, said handle portion being connected to the bolt 2 by a coaxial stem Ha. Although not evident from the drawings, handle H is preferably detachable from the bolt 2, said coaxial stem Ha, for example being provided with a screw thread, threadably engageable in a threaded hole in the bolt in order to enable the handle to be positioned relative to the bolt as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1 or alternatively positioned at 180 relative to the bolt as shown in chain dotted lines in FIGURE 1, to provide for left-handed or right-handed operation of the bolt in a manner to be explained later.

The handle portion H vertically overlaps the plate portion 3a thereby allowing easier finger access to grip and rotate the handle portion. The bolt 2 is slidably captivated in tubular portions 3c and 3d to be movable between a fully retracted position (not shown) and fully extended position as shown in FIGURE 1. In the fully extended position of the bolt as shown in FIGURE 1, the end of the pin p has a plain circular transverse face 2b, the diameter of the pin p being less than the radius of the main body of the bolt 2.

Thus, the handle portion H is constrained to move along slot 5 on the upper surface of tubular portion 3c from a position (fully retracted position) to the left of that shown in FIGURE 1, in which the stem Ha engages stop S defining the end of the slot 5, to as far as the position shown in FIGURE 1 (fully extended position). This slidable movement is noted by the double headed arrow X-X. It should be evident that once the stem Ha engages the stop S, the bolt 2 will be fully retracted to lie within the tubular portions 3c and 3d and that on a movement of the handle portion H from stop S to the position as shown in FIGURE 1, the end of the bolt will be fully extended. Once the bolt 2 is in the position shown in FIGURE 1, the handle portion H can be rotated through approximately 1800 in a direction of arrow Y (see FIGURE 11 4) with stem Ha moving in said gap g inbetween tubular portions 3c,3d to the position shown in chain dotted lines in FIGURE 1; this in turn axially rotates the bolt 2 and rotates the pin p f rom the position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position as shown in FIGURE 6 in order to correct any misalignment of the keeper and bolt in any one of two directions mutually at right angles i.e. horizontal and/or vertical drift.

The keeper 4 has a rectangular plate portion 4a provided with two holes 4b as shown in FIGURE 3, said holes being for receiving fastening means such as screws or the like (not shown) in order to fasten the keeper to a convenient position on a door jamb adjacent to the housing mounted on a door or the like. Although the keeper 4 is shown spaced f rom the housing 3 and from the end of the bolt, it is to be appreciated that, in use, the portion 3a will be quite close to the plate portion 4b with the pin p of the bolt 2 projecting deeply into the receiving opening R of the keeper 4. The external diameter or shape of the tubular, central, outwardly raised tubular portion 4c preferably matches the shape of the tubular portion 3d of the bolt housing 3 and, advantageously, the internal shape 4d of the receiving opening R matches the internal circular shape of the tubular portion 3d and thus the keeper and bolt housing can be manufactured from the same section, the keeper simply being cut f rom a particular length of housing material. Since the receiving opening R 12 of the keeper 4 is the same cross section as the opening of the housing 3a, manufacture of the bolt fastening means is much simpler than that provided for in my Patent Specification No. GB 2300877.

The internal surface 4d of the opening R effectively acts as a cam or guide means which compensates for, or corrects, any outward displacement (horizontal displacement) of the housing 3a relative to the keeper 4 and furthermore also corrects any downward displacement (vertical displacement) of the housing 3a relative to the keeper.

As shown in FIGURE 4 the pin p of the bolt 2 has an outer guide surface which contacts the inner surface 4d of the receiving opening R in the first position as the bolt 2 is slid into the receiving opening R so that there is no misalignment shown between the keeper and bolt housing. Furthermore, the guide surface of pin p continues to move in contact with said surface 4d as the handle H is rotated into a second position shown in FIGURE 6. However, if misalignment should occur between the bolt housing and keeper, pin p will not initially contact the surface 4d and will only make contact therewith at some point during rotation of the handle H from the position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE. 6 in order to pull the keeper and bolt housing 3a into alignment. It is possible that the pin p may only engage said surface 4d just before 13 being rotated to said second position in FIGURE 6, if the misalignment is only slight.

It is important J16,10 that the pin p will engage the surface 4d at least at the end of the rotational movement of the handle H to the downward position as shown in FIGURE 6.

Various possible configurations of the cross section of pin p are possible, f or example the pin could be more elliptical in shape with the major axis of the ellipse extending vertically in the position as shown in FIGURE 4 and horizontally as shown in FIGURE 5. Hence the minor axis of ellipse may extend radially of the bolt. Thus, the surf ace 4d of the receiving opening R acts as a cam means to guide the pin p and thus the bolt 2 into a position such that the keeper is in alignment with the bolt housing. Thus the bolt 2 may be guided inwardly and upwardly relative to the door jamb which should, advantageously, reduce drafts through the joint of the door and surrounding door jamb to compensate for outward drift in a horizontal plane and dropping of the door in a vertical plane.

The co-operating surf ace of the pin p and the guide surf ace 4d of the receiving opening R may provide a very smooth guidance of the keeper bolt housing into alignment.

14 It is to be noted that the tubular portion 3c is provided with a second slot 5a opposed to said first slot 5. This is to enable the bolt to be adapted f rom right hand to left hand operation, simply by: detaching the stem portion Ha and the bolt 2 from the position as shown in FIGURE 1 and locating the handle H in the chain dotted position as shown in FIGURE 1 with the pin p on the bolt 2 remaining in the same orientation relative to the housing. Advantageously, this enables the bolt 2 to be used as a left-handed bolt slidable in the second slot 5a rather than the first slot 5, between fully retracted and fully extended positions, prior to movement of the handle from the first position to the second position in the keeper, it being it appreciated that the bolt housing will now be in inverted position effectively shown to the left instead of the right of the keeper.

Thus, further according to the present invention there is provided a method of correctly aligning a bolt in a receiving opening, said method comprising engaging an end of a bolt in a receiving opening in a f irst position and rotating the bolt relative to said receiving opening, said bolt and keeper co-operating with one another during said rotation to compensate for or correct any misalignment of the bolt with the receiving opening occurring in said first position in any one or both of two directions mutually at right angles to one another, said method preferably including:- the bolt end having axial extension or pin with a guide surface at, or near, a location on the periphery of the bolt or axial projection thereof and engaging said guide surface with an inner surface of the receiving opening in the keeper to compensate for or correct said misalignment; or b) the bolt being slidable in an opening in a tubular portion of the housing, said housing opening being of similar or identical cross section to the receiving opening in the keeper and/or the external cross section of at least said tubular portion being identical or similar to the cross section of a tubular portion of the keeper containing the receiving opening, or c) adapting the bolt fastening means for left-handed or right handed operation.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be unduly limited by the particular choice of terminology and that a specific term may be replaced or supplemented by the equivalent or generic term. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions, related to the bolt fastening means or parts thereof clone or in combination might be individually patentably inventive. Of particular importance is the co-operation of the pin of the bolt with 16 the cam surface provided on the keeper. include the plural and vice versa.

The singular may

Claims

Claims:-

14 11 1. Bolt fastening means comprising a slidable bolt and a keeper, the arrangement being such that, in use, the bolt can be slid into a first position in a receiving opening in the keeper and rotated from said first position to a second position in which the bolt is in correct alignment with the receiving opening, said bolt having an axial extension or pin with a guide surface at, or near, a location on the periphery of the bolt or axial projection thereof, which extension or pin extends into the receiving opening in said first position and which guide surface is cooperable with the receiving opening to compensate for, or correct, any misalignment of the bolt with the receiving opening occurring in said first position in any one or both of two directions mutually at right angles to one another, said guide surface being engageable with an inner surface of the receiving opening in at least said second position.
2. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 1 in which the extension or pin is eccentric to a main body of the bolt andlor extends from said location radially inwardly of the bolt to approximately the centre of the bolt.
3. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the crosssection of the pin/extension is elliptical or circular.
4. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 3 in which the pinlextension cross-section is elliptical and the minor axis of the ellipse extends radially of the bolt.
5. Bolt fastening means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the bolt fastening means can be selectively assembled as a lefthanded or right-handed bolt.
6. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 5 in which said selection is reversible.
7. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 in which the bolt is provided with a detachable handle engageable in a selected one of two locating holes in the bolt.
8. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 7 in which the handle is threadably engageable in said selected hole.
9. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 in which said holes are diametrically opposed to one another.

P '
1O.Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 in which the holes are replaced by a single hole extending completely through the bolt.
11. Bolt fastening means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the bolt is slidably mounted in a housing with two axial slots diametrically opposed to one another to enable adaption from left-handed to right-handed operation or vice versa.
12. Bolt fastening means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a, or the, housing of the bolt fastening means has a raised tubular portion receiving the bolt, said raised tubular portion being of the same or similar external cross-section to a raised tubular portion of the keeper.
13. Bolt fastening means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the internal shape of said raised tubular portion of the housing matches the internal shape of the said tubular portion of the keeper.
14. Bolt fastening means as claimed in claim 3 in which the housing and the keeper can be manufactured from the same section material section.
15. A bolt fastening means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a, or the, handle overlaps a plate portion of the bolt housing.

X.
16. Bolt fastening means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which said two directions mutually at right angles are horizontal and vertical and where provided on a door or window the bolt fastening means provides for lifting the door/window relative to the door/window jamb and/or inward movement of the door/window relative to the jamb.
17. Bolt fastening means comprising a bolt slidable in an opening in a housing and a keeper, the arrangement being such that, in use, the bolt can be slid into a first position in a receiving opening in the keeper and rotated from said first position to a second position in which the bolt is in correct alignment with the receiving opening, the bolt and keeper being co-operable with one another to compensate for, or correct, any misalignment of the bolt with the receiving opening occurring in said first position in any one or both of two directions mutually at right angles to one another, the cross-section of the housing opening being similar or identical with the cross-section of the receiving opening in the keeper and/or the external cross-section of at least a tubular portion of the housing containing the housing opening being similar or identical to the cross-section of at least a tubular portion of the keeper containing the receiving opening.
18. A bolt fastening means comprising a slidable bolt and a keeper, said fastening means being adapted for left-handed or right-handed operation (said adaption 1 preferably being reversible) preferably by providing a detachable handle attachable to said bolt at different locations (dependent on left-handed or right-handed operation) and/or two opposed slots on a housing of the bolt, a particular one of which slots is used in left-handed or right- handed operation of the bolt as the case may be.
19. A bolt fastening means substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
20. The combination of a door and door jamb provided with at least one bolt fastening means in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.
21. A method of correctly aligning a bolt in a receiving opening, said method comprising engaging an end of a bolt in a receiving operation in a first position and rotating the bolt relative to said receiving opening, said bolt and keeper co-operating with one another during said rotation to compensate for or correct any misaligriment of the bolt with the receiving opening occurring in said first position in any one or both of two directions mutually at right angles to one another, said method preferably including:- a) the bolt end having axial extension or pin with a guide surface at, or near, a location on the periphery of the bolt or axial projection thereof and engaging said )a.

guide surface with an inner surface of the receiving opening in the keeper to compensate for or coriect said misalignment; or a b) the bolt being slidable in an opening in a tubular portion of the housing, said housing opening being of similar or identical cross-section to the receiving opening in the keeper andlor the external cross-section of at least said tubular portion being identical or similar to the cross- section of a tubular portion of the keeper containing the receiving opening, or c) adapting the bolt fastening means for left-handed or right-handed operation.
22. A method as claimed in claim 21 and substantially as herein described.