GB2343212A

GB2343212A - A pre-hung door assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2343212A
Application number: GB9924194A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian David Ladds
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-10-13
Filing date: 1999-10-13
Publication date: 2000-05-03
Also published as: GB9924194D0

Abstract

Method and apparatus for door mounting for buildings comprises providing a pre-hung door assembly including a door 18, door lining 20, door stop 22, and associated architraves 26, 28. The assembly is mounted into a door opening which has been previously constructed around a profile. The door lining is divided into two parts with associated architraves 34, 36, and is divided around the entire extent of the lining. The two parts 34, 36 are insertable into a door opening from opposite sides thereof. The assembly is fixed by means of fasteners 38 extending through the architraves with the door in a closed position. Final fixing is achieved after opening the door and using fasteners 38 extending through the lining endwise into the wall opening.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOUNTING DOORS This invention relates to a method-and apparatus for mounting doors. Preferably, although not--exclusively, the invention relates to the fitting and hanging of doors in newly built properties. The invention is also applicable to the replacement of existing doors for modernisation and/or renovation purposes.

The fitting of new doors and the attendant fixtures into a wall of a newly built property is currently considered as a two stage process, the first stage carried out prior to plastering and the second after the plastering is completed.

The first step in the process of fitting a new door is to fix the door frame to the wall around the door space. In newly built housing this is done in the early stages of construction prior to the plastering of the walls. As such, the fitted door frame is frequently exposed to changing and unfavourable weather conditions such as rain and warm air which can have an adverse effect on the frame causing it to warp and become misshapen. In addition, the frame may also be damaged by other trades people, for example during the fitting of plumbing or electrical supplies.

The next step in the process is to hang the door onto the door frame. However, as this may be some time after the frame has been fixed in position, the frame is frequently out of true and this results in the door having to be trimmed and/or planed to fit the frame. This results in unnecessary mess and is time wasting for the tradesman. Once the door is in position, the door handles and locks are fitted and adjusted to function correctly. This can also be a time consuming step.

Once the handles and lock are in place the final stages are to fit the door stop and the decorative architraves.

However, if the door frame is out of true and the door has been altered to fit the frame it is likely that the top of the door frame (head) will not be square with the sides (jambs). As the head and the jambs should be at 90 degrees to each other the architrave is cut at 45 degrees (mitre).

Accordingly, if the door frame is not square this will result in the architrave failing to fit squarely onto the frame and the mouldings of the architrave will not match.

Additional and time consuming work is then required to remedy these defects.

A further disadvantage with the system discussed above is that it is not uncommon for each of the five construction elements required, namely the door frame, the door, the door fittings, the door stop and the architrave to be supplied from different commercial source. On a new build project such as a new housing estate where a large number of doors are fitted difficulties with suppliers can result in costly time delays.

Accordingly, a need for improvements in the method and apparatus for fitting and/or replacing doors has been identified.

In the embodiment of the invention there is provided apparatus comprising a pre-assembled and pre-hung door and door assembly unit and a method of fitting same.

In an embodiment of the invention there is provided a preassembled and pre-hung door and door assembly unit comprising at least two separate sections, said sections are retained in an assembled condition by a friction fit and being separable prior to fitting. The door and door assembly unit can be made of any suitable material, for example hard wood, soft wood, UPVC, metal or medium density fibreboard (MDF). One section of the door assembly unit comprises an architrave, door stop, door complete with-all the required fittings and door furniture such as handles, locks finger plates etc together with a door lining and a threshold if required.. The architrave, door stop, door lining and threshold elements are all fixed together in the factory and the door is hung onto the assembled unit in the position which would be required when the door is fitted on site, the door hanging is also conducted at the factory as is the fitting of the required door fittings and door furniture.

The second section of the door assembly unit comprises an architrave and a door lining which are also fixed together in the factory. The two sections are retained together in a non working or transportation condition by a friction fit which enables them to be easily separated on site for fitting.

To fit the door assembly, the two sections are separated and placed on either side of the door opening formed in the wall. The first section is placed against the edges of the wall formed by the door opening such that the back of the architrave and the door lining are in contact with the wall.

This section is then secured in place by attaching it to the wall using fixing screws placed in preformed holes in the architrave. The relative size and position of the door liner in relation to the door stop results in the door stop extending outwards further than the door liner. The fixing of this section results in the door now being in position.

The second section is fitted on the other side of the wall also against the edges of the wall formed by the door opening such that the back of the architrave and the door lining are in contact with the wall. The placing of this section against the wall results in the door lining element of the second section being placed behind the outwardly extending door stop of the first section such that the door lining element of the second section contacts the door lining element of the first section and is retained in position by a friction fit. The two sections are accordingly returned to their previous assembled condition except now the wall is"sandwiched"between them. The second section is secured in position by fixing screws placed through preformed holes in the architrave of this section and in addition the door stop of the first element is screwed to the door lining of the second element.

In an embodiment of to the invention there is also provided a method of fitting a door and door assembly unit comprising the steps of providing a pre-assembled and pre-hung door and door assembly unit said unit comprising at least two sections, the step of separating the two sections, and the step of fitting each of the two sections either side of the door opening formed in the wall.

The invention thus provides accurate and time saving means by which doors can be fitted to newly built properties or existing doors replaced.

According to the invention there is also provided a fire resistant/fire proof pre-assembled and pre-hung door and door assembly unit.

In an embodiment of the invention a pre-assembled and prehung door and door assembly unit comprising at least two separate sections, said sections retained in an assembled condition by a friction fit and being separable prior to fitting. One section of the door assembly unit comprises an architrave, door stop, door complete with all the required fittings and furniture, a door lining together with a threshold if required. The architrave, door stop, door lining and threshold elements are all fixed together in the factory and the door is hung onto the assembled unit in the position which would be required when the door is fitted on site, the door hanging is also conducted at the factory. The second section of the door assembly unit comprises an architrave and a door lining which are fixed together in the factory. The two sections are retained together in a non working or transportation condition by a friction fit which enables them to be easily separated on site for fitting. The two sections are impregnated, prior to leaving the factory, with a suitable material which will act to seal all gaps and joints.

The two sections of the assembly are fitted in position as described above. During fitting, a quantity of a fire proof silicon sealing material is placed along the back face of each architrave and between the two faces of the door linings which are in contact when assembly is complete. When the two sections are assembled as required the sealant forms a fireproof membrane between the architrave and the wall which will act to prevent fire moving behind the architrave and thus spreading from room to room. In addition, added onto the threshold is a continuation of the doorstop. In the door lining and threshold (door side) is formed a groove fitted with an intumescent fire and smoke strip.

In a particular embodiment of the invention there is provided means whereby a door and door frame or door mounting are pre-assembled, for example in a factory, so that they can be mounted in a door opening of a building without the need for the usual multi-operation assembly task which is usually associated with the mounting of building doors.

In the embodiment, the pre-assembly of the door on its mounting is achieved by pre-mounting the door, through its hinges, on the associated door liner, but this latter component is modified from its usual construction by being formed as a two-part structure insertable from opposite sides of the door opening in the building. One main part of the liner is adapted to be connected to the door hinges and the other part serves mainly merely to complement the first part. The usual door stop structure is provided. On opposite sides of the wall structure defining the door opening there is the usual provision of architraves. The architraves serve to cover over the gaps between the door liner and the wall.

They also serve to provide an initial means for positioning the entire assembly by means of location screws or other fasteners which serve initially to locate the assembly with respect to the wall, after which the main structural mounting of the door to the wall is achieved by means of mounting screws or other fasteners extending through preformed openings in the door liner.

This embodiment of the invention enables the shortcomings of the traditional method for door mounting to be largely mitigated or overcome. The pre-mounted or pre-hung door assembly is factory-constructed and assembled at a precisely -defined size and with well and accurately-defined rectangularity. This assembly is of a size so as to fit, more or less exactly into the well-defined door opening constructed in the building by use of a so-called profile.

As a result, the door and its frame or mounting can be more or less guaranteed to fit exactly (with the requisite appropriate clearance of a millimetre or two) into its associated door opening in the building, and it is soassembled by mere placement. Then, a modest number of screw or other fasteners are inserted through pre-formed holes in the architraves to position the assembly on a preliminary basis in a positionally-fixed manner. Whereupon the door can be opened (without moving its frame or mounting or the architraves) and the assembly can then be-'-structurally and relatively permanently affixed by inserting mounting screws or other fasteners through apertures in the door lining into the wall structure.

In this manner, this embodiment of the invention, overcomes the many-years established building trade unquestioning practice of mounting doors and their frames in a multi-piece operation involving the separate cutting-to-size and mounting of several sets of three or more linear elements followed by the mounting of the door on the liner portions of these, with associated difficulties arising from time intervals between the operations and the effects of the elements during these periods. By eliminating these variables and mounting a complete pre-hung door and frame assembly in an aperture of known size, very substantial simplification of the mounting operation is achievable whereby very significant cost savings are available for a very frequently performed operation and using only materials of known construction. Hence the steps needed to achieve this cost saving can not have been ones which are readily apparent to the technically competent worker in the field.

A particular aspect of the invention relates to the method whereby the factory-assembled door assembly unit including the pre-hung door is mounted into its size-matched door opening. The latter has been constructed so as to have the corresponding external profile and dimensions by means of a so-called profile member around which the door opening is constructed. The pre-assembled door assembly unit is merely manually inserted into the door opening with the door in its closed position. This is done by inserting the two-part construction from opposite sides of the door opening and utilising the architraves and/or the inner edges of the divided door lining as the means for defining the extent of inward movement of the two portions of the assembly from opposite sides of the opening. At this stage, the door is still in its door-closed position and is not yet secured in position except by means of the door hinges attaching it to the main portion of the door liner. The assembly is then attached to the wall on a preliminary basis by means of fasteners (for example screws entering pre-formed screw holes formed in the architraves), whereby the door can now be opened and the assembly finally fixed in its required position in a permanent position by means of additional fasteners (screws entering pre-formed screw holes in the door lining portions) to complete the mounting operation.

The use of profile means and architraves in the above manner to achieve size-matching and easy preliminary mounting followed by final fixing provides significant practical advantages in the embodiments of the invention.

According to the invention there is provided a method of door mounting for buildings, and corresponding apparatus, as defined in the accompanying claims.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 shows an exploded sectional view of a door assembly unit being inserted into a door opening, only one side of the door opening being shown; Fig 2 shows on a smaller scale the door assembly unit of fig 1 in its assembled state with the door opening, and showing both walls defining the door opening, the section being taken in a generally horizontal plane below the level of the top of the door.

Fig 3 shows, on a larger scale, a portion of Fig 2 illustrating the mode of attaching the architraves and associated door lining to the wall ends at-the door opening by means of fixing screws.

As shown in the drawings, the invention provides a method of door mounting for buildings comprising providing profile means (not shown) adapted to define the profile and dimensions of a door opening 10 in a wall 12 of a building.

The profile means may comprise a suitably sized and shaped former (not shown) around which the door opening is constructed using conventional building brick and/or block materials and associated plaster work, for example, after which the former is removed.

In Figs 1,2 and 3 door opening 10 is defined by wall portions 12,14.

A door assembly unit 16 comprises a door 18, a door lining 20, a door stop 22, and architraves 26,28,30 and 32. The door assembly unit has the door pre-hung on the door lining and the architraves are attached to opposite sides of the door lining 20.

The door assembly unit 16 is constructed so as to have the same external profile and dimensions (as defined by the door lining 20, and subject to predetermined tolerances and clearance to permit ease of insertion into the door opening) as the external profile of the profile means (not shown).

Door lining 20 is constructed as a two-part construction which is divided around the entire extent of the lining into a main part 34 having its own architraves and on which the door 18 is mounted, and a remaining part 36 is arranged edge-to-edge therewith and likewise has its own architraves.

The main part 34 and the remaining part 36 of the lining and the associated architraves are insertable into the door opening 10 from opposite sides thereof wit-h the door in its door closed position.

The architraves of the main part 34 of the door lining and of the remaining part 36 thereof are adapted by the provision of pre-formed openings to receive fasteners 38 to pass through the architrave and to enter the structure of the wall 12 to secure the assembly in position with the door in its door closed position. This step is carried out and then the door is opened and further fasteners 38 (not shown) are inserted into corresponding pre-formed openings in the lining and are caused to extend generally in the plane of the door in its closed position into the ends of the wall portions 12 and 14. Further fasteners 38 secure door stop 22 to the main part 34 of the door lining and the latter to wall portion 13. Fasteners are likewise provided to secure the door itself through hinges (not shown) to main part 34 of door lining 20.

Use of the assembly is self-evident from the foregoing description.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A method of door mounting for buildings, the method comprising: a) providing profile means adapted to define the profile and dimensions of a door opening in a wall of a building; b) constructing said wall of said building around said profile means with said profile means defining said opening;

c) constructing a door assembly unit comprising a door and door lining, a door stop, and two architraves, said door assembly unit having said door pre-hung on said door lining and said architraves being attached to opposite sides of said door lining; d) said door assembly unit being constructed to have the same external profile and dimensions, as defined by said door lining, subject to predetermined tolerances and clearances to permit ease of insertion, as the external profile of said profile means; e) said door lining being constructed as a two-part construction divided around the entire extent of the lining into a main part having architraves and on which said door is mounted, and a remaining part arranged edge-to-edge therewith and having its own architraves, said main part and said remaining part of said lining and the associated architraves being insertable into said door opening from opposite sides thereof with said door in its door-closed position, and said method comprising the step of thusinserting same; and f) said architraves of said main part of said door lining being adapted to receive fasteners to pass through said architraves and to enter the structure of said wall to secure same in position with said door in its door-closed position, and the method comprising the step of effecting same; and g) the method further comprising the step of opening the door and securing the main part of the door lining to said wall by fasteners extending generally in the plane of the door when closed.
2. A method of door mounting for buildings, the method comprising mounting a pre-hung door and door lining assembly into a size-matched door opening comprising preliminarily mounting the assembly by means of fasteners extending laterally into the wall through architraves attached to said door lining with said door in its closed position, and the step of opening the door and inserting further fastens endwise into the wall defining said door opening.
3. A method of door mounting for buildings, the method comprising: a) constructing a door assembly unit comprising a door, a door lining, a door stop, and architraves, said door assembly unit having said door pre-hung on said door lining and said architraves being attached to opposite sides of said door lining; b) said door lining being constructed as a two-part construction divided around the extent of the lining into a main part having architraves and on which said door is mounted, and a remaining part arranged edge-to-edge therewith and having its own architraves, said main part and said remaining part of said lining and the associated architraves being insertable into a door opening from opposite sides thereof, and said method comprising the step of thus inserting same.
4. A door assembly unit for buildings comprising: a) a door, a door lining, a door stop and architraves, said door assembly unit having said door prehung on said door lining and said architraves being attached to opposite sides of said door lining; b) said door lining being constructed as a two-part construction divided around the extent of the lining into a main part having architraves and on which said door is mounted, and a remaining part arranged edge-to-edge therewith and having its own architraves, said main part and said remaining part of said lining and the associated architraves being insertable into a door opening from opposite sides thereof.
5. A method of door mounting for buildings substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
6. A door assembly unit for buildings substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.