GB2361736A

GB2361736A - A tie bar forming a door sill

Info

Publication number: GB2361736A
Application number: GB0016465A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Christopher Allport; Mark Charles Allport; Phillip Brian Allport; Hannah Susan Gray; Susan Margaret Allport
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-30
Filing date: 2000-07-04
Publication date: 2001-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-04
Also published as: GB2361736B; IE20000241A1; GB0016465D0

Abstract

A tie bar (10) for securing under the bottom ends of vertical side members (26) of a door frame, to form a door sill, is formed as an elongate member of constant cross-section having a bottom surface (12) with parallel front and rear edges (14, 16) and a top surface (18). The top surface (18) has a first part (18A) inclined upward at a shallow angle from the front edge (14), a second part (18B) providing a downward step and a third part (18C) which defines a recess for accommodating a weatherbar. The tie bar (10) may have a hollow interior with a number of rainwater drainage holes (40, 42) and the downward step may include a slot (36) facing towards the recess (20) which can receive a seal for sealing against a weatherbar. The rear portion of the tie bar (10) can be provided with a number of legs (30), whilst the front portion may be inclined downwards to the same horizontal level as the bottom of the legs (30). The tie bar (10) can be made from rigid non-porous, non-rotting material.

Description

2361736 A TIE BAR FOR A DOOR FRAME This invention relates to a tie bar for

a door frame. In the present context a tie bar is a member connecting the bottom ends of a pair of substantially vertical side members of a door frame.

According to the present invention there is provided a tie bar for securing at its opposite ends under the bottom ends respectively of a pair of substantially vertical side members of a door frame to form a substantially horizontal door sill extending between said bottom ends, the tie bar comprising an elongated member of substantially constant cross-section having a bottom surface with substantially parallel front and rear edges and a top surface which, considered in the front to rear direction of the bottom surface, is first inclined upwardly at a shallow angle from the front edge to a point intermediate the front and rear edges, which then has a downward step, and which then extends at least approximately horizontally to the rear edge to define a recess behind the inclined surface for accommodating a weatherbar.

In the present context a weatherbar is an elongate sill member for locating below the lower edge of a door and having an upper surface for engagement by at least one elongated sealing member extending along the said lower edge of the door. Alternatively, the sealing member may be carried by the weatherbar for engagement with the lower edge of the door.

2 The invention also provides a doorway comprising a tie bar as claimed in any preceding claim secured at its opposite ends under the bottom ends respectively of a pair of substantially vertical side elements of a door frame to form a substantially horizontal door sill extending between said bottom ends, and a weatherbar located in the recess beneath the bottom edge of a door hung in the-frame.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing whose single figure is a crosssection through the bottom part of a doorway fitted with a tie bar according to the invention. The cross-section is taken on a vertical plane normal to the longitudinal direction of the tie bar about half way between the opposite vertical side members of the door frame.

Referring to the drawing, a tie bar 10 comprises an elongated member of substantially constant cross-section having a bottom surface 12 with substantially parallel front and rear edges 14, 16 respectively and a top dered in the front to rear direction surface 18. Consi of the bottom surface 12, the top surface 18 has a first part 18A inclined upwardly at a shallow angle from the front edge 14 to a point about halfway between the front and rear edges 14, 16, a second part 18B providing a downward step towards the bottom surface 12, and a third part 18C which extends at least approximately horizontally to the rear edge 16 to define a recess 20 behind the inclined surface 18A for accommodating a weatherbar (not shown). The tie bar may be made as an integral structure by extrusion of a rigid non- porous, 3 non-rotting material such as aluminium, lightweight metal alloy, or toughened P.V.C. etc.

In use, the opposite ends of the tie bar 10 are secured to the bottom ends 24 respectively of a pair of wooden, plastic, metal or the like members 26 which will become, in the final doorway, the substantially vertical side members of a door frame (obviously only one of the side members 26 is seen in the drawing). Eor this purpose the bottom end 24 of each side member 26 is shaped to conform to the shape of the top surface 18 of the tie bar 10, and each end of the tie bar is fixed to the respective side member 26 by screws 28 which are screwed up into the bottom end 24 through suitable holes drilled in the tie bar (in the drawing the shaped bottom end 24 is shown spaced from the surface 18 for clarity) The top ends of the side members 26 are joined by a conventional cross bar (not shown) to form a self supporting structure. Then the assembled door frame is fixed in position within a door aperture (not shown) of a building with the tie bar 10 resting directly on the building threshold, such as a concrete base 22, to form a substantially horizontal door sill extending between the bottom ends 24 of the side members 26.

The bottom surface 12 of the tie bar has a substantially horizontal rear portion 12A with dependant legs 30 and a front portion 12B inclined downwardly to the same horizontal level as the bottoms of the legs 30. Thus the main body of the tie bar 10 rests on the threshold 22 via the legs 30 and only contacts the threshold directly at the front edge 14. The spaces between the 4 legs 30 can be filled with mastic, waterproof sealant, cement or the like.

In use a door 32 is hung in the frame with its bottom edge 34 directly over the recess 20. The recess 20 is therefore ideally placed to accommodate a weatherbar for sealing the gap between the tie bar and the bottom edge 34 of the door. The invention is not restricted in the type of weatherbar which may be used, although obviously it should be of cross-sectional dimensions to fit comfortably within the recess 20. Weatherbars suitable for use with the present invention are disclosed, for example, in our patent specifications GB2046335, GB2097049, GB2241012 and GB2249337. Preferably the downward step 18B includes a slot 36 facing towards the recess 20 for receiving a flexible sealing member (not shown) for sealing against a weatherbar in the recess.

The tie bar has a hollow interior 38 between the bottom surface 12 and the inclined surface 18A. A series of drainage holes 40 are drilled intermittently along the length of the tie bar at the bottom of the downward step 18B to extend between -the recess 20 and the hollow interior 38. A further series of drainage holes 42 are drilled in the front edge 14, and/or in the bottom surface 12 near the front edge 14, to extend between the hollow interior 38 and the outside of the tie bar. These holes provide the drainage of rainwater from the recess 20 to the exterior of the tie bar through the hollow interior 38. To encourage the flow of rainwater towards the drainage holes 42 the floor 44 of the hollow interior 38 is slightly downwardly inclined towards the front edge 14, following the line of the bottom surface portion 12B.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment descrLbed herein which may be modified or varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

6

Claims

1. A tie bar for securing at its opposite ends under the bottom ends respectively of a pair of substantially vertical side members of a door frame to form a substantially horizontal door sill extending between said bottom ends, the tie bar comprising an elongated member of substantially constant cross-section having a bottom surface with substantially parallel front and rear edges and a top surface which, considered in the front to rear direction of the bottom surface, is first inclined upwardly at a shallow angle from the front edge to a point intermediate the front and rear edges, which then has a downward step, and which then extends at least approximately horizontally to the rear edge to define a recess behind the inclined surface for accommodating a weatherbar.

2. A tie bar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tie bar has a hollow interior between the bottom surface and the inclined surface, the tie bar further including at least one drainage hole at the bottom of the downward step extending between the recess and the hollow interior, and at least one drainage hole in the front edge, and/or in the bottom surface near the front edge, extending between the hollow interior and the outside of the door tie, thereby to permit the drainage of rainwater from the recess.

3. A tie bar as claimed in claim 2, wherein the floor of the hollow interior is slightly downwardly inclined towards the front edge to encourage the flow of 7 rainwater towards the drainage hole in or near the front edge.

4. A tie bar as claimed in an preceding claim, wherein the downward step includes a slot facing towards the recess for receiving a member for sealing against a weatherbar in the recess.

5. A tie bar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the bottom surface has a substantially horizontal rear portion with dependant legs and a front portion inclined downwardly to the same horizontal level as the bottoms of the legs.

6. A tie bar as claimed in any preceding claim, made as an integral structure from a rigid non-porous, nonrotting material.

7. A doorway comprising a bar as claimed in any preceding claim secured at its opposite ends under the bottom ends respectively of a pair of substantially vertical side elements of a door frame to form a substantially horizontal door sill extending between said bottom ends, and a weatherbar located in the recess beneath the bottom edge of a door hung in the frame.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS I. A tie bar for securing at its opposite ends under the bottom ends respectively of a pair of substantially vertical side members of a door frame to form a substantially horizontal door sill extending between said bottom ends, the tie bar comprising an elongated member of substantially constant cross-section having a bottom surface with substantially parallel front and rear edges and a top surface which, considered in the front to rear direction of the bottom surface, is first inclined upwardly at a shallow angle to the bottom surface from the front edge to a point intermediate the front and rear edges, which then has a downward step, 1. and which then extends substantially horizontally to the rear edge to define a recess behind the inclined surface for accommodating a weatherbar.

2. A tie bar as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tie bar has a hollow interior between the bottom surface and the inclined surface, the tie bar further including at least one drainage hole at the bottom of the downward step extending between the recess and the hollow interior, and at least one drainage hole in the front edge, and/or in the bottom surface near "Lhe -f-ront edge, extending between the hollow interior and the outside of the door tie, thereby to permit th e drainage of rainwater from the recess.

3. A tie bar as claimed in claim 2, wherein the floor of the hollow interior is slightly downwardly inclined towards the front edge to encourage the flow of 9 rainwater towards the drainage hole in or near the front edge.

4. A tie bar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the downward step includes a slot facing towards the recess for receiving a member for sealing against a weatherbar in the recess.

A doorway comprising a tie bar as claimed in any preceding claim secured at its opposite ends under the bottom ends respectively of a pair of substantially vertical side elements of a door frame to form a substantially horizontal door sill extending between said bottom ends, and a weatherbar located in the recess beneath the bottom edge of a door hung in the f rame.

8. A tie bar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.