GB2526257A

GB2526257A - Door Stile

Info

Publication number: GB2526257A
Application number: GB1407209.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Edwin Sims-Hilditch; Daniel John Allen
Original assignee: Neptune Europe Ltd
Current assignee: Neptune Europe Ltd
Priority date: 2014-04-24
Filing date: 2014-04-24
Publication date: 2015-11-25
Also published as: GB201407209D0

Abstract

A door stile 7 comprising a plurality of parallel wooden beams 11, 12, 13, extending side-by-side along the length of the door stile. Adjacent beams are joined at their adjoining surfaces 8, 9. Each beam has an end grain pattern 4, 5, 6 that is different to the end grain pattern of the other beams. The direction of curvature of the end grain may be different for at least two beams. The stile may comprise three beams. The beams may be joined by glue. Also claimed is a method for manufacturing door stiles from a plurality of wooden boards (1, 2, 3, Fig. 1) assembled in layers and then cut.

Description

Door Stile

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns door stiles. The invention also concerns methods of manufacturing door stiles and doors including door stiles.

Background of the Invention

Door stiles are a well-known part of wooden panel doors. A typical such door is formed from two vertical stiles joined at the top and bottom by horizontal rails. The rails and stiles together form a frame in which a panel, which forms the central part of the door, is held.

Warping of the door stiles over time can be a problem.

That may be particularly the case where the door construction is asymmetric, that is the panel is not held centrally in the frame but is instead held at the front or the back of the frame. Over time the stiles will warp due to uneven stresses and drying. The problem can be mitigated by using radial cut timber. Radial cut timber is cut radially around the log so that the grain is arranged symmetrically across the timber. However, making such outs results in a large amount of waste around the periphery of the log and radial cut timber is therefore expensive.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved door stile, method of manufacturing a door stile and door.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a door stile comprising a plurality of parallel wooden beams extending side-by-side along the length of the door stile, adjacent beams being joined at their adjoining surfaces, wherein each of the beams has an end grain pattern that is different to the end grain pattern of the other beams.

Because the end grain patterns are different in each of the beams, each beam tries to warp in a different way. These competing forces are balanced out by the surrounding beams and the door stile is therefore resistant to warping. The beams do not need to be expensive radial cut timber and indeed are preferably standard timber, which may be cheaper.

It will be appreciated that the grain along the lengths of the beams will typically be parallel to the length of the beams. That is because the beams will have been cut lengthways along a log. The plane normal to the length of the beam is therefore the important plane for grain direction. In radial cut timber the end grain would be a symmetrical curve with a maximum or minimum centred on the centre of the beam. In standard timber it will be a curve in an unspecified direction. The curved end grain may always be inclined in one direction or may pass through a maximum or minimum at some point across the beam. The variability in such timber is an advantage in the door stile of the invention because it makes it simple to create beams that have the required differences in end grain directions.

Preferably the alignment of the end grain is different for each of the beams. It will be understood that the radius of curvature of the end grain is typically large compared to the dimensions of the beam and that, while the end grain is curved, it is still possible to discern a general alignment of the grain. The alignment may be considered as the average direction of the end grain across the beam. Preferably the direction of curvature of the end grain is different for each of the beams. Whilst different end grain patterns alone will result in different forces on each beam, where the alignments are different, and particularly where the directions of curvature are different, the forces will tend to oppose each other and result in a particularly stable stile.

Preferably the door stile comprises three beams. Three beams may provide sufficiently different forces to result in a stable beam without resulting in highly complex manufacturing methods.

It will be understood that the beams are joined together. The beams may be joined to together such that adjacent beams can exert a force on one another. Preferably the beams are joined by gluing. Gluing is a simple manufacturing process and results in a strong join along the length of the beam.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is also provided a method of manufacturing a plurality of door stiles, the method comprising providing a plurality of wooden boards having a length along which the grain of the wood is parallel to the length of the board and a width along which the grain of the wood is curved across the width of the board, assembling the boards into layers, and cutting the assembled boards parallel to the length of the boards and perpendicular to the width of the boards to form a plurality of door stiles, wherein the grain pattern across the width of each board is different to the grain pattern across the width of the other boards.

It will be appreciated that the method results in a door stile according to a first aspect of the invention. By cutting the assembled boards parallel to the length of the boards and perpendicular to the width of the boards a plurality of parallel wooden beams is formed. Because the grain pattern across the width of each board is different to the grain pattern across the width of the other boards, each of the beams has an end grain pattern that is different to the end grain pattern of the other beams in a plane normal to the length of the stile. The method is particularly advantageous in that it combines mass production of a plurality of door stiles with the production of the warp-resistant timber door stiles.

Preferably the direction of curvature of the grain across the widths of at least two of the boards is different. As explained above, different directions of curvature advantageously results in more balanced forces and a more warp-resistant door stile.

Preferably three boards are provided, assembled and cut. Preferably the layers are joined by gluing.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a door comprising a door stile according to the first aspect of the invention or a door stile manufactured according to the second aspect of the invention. Preferably the door has an asymmetric design. In that case, the warp-resistant nature of the door stile may be particularly advantageous.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the method of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the door stile of the invention and vice versa.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a view of three standard boards used in a method according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows the three boards of Figure 1 joined and cut into door stiles in accordance with the method; Figure 3 shows a plurality of door stiles in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 shows a door according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In Figure 1 three standard boards 1, 2 and 3 have end grain patterns 4, 5 and 6 that are different for each of the boards 1, 2 and 3. In Figures 2 and 3 the boards 1, 2 and 3 have been joined together with glued joints 8 and 9 and cut along cut lines 10 parallel to the lengths of the boards 1, 2 and 3. That has resulted in a plurality of door stiles 7 formed from beams 11, 12 and 13. The end grains 4, 5 and 6 of the beams 11, 12 and 13 are different for each of the beams 11, 12 and 13. The grains are parallel to the length of the beams 11, 12 and 13 along the length of the beams 11, 12 and 13. The warping forces on the beams 11, 12 and 13 are different in each beam 11, 12 and 13 due to the different end grain patterns 4, 5 and 6. As a result the warping forces act against each other and prevent warping of the stile 7. The surfaces of the door stile 7 are finished after the door stile 7 has been formed by cutting the assembled layers of boards 1, 2 and 3.

In Figure 4 a door 15 is formed from two of the stiles 7. The stiles 7 from the edges of the door 15 and are joined across the top and bottom of the door 15 by rails 16. A panel 14 is held on the front of the stiles 7 and rails 16.

In that way the door 15 has an asymmetric design and would therefore be susceptible to warping. However, because the stiles 7 are constructed as set out above, they are resistant to warping and the door 15 therefore holds its shape.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or

elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

Claims 1. A door stile oomprising a plurality of parallel wooden beams extending side-by-side along the length of the door stile, adjacent beams being joined at their adjoining surfaces, wherein each of the beams has an end grain pattern that is different to the end grain pattern of the other beams.
2. A door stile according to claim 1 wherein the alignment of the end grain is different for each of the beams.
3. A door stile according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the direction of curvature of the end grain is different for at least two of the beams.
4. A door stile according to any preceding claim wherein the door stile comprises three beams.
5. A door stile according to any preceding claim wherein the beams are joined by gluing.
6. A method of manufacturing a plurality of door stiles, the method comprising providing a plurality of wooden boards having a length along which the grain of the wood is parallel to the length of the board and a width along which the grain of the wood is curved across the width of the board, assembling the boards into layers, and cutting the assembled boards parallel to the length of the boards and perpendicular to the width of the boards to form a plurality of door stiles, wherein the grain pattern across the width of each board is -10 -different to the grain pattern across the width of the other boards.
7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the direction of curvature of the grain across the widths of at least two of the boards is different.
8. A method according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein three boards are provided, assembled and cut.
9. A method according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the layers are joined by gluing.
10. A door comprising a door stile according to any of claims 1 to 5 or a door stile manufactured according to any of claims 6 to 9.
11. A door according to claim 10 wherein the door has an asymmetric design.
12. A method of manufacturing a door stile substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.
13. A door stile substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.
14. A door substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.