GB2546688A

GB2546688A - Improvements in or relating to security

Info

Publication number: GB2546688A
Application number: GB1706978.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ridgway Nigel
Original assignee: SECURITY HARDWARE Ltd
Current assignee: SECURITY HARDWARE Ltd
Priority date: 2012-02-24
Filing date: 2013-02-25
Publication date: 2017-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-25
Also published as: GB2500785A; GB201706978D0; GB2500785B; GB2546688B; GB201303352D0; GB201203239D0

Abstract

The cockspur handle has a projection or spur 3 which, when in the locked position, overlaps a frame member (Fig.1a, s) of a supporting frame; a set gap width between a mounting surface of a fastening member portion 4 and the spur can be varied using one or more attachable spacer portions utilisable with the base of the fastening member to change its thickness. Preferably, only one polypropylene or nylon spacer, from a set of three of more spacers having different widths, is used at any one time; the spacers may be permanently bonded to the fastening member or be attached using separate fasteners. The handle may be used in a window or door assembly within a building or structure.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SECURITY

This invention relates to improvements in or relating to security and is more particularly but not exclusively concerned with window or door handle furniture or security hardware.

Many window units are fitted with security handles known in the trade as ‘cockspur’ handles. Such handles may be of a locking or non-locking type and may have a generally V-shaped projection or spur extending generally at right angles to a rotatable handle portion of the security handle.

In use, the handle may be fitted to an opening window mounted in a surrounding fixed or casement frame such that the rotatable handle portion can be rotated between an unlocked position, in which the window can be opened, and a locked position, in which the projection or spur overlaps a frame member of the surrounding fixed frame, thereby preventing the window from being opened. In locking cockspur handles of this type, a key operated cylinder lock may be provided adjacent to the spur preventing the handle portion from being rotated to an unlocking position when the lock is operated to the locked position. The cockspur handle is usually provided with an elongate member fastening portion which is fixed or surface mounted to the surrounding frame of the opening window by screws received in holes in the elongate member fastening portion, said handle portion being rotatable relative to the elongate member fastening portion, in use.

Several sizes of cockspur handles may be required to suit various dimensions of windows/doors and window/door frames and a variety of standard set gap widths (i.e. the distance between the mounting surface of the elongate member fastening portion and the inner surface of the spur) may be required. This tends to be disadvantageous, more particularly in the maintenance or repair market where the fitter may, somewhat disadvantageous^, have to carry e.g. five or six different sizes of cockspur handles of various standard widths, e.g. of 9mm, 13mm, 15mm, 17mm and 21mm set gap widths. However, in practice, the fitter may simply not measure up the unit to ascertain the correct size of replacement handle with the correct specified standard gap width, leading to replacement of an incorrectly sized handle with incorrect set gap width.

In some window fittings, shims or packers of various widths (having wedged ends) may be attached to the fixed framework (e.g. by superglue) adjacent the spur on die handle to take up various anomalous gaps (relatively small - 2 to 6 mm) that may occur between the spur and the framework (possibly due to tolerance variations or over time due to changing environmental factors).The use of such shims may avoid rattling of the window in the surrounding fixed frame, by urging the window into a tightly closed position and/or may help to prevent damage to the frame itself that might otherwise be caused by engagement of the spur directly with the framework. The spur engages a wedged end of the shim as the handle is moved to a locked position easing the spur to a tightly closed seated position, in well known manner, on a central flat part of the shim, in the fully closed position.

However, such shims may vary from 2mm to 8mm at the thickest, tend to be unstable, and tend to be disadvantageous for a variety of reasons. Such shims may not be considered as aesthetically pleasing, particularly at their thickest. Different shim sizes could not conveniently be employed or selected to effectively bridge a relatively large gap that might occur between the inside surface of the spur and adjacent fixed framework, where an incorrect handle has been fitted having a standard set gap width which is too large for the particular window/door unit. If an attempt was made to use such a shim to bridge a large gap due to using a handle of incorrect size, whilst the thickness of the shim itself might appear unsightly, it would appear even more unsightly or ‘odd’ when viewing other nearby correctly sized handles mounted on said unit possibly provided with much thinner shims or even with no shims at all.

It is an object of the present invention to at least alleviate one or more of the aforementioned, or other, disadvantages associated with cockspur handles or with other types of security handles.

According to the present invention there is provided a handle having a projection or spur that, in use, in a locking position overlaps a frame member of a supporting frame, for example, receiving a window or door to which a fastening member portion of the handle is fixed in use, said handle having a set gap width in between a mounting surface of the fastening member portion and the projection/spur, said projection/spur and/or the fastening member portion being adjustable to vary or adjust the set gap width.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a window or door assembly having at least one handle as described in the immediately preceding paragraph.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a building or structure having at least one window or door assembly as described in the immediately preceding paragraph.

Preferably, the spur/projection and/or fastening member portion has at least one attachable spacer portion (attachable to an inner surface of a spur/projection base or to an inner surface of a base of the fastening member portion as the case may be) to be able to vary or adjust the set gap width. Said spacer portion is, preferably, releasably attachable but could be permanently bonded to the spur/projection base or said base of the fastening member portion where applicable

The handle may be provided with a set of at least three spacer portions preferably of different widths. In one embodiment, usually, only one selected spacer portion is to be utilised with the base of the spur/projection at any one time to vary the set gap width, although in an alternate embodiment several spacer portions could be used at the same time with the spur/projection base. Additionally, or alternatively, only one selected spacer portion may be utilised with the base of the fastening member portion at any one time to vary the set gap width, although in an alternative embodiment several spacer portions could be utilised at the same time with the base of the fastening member portion. It is possible a spacer might be used on the spur base in conjunction with a spacer being used on the fastening portion base..

The spacer portions may be of any suitable material such as polypropelene or nylon.

Edges of the spacer portion/s may be rounded and/or arranged to overlap the edges of the spur/projection base, where applicable, to provide resistance to twisting/dislodgement of the spacer portion relative to the spur/projection base as the handle to moved to the locked position.

The at least one spacer portion may be attached to the spur/projection and/or fastening member portion, as the case may be, by any suitable means such as separate fastening means e.g. in the form of one or more screws.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a handle having a spur or projection of adjustable thickness and/or having a fastening member portion of adjustable thickness or having a handle of a variable set gap width.

Many advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings.

An embodiment of a security handle in accordance with the present invention will now be provided, with reference to the following simplified diagrammatic drawings, in which: FIGURE la shows an isometric sectional side view through a window frame and cockspur handle, the general arrangement of which is known per se; FIGURE lb shows a front view of a cockspur handle of the type shown in FIGURE la (but opposite handed) in a locking position on a frame member of a surrounding fixed frame; FIGURE lc shows an underside view of a known, locking, cockspur handle of similar format to that shown in FIGURES la, lb and FIGURES Id and le show perspective views of the handle shown in FIGURE lc; FIGURE 2 shows an embodiment of a handle, in accordance with the present invention, of a type generally known in the art as a cockspur handle, in a partially closed position; FIGURE 3 shows a view of the handle shown in FIGURE 2, in a fully closed locked position; FIGURE 4 shows a front view of a spacer portion of the spur of the handle as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3; FIGURE 5 shows vertical sectional views of three spacer portions of different widths that may be utilised with the handle as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to le of the drawings, a cockspur handle C of a known type has a spur S that overlaps frame member F of a surrounding fixed frame that receives opening window W. Rotatable handle portion H is shown in a locked position with the spur S engaging a shim s of a known, wedged type fixed to the frame F. The shim s takes up any anomolous gap g (in a known manner) between the spur s and the frame member F enabling the window W to be tightly shut.

Whilst the handles C are slightly different in FIGURES la, lb and lc to le similar parts bear the same reference numerals.

The cockspur handle H has a set standard gap width G defined between a mounting surface E' of elongate fastener member portion E of the handle C and the inner surface S' of the spur S. Different sizes of handle may have different set standard gap widths G.

Thus, were the gap g to be any larger than as shown (2 to 6mm), such as might occur by fitting a replacement handle of incorrect size, the width of shim s required would have to be increased by an amount that may be considered unsightly, in order to tightly close the window W. Thus, the use of shim wider than about 6mm would appear impractical. FIGURES 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings show an embodiment of the present invention that may enable disadvantages of the arrangement shown in FIGURES 1 to le to be obviated. FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings show views of a cockspur handle 1( being generally of a known type as described in relation to FIGURES la to le) having a rotatable handle portion 2 with a generally V-shaped spur 3 extending at one end of the handle portion at right angles thereto. The handle portion 2 may be mounted to an opening window or door by screwing elongate fastener member portion 4 thereto. Handle portion 2 is rotatable between a fully open position (not shown) in which the spur 3 is free of overlap with a surrounding fixed frame member (not shown in FIGURES 2 and 3), in use, to the 45° midway position as shown in FIGURE 2 (in which the spur 3 partially overlaps the frame) and finally to the frilly closed position as shown in FIGURE 3.

Handle portion 2 is rotatable relative to elongate fastener member portion 4 that, in use, is fixably connected by surface mounting to a window frame via screw holes 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d in a generally known manner. The cockspur handle 1 is provided with a key operated cylinder lock 5 of a general form known per se, that may be used to retain the spur 3 in the fully closed position as shown in FIGURE 4, preventing any rotation of the handle portion 2 until the key (not shown) is used to operate the cylinder lock 5. The cockspur handle 1 may be provided with a push button operated lock action of a generally known type (not shown).

The operation of the cockspur handle 1 as so far described is known per se and as aforesaid such handles may be produced in various sizes in which the distance between the mounting surface 4e of the elongate fastening member 4 and the inner surface of the spur 3a (standard set gap width G) varies. Cockspur handles are usually produced in five or six different sizes in which said set standard gap width G may be e.g. 9mm, 13mm, 15mm, 17mm or 21mm.

In order to provide a cockspur handle 1 of one size able to fulfil the requirements of, for example, all of the five sizes of set gap width G previously mentioned, the cockspur handle 1 is provided with a selected one of several removable spacer portions 6a, 6b, 6c (see FIGURES 4 and 5), to effectively vary the distance of the inner surface of the spur 3a from the mounting surface 4a of the elongate fastening member 4 by providing a thicker spur 3.

Accordingly, the selected spacer portion 6a, 6b, 6c may be of any specified width chosen, in this embodiment, from e.g. the three sizes shown in FIGURE 5. The three different widths of spacer portion 6a, 6b, 6c shown in FIGURE 5 namely 4mm, 8mm and 12mm allow the selected gap width G width to be varied as 17mm, 13mm, 9mm respectively. If no spacer portion is used the selected gap width G will be 21mm.

The spacer portions 6a, 6b, 6c may be of any suitable material, such as polypropylene or nylon, mounted on metal spur base 3b and may be attached to the underside of the spur base 3b by any suitable means such as screws 7 (one of which is shown in FIGURE 5) located in receiving holes. The shapes of the spacer portions 6a, 6b, 6c correspond essentially to the major part of the profile of spur base 3b and, although not shown, the edges 6a', 6b', 6c' of the spacer portions 6a, 6b, 6c may be rounded (and also of the spur base 3b) to enable smooth purchase of the spur with selected spacer portion against the surrounding fixed frame member (not shown).

The surrounding edges 6a', 6b', 6c' of the spacer portions 6 may be extended to partially wrap around the edges of the spur base 3b, in a manner not shown but which should be easily envisaged, to enable stronger resistance to any twisting or displacement of the spacer portion 6a, 6b, 6c relative to the spur base 3b as the handle 2 is moved to the locking position.

Of course, the handle 2 may be utilised with the spur base b' and no spacer portion 6a, 6b, 6c where required.

Whilst not shown in the FIGURES of the drawings the elongate fastening member portion 4 may be of adjustable thickness in addition to, or instead of, the spur 3 being of adjustable thickness. Accordingly, the elongate fastening member portion 4 may be provided with a selected one of several suitably shaped and sized removable spacer portions (not shown), to effectively vary the distance of the mounting surface 4a of the elongate fastening member portion 4 from the inner surface of the spur 3a by providing a thicker fastening member portion 4, in a manner which should be generally envisaged. Accordingly the selected spacer would be attached to a base of the elongate fastening member portion by any convenient means and would usually have a peripheral outline substantially the same as the peripheral outline of said base.

Whilst the present invention envisages the provision of a variable thickness fastening member portion 4 alternatively or in addition to a variable thickness spur 3, it may be that a variable thickness fastening member portion could possibly give rise to some instability and so the preferred means of varying the set gap width G is by varying the thickness of the spur.

Additionally, rather than the fastening member portion itself being adjustable in thickness by providing one or more attachable spacer portions, it is possible the handle may be provided with a number of replaceable fastening members of different thicknesses in order to vary the set gap width.

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 an equivalent or generic term. For example, the term ‘shim’ could be replaced by ‘packer’ or ‘extension piece’; ‘handle portion’ may be replaced by ‘grip portion’ or ‘handle grip portion’. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions relating to the handle or combinations thereof might be individually patentably inventive. The singular may include the plural and vice versa. Additionally, any range mentioned herein for any parameter or variable shall be taken to include a disclosure of any derivable sub-range within that range or of any particular value of the variable or parameter arranged within, or at an end of, the range or sub-range.

Claims

1. A handle having a projection or spur that, in use, in a locking position overlaps a frame member of a supporting frame, for example, receiving a window or door to which a fastening member portion of the handle is fixed in use, said handle having a set gap width in between a mounting surface of the fastening member portion and the projection/spur, said fastening member portion and/or the projection/spur being adjustable to vary or adjust the set gap width.

2. A handle as claimed in Claim 1 in which the fastening member portion and/or spur/projection has at least one attachable spacer portion to be able to vary or adjust the set gap width.

3. A handle as claimed in Claim 2 in which said at least one spacer portion is releasably attachable or permanently bonded.

4. A handle as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 having a set of at least three spacer portions preferably of different widths.

5. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4 in which only one selected spacer portion is to be utilised with a base of the spur/projection to vary the set gap width.

6. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 in which only one selected spacer portion is to be utilised with a base of the fastening member portion to vary the set gap width.

7. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 6 in which the spacer portion/s are of polypropelene or nylon.

8. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7 where at least one spacer portion is provided for the spur/projection and edges of said spacer portion/s are rounded and/or arranged to overlap the edges of the spur/projection base.

9. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 8 in which the at least one spacer portion can be attached to the fastening member portion and/or spur/projection, as the case may be, by separate fastening means e.g. in the form of one or more screws.

10. A handle substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A handle having a fastening member portion of adjustable thickness and/or having a spur or projection of adjustable thickness or having a handle of a variable set gap width.

12. A window or door assembly having at least one handle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

13. A building or structure having at least one window or door assembly as described in the immediately preceding paragraph.