IE20040127A1 - Butt hinges - Google Patents

Abstract

A butt hinge has a body (10) with first and second spaced mounting (14,15). A flag has a barrel (19) fitting between the mountings (14,15) with a pin (20) extending through and being fixed to the barrel (19) with each end of the pin (20) being received in a respective mounting (14,15). In this way, the flag (11) is mounted on the body (10) for pivotal movement relative to the body (10) about the pin axis. The flag is vertically adjustable by means of such as a grub screw (25) acting on the pin (20). Interposed between the pin (20) and the grub screw (25) is non-rotatable member (27) which prevents rotation of the pin (20) being transmitted to grub screw (25). <Figure 1>

Description

The invention relates to butt hinges.

BUTT HINGES IE04 0 1 27 A butt hinge comprises a body having first and second spaced mountings with a flag having a barrel fitting between the first and second mountings. A pin has first and second ends and extends through and is fixed to the barrel with each end of the pin being received in a respective mounting. Thus, the flag is mounted on the body for pivotal movement relative for the body about the pin axis.

Such butt hinges are used, for example, to hang a door leaf on a doorframe. In order to ensure proper fitting of the leaf to the frame, it is desirable to allow the position of the door to be adjusted relative to the frame and this can be achieved by adjusting the position of the flag relative to the body. In order to achieve vertical adjustment of the flag relative to the body, it is possible to include in the first mounting axially adjustable means that bear directly on the first end of the pin to move the pin axially. It is a problem, however, with such means that, during rotation of flag relative to the body, the axially adjustable means which may, for example, be a screw, will move so moving the door relative to the frame. This is plainly undesirable.

According to the invention, there is provided a butt hinge comprising a body having first and second spaced mountings, a flag having a barrel fitting ητα_2 IE04 Ο 1 27 between said first and second mountings, a pin having first and second ends, the pin extending through and being fixed to the barrel with each end of the pin being received in a respective mounting so that the flag is mounted on the body for pivotal movement relative thereto about the pin axis, the first mounting carrying axially adjustable means for moving the pin axially relative to the body, a member being provided between the axially adjustable means and the pin for transmitting axial adjustment of said means to the pin, the member being held against rotation relative to the first mounting.

The following is a more detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a vertical cross section through first and second mountings of a body of a butt hinge and a barrel of a flag of a butt hinge, the section being taken on a longitudinal axis of a pin of the hinge, with the barrel and the first and second mountings in a first relative disposition, Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 but with the barrel in the first and second mounting in a second relative disposition, Figure 3 is an exploded view of the body of the butt hinge of Figures 1 and 2 with the flag omitted and showing the pin, two cams, a bottom bush and an upper bush, and Figure 4 is a similar view of Figure 3 with the pin and the cams mounted on the body. »604 0 1 27 Referring first to Figure 1, the butt hinge comprises a body indicated generally at 10 and a flag indicated generally at 11.

The body, seen best in Figures 3 and 4, comprises a generally rectangular cross section centre portion 12 provided with three fixing holes 13. A first mounting is provided at one end of the end centre portion 12 and a second mounting is provided at the other end of the centre portion 12. As seen in Figures 3 and 4, the first and second mountings 14, 15 project away from a front surface 16 of the centre portion 12 while the opposite surface of the centre portion 12 forms a contiguous back mounting surface 17 with the first and second mounting 14, 15.

The flag 11 comprises a mounting portion 18 connected at one edge to a barrel 19. As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the barrel 19 fits between the first mounting 14 and the second mounting 15. The barrel 19 contains a plastics bush 46. A pin 20 extends through the bush 46 and has a first end 21 received in the first mounting 14 and a second end received in the second mounting 15. The barrel 19 includes a central threaded hole (not shown) for receiving a grub screw (not shown) that extends through the bush 46 and into a central annular recess 23 (see Figures 1 and 2) in the pin 20 to connect the pin 20 to the barrel 19. The bush 46 includes a lower flange 47 projecting radially onto the lower end of the barrel 19. «04 0 1 27 The first mounting 14 includes a threaded first bore 24 extending generally parallel to the axis of the pin 20. The first bore 24 is inthreaded engagement with a grub screw 25 that can be screwed in and out of the first bore 24. The first mounting 14 also includes a second bore 26 that receives a cup shaped bottom bush 27. The bush 27, which is also seen in Figures 3 and 4, has a splined outer surface 28 that engages with a corresponding splined surface on the second bore 26 so that the bottom bush 27 is fixed against rotation relative to the first mounting but can slide axially relative to the first mounting. As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the bottom bush 27 has a closed end 29 that bears against an end of the grub screw 25 with the first end 21 of pin 20 being received in the bottom bush 27. The closed end 29 is provided with a hole (not shown) for a purpose to be discussed below. The bottom bush 27 has a radially extending flange 30 projecting outwardly from its open end and bearing against the flange 47 of the bush 46. The flange 30 is made of a plastics material and is co-moulded with the bottom bush 27. The function of the flange 30 will be described below.

The first mounting 14 also receives a first cam 32 that has a shaped cam surface 33 that bears against the outer surface 28 of the bottom bush 27. The operation of the first cam 32 will be described below.

IE Ο 4 Ο 1 27 The second mounting 15 includes a bore 34 that receives the second end 22 of the pin 20. The first end 21 and the second end 22 are both eccentric relative to the remainder of the pin and the second end 22 is provided with a hexagonal socket 35 to allow eccentric rotation of the pin 20 in the second mounting 15.

In addition, the second mounting 15 carries a second cam 36 having a cam surface 37 bearing against the second end 22 of the pin 20. The operation of the second cam 36 will be described below.

The barrel 19 has a second end 38 adjacent to the second mounting 15. The portion of the bush 46 at this second end 38 is provided with a widened bore 39 that receives a top bush 40 that surrounds the associated adjacent portion of the pin 20. A coil spring 41 surrounds the pin 20 and acts between a step surface 42 on the barrel 19 and an inner end surface 43 of the top bush 40. Thus, as the barrel 19 is moved axially relative to the body 10, the top bush 40 stays fixed relative to the body 10 to cover the pin 20.

In use, the butt hinge is for mounting a leaf, such as a door leaf (not shown), in a fixed frame, such as a door frame (not shown). The body 10 is fixed to the frame with the mounting surface 17 against the frame using the fixing holes 13 and with projecting rods 44 (see Figures 3 and 4) in the mounting surface 17 fitting in guide holes (not shown) in the frame. The mounting portion 18 of the flag 10 is connected to the leaf.

IE04 Ο 127 The butt hinge described above with reference to the drawings has three modes of adjustment of the flag 11 relative to the body 10. The first mode of adjustment is axial adjustment of the pin 20, and consequently the flag 11 and the leaf, relative to the body 10. This is achieved by rotating the grub screw 25 using, for example, a key inserted in a socket 45 provided in the end of the grub screw 25 as seen in Figure 4. Clockwise rotation of the grub screw 25 moves the grub screw 25 into the first mounting 14 so that the end of the grub screw 25 bears against the bottom bush 27 so pushing the pin 20 out of the first mounting 14. This moves the barrel 19 towards the second mounting 15 so, in a door, effecting vertical adjustment of the door. Opposite rotation of the grub screw 25 moves the pin 20 back into the first mounting 14 so, in a door, dropping the door.

The amount of available movement of the grub screw 25 is limited to prevent the barrel 19 contacting either the first mounting 14 or the second mounting 15. During such movement, the top bush 40 is urged into contact with the second mounting 15 by the spring 41 so keeping the exposed portion of the pin 20 between the second end of the barrel 38 and the second mounting 15 covered.

Since the cooperating splines on the bottom bush 27 and the second bore 26 prevent rotation of the bottom bush 27 relative to the first mounting 14, there is no possibility of repeated rotation of the flag 11 relative to the body 10 unscrewing the grub screw 25. In addition, the flange 30 of the open end of the IE04 Ο ί 27 bottom bush 27 provides a bearing surface between the first end of the barrel and the adjacent end of the first mounting 14.

A second mode of adjustment is provided by rotating the pin 20 using the 5 socket 35 at the second end 22 of the pin. This moves the flag 11 inwardly or outwardly relative to the body 10 so producing corresponding movement in a leaf attached to the flag 11 as a result of the eccentric ends 21, 22 of the pin 20.

The third mode of adjustment is provided by the first and second cams 32, 36. 10 Each cam 32, 36 is rotatable in relative to its associated mounting 14, 15 about an axis normal to the axis of the pin 20. The shape of the cam surfaces 33, 37 provides movement of the associated first end 21 or second end 22 of the pin in a radial direction relative to the axis of the pin 20. This results in corresponding adjustment of the leaf carried by the flag 11.

The hole in the closed end 29 of the bottom bush 27 can be used to allow the pin 20 to be knocked out of the hinge using a punch.

Accordingly, the butt hinge described above with reference to the drawings 20 provides vertical adjustment that is fixed so that the flag 11 cannot be adjusted until it presses against the first or second mountings 14, 15. Thus abrasion between the fixed and moving parts is avoided. In a butt hinge, the barrel 19 must be shorter than the dimension between the first and second mountings 14, IE04 0 1 27 in order to achieve vertical adjustment. The top bush 40 fills the gap between the barrel and the second mounting 15 while the bottom bush 27 covers the portion of the pin 20 in the gap between the first mounting 14 and the adjacent end of the barrel 19. In addition, the hinge is vertically adjustable whilst also being laterally adjustable in two directions at any point of vertical adjustment. Although the bottom bush 27 is splined to prevent it rotating during cycling of the hinge, these splines do not hinder lateral movement.

It will be appreciated that there are a number of variations that may be made to the butt hinge described above with reference to the drawings. Although the member acting between the grub screw 25 and the pin 20 is shown as a cupshaped bottom bush 27 this need not be the case. There may be provided a member that has one surface bearing against the grub screw 25 in an opposite surface bearing against the pin 20 with the member being held against rotation relative to the body 10. The vertical adjustment need not be achieved by a grub screw 25, it could be achieved by any suitable axially adjustable means. The flange 30 and the top bush 40 are optional. Although the pin 20 has been described as having three modes of adjustment, this is not essential.

Claims (16)

1. A butt hinge comprising a body having first and second spaced mountings, a flag having a barrel fitting between said first and second mountings, a pin having first and second ends, the pin extending through and 5 being fixed to the barrel with each end of the pin being received in a respective mounting so that the flag is mounted on the body for pivotal movement relative thereto about the pin axis, the first mounting carrying axially adjustable means for moving the pin axially relative to the body, a member being provided between the axially adjustable means and the pin for transmitting axial 10 adjustment of said means to the pin, the member being held against rotation relative to the first mounting, and the barrel having a second end surface adjacent on end surface of the second mounting, the barrel at said second end carrying a bush surrounding said pin and urged against the end surface of the second mounting to fill any gap between the second end surface of the barrel 15 and the end surface of the second mounting during axial adjustment of the pin

2. A butt hinge according to claim 1 wherein said member includes a first surface acted on by said axially adjustable means and an opposed second surface connected to the first end of the pin.

3. A butt hinge according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the member is 20 generally cylindrical with an outer surface received in a bore provided in the first mounting, the outer surface co-operating with the bore to allow relative axial movement there between but preventing relative rotation.

4. A butt hinge according to claim 3 wherein the outer surface of the member is formed with a plurality of axially extending splines co-operating with corresponding splines on the bore.

5. 5. A butt hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the member is formed by a generally cylindrical cup closed at one end, the first end of the pin being received in said cup and the axially adjustable means acting on said closed end. 10

6. A butt hinge according to claim 5 wherein the closed end of the cup includes a hole to allow the pin to be driven out of the hinge.

7. , A butt hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said axially adjustable means comprise a screw held by the first mounting.

8. A butt hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the axially adjustable means have limited axial adjustment to prevent the barrel contacting said first and second mountings. 20

9. A butt hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the barrel has a first end surface which, in use, is urged, by the weight of a leaf connected to the flag, towards an end surface of the first mounting, the member providing a bearing surface between said end surfaces. 1 27

10. A butt hinge according to claim 9 where dependant on claim 5 wherein the open end of the cup is adjacent the end surface of the first mounting and carries an annular radially outwardly projecting flange forming said bearing 5 surface.

11. A butt hinge according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the bearing surface is formed from a plastic material. 10

12. A butt hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein at least one of said first and second mountings carries cam means bearing on the pin and adjustable to move the pin relative to the associated mounting in a radial direction relative to the pin axis. 15

13. A butt hinge according to claim 12 wherein both the first and the second mountings carry respective cam means. IE04 Ο 127

14. A butt hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein second end of the pin includes an eccentric portion rotatingly mounted in a bore in the second mounting, the second end of the pin including means allowing eccentric rotation of the pin relative to the second mounting.

15. A butt hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the barrel contains a bush, the pin being received in the bush.

16. A butt hinge substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to 10 the drawings.