IE52419B1

IE52419B1 - A cleat device for connecting together hollow frame members

Info

Publication number: IE52419B1
Application number: IE17382A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Adeptal Systems Ltd
Priority date: 1981-02-06
Filing date: 1982-01-27
Publication date: 1987-10-28
Also published as: GB2092698B; IE820173L; GB2092698A

Abstract

The joint device is for joining together hollow stile and rail box- sections for doors or windows. It comprises two pads 15 between which a block 16 is trapped by a recess 25 in which complementary portions 23 of the block are received. Thus, the loose assembly can be inserted inside the rail to an extent limited by stop faces 27 on the pads. The pads are secured by screws 32 to the opposed webs 12, 13 of the rail, and the joint is completed by a threaded stud 18 extending through the stile and engaging with the block so that on tightening the rail is pulled up to clamp against the stile. The device prevents relative twisting of the rail and stile.

Description

This invention relates to a cleat device for connecting together elongate hollow frame members, in particular (but not exclusively) the cleat device has application for connecting together stile and rail members of doors or windows formed of extruded sections. Such extruded sections are usually of aluminium and are of box-section and may have ribs, flanges or additional webs for strengthening or other purposes. The cleat device of this invention is devised for use with such extruded sections, but may have application for sections made of materials other then aluminium, for instance unplasticised poly-vinylchloride plastics materials.

It is already known to connect stile and rail members together by bolts or even rivets with reinforcement plates or blocks received within the hollow sections of the members. It is also known to provide corner cleats having two limbs extending normally to each other which are received within the stile and rail members and fastened thereto to form corner joints.

Some of the prior joint constructions are not simple to manufacture or assemble and reguire extensive and accurate drilling or piercing of the parts and cannot allow for any tolerances in manufacture. Many of such joints are weak and liable to twist or distort in use. Other constructions .tend to cause stressing of the stile and/or rail members in assembly and fitting and the members can be deformed or damaged. In some cases,·due to the local reduction of the material by drilling and piercing for several holes or wide openings, it is found necessary to use heavier sections to increase the strength. Furthermore, in the construction of doors or windows, particularly of anodised aluminium materials, the finished aesthetic appearance is important, and certain joint constructions show on the outside faces so as to detract from good appearance.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cleat device which is simple in construction, easy to fit and assemble whilst ensuring a neat strong joint. Other objects of this invention are to provide a cleat device which can accommodate manufacturing- tolerances, be varied in size for various sections, and to be fitted to prevent twisting and distortion of the joint.

According to this invention a cleat device for connecting together first and second hollow, substantially box-section frame members of a door or window comprises two pads each adapted to be received within the end of the first frame member and fastened to a respective one of two opposed webs of the first frame member, a block positioned between and separate from the pads, locating formations on the pads and block to retain the block between the pads, and a tensioning element adapted to be anchored to the second frame member and in engagement with the block to connect the first and second frame members together.

By this invention, the cleat device comprises simple parts being a block, two pads and suitable tensioning element.

The tensioning element would normally be a threaded fastener such as a stud, bolt, screw or the like. The tensioning element may be arranged to extend through a hole in the second frame member to abut the second frame member on the opposed side of the hole to the block and engage within a threaded bore in the block extending parallel to the axial direction of the first frame member. The tensioning element may be arranged to abut an internal face of a web of the second frame member.

Alternatively, the tensioning element may comprise a projecting threaded stud fixed to the block and arranged to extend through a hole in the second frame member to be secured .by a nut or suitable threaded member on the opposed side of-the hole to the block.

Accordingly, once the block and pads are secured inside the end of the first frame member, only a simple fastening action through the tensioning element is required to connect the frame members together.

* Preferably the locating formations comprise interengaging recesses and projections. Each recess may comprise a channel, groove, rebate or slot whilst each projection may comprise a rib, lug or the like.

In one embodiment the pads are similar· and each has a respective channel in which respective lugs of the block are received, the channels and lugs providing the afore-mentioned locating formations.

The locating formations are preferably substantially complementary and are arranged to permit loose assembly of the block between the two pads without any fastening together so that the loose assembly can be slid into the open end of the first frame member.

The pads may be provided with flanges, ribs or lugs forming stop faces to prevent the loose assembly of the pads and blocks wholly entering into the first frame member and to ensure the location of the pads with pre-drilled holes or piercings in the opposed webs of the first frame member for insertion of suitable threaded fasteners such as screws, studs or the like for engagement in aligned threaded openings in the pads to secure the pads to the opposed webs.

The fasteners may be secreted by being located through holes or piercings in the opposed webs.

According to another feature of the invention, in a door or window, first and second hollow, substantially box-section frame members are connected together by the cleat device above-described.

The locating formations extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the first frame member to locate the block against movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

The outer ends of the pads and block may project outwardly of the end of the first frame member and be received within the section of the second frame member. The end faces of the projecting ends of the pads and block are preferably aligned.

Other features of this invention will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment of this invention as depicted in the accompanying drawings wherein:FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cleat device of this invention depicting the connection of a stile to a lower rail of a door, and FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the assembled joint with the cleat device as shown in Figure 1.

With reference to the drawings, a hollow box30 section stile 1 (of which only part is shown) is arranged for connection to a hollow box-section rail 2 (of which only part is shown). In known manner, the stile 1 and rail 2 form part of a door which may be glazed or panelled. In constructing such doors, or even windows which are of similar construction, the rails are cross members connecting opposed stiles, possibly with intervening mullions. Various sizes, arrangements and styles can be provided by cutting rails, stiles and other members to required lengths or sizes. Various types of hollow box-sections are used, and those depicted are only exemplary.

The stile 1 has front and rear walls 3,4 and a web 5 bounded by ‘two inwardly directed lips 6 between which a suitable cover plate, or hinge/lock mounting plate (not shown) may be connected. An opposed web 7· is recessed between the edges of the front and rear walls which are formed with opposed flanges 8 and narrower lips 9 directed inwardly towards the recess between the front and rear walls.

The rail 2 has opposed front and rear walls 10,11 of which the rear wall is extended upwardly to form a bead for engaging glazing or panelling forming part of the door construction. The rail 2 has a continuous lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 has a central slot 14 extending lengthwise thereof. This slot is provided for purposes of glazing or panelling, and like the bead is not a relevant feature for this invention.

In known manner, the stile and rail are of anodised aluminium with the respective front and rearwalls of the stile and the rail being planar and arranged to be butted up to each other to form a contiguous surface at the joint. However, it should be understood, that in certain designs, the surfaces may not be planar.

The cleat device for connecting the stile 1 and the rail 2 comprises two similar pads 15, a block 16 having a central threaded bore 17 and a tensioning Ί element being a set screw 18 with associated washer 19 and pressure plate 20.

The block 16 has a central body 21 of rectangular section through which the bore 17 extends. From each side of the body, that is upper and lower in use, there is a short flange 22 connecting the body to opposed integral lugs 23 of rectangular section extending the entire width, w of the body. Each lug 23 is provided with a transverse clearance hole 29. The block 16 is of metal and may be an extruded section cut to a length corresponding to width rw that, in turn, is selected in accordance with the internal size of the hollow rail so that the block can be inserted in the rail.

Each pad 15 has a flat base face 24, a channel shaped recess 25 formed in the opposed face and a rib 26 at one end providing a stop face 27. Additionally each pad 15 is pierced by a threaded bore 28 extending from the base face 24 and opening’ to the bottom of the recess 25. As with block 16, each pad may be an extrusion cut to length w.

The lugs 23 and recesses 25 form locating formations for the block and pads whereby, as shown in Figure 1, the block 16 may be loosely assembled between the pads 15 without any fastening together by locating the opposed lugs 23 in the recesses 25, and this loose assembly slid into the end of the rail section. The loose assembly is prevented from wholly entering the rail by the stop faces 27 engaging with the end face 30 of the rail. At such position the threaded bores 28 are aligned with opposed holes 31 in the lower and upper walls 12,13 of the rail and the clearance holes 29 in the lugs 23 so that suitable set screws 32 can be used to fasten the pads to the rail.

As thus secured the recesses 25 extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the rail and the block 16 is retained between the pads 15 and located against movement in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the rail by the interengageraent of the lugs 23 and the recesses 25.

The dimensions of the pads and the block are chosen with respect to the stile so that, on such securing, the respective end faces 33,34 of the pads and block are aligned and extend from the end face 30 of the rail, by a distance which is not more than the distance of the outer face of the stile flanges 8 from the outer face of the stile provided by the lips 9.

The stile has a large clearance hole 35 in the web 5 and a smaller clearance hole 36 In the web 7, and these are provided at desired aligned positions with respect to the rail 2 and the threaded bore 17 of the block 16.

On presenting the rail to the stile (or vice versa) the set screw 18 with the washer 19 is passed through the hole 35 in the web 5 to extend through the hole 37 in the pressure plate 20 which has been entered between the webs through the open end of the stile. The set screw 18 may be tightened by a tool inserted through the large hole 35 to bring the end face 30 of the rail into engagement with the lips 9 of the stile, and simultaneously to bring the end faces 33,34 of the pads 15 and block 16 into close proximity with the flanges 8 of· the stile. The assembly may be tightened up as reguired to provide the rigid fixed joint.

On such tightening, it will be appreciated that any tendency for the block to turn or twist is prevented due to the fitting of the block between the pads. The central axial load applied by the set screw is distributed to the pads by the respective interengagements of the lugs 23 in the recesses 25 and high local stresses are avoided. This means that deformation of the end rail is precluded on tightening.

Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, the pads and block of the cleat device project from the rail so that on tightening, these end faces engage within the recess of the stile and the end face 30 of the rail abuts the lips 9. Accordingly, as portions of the pads and block are received within the stile and the loads are distributed over the abutting faces, any tendency for relative twisting or bending between the stile and rail is avoided.

It will be envisaged that this form of cleat may be modified for different types of sections as used for stiles and rails. For instance, the respective profiles of the block and pads may be varied to suit the cross-section of the rail. The cleat body and/or the pads may be die-castings or, as described in the exemplary embodiment, extrusions cut to length.

The form of tensioning element can be varied and more than one can be used. The tensioning element could be fixed to the block and project therefrom and be engaged by a suitable threaded element such as a nut when the shank of the threaded element was extending through suitable clearance holes in the stile. The location and fastening of the pads can be varied, and for some applications, such as lightweight frames, these could be of a plastics material.

It is also considered that the locating formations on the pads and the block can be modified whilst still retaining the principle of this invention of locating the loose parts together whilst they are entered into the rail and maintaining such location during use. An alternative form may comprise a respective groove on each side of the block arranged to receive a lug or rib projecting from the adjacent pad. The locating formations may be undercut and more than one recess and projection may be provided between each pad and the block. Preferably, the locating formations are substantially complementary and selected so as to permit the accommodation of manufacturing differences in the rail or other parts.

The frame members have been described as of anodised aluminium, however materials used and their finishes are optional. Other finishes such as paints, plastics or resin coatings may be used, for instance, aluminium with a fused powder coating of polyester.

Other advantages and features of this invention relating to simplicity of manufacture and assembly will be appreciated by those skilled or familiar with the construction of doors, windows or other frame-like members from hollow elongate sections.

Claims

1. CLAIMS:1. A cleat device for connecting together first and second hollow, substantially box-section frame members of a door or window comprises two pads each adapted to be received within the end of the first frame member and fastened to a respective one of two opposed webs of the first frame member, a block positioned between and separate from the pads, locating formations on the pads and block to retain the block between the pads, and a tensioning element adapted to be anchored to the second frame member and in engagement with the block to connect the first and second frame members together. ·

2. A cleat device according to claim 1 wherein the tensioning element comprises a threaded fastener engaging -a threaded bore in the block.

3. A cleat device according to claim 1 wherein the tensioning element comprises a threaded stud projecting from the block.

4. A cleat device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the locating formations comprise interengaging recesses and projections.

5. A cleat device according to claim 4 wherein the recesses and projections are substantially complementary.

6. A cleat device according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein each pad has a respective recess in which respective projections on the block are received.

7. A cleat device according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein each pad has a respective projection which is received in respective recesses in the block.

8. A cleat device according to any one of claims 4 to 7 wherein each recess is in the form of a channel, groove, rebate or slot and each projection is in the form of a rib, lug or the like. 53419

9. A cleat device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the pads is provided with a stop face adapted to engage the first frame member. 5 10. A cleat device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer ends of the pads and/or the block are formed of extrusions cut to a length corresponding to the width of the interior of the first frame member.

10

11. A cleat device for connecting together first and second hollow, substantially box-section frame members of a door or window substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A door or window having first and second hollow, 15 substantially box-section frame members connected together by a cleat device according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. A door or window according to claim 12 wherein the locating formations extend transversely to the 20 longitudinal axis of the first frame member.

14. A door or window according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein the outer ends of the pads and block project outwardly of the end of the first frame member.

15. A door or window according to claim 14 wherein the 25 outer end faces of the pads and block are aligned.

16. A door or window according to claim 14 or claim 15 wherein the projecting ends of the pads and block are received within the section of the second frame member.

17. A door or window according to any one of claims 12 30 to 16 wherein the pads are secured to the opposed webs of the first frame member by threaded fasteners.

18. A door or window according to any one of claims 12 to 17 wherein the tensioning element is anchored within the section of the second frame member.

19. A door or window according to any one of claims 12 to 18 wherein the first and second frame members comprise a transverse rail and a stile respectively.