IE86829B1

IE86829B1 - Hinges

Info

Publication number: IE86829B1
Application number: IE20110274A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Edmonds Tracy
Original assignee: Era Home Security Ltd
Priority date: 2010-06-15
Filing date: 2011-06-15
Publication date: 2017-10-04
Also published as: IE20170097A1; GB2532904A; IE20110274A1; CN102287102B; GB2481371A; CN201953209U; IE86863B1; GB2532904B; CN102287102A; GB201603615D0; GB2481371B; GB201009986D0

Abstract

A hinge has a hinge mounting (2) for fitting the hinge to a frame, a hinge body (3) adapted to be slidably mo;unted for vertical adjusting movement on the hinge mounting (2), a flag assembly connected to the hinge body by a hinge pin (26) and adapted to be fitted to a sash, and a vertical adjustment screw (17) located within the hinge body (3) acts on the hinge mounting (2) to achieve vertical adjustment of the hinge. (). Instead of, or in addition, the hinge includes means (19), mounted on, and turnable with respect to, a flag assembly (4) and a hinge pin to act on a compression sleeve (24) carried by the hinge pin without turning the hinge pin and cause linear adjusting compression movement of the hinge.

Description

Hinges This invention relates to hinges for doors, more particularly but not exclusively security hinges which permit adjustments in three dimensions. Currently available security hinges of this kind are called 3D flag hinges.

Such security hinges comprise a flag assembly fitted to the door sash and connected by a hinge pin to a hinge body fitted to the doorframe. For outward opening doors, the hinge is exposed and as a result all fixing points should be concealed and the hinge should contain features that resist any form of disassembly from the door sash. Design features that do allow disassembly should only be accessible with the door in the open / unsecured condition. UK standards recognise security in terms of resistance time to attack with tools that are readily available and can be carried by an intruder.

It is said that if an intruder spends more than 3 minutes trying to break into a building through a door by attacking the hinges, the intruder is likely to move onto another building as any more time spent could result in detection and maybe apprehension.

Accordingly, security hinges have been devised with a view to increasing the amount of time it takes an intruder to enter a building by breaking the hinges and bursting open the door whilst still enabling various instalment adjustments of the door sash through the hinge, and ease of door sash fabrication/installation without sacrificing security. Desirably, such hinges should be for both inward and outward opening doors.

There is also a need for security hinges to enable energy efficiency, i.e. for the door sashes to be ‘close-fitting’ with the door frame, to avoid the egress of warm air/ingress of cold air which would normally pass through any gaps left between the door frame and door sash following fabrication/installation of the door using security hinges. To this end, and commonly, a ‘seal’ between the door sash and door frame is achieved by use of a neoprene gasket In order to ensure an air tight seal, the gap between the door frame and door sash should be adjustable (gasket compression) to allow for any manufacture and installation variances.

The Applicants have sold successfully, for a number of years, ‘lift off’ security hinges under the trade mark NEXUS with enhanced door security being provided by stabilising/localising pins on the hinge body and flag assembly locating into the door frame and door sash and by preventing hinge pin knock-out. The hinge body carries an eccentrically mounted hinge pin projecting upwardly from a splined bearing bush in a complementary eccentric bore in a base portion of the hinge body below the bottom edge of the flag assembly. The flag assembly is connected to the hinge pin by lifting it onto the hinge pin or disconnected by lifting it off the hinge pin. The NEXUS design allows for on-site adjustments in three directions, namely lateral (horizontal), height (vertical) and compression (in-and-out) movement of the order of ± 5mm, +4mm/ -1mm and ± 0.75mm respectively. These adjustments are made horizontally by sliding one part of the flag assembly acting on the hinge pin with respect to another part and vertically by a screw acting axially on the hinge pin through the splined bush in the base portion. For compression adjustment, two kinds of adjustment are necessary, namely coarse and fine adjustment. Coarse compression adjustment is achieved by inserting or removing so-called frame packer(s), which come in different thicknesses, between the hinge body and the doorframe during installation and fine adjustments by removing and turning and replacing the bush carrying the hinge pin in a different rotational position in the eccentric bore in the base portion. Thus, the compression adjustment is achieved by the combination of packer(s) and an eccentric hinge pin. However, as such packers are separate from the hinge body, they can be misplaced and are not liked by installers. A separate sash cover fixed over the moving part of the flag assembly and an end cover fitted into the end of the hinge pin bore carrying an anti-hinge pin knock-out feature completes the flag assembly for security and aesthetics.

Most door hinges require a degree of assembly by the installer/fabricator when building the door. Supplying hinges as ‘a bag of parts’ (six including an end cap in the case of the Nexus hinge) not only increases the time to manufacture the door but also may result in the door hinge being installed incorrectly. For example, if the wrong frame packer is fitted, an effective door seal may not be achieved. The greater the number of hinge parts, the longer correct installation can take and the more likely is the hinge to be incorrectly assembled.

Instead of the combination of coarse adjustment provided by frame packers and fine adjustment provided by the eccentrically mounted hinge pin, compression adjustment may be achieved by the use of an eccentric hinge pin only having eccentrics on the pin and which itself is turned to effect the compression, for example as described in the specification of UK Patent No. 2 383 081. In normal practice using an eccentric hinge pin, compression adjustment is limited to a maximum of ± 1mm. Also, the use of an eccentric hinge pin to provide compression adjustment has two recognised disadvantages, namely the compression also displaces the door sash horizontally which may affect the door lock side function with resultant resetting of the lock location features being necessary; and for poorly installed doors, ± 1mm may not be enough adjustment to achieve a good ‘seal’ of the door sash. Thus eccentric hinge pins alone have not found universal acceptance, the combination with frame packers being preferred, as with the NEXUS hinge, despite their disadvantages.

For inward opening doors, the use of ‘lift off’ hinges is restricted due to limited plaster line clearances within the door frame rebate. The current solution is to include a dummy frame section at the top of the door frame but this solution is unsightly and reduces the door frame access height.

Currently it is commonplace to incorporate an anti-extraction screw to prevent the hinge pin from being driven out of the hinge assembled to a door frame and sash when attacked by an intruder but this pin is normally accessible and requires the installer to engage this pin when the door is commissioned.

Moreover, hinges are installed currently by either fitting the hinge body to the door frame and the flag assembly to the door sash separately and then locating the hinge pin to connect the door frame and sash together as with the hinge described in the specification of UK Patent No. 2 383 081, or the flag assembly is located onto a pin fitted on the hinge body (like the NEXUS hinge) which limits the hinge for standard doors to outward opening only since there is normally insufficient clearance to lift off inward opening doors.

Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a hinge that has at least one of enhanced adjustment, security and sealing and that ideally can also be used for both inward and outward doors.

To this end and from one aspect, the present invention resides in a hinge incorporating a separate hinge mounting for fitting the hinge to a frame, a hinge body adapted to be slidably mounted for vertical adjusting movement on the hinge mounting, a flag assembly connected to the hinge body by a hinge pin and adapted to be fitted to a sash, a vertical adjustment screw located within the hinge body to act on the hinge mounting, to achieve vertical adjustment of the hinge, when the hinge mounting is fitted to the frame and the hinge body is mounted on the hinge mounting, and an anti-lift off screw mounted on the hinge body for engagement in a corresponding slot in the hinge mounting to prevent the sash being lifted off its frame when the sash is either open or closed and being positioned on a side of the hinge body that is inaccessible when the sash is in the closed condition so that it is accessible only when the sash is in the open condition.

By means of the invention, the disadvantages of hinges, in which fitting the hinge body to the frame and the flag assembly to the sash is done separately and the hinge pin is then located to secure the frame and sash together, or of hinges in which the flag assembly is located onto a pin fitted on the body assembly (like the Nexus hinge) which is limited to standard sashes for outward opening applications only since there is normally insufficient clearance to lift off sashes that open inward, are avoided.

This also allows door sashes to incorporate the benefits of ‘lift off’ when opening inward without the need for frame packers.

Moreover, the slidable mounting between the hinge mounting and the hinge body enables the vertical lift to remove the sash to be less than 13mm, whereby the hinge is suitable for both inward and outward opening applications.

In order to facilitate the vertical linear adjusting movement with such a slidable mounting, in a preferred embodiment, the slidable mounting incorporates projections on the hinge mounting and shoulders on the hinge body that interengage when the hinge body is mounted on the hinge mounting when fitted to the frame.

In a preferred construction, the flag assembly has a hinge part defining an axial bore in which is housed a compression sleeve, the hinge body is generally of U-shaped configuration with axially spaced outwardly projecting arms defining axial bores and with an axially extending side part between the arms defining with the arms a space in which the hinge part is snugly accommodated, the hinge part bore being aligned with the hinge body arm bores, and a hinge pin extending through the compression sleeve and having end regions mounted in the bores of the respective arms.

With such a construction, the hinge part is accommodated snugly in the space between the arms and side part of the hinge body, whatever the adjustments of the hinge to maintain the aesthetics of the hinge because there are no unsightly gaps left between the hinge body and flag assembly.

Since the hinge body is combined with the flag assembly, with two other separate parts, i.e. the hinge mounting and a cover for the flag assembly, the hinge may be supplied in three parts only that have to be separate to install the hinge. However, the hinge could also be supplied with the hinge assembled as one part because the hinge body may be mounted to the hinge mounting and the cover mounted on the flag assembly.

Accordingly, from another aspect, the present invention resides in a kit of parts for supplying to fabricator/installers, the kit including three separate parts only. The parts being a hinge mounting, a hinge body combined with a flag assembly, and a cover for the flag assembly.

This aspect of the invention greatly reduces installation time and ensure assembly of the hinge in the correct configuration.

To prevent the sash being lifted off its frame when the sash is either open or closed, an anti-lift off screw is mounted on the hinge body for engagement in a corresponding slot in the hinge mounting.

Thus the ‘anti lift off screw’ is positioned on the hinge to be accessible only when the sash is in the open condition.

Advantageously the slot in the hinge mounting is sufficiently large to allow full vertical adjustment of the hinge when necessary.

Although, as aforesaid, currently it is common to incorporate an hinge pin anti-extraction screw to prevent the hinge pin being driven out of the assembled hinge when attacked, still the hinge pin anti-extraction screw is accessible and requires the fabricator/installer to engage such pins when the door is commissioned. In order to overcome these disadvantages, hinges constructed in accordance with the invention, are supplied with an hinge pin extraction anti-screw which is fully engaged and which is completely hidden once the hinge is installed, thereby providing an additional security feature. This is because the anti-hinge pin extraction screw is mounted in the hinge body and covered by the hinge mounting.

Preferably, the anti-extraction screw is accommodated in a threaded bore in the hinge body, engages in a circumferential groove in the hinge pin towards its lower end and is hidden by the hinge body which prevents the hinge pin being knocked out from below by an intruder. Security may be further enhanced by providing the upper end of the hinge pin with a shoulder which prevents the hinge pin from being knocked out from above by an intruder.

From yet another aspect, the invention also includes enhanced security features including an anti-hinge pin extraction screw carried by the hinge body, locating in a circumferential groove in the hinge pin and being hidden from view by the hinge mounting to guard against hinge pin knock out from below and including a shoulder carried by the hinge pin to guard against hinge pin knock out from above.

In addition to the vertical adjusting movement, preferably the hinge is capable of adjusting movements in three dimensions, namely horizontal and compression dimensions and therefore constitutes a 3D Flag hinge.

All compression adjustments are within the hinge, can exceed ± 1mm and can be linear and can therefore be a substitute for packers and eccentric hinge pins.

Moreover, in one embodiment in which the turnable means is turnable through 180°, the hinge gives a linear compression adjustment exceeding + 2mm which allows hinges constructed in accordance with this aspect of the invention to be fitted to the frame and sash without the need for a ‘packer’ under the hinge body, thereby compensating for variations across different profile manufacturers in the location face height between the frame and sash (known as the ‘Step Height’).

Thus, by means of this aspect of the invention, there are provided benefits to the fabricator and installer, because linear movement of the door sash when compression adjustment is required enables a total compression adjustment of at least ± 2mm, thereby allowing a significant chance of achieving a good seal on doors that have been poorly installed.

Although, a linear compression adjustment of ± 2mm should be sufficient to achieve advantages of embodiments constructed in accordance with the invention, with preferably a rotationally symmetrical hinge pin, use of an eccentric hinge pin to increase the compression adjustment still further is not ruled out.

To facilitate the linear compression movement, the compression sleeve may be accommodated in a bore of oval cross-section.

Advantageously, linear compression adjustment is achieved through a helix feature on the turnable means and acting on the compression sleeve.

In a preferred embodiment, the turnable means has a cylindrical shaft having a helical thread that engages with, and acts on, the compression sleeve when the turnable means is turned.

Conveniently, the shaft is mounted in a bore in the flag assembly which communicates sideways with an axial bore in which the hinge pin bore is mounted and in which the compression sleeve is mounted on the hinge pin and through which the helical thread engages with the compression sleeve.

To ensure accuracy of the compression adjustment there are preferably two turnable means having respective helically threaded shafts mounted in respective parallel bores in the flag assembly.

Accordinglyan embodiment of the present invention resides in said tuneable means including a helically threaded shaft that engages with the compression sleeve to effect the compression adjustment.

In those embodiments including a compression sleeve, the compression sleeve is conveniently located in an oval bore of the flag assembly hinge part and between the rims of two cup-shaped bushes in the bores of the spaced apart arms of the hinge body and the hinge pin extends into the bushes.

Optionally, the hinge may include a sculptured edge constituted by a sash profile block which is removeably secured to a mounting plate though which pins extend for localising the flag assembly on the sash to avoid the sash profile block moving when the hinge is horizontally adjusted, to mask any unsightly gaps that may be visible between the installed hinge and the sash profile, and to reduce the leverage arm point on the hinge flag assembly in conjunction to the hinge pivot point.

Another aspect of th invention resides in a kit of parts for supplying to fabricator/installers as a single part, including a hinge mounting, a hinge body combined with a flag assembly, and a cover for the flag assembly, wherein the hinge body combined with the flag assembly is mounted on the hinge mounting, and wherein the cover is mounted on the flag assembly.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. 1 is a front view of an assembled door hinge only, constructed in accordance with the invention, and shown as it would be fitted to a door frame and door sash; Fig, 1a and 1b are side views of the hinge of Fig. 1 looking in the directions of the arrow A and arrow B respectively; Fig. 1c is a top view of the hinge of Fig. 1; Figs. 2 and 2a are perspective views from above and one side and above and the other side respectively of the hinge of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 3a are perspective views from below and one side and below and the other side of the hinge of Fig. 1; Figs 4, 4a and 4b are perspective views from the front and top separately of, a hinge mounting in the form of a mounting block, a combined hinge body and flag assembly and a sash cover for the flag assembly of the hinge of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view from the front and door sash-engaging side of a doorframe and showing the hinge mounting block fitted to the frame; Fig. 6 is a perspective view from the front and other side of a door sash and showing the flag assembly fitted to the door sash, with the sash cover removed but not showing the hinge body to which the flag assembly is connected in the hinge shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to that of Figures 5 and 6 but showing the hinge of Fig. 1, (with the sash cover removed), fitted to the door frame and door sash with the hinge in a closed position of the door sash; Figs. 8 and 9 are front and top views respectively of Fig. 7; Figs. 9a and 9b are photographs of two assembled hinges fitted to a door frame and door sash frame mock-up in a closed position and open position respectively of the door sash, with the sash cover removed from the lower hinge; Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the mounting block, hinge body and hinge pin and hinge parts associated therewith to show the hinge body mounting; Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section in a first plane through the assembled mounting block and hinge body showing how hinge body is mounted on the mounting block; Fig. 12 is a second plane at right angles to the first plane through the assembled mounting block and hinge body and showing how the hinge pin and a vertical adjustment screw are mounted in the hinge body; Fig. 13 is a front view of the hinge body looking in the direction of arrow C of Figure 12; Fig 14 is side view of the hinge body shown on the mounting block of Fig 10 and Fig. 12 but without the hinge pin; Fig. 15 is an exploded view of the flag assembly; Fig.16 is a perspective view of two turntable means constituted by compression controllers mounted on the flag assembly to effect compression movement through the hinge of a door sash seal against the door frame; Figs. 17 and 18 are plan and top views of the flag assembly, with the sash cover removed; and Fig. 19 is cross-section of the flag assembly taken along the line B-B of Fig. 17, looking in the direction of the arrows, with the sash cover removed.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, there is shown various views of a hinge which is generally indicated at 1 and which is shown in an assembled condition. The hinge 1 incorporates a separate hinge mounting constituted by a mounting block 2 (see also Fig.4) to be fitted to a doorframe, a hinge body 3 mounted on the mounting block 2, a flag assembly4 having a back plate 4a to be fitted to a door sash and a hinge part 4b connected to the hinge body 3 by a hinge pin (not visible) and a sash cover 5 for the back plate 4a of the flag assembly 4. In the drawings, the flag assembly 4 with its hinge part 4b are combined with the hinge body 3 which is mounted on the mounting block 2. The mounting block 2, hinge body 3, flag assembly 4 and sash cover 5 are conveniently of a suitable metal such as aluminium or zinc alloy and preferably in the form of castings. As can be seen from Figures 1 to 3, the hinge body 3 is of U-shaped configuration and disposed with its two spaced apart upper and lower hinge arms 3a and 3b respectively at the top and bottom of the hinge body 3, with the hinge part 4b of the flag assembly 4 being accommodated in a space 6 between the two hinge arms 3a and 3b and “base 3c, i.e. the side part between the arms 3a, 3b, of the U. The not visible hinge pin passes through bores in the hinge arms and hinge part of the flag assembly. Respective pairs of steel stabilising/localising pins 7 and 8 respectively are provided on the mounting block 2 and a sledge 4c (Fig. 4a) to locate into the door frame and door sash respectively. The sledge 4c forms part of the flag assembly 4, and is slidably mounted for horizontal adjusting movement on the back plate 4a.

It will be seen from the front view of Figure 1, that the hinge 1 is symmetrical about an imaginary central line passing from one side to the other, thereby considerably enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the hinge 1, as compared to that of hinges currently available on the market.

Referring more particularly to Figures 4, 4a and 4b, these show the hinge 1 of Fig. 1 to 3 in a disassembled condition in which it constitutes three parts only, as supplied for installation, the mounting block 2, the combined hinge body 3 and flag assembly 4 and the sash cover 5. Thus, there is no need for the fabricator/instailer to assemble the hinge body 3 to the flag assembly 4.

Of course, the assembled hinge of Figs. 1 to 3 could be supplied as one part to the fabricator/installer. It will be seen from Fig. 4b that the cover 5 has a tongue 5a and shoulders 5b and as shown in Fig 4a, the back plate 4a has tongues 5c at it outer side.

To mount the sash cover 5 on the back plate 4a, the sash cover 5 is slid sideways over two oppositely facing ridges 9 on the back plate 4a, until the inner end of cover plate engages under the tongues 5c of the back plate 4a and the tongue 5a and shoulders 5b abut against steps 10 on the mounting plate 4a. Then the sash cover 5 is screwed in position by means of a cover screw 5d being passed through from the mounting surface of the back plate 4a of the flag assembly 4 and into a complementary screw hole in a boss on the inner surface (all not visible) of the sash cover 5. The cover screw 5c is therefore hidden from view by the mounting plate 4a and by virtue of the tongues 5c and cover screw 5d, the cover 5 is effectively ‘locked’ in position on the back plate 4a, thereby constituting further security features.

In Figures 5 to 9, the door frame 11 and door sash 14 are conveniently made of PVC-U which is what the hinges 1 are primarily intended for, although the door frame and sash can be made of other suitable materials depending on their intended use. As will be appreciated from Figures 5 to 9, all that needs to be done to install the hinge 1 is fit the mounting block 2 to a door frame 11 by locating the stabilising/location pins 7 (Fig.4) in appropriate holes drilled in the doorframe 11 which sets the position of the mounting block 2 on the door frame, and pass fixing screws 12 through two countersunk screw location holes 13 and into a steel reinforcement (not shown) in the hollow interior of the door frame 11.

The flag assembly 4 is fitted to the door sash 14 by locating the stabilising/location pins 8 (Fig. 1b) on the slidable sledge 4c, in appropriate holes drilled in the door sash which sets the sledge position on the door sash 14, by passing fixing screws 15 (Fig.9) through two rows, each of three, countersunk screw location holes 16 and into the door sash 14, by lowering the hinge body 3 to which the flag assembly 4 is connected onto the mounting block 2, engaging a vertical adjustment screw 17 with the upper edge of the mounting block 2 and then finally, making any necessary adjustments in three dimensions of the door sash 14 relative to the door frame 11, i.e. vertical with the adjustment screw 17, horizontal with an adjustment screw 18 and compression with two turnable means constituted by compression controllers 19.

The top view of Fig. 9 shows the adjustment screw 17 which is threaded into the upper hinge body arm 3a to act on the mounting block 2 to achieve the vertical adjustment, the perspective and front views respectively of Figs. 7 and 8 show the adjustment screw 18 acting between the sledge 4c and back plate 4a of the flag assembly 4 to achieve the horizontal adjustment and the two turnable compression controllers 19 mounted on the flag assembly 4 and acting on a compression sleeve, through which the hinge pin extends, to achieve the compression adjustment.

There is a gasket 20, e.g. of neoprene, accommodated in a recess 21 in the profile part 22 of the door sash 14, which gasket is compressed against the door frame 11 in the closed condition of the door sash 14 to seal against the ingress of cold air/egress of warm air.

In order better to explain how the flag assembly 4 is mounted on the hinge body 3 and the hinge body 3 is mounted on the mounting block 2, reference will now be made to Figs. 10 to 19.

The hinge part 4b of the flag assembly 4 has an oval axial bore 23 housing a cylindrical compression sleeve 24 which sits on an oval washer 24a in the oval bore 23. Cup-shaped bushes 25 fit respectively into the bores 3d (only the lower bore shown) in the upper and lower hinge body arms 3a, 3b with their rims 25a seating on the oppositely facing inner surfaces of the hinge arms to act as bearings for the hinge part 4b of the flag assembly 4. As seen best from Figs. 10, 12 and 13, the hinge pin 26 is rotationally symmetrical. Thus, the hinge pin 26 does not have any eccentrics to provide compression adjustment which in this case is provided by another more advantageous and effective way using the two turnable compression controllers 19.

To mount the hinge pin 26 to the hinge body 3 and flag assembly 4, the hinge part 4b of the flag assembly 4 is inserted into, and accommodated in, the space 6 between the upper and lower hinge arms 3a, 3b and side part 3c of the U so that the compression sleeve 24 in the oval bore 23 of the hinge part 4b is in alignment with the bores in the bushes 25 in the upper and lower hinge arms 3a, 3b. Then the hinge pin 26 is passed through a top recess 27 in the upper hinge arm 3a, through the bush 25 in the upper hinge arm, through the compression sleeve 24 located in the oval bore 23 of the flag assembly 4 and through the lower bush 25 in the bore in the lower hinge arm 3b until its lower end 26a engages with an abutment 28 forming the roof of a bottom recess 29 in the lower hinge arm 3b (Fig. 12). It will be appreciated that the compression sleeve 24 is located between the rims 25a of the two cup-shaped bushes 25.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 10 and 12, the rotationally symmetrical axial hinge pin 26 has a circumferentially extending top shoulder 26b engaging with a circular step 30 in the top recess 27 of the hinge body 3 to prevent ‘pin knock through’ from the top by an intruder. To prevent the hinge pin 26 from being ‘knocked through from the bottom’ by an intruder, an anti-extraction screw 31 extends through a screw-threaded hole 32 in a step 33 in the bottom recess 29 (Fig. 12) and a hole 25b in the lower bush 25 to engage in a circumferential groove 33 (undercut) in a lower end region of the hinge pin 26 near its bottom end 26a. As the mounting block 2 covers the anti-extraction screw 31 and lies against the door frame 11, access is available to the anti-extraction screw 31 only when the door sash 14 is removed from the door frame 11 (see Figs. 7 to 9).

The hinge 1 is supplied with the anti-extraction screw 31 fully engaged, in this case for a left-handed door, but can removed by a fabricator/installer for a right-hand door and then replaced.

As can be seen from Figures 10 and 11, four projections constituted by ears 34 extend sideways from the mounting block 2 adjacent its four corners to engage behind four shoulders 35 in the mounting surface of the hinge body 3. There are middle gaps 36 between the four shoulders 35, and the bottom recess 29 has an open front between its bottom wall 37 and the lower two shoulders 35. The middle gaps 36 between the four shoulders 35 and the open front of the bottom recess 29 allow the ears 34 on the mounting block 2 to enter into the hinge body 3 such that the shoulders 35 on the hinge body 3 hook around mounting block ears 34 when the hinge body 3 is lowered onto the mounting block 2.

The provision of a series of ears 34 on the mounting block 2 and the shoulders 35 on the hinge body 3 that interengage when the door sash is fitted enables the vertical lift to remove the door sash to be less than 13mm. Hence, making the hinge 1 suitable for both inward and outward opening applications.

When the hinge body 3 has been mounted on the mounting block 2, the vertical adjustment screw 17 located within the hinge body 3 in a screw-threaded bore 38 in a wall of the top recess 39 and the mounting surface 40 is turned into engagement with the top edge 41 of mounting block 2. Then, in order to effect vertical adjustment of the door sash 14 relative to the door frame 11, the adjustment screw 17 is turned further, as will be seen from Figs. 11 and 12 and acts on the mounting block top edge 41 to move the hinge body 3 relative thereto, with the ears 34 sliding behind the shoulders 35. One of the hinge body sides, left-hand as illustrated, has a screw-hole 42 extending therethough and through one of the lower shoulders 35.

An anti-lift screw 43 passes through the screw-hole 42 to engage in a slot 44 (Fig.11) in the associated side of the mounting block 2 to restrict vertical adjusting movement and prevent lift-off of the hinge body 3 from the mounting block 2. The anti-lift-off screw 43 fitted to the hinge body 3 and engaged in the corresponding slot 44 in the mounting block 2 prevents the door sash 14 being lifted off its frame 11 when the door is either open or closed. And the slot 44 in the mounting block 2 is sufficiently large enough still to allow full vertical adjustment of the hinge 1 when necessary. It is a security feature of the hinge 1 that the anti-lift screw 43 is accessible only with the door sash 14 in the open condition and once the hinge 1 is installed the screw 43 itself is completely hidden.

When the door sash 14 is of opposite hand, the anti-lift-off screw 43 passes through a screw hole in the other of hinge body sides and oppositely facing lower shoulder 35, righthand as illustrated, for engagement in an oppositely facing slot in the mounting block 2.

Respective top and bottom caps 45 and 46 have projections that fit frictionally into complementary sockets in the hinge body 3 and close the top and bottom recesses 27 and 29, with the top cap 45 also guarding against access to the vertical adjustment screw 17.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 15 to 19, which show the flag assembly 4 in more detail, the sledge 4c is slideably mounted for horizontal movement on the front surface of the back plate 4a by means of two rows of projections 47 extending from its bottom surface and engaging in respective slots 48 in the back plate. The stabilising locating pins 8 on the sledge 4c which are located at that end of the sledge nearer the hinge part 4b project through the slots 48 and into the door sash 14 (Figs. 5 to 9) to set the sledge position on the door sash. The sledge 4c has a central internally screw-threaded tubular member 49 disposed equidistantly between the screw mounting holes 16 and sitting in a corresponding guiding recess 50 in the back plate 4a. The adjustment screw 18 has a screw-threaded shaft 18a which threadedly engages in the tubular member 49 and a screw head 18b on the shaft 18a, the head 18a being constrained in a slot 51 in the back plate 4a so that, by rotating the horizontal adjustment screw 18 by turning its head 18b in the slot 51 in the back plate 4a, the sledge 4c is moved horizontally relative to the back plate 4a, horizontal door sash adjustment is achieved.

The flag assembly 4 also includes an optional sculptured edge sash profile block 52 which is supplied pre-assembled with the hinge body 3 adjacent to where the flag assembly 4 of the hinge 1 locates so as to fill the normally unsightly gap visible between the back plate 4a and the sash/door profile when the hinge 1 is fitted to the door and sash frames. The sash profile block 52 is fixed to the back plate 4a of the flag assembly 4 by a mounting plate 53 by means of projections 54 and snap fasteners 55 on the sash profile block 52 locating in holes 56 and slots 57 respectively in the mounting plate 53. And the sash profile block 52 is located Off’ the sledge location pins 8 which pass through holes 58 in the mounting plate 53. So, as a result, the sash profile block 52 does not move relative to the door sash profile when the hinge 1 is horizontally adjusted by turning the screw head 18b.

The use of the mounting plate 53 enables the sash profile block 52 to be retro-fitted to overcome the disadvantages of most flag hinges where moving the sash edge profile away from the hinge pivot on a sculptured edge profile can result in a higher point load along the flag edge due to the leverage point moving further from the pivot point resulting in failure.

In cases where a packer is fitted, less leverage results with a resultant reduction in point load along the flag edge against hinges without a profile block 52 where there is less support and there is a visible unsightly gap. So, the use of the mounting plate 53 reduces the leverage arm point on the hinge flag assembly 4 in conjunction to the hinge pivot point.

The compression adjusters 19 are each of cylindrical configuration and have helically threaded shafts 62 mounted in respective parallel bores 60 position in the hinge part 4b. Washers 59 are held captive on the shafts 62 by turning over the shaft ends. The shafts are turnable through 180° in the bores 60 by means of an alien key in the heads 19a. As can be seen in Fig. 19, the parallel bores 60 of the compression adjusters 19 open through holes 61 into the axially extending oval hinge pin bore 23 in the hinge part 4b, whereby the helical threads 62a on the shafts 62 of the compression adjusters 19 engage with the compression sleeve 24 in the oval bore 23. Turning of the helically threaded shafts 62 of the compression adjusters 19 transmits linear movement by means of the helical threads 62a to the compression sleeve 24 and thus to the door sash 14 causing compression of the sash frame gasket 20 against the door frame 11 (Figs,7 and 9).

Being linear, this adjustment feature involving the use of a helical thread 62a on the compression adjusters 19 gives compression adjustment exceeding ± 2mm. Since the location face height between the door frame and door sash (known as the ‘Step Height’) varies across different door/sash frame profile manufacturers, this additional adjustment allows hinges to be fitted without the need for any ‘packer(s)’ under the hinge body 3, as is the case with the NEXUS hinges mentioned previously.

Various modifications may be made to the invention described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hinge incorporating: a hinge mounting for fitting the hinge to a frame; a hinge body adapted to be slidably mounted for vertical adjusting movement on the hinge mounting; a flag assembly connected to the hinge body by a hinge pin and adapted to be fitted to a sash; a vertical adjustment screw located within the hinge body to act on the hinge mounting, to achieve vertical adjustment of the hinge, when the hinge mounting is fitted to the frame and the hinge body is mounted on the hinge mounting; and an anti-lift off screw mounted on the hinge body for engagement in a corresponding slot in the hinge mounting to prevent the sash being lifted off its frame when the sash is either open or closed and being positioned on a side of the hinge body that is inaccessible when the sash is in the closed condition so that it is accessible only when the sash is in the open condition.

2. A hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot in the hinge mounting is sufficiently large to allow full vertical adjustment of the hinge,

3. A hinge as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the slidable mounting between the hinge mounting and the hinge body incorporates projections on the hinge mounting and shoulders on the hinge body that interengage when the hinge body is mounted on the hinge mounting when fitted to the frame.

4. A hinge as claimed in claim 3, wherein the projections on the hinge mounting and the shoulders on the hinge body are provided such that the vertical lift to remove the sash is less than 13mm.

5. A hinge as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flag assembly has a hinge part defining an axial bore in which is housed a compression sleeve, the hinge body is of substantially U-shaped configuration with axially spaced outwardly projecting arms defining axial bores and with an axially extending side part between the arms defining with the arms a space in which the hinge part is accommodated, the hinge part bore being aligned with the hinge body arm bores, and a hinge pin extending through the compression sleeve and having end regions mounted in the bores of the respective arms.

6. A hinge as claimed in any previous claim, and including an hinge pin antiextraction screw which is mounted in the hinge body, which is fully engaged and which is completely hidden once the hinge is installed because it is covered by the hinge mounting, wherein the anti-extraction screw is accommodated in a threaded bore in the hinge body and engages in a circumferential groove in the hinge pin towards its lower end to prevent the hinge pin from being knocked out from below by an intruder

7. A hinge as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upper end of the hinge pin has a shoulder to prevent the hinge pin from being knocked out from above by an intruder.

8. A hinge as claimed in claim 5, or claim 6 or claim 7 when dependent on claim 5, and including means mounted on and turnable with respect to the flag assembly, and the turnable means also being turnable with respect to the hinge pin to act on the compression sleeve carried by the hinge pin without turning the hinge pin to cause linear adjusting compression movement of the hinge.

9. A hinge as claimed in claim 8, wherein the turnable means is turnable through 180° to provide a linear compression adjustment of at least ± 2mm.

10. A hinge as claimed claim 8 or claim 9, when dependent on claim 5, wherein the hinge part bore in which the compression sleeve is accommodated is of oval cross-section.

11. A hinge as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, wherein linear compression adjustment is achieved through a helix feature on the turnable means and acting on the compression sleeve.

12. A hinge as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the turnable means has a cylindrical shaft having a helical thread that engages with, and acts on, the compression sleeve when the turnable means is turned.

13. A hinge as claimed in claim 12 when dependent on claim 5, wherein the shaft is mounted in a bore in the flag assembly which communicates sideways with the hinge part bore in which the hinge pin is mounted and in which the compression sleeve is mounted on the hinge pin and through which the helical thread engages with the compression sleeve.

14. A hinge as claimed in claim 13, including two turnable means having respective helically threaded shafts mounted in respective parallel bores in the flag assembly.

15. A hinge as claimed in any previous claim, wherein the hinge pin is rotationally symmetrical.

16. A hinge as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the hinge is a door hinge.

17. A kit of parts for supplying to fabricator/installers, the kit including three separate parts only, said parts being: a hinge mounting as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5; a hinge body as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 combined with a flag assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5; and a cover for the flag assembly.

18. A kit of parts for supplying to fabricator/installers as a single part, including: a hinge mounting as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5; a hinge body as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 combined with a flag assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5; and a cover for the flag assembly, wherein the hinge body combined with the flag assembly is mounted on the hinge mounting, and wherein the cover is mounted on the flag assembly.

19. A door hinge, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 2, 2a, 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 4b, Figs. 5 to 9, Figs 9a and 9b, and Figs. 10 to 19 of the accompanying drawings.