US2109659A - Method of and apparatus for straightening doors - Google Patents

Description

H. ADAMSON March v1, 1938.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING DOORS Filed July 10, 1936 Hire]? 01- f/ermem Ada 2223022 Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING DOORS 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for straightening doors, which become warped in use, and which also may be readily applied to and quickly adjusted to straighten such doors. The invention is also useful in connection with straightening sash, screen doors, or other articles of like nature. The invention also lends itself to the manufacture of doors and like structures which sometimes are made of green lumber, for preventing warping of said structures.

Often wooden doors warp or spring out of shape in use, especially where some one part of a door is more exposed to atmospheric conditions than some other part. Such conditions occur with outside doors, for example, outside doors of dwellings, barns, garages, hangars, warehouses and the like, and also screen doors, window screens and shutters.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of straightening warped doors, shutters and like structures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for straightening warped door shutters and like structures.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for straightening warped doors and like structures, which is economical to manufacture, easy to apply and efiicient in use.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which may be used with wood which is not fully dried, for the manufacture of doors, shutters and the like for preventing warping of said articles in use, in which use the means of the present invention, installed in accordance with the method of the present invention, might be concealed and thus invisible to view.

The above other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of the present invention and the views Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectional view taken through the lower end of a door stile which is warped, showing the end anchor member firmly secured in place within a groove or recess and with the adjacent end of the bow member which is utilized for straightening the door, abutting it.

Figure 4 is a fragmental edge elevational view of the lower end of a door showing the apparatus of the present invention thereto applied for straightening the door, when the device is applied to an outer surface of the stile.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmental elevational view of one side of a door showing the relation ship of the parts when the same have been at- 15 tached to the door to straighten it.

Figure 6 is a fragmental vertical sectional view through a door stile showing the straightening apparatus applied to the door in a groove of greater depth than the straightening apparatus requires, and showing the straightening apparatus covered by a seal. such as a thin strip of Veneer or the like so as to conceal the straightening apparatus.

The drawing will now be explained.

Figure 1 shows the front stile I of a door, which stile is warped and which is to be straightened.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the concave face of the stile is provided with a groove 2 of a depth sufficient to receive the end an- 30 chors and the bowed straightening member so that when the straightening member is fully ex tended it will lie substantially flush with the surface of the stile.

In the ends of the groove 2 are formed transversely extending grooves 3 and 4 adapted to receive tongues or flanges 5 and 6 respectively, of end anchors 1. An end anchor and its tongues may be cast or pressed and is in width substan- O tially that of the width of the groove 2 formed in the concave surface of the stile.

There are preferably two of such end anchors used, one at each end of the groove 2 as may be readily observed in Figures 1 and 2. 45

For cooperating with the end anchors l is a single piece of bowed metal 8, in width substantially that of the groove 2 in the stile. The length of the bowed member 8 is greater than the distance between the end anchors i.

To straighten the door in accordance with the method and apparatus of the present invention, the bowed member 8 is applied with its ends within the groove 2 and in contact with the end anchors l and with the concave surface of 55 the member 8 adjacent the concave face of the warped stile.

At intervals in the length of the member 8 are holes for receiving screws 9 or other equivalent fastening means.

In applying the end anchors l to the door stile, the tongues 5 and 6 thereof are inserted in the grooves 3 and 4, with the body of the plate lying within the groove or recess 2. Screws l8 and H are utilized to secure the end anchors in position. These screws are arranged nearer the margin of the end anchors against which the ends of the bowed member 8 abut so as to afiord greater resistance against displacement.

In straightening a warped door or other structure by means of the present invention, after the bowed member is arranged against the end anchor 'l, as shown in Fig. 1, it is straightened to force the end anchors apart and thereby straighten the door portion. This straightening may be accomplished by the utilization of clamps applied about the bowed member 8 and the opposite surface of the door stile to straighten the bowed member 8 and embed it in the groove or recess 2. When this manner of straightening has been accomplished, the screws 9 are driven home thus retaining the member 8 in straightposition within the recess 2, thus maintaining pressure against the end anchors I to keep the door or other part straight.

The finished relationship of the various elements are clearly illustrated at Figures 2 and 5. Figure 3 shows one end of the bowed member 8 against one of the end anchors prior to the straightening of the bowed member.

Another way of straightening the bowed member 8 would be to force the screws 9 home and thus straighten the member 8 until it lies within the recess 2.

In the event that no recess 2 is utilized, then the end anchors l and the bowed member 8 are applied to the concave surface of the warped part and when the bowed member 8 is straightened, the relative positions of the parts will appear as shown in Fig. 4.

It may sometimes be desirable to insert the end anchors and bowed member, especially when green lumber is utilized for making door, sash, or other elements.

Said construction is illustrated in Figure 6 wherein a recess or groove l2 of greater depth than the groove 2 is formed. The end anchors 'l are applied as heretofore described, within this groove or recess l2, and likewise the bowed member 8. After the bowed member 8 is straightened and secured in straightened position by means of screws 9 or similar elements, the outer surface of the member 8 and the outer surface of the end anchors will then lie inwardly of the adjacent surface of the door.

In this construction the end anchors and bowed member are conveniently covered by a strip of veneer 53 or other suitable material so that the parts may be invisible.

A door or other structure made of green lumber and reinforced in the manner described, will not warp because of the use of suchgreen lumber.

If desired, even when used with a door or other structure made from dried lumber, the end anchors l and bowed member 8 may be set in a recess of greater depth than the groove or recess 2 and a concealing piece l3 thereover applied for concealing the straightening apparatus.

It will be readily apparent that the method of the present invention contemplates the utilization of end anchors disposed in secured relation against or in the surface of the concave part of the warped portion, and a spreader or bowed member is applied to separate the end anchors for straightening the warped portion.

Preferably. the end anchors are made of tempered steel to prevent distortion thereof in use.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details, yet the invention is not to be limited thereby, as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

A method of straightening warped doors and the like including the steps of forming an elongated groove lengthwise of the concave face of a warped part of the door with the groove terminating at both ends within the extremities of the warped part to form end shoulders, applying tongued anchor members within the groove at the ends thereof and against said end shoulders with said anchor members lying wholly within the depth of the groove, bowing a single piece of spring metal having a length greater than the distance between the confronting portions of said applied anchor members, applying said bowed piece to said groove with its ends against said anchor members, straightening said piece to cause it to lie wholly within said groove and thereby exert endwise pressure against said anchor members and said end shoulders to straighten the warped portion of the door, and fastening said piece in said groove to maintain said door portion plumb.

HERMAN ADAMSON.

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