US2660272A - Doorframe - Google Patents

Description

N 1953 F. H. WALTERMAN ETAL 2,660,272

DOORFRAME 7 Filed Dec. 4, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l .j. I n

Nov. 24, 1953 H. WALTERMAN ET AL DOORFRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 4, 1951 NQN Patented Nov. 24, 1953 UNITED OFFICE DOORFRAME of- Illinois Application December 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,7 86

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to doorframes and more particularly to doorirames of steel or other suitable metal.

An object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metal doorframe which is more attractive than those now in use.

Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metal doorframe which is more adaptable than those now in use.

Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metal doorframe which atiords greater protection to the edge of the plaster or dry wall.

Another object of our invention is to provide a metal doorirame having a new and improved shape.

Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metal doorframe which is designed for attachment directly to the rough door buck or studding which is standard in i1- terior wall constructions for homes and offices.

Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metal doorframe so constructed that the weight of the door is carried entirely by the rough door buck or studding.

Another object of our invention is to provide a metal doorframe having a novel recess construction for receiving the door hinges.

Another object of our invention is to provide a new and improved metal doorframe which will permit a door mounted on standard hinges to pivot to a position parallel to the wall in which the door opening is located.

Another object of our invention is to provide a metal dcorframe having a new and improved construction for receiving a door strike or latch.

Another object is to provide a metal doorirame having a new and improved interlocking connection between the several parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a door and door opening with the frame embodying our invention mounted in the opening;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper end of one of the vertical side pieces of our novel frame;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of an end of a top or horizontal piece embodying our invention;

Fig. i is a perspective view of the upper corner of the door opening having our novel frame mounted thereinand illustrating the manner in which the door is hingedly mounted;

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the door in closed position;

Fig. '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 71-4 of Fig. 1, showing the parts on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 8 is a partial section taken on the line tt of Fig. 1 and showing the strike plate and box for preventing plaster, dust, etc., from coming out of the latch opening in the metal frame;

Fig. 9 is a partial vertical section taken on the line 3-45 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view taken on the plane of the line Iii-Ill of Fig. 9 but showing the door in closed position.

In Fig. 1 we have shown our novel doorframe as being comprised of three pieces consisting of vertical side pieces 2E! and 22, and a horizontal top piece it. The lower ends of the side pieces 25 and 22 are illustrated as resting on the finished floor 255 although they can be extended below the finished floor and the finished floor fitted around them if preferred. The side pieces 25% and 22 and top piece is are of identical cross section as will be more readily apparent from an inspection of Figs. 2, 3, 4, and Z. Each of these pieces is formed from sheet steel or other suitable material and may be formed from relatively thin and inexpensive sheets because our novel frame does not carry an of the weight of the door and is so constructed that the exposed edges are reinforced.

Each piece has a longitudinal rib 28 provided with parallel sides equidistant from the center line of the strip or piece and capable of constituting a door stop when the door is mounted on either side of this central rib. In Fig. 7* the door is shown as mounted on the near side of the central rib but a feature of our novel design makes it possible to mount the door on the far side of the central rib. This could be accomplished by interchanging side pieces 25B and 22 and this can be accomplished without disturbing the top piece 2%. On opposite sides of the central rib 28 are planar panels ti? and 32 of equal width. The width of each of these panels is approximately equal to the thickness of a standard door for the interior wall of a home or oiiice building. Beyond the planar panels 3%? and 32 are inclined corner panels {i l and 36 whose outwardly extending edges 38 and d6 are strengthened by bending the metal back upon itself. to provide a double thickness. Leg portions or perpendicular strips .2 and 5t connect the central portions of thecorner panels with flanges 36 and d3 which engage the sides of the 2 X 41: form ing the rough door buck or studding which is a standard. part of the interior wall construction.

In Fig. 7 the right-hand rough door buck is shown as being composed of two 2 x 4's 5!} and 52 nailed back to back. This is the most common construction, although in some instances only the 2 x 4 identified by the reference character 58 would be used in order to reduce expense. In the left-hand side of Fig. '7 we have shown a different and superior rough buck construction which is also standard practice and wherein the 2 x 4.s as and 56 are arranged side by side with a spacing strip 58 therebetween so that the thickness of the buck in a sidewise direction is the same as that of the buck shown in the right-hand part of Fig. '7. In all of these standard forms of rough buck construction the flanges 46 and t8 engage opposite sides of the buck and are attached thereto by nails 60 or in any other suitable manner.

The door 62 may be of any standard or suitable construction and may be mounted on standard door hinges 6%. One leaf 66 of each hinge may be attached to the door by screws 58, whereas the other hinge leaf it fits into a recess 72 pressed in the side piece 22. The recesses '52 are pressed into the side piece 22 without interrupting the continuity of the metal of which the side piece is formed, the only break in the metal being the three small holes through which the screws it pass. It will be noted that these screws go directly into the rough buck which supports the entire weight of the door so that none of this weight is carried by our novel metal frame.

In Figs. 6 and '7 we have shown the door in closed position, whereas in Figs. 4 and 5 we have shown the door in fully open position. It will be noted that with a standard size of door hinge, the door may be swung to a position parallel to the wall in which the door opening is located. This is advantageous in that it permits the door to be placed in a convenient out-of-the-way position while at the same time making available the full width of the door opening for moving furniture or other articles therethrough.

The side piece 20 is similarly recessed to receive a strike plate it, best shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. This strike plate is secured to the metal frame piece 253 by screws '55 which pass through openings at in the frame piece 26 and into threaded bores in a reinforcing strip 82 and a metal box at. The reinforcing strip a2 is spot welded to the frame piece 29 as indicated at 85. The strike plate E6, ""Yil0 piece 21!, and reinforcing strip 82, have aligned openings 88, 90, and 92 which permit the door latch 95 to extend through an open side of the box member at as indicated in Fig. 10. This box is formed of a strip of metal of generally U-shaped cross section and having a turned down flap Qt closing the rear of the box, the front being left open as indicated at 88. This box serves the purpose of preventing pieces of plaster or other material from falling down and interfering with the door latch 94 or from falling through the opening in the strike plate and dirtying the floor.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 4, it will be seen that we have provided a novel and effective interlocking engagement between the vertical sides 20 and 22 and the horizontal or top portion 24 of the frame. As best shown in Fig. 2, the central projecting rib 28 of each side piece is made shorter than the rest or" the side piece, whereas the rib 28 of each top piece projects at each end to form an interlocking tongue. The upper ends of the side pieces 20 and 22 and both ends of the edge panels 34 and 36 of the top piece 2 terminate in miters which form the mitered joints I00 and i512, best shown in Fig. 4. This figure also clearly shows the manner in which the rib 28 of the top piece 2% overlies the rib of the side piece 22. Because the frame pieces are symmetrical about their longitudinal axes, the surfaces forming the miter joints we and 382 are at the same angle with respect to the axes of the frame pieces. This facilitates assembly and increases the adaptability of our frame construction to various needs since either end of the top piece will fit the top of either side piece.

In order to strengthen each end of each frame piece, a reinforcing strip ltd is spot welded thereto as best shown in Fig. 3.

Our novel frame construction is equally adapter for use with either dry wall construction or a plaster wall of any of the various types. In Fig. '7 we shown the wall ltzi as being of dry construction and the wall it as of plaster con struction. In each instance it will be noted that the edge of the wall adjacent the door opening is securely protected by a folded-over frame edge of double thickness and that this frame edge is firmly supported by a leg portion 32 or at, both of which directly engage the studding defining the door opening. This design eliminates the necessity of plaster holes, gives a full length plaster bond on both sides of the wall, and eliminates plaster cracks or distortions produced by prior art frame constructions.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that we haveprovided a novel frame construction which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, adaptable to a wide variety of needs, and havin an attractive appearance and configuration more nearly resembling that of the conventional doorframe of wood construction. While our novel frame is primarily intended for interior wall constructions, it can be used as an exterior wall doorframe provided the wall construction surrounding the door opening is made of appropriate thickness to fit between the flanges of our doorframe or a doorframe of special size is made for exterior wall constructions.

It is to be understood that our invention is not limited to the details shown and described but includes all modifications, variations, and equivalents coming within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A substantially symmetrical, metal doorframe piece adapted to be applied as a moulding to a wooden doorframe which includes a rectangular buck having a width of approximately four inches formed from a single sheet of metal and having a substantially centrally located doorstop rib bent forwardly'from the main body of the piece, said main body including lateral webs extending at right angles to the rib on both sides thereof and providing duplicate door-receiving surfaces which, with the central rib, are at least equal in extent to said width of the buck, the remote margin of each such web then being bent rearwardly at an oblique angle to provide a bevel facing, then forwardly against said facing, and then connecting with a flange that extends rearwardly at right angles to said door receiving surfaces for attachment to said wooden doorframe, said flange being substantially in alignment with the juncture of said web and said bevel cent face of the buck over which the doorframe piece is to be mounted.

2. A symmetrical doorfra-me piece as set forth in claim 1 in which door hinge receiving recesses are embossed in one of said door receiving surfaces, and in which screw holes are provided whereby screws used for fastening hinge leaves in place within said hinge recesses will directly engage the buck for supporting the door directly from said buck.

3. A symmetrical metal doorframe piece as set forth in claim 2 in which a door latch opening is provided in one of the door receiving surfaces, and a latching box rigidly fixed to the inner face of said door receiving surface in alignment with said door latch opening.

FREDRICK H. WALTERMAN. JOHN P. MALMROSE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 5 1,323,755 1,606,780 1,610,369 1,731,459 1,826,516 10 2,043,174 2,454,523 2,538,925 2,562,105 2,574,350

Name Date Gogay Dec. 2, 1919 Zahner et a1. Nov. 16, 1926 Goddard Dec. 14, 1926 Gross Oct. 15, 1929 McHugh et al. Oct. 6, 1931 Jacobson June 2, 1936 Philip Nov. 23, 1948 Steffan Jan. 23, 1951 Lang July 24, 1951 Peele Nov. 6, 1951 Raskin Mar. 18, 1952

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