US3013314A

US3013314A - Combined sill and threshold

Info

Publication number: US3013314A
Application number: US797174A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert C Beltz; Jr Webster G Wiley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-03-04
Filing date: 1959-03-04
Publication date: 1961-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 1978-12-19

Description

Dec. 19, 1961 Filed March 4, 1959 R. C. BELTZ ETAL COMBINED SILL AND THRESHOLD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Robert 6. Bel/z Webs/er 6. Wile Jr.

1N VEN TORS Mm BY w 3M4,

1961 R. c. BELTZ ETAL 3,013,314

COMBINED SILL AND THRESHOLD Filed March 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Robert 6. Half: Webster 6. W178), Jr.

INVENTORS Unites.

3,813,314 Patented Dec. 19, 1951 3,013,314 I H COMBINED SILL ANDTHRESHOLD Robert C. Beltz, 4227Boston Ave., La Crescenta, Calif, and Webster G. Wiley, In, 3811 Lockerbie Court, Glendale, Calif.

Filed Mar. 4, I959, Ser. No. 797,174 4 Qlaims. (Cl. 2064) This invention relates to building construction equipment and more particularly to a combined door sill and thtreshold.

The combined door sill and threshold in accordance with this invention combines into one unit features of a door sill and threshold. It may be used with conventional construction and nonconventional construction of door frames and openings, and the actual fabrication of the combined sill and threshold is left within the prerogative of the manufacturer. For example, it may be extruded, cast, pressed, etc.

It is within the contemplation of the invention to provide a selection of rug caps for additional height when carpeting adds to the finished floor height. The rug caps may be of any height for instance, the rug cap for a carpet plus a pad is higher than the rug cap used when a carpet alone is to be applied to the floor. If no carpet is to be installed, the rug cap is omitted.

Some of the features of the invention are that the combined threshold and sill is in a single unit designed for common use with dry wall or plaster interior or any other interior or exterior wall construction. It eliminates all need to modify or cut the subfloor and/ or floor joists prior to installation. A few screws is all that are necessary to apply and fasten vthe combined sill and threshold in place. Since metal construction is suggested, excellent protection against environmental conditions accrue. The combined sill and threshold may be used with a slab floor of concrete or wood subfloor with equal facility. An interlocking bead provides a weather seal to the underside of the door.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a practical combined sill and threshold which is easily installed and which serves its intended purpose very well, furnishing a very neat combined threshold and sill, regardless of the floor and wall construction used in the building.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined threshold and sill which may be used on existing buildings, providing a replacement part, or which may be used equally as well as original equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined threshold and sill with an interlocking device to raise the sill to an effective height that will compensate for carpeting, carpeting with pad or to compensate for other unexpected emergencies that may arise wherein it is desired to have a raised sill or for any other purpose.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein line numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the combined threshold and sill, the bead being removed.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the bead to be used with the combined threshold and sill in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of one typical installation.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a rug cap.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the rug cap of FIGURE 4 in use.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another rug cap.

States; Patent Gfiee 2 FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the rug cap in use.

In the accompanying drawings FIGURES 3, 5 and 7 show typical installations of the combined threshold and sill. FIGURE 3 illustrates a combined threshold and sill used without a rug cap. FIGURE 5 shows a combined threshold and sill used with a shallow rug cap, while FIGURE 7 shows the threshold and sill used with a deep rug cap. At the outset, it is to be clearly understood that the building structure shown principally in FIGURE 3 is diagrammatic only and in no way limits the use of the combined threshold and sill 10 to such a construction. To show one environment of the invention, the drawings illustrate a floor joist 12 on which there is subfloor 14 and finished floor 16. Door 18 is hingedly mounted above the subfloor 14, and the interior trim 20 is on the inside of the door around the door frame. Plaster 22 is shown on plasterboard 24, and the plaster board is nailed to stud 26 whose outer face receives the outer finished wall, for example stucco 28 on sheathing, lath, etc. Step 39 is on the outside of the building. Although this illustration shows one type of construction, there are so many other types of construction that it is impractical and impossible to mention all of them, and therefore as indicated previously, the illustration is merely diagrammatic.

Combined threshold and sill 10 is made of a plate 32 having a plurality of

short legs

34, 36, 38 and 40 depending from its lower surface. The plate, when set, is angled slightly downwardly and outwardly of the building to shed water. The upper surface of plate 32 is flat, although anti-skid devices may be used such as a plurality of regularly spaced score marks, beads, rubs 42 or the like. Front leg 34 is slightly longer than the next adjacent leg 36 so that in one particular installation (FIGURES 3, 5 and 7) leg 34 may rest on the top surface of step 30. Other installations, where the step does not have its upper surface conveniently located, will not rely on the upper surface of step 30 for support of the combined threshold and sill. The threshold and sill may be terminated at the outer edge of the subfloor 14 or at the outer edge of the finished coat of stucco or the corresponding parts in other types of building constructions. Legs 36, 38 and 40 seat .on the subfloor 14.

An upwardly opening and forwardly and downwardly slanted panel 48 is set below the general plane of the upper surface of plate 32. There is an upwardly opening slot 50 in panel 32 adjacent to leg 40, and panel 48 is set therebelow. A pair of inwardly extending

flanges

54 and 56 parallel to the surface of panel 48 are above panel 48 and they cooperate with the panel 48 to form confronting

elongate pockets

60 and 62 with in which the

longitudinal edges

64 and 66 of bead 68 are engaged.

Bead 68 is preferably of an elastomeric substance, for instance vinyl plastic or rubber, and is made of a fiat bottom wall 70 together with an arched upper wall 72 whose ends are spaced from

edges

64 and 66. As shown in FIGURE 3 bead 68 is seated in the upwardly open ing recess 74 that is formed by panel 48,

pockets

60 and 62 and the

flanges

54 and 56, with the

edges

64 and 66 engaged in

pockets

60 and 62. This holds the bead immovably in place, and the arched part 42 contacts the bottom surface of door 18 to form a weather seal.

In installation, it is only necessary to set the plate 32 in place and fasten it down to the subfloor 14 by a few screws which pass through preformed holes 82 in the panel 48.

In FIGURE 5 the construction is the same and therefore the same reference numerals are used. The only difference between the organization in FIGURE 5 and that of FIGURE 3 is the inclusion of rug cap 84. The rug cap has an upwardly opening recess 86 which is identical in all respects to the recess 74- and is formed in essentially the same way. The rug cap has a bottom panel 88 vertically lowered from the upper surface of a pair of

flanges

90 and 92 which correspond in construction and function to the

flanges

54 and 56. A pair of short

elongate legs

94 and 96, constructed of lengthwise ribs, as are

legs

34, 36, 38 and 40, are spaced so that they seat within the recess 74, contacting the confronting edges of

flanges

54 and 56 thereby interlocking therewith. The recess 86 accommodates the bead 68, just as recess 74 would accommodate the same head if the rug cap 84 were omitted. However, note that when the rug cap 84 is used, the effective height of the bead is raised to accommodate the additional height of the floor formed by carpeting 98.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show that rug cap 100 may be substituted for rug cap 8 The rug cap 106 is the same as rug cap 84 except legs 10-2 and 104 are higher than

legs

94 and 96. They are spaced apart slightly farther so that leg 102 seats upon flange 4 while leg 104 engages the inner edge of flange 55 and seats on the upper surface of panel 48. A short ramp 106 extends from flange 108 of rug cap 100 and is sloped downwardly toward the outer edge of plate 32. If found desirable a plurality of antislip devices, such as ribs 110 may be formed integral with the outer surface of ramp 106. The purpose of rug cap 100 is to raise the effective height of bead 72 to compensate for the additional thickness provided by carpeting 112 and pad 114.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A combined sill and threshold comprising in combination a plate provided with an elongated upwardly opening recess having undercut longitudinal side edges, an elongated rug cap also provided with an elongated upwardly opening recess having undercut longitudinal side edges, a pair of spaced parallel and longitudinally extending legs provided at the underside of said rug cap, said legs projecting downwardly from the underside of the rug cap and engaging said plate when the rug cap is superposed on the latter, at least one of said legs being seated in said recess, a fastening element extending through said rug cap and through said plate to secure the same together, and an elongated head of flexible material positioned in the recess of said rug cap, said bead including a pair of longitudinally extending flanges seated in the undercut longitudinal side edges of the rug cap whereby to retain the head in position.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the legs of said rug cap are of a lesser height than the depth of the recess in said plate whereby the underside of the rug cap rests upon the upper surface of the plate.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the legs of said rug cap are of a greater height than the depth of the recess in said plate whereby the underside of the rug cap is spaced above the upper surface of the plate, together with a sloping ramp provided at one longitudinal side edge of the rug cap and extending downwardly to the upper surface of said plate to engage the same at a point spaced away from the recess in the plate.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the recess in said plate is of the same dimensions as the recess in said rug cap, whereby the recess in the plate may selectively receive said head in substitution for said rug cap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,858,583 McEvoy et al Nov. 4, 1958 2,872,714 Odegaard et al Feb. 10, 1959 2,903,757 Loehr Sept. 15, 1959