US3248833A - Knock-down door buck construction with adjustable wall clamping means - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

yww h S. SKLAR May 3, 1966 KNOCK-DOWN DOOR BUCK CONSTRUCTION WITH ADJUSTABLE WALL CLAMPING MEANS Filed Dec. 20, 1963 May 3, 1966 s. SKLAR 3,248,833

KNOCK-DOWN DOOR BUCK CONSTRUCTION WITH ADJUSTABLE WALL CLAMPING MEANS Filed Dec. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. 514/405; 6%: 4/?

Patented May 3, 1966 3,248,833 KNOCK-DOWN DOOR BUCK CONSTRUCTION WITH ADJUSTABLE WALL CLAMPING MEANS Samuel Sklar, 63-153 Alderton St., Rego Park, Queens, N.Y. Filed Dec. 20, 1963, Ser. No. 332,092 3 Claims. (Cl. 52-211) This invention relates to door frames, bucks, and the like and more particularly is directed to knock-down door bucks preformed of sheet metal as used in fire resistant portal constructions and is a modification of the construction described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 230,577 for Knock-Down Door Buck Construction With Adjustable Wall Clamping Means, filed October 15, 1962, now Patent No. 3,156,331.- The door bucks embodying this invention are for use directly on doorway openings formed in partitions and wall constructions of sheet rock, plaster blocks, cinder blocks, concrete or the like Without the utilization of supporting frames of wooden studs and lintels.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve door buck constructions of the character described which shall be capable of conforming to requirements of the fire underwriters for fireproof and fire resistant portal construction, which shall comprise three preformed basic parts which require relatively unskilled labor for assembly and installation, which preformed parts in knockdown condition shall require a minimum of shipping space and shall permit easy and rapid installation in an unframed doorway opening formed or cut in a partition or wall construction, which shall be formed with inturned flanges for contacting the partition or wall bordering the doorway opening as a finished joint therewith and have simplified and improved means for adjusting the spacing between the flanges for clamping the wall thercbetween, which shall entirely eliminate the labor and material costs of framing a doorway with studs and lintel prior to installation of the door buck and shall serve to strengthen partitions made of sheet rock and the like, which shall include a novel, simplified interconnection between the jambs and head piece providing positive interlocking means accessible from the exterior of the installed door buck and which shall be rugged in construction and practical and eflicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of feature-s of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wall or partition having a doorway formed therein in which a three piece buck embodying the invention is installed.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 in FIG. 1, showing details of the jamb fitted over and clamping a wall or partition and illustrating the means for reducing the spacing between the inwardly extending flanges and clamping the wall or partition in accordance with the invention, the broken lines indicating the disposition of the jamb parts in an expanded condition to permit mounting on a vertical edge of the doorway prior to tightening the set screw to effect the clamping.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 33 in FIG. 2 showing other details of the means for reducing the flange spacing.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4--4 in FIG. 3 showing still other details of the means for reducing the flange spacing.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded fragmentary perspective view of the head piece and jamb showing details of the corner joint construction, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of a corner of the door buck with parts broken away to show interior construction of the jamb and head piece interconnection and the simulated mitered joint.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a knockdown door buck or frame constructed to embody the invention seen to include a head piece 11 for extending horizontally across the top of the doorway and interconnecting at opposite ends thereof with vertically extending jambs 12.

Head piece 11, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, may be formed of sheet metal as a channel-shaped member having opposite side Walls 11b each formed with an inwardly bent longitudinally extending flange 11a forming a top finished ledge of the door frame and with inner edges lle thereof may serve as elements of the improved wall or partition clamping means for the installed buck 10 as hereinafter described. The bottom of head piece 11 is formed with a depressed portion, U-shaped in cross-section, forming horizontal door stop portion 11d, the latter being positioned to provide a horizontal door framing portion. As part of interlocking corner connections with jambs 12, head piece 11 has the bottom thereof cut back from opposite ends thereof, that is, the bottom is shorter than the overall length of head piece 11, with side walls 11b having opposite beveled end edge portions 11] extending upwardly and outwardly from the head piece bottom to squared-off end portions 11g of side walls 11b and flanges 11a. Suitable components of the interconnection with the upper ends of jambs 12 include a pair of aligned transverse slits 11h formed in bottom 11c adjacent each side wall 11b and spaced from each opposite end thereof and a pair of aligned cutouts 111' formed in flanges 11a above slits 11h.

lambs 12, which are mirror images of each other but otherwise identical, are likewise formed of sheet metal as channel-shaped members having opposite side walls 12b extending at substantially right angles to jamb portions 12c thereof, the latter having door stop portions 12d, U-shaped in cross section, projecting therefrom and positioned to provide vertical door framing portions, the latter and door stop portions 12d aligning with the horizontal door framing portion and door stop portion 11d, respectively, of head piece 11 when in assembly as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6. The edges of side walls 12b opposite jamb portions 12c have inwardly bent flanges 12a forming vertical finished edges for jambs 12, flanges 12a terminating in inner edges 12e serving as elements of the adjustable wall or partition clamping means embodying the invention.

Bottom ends of jambs 12 may be squared off, that is, have edges extending at right angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the jambs for standing flat on a floor ing surface. Upper ends of jambs '12 are provided with components for interconnection with the ends of head piece 11 and are seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 to have the upper edges 12f of door stop portions 12d recessed from the upper edges 12g of the jamb portions 120, upper edges 12g being in turn out back from the overall length of flanges 12a, with side Walls 12b terminating in beveled edges 12h extending from the upper ends of flanges 12a to the jamb portion upper edges 12g. A pair of tabs 12i are integrally formed to extend from upper edges 12g to register with and engage transverse slits 11h of receive the downwardly projecting door stop portion 11d.

Suitable retaining slots 12 for receiving therein edge borders of headpiece side walls 11b may be provided by angle members 12k spot welded to flanges 12a and side walls 12b, spacers 12m being interposed between the latter and members 12k for predetermining the width of slots 12 Head piece 11 and jambs 12, being formed of channel-shaped stock, permit side walls 11b and 12b, respectively, to be sprung, that is, distorted from a slightly divergent to a substantially parallel or a convergent relation along the width thereof to decrease the distance between the free inner edges He and 12a of flanges 11a and 1201, respectively, and thereby serve as a clamping means for gripping a wall or partition W in which door buck is installed. This clamping action is accomplished in accordance with the invention by providing adjustable constricting means at spaced intervals along jambs 12 and head piece 11. Such constricting means, illustrated as mounted on one of the jambs 12, is seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 to comprise a pair of tension plates 13 each bent transversely at substantially right angles along four spaced apart fold lines fonning bends 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d sectionalizing plate 13 into two end flanges 13a and 131' and three intermediate panels 13 13g and 13h.

Each of the end flanges 13e of a pair of tension plates 13 is rigidly attached to the interior side of one of the flanges 12a of jamb 12, as by spot welding, so that reentrant bends 13a, as seen from the interior of jamb 12, position intermediate panels 13) to extend along the interior of side walls 12b and reentrant bends 13b position intermediate panels 13g in close proximity to jamb portion 12c. Salient bends 13c in turn locate the intermediate panels 13h of the pair of tension plates 13 in the hollow interior of door stop portion 12d in face to face aligned relation for interconnection and relative adjustment toward and away from each other by bolt 14 extending through suitable aligned openings therein. Each of the other end flanges 131' of the pair of tension plates 13 are positioned by reentrant bends 13a to extend toward each other in substantially a common plane lying against the transverse wall of stop portion 12d. In order to retain tension plates 13 in proper position when bolt 14 is tightened, a pair of guides 15 are rigidly attached, as by spot welding, to the interior of the transverse wall of stop portion 12d and are formed with offset portions 15a providing tracks 15b into which opposite ends of flanges 13i extend for movement therealong. Slots 13k are formed to extend inwardly from the upper and lower edges of intermediate panels 13h adjacent bends 13d to accommodate olfset portions 15a. The bends 1312 are stiffened by suitable means against flexing, such as, by stamping thereacross a plurality of depressed ribs 131'.

Any suitable arrangement may be utilized for the operation of bolt 14 to accomplish the spacing adjustment between tension plates 13 and particularly intermediate panels 13h thereof, here shown as bolt head 14a and nut 14b. The latter may be retained against rotation by seating in a conforming depression 13m formed in the inter mediate panel 13h which abuts the nut 14]). Bolt head 14a may be formed to receive a manipulating tool such as an Allen wrench through an aligned opening 121: formed in the projecting wall of stop portion 12d. A rubber plug 16 may be used to conceal opening 12a and also serve as a bumper.

The utility of the invention will now be apparent. Door buck 10 is particularly adapted for use in any partition or wall structure made of cinder blocks, concrete, gypsum blocks, steel stud partition or wall construction with sheetrock facing and the like, without the use of a wooden doorway frame and is here illustrated in combination with a wall W, details of construction of which are omitted.

A doorway is suitably cut in wall W in the well understood manner to predetermined dimensions corresponding to the size of buck 10 to be used.

Door buck 10 is delivered on the job in a knock-down condition with bolts 14 adjusted to dispose side walls 11b and 12b in a slightly divergent or substantially parallel position to space free edges 11c and 12e a predetermined distance apart to snugly accommodate the thickness of wall W therebetween. In this position as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 2, tension plates 13 are spaced a maximum distance from each other with intermediate panels 13 substantially abutting side walls 12b. Door buck 10 is then simultaneously installed and assembled with minimum of labor and skill by first holding head piece 11 in position with a horizontal top edge portion of a top of the doorway extending between flanges 11a and the bottom 11c up against the horizontal free edge of the doorway. lambs 12 are then brought into position at an angle to the vertical so that tabs 12i align with transverse slits 1111. As jambs 12 are brought into vertical position with the vertical edges of the doorway extending between flanges 12a, tabs 121' enter transverse slits 11h, beveled end edge portions 11 engage retaining slots 12 and head piece 11 may be lowered so that the opposite ends of head piece bottom 11c rest on upper edges 12] and 12g of jambs 12. In this position beveled edges 12 of side walls 12b overlie opposite squared off end portions 11g and beveled end edge portions 11 of head piece 11, and form simulated mitered corners as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. Jambs 12 and head piece 11 may now be secured together by reaching in through cutouts 11i with a suitable tool and bending down tabs 121' as shown in FIG. 6.

The installation of door buck 10 in the doorway of wall W may be completed by rotating bolts 14 in a clockwise direction, bolt heads 14a being accessible through openings 12n. Tension plates 13 are thereby brought closer together as intermediate panels 13h are urged toward each other by the action of bolt head 14a and nut 14b. This in turn causes intermediate panels 131' to move toward each other and away from side walls 12b in the region of bend 13b, the latter being rigidified against flexing. This movement brings inner edges 12a toward each other to clamp wall W therebetween, a slight flexing taking place at bend 13a. The clamping action is accomplished by a relatively small degree of flexing of side walls 12b whereby the spacing between opposite inner edges 12a of flanges 12a is reduced on the order of one eighth to one quarter of an inch.

After bolts 14 are tightened, plugs 16 are mounted in openings 1211 in jambs 12 and in a corresponding opening in head piece 11 when a constricting means is incorporated therein. As indicated in FIG. 1 by the showing of plugs 16, an average size door may utilize three adjustable constricting means spaced apart along each jamb 12 and one constricting means in a midportion of head piece 11 to provide a rigid attachment between door "buck 10 and wall W, the channel shape of the buck also serving to strengthen wall W alongthe edges of the doorway. Additional or fewer constricting means may be used as desired or may be omitted entirely from head piece 11 where the initial fit of the latter is snug and the corner interconnections are suflicient to provide acceptable rigidity.

One of the jambs 12 may be provided with conventional hinge plates 17, which may be suitably pre-attached and recessed from jamb portion in any well understood manner. The other jamb 12 may have a conventional opening (not shown) cut out for a bolt socket plate.

As per requirements, jambs 12 are sized in length for installation either before or after the laying of a finished floor and door buck 10 may be installed after wall W has its outer finish applied thereto.

It is thus seen that there is provided a knock-down door buck construction with adjustable wall clamping means of the character described in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use,

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a metal preformed door buck construction for installing in a doorway cut in a wall, a pair of channelshaped jambs each integrally formed with opposite side walls for extending over vertical edges of a wall bordering said doorway, flanges inwardly bent toward each other extending from said opposite side walls for clampingly contacting opposite sides of said wall, adjustable constricting means coacting with said side walls to flex the latter and bring said flanges toward each other to effect said clamping contact, each jamb having a jamb portion from which said opposite side Walls integrally extend, said jamb portion being integrally formed with a door stop portion extending longitudinally along a midportion thereof having opposite projecting walls and an interconnecting transverse wall defining an interior channel, said adjustable constricting means including a plurality of pairs of tension plates, each pair being spaced from each other along the interior of each jarmb, each plate of the pair being connected at one end to one of said flanges and having an opposite end section located in said interior channel in spaced face to face alignment, means adjustably interconnecting said opposite end sections for movement toward each other to effect said clamping contact, each of the tension plates in said pairs being bent to conform substantially to the interior contour of the jamb, and guide means carried on the interior of said transverse wall forming tracks for engagement by a portion of each tension plate for retaining said plates in position when tension is applied therebetween exerting said clamping.

2. The metal preformed door buck defined in claim 1 in which said adjustable interconnecting means includes a headed bolt extending through said opposite end sections and a nut retained against rotation, said bolt lying within and extending across said interior channel, an opening in one of said projecting walls in alignment with said bolt head for access thereto for rotation thereof to effect said clamping.

3. The metal preformed door buck defined in claim 1 in which each of said bent tension plates has a first panel conforming substantially to the width of said side wall and a second panel extending at right angles to the first panel and adjacent to the jamb portion, the bend between said first and second panels being rigidified against flexing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,538,138 1/1951 Webster 189-46 2,582,765 1/1952 Brew 189-46 2,741,344 4/1956 Herr 189-46 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A METAL PREFORMED DOOR BUCK CONSTRUCTION FOR INSTALLING IN A DOORWAY CUT IN A WALL, A PAIR OF CHANNELSHAPED JAMBS EACH INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS FOR EXTENDING OVER VERTICAL EDGES OF A WALL BORDERING SAID DOORWAY, FLANGES INWARDLY BENT TOWARD EACH OTHER EXTENDING FROM SAID OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS FOR CLAMPINGLY CONTACTING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WALL, ADJUSTABLE CONSTRICTING MEANS COACTING WITH SAID SIDE WALLS TO FLEX THE LATTER AND BRING SAID FLANGES TOWARD EACH OTHER TO EFFECT SAID CLAMPING CONTACT, EACH JAMB HAVING A JAMB PORTION FROM WHICH SAID OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS INTEGRALLY EXTEND, SAID JAMB PORTION BEING INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH A DOOR STOP PORTION EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG A MIDPORTION THEREOF HAVING OPPOSITE PROJECTING WALLS AND AN INTERCONNECTING TRANSVERSE WALL DEFINING AN INTERIOR CHANNEL, SAID ADJUSTABLE CONSTRICTING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF TENSION PLATES, EACH PAIR BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG THE INTERIOR OF EACH JAMB, EACH PLATE OF THE PAIR BEING CONNECTED AT ONE END TO ONE OF SAID FLANGES AND HAVING AN OPPOSITE END SECTION LOCATED IN SAID INTERIOR CHANNEL IN SPACED FACE TO FACE ALIGNMENT, MEANS ADJUSTABLY INTERCONNECTING SAID OPPOSITE END SECTIONS FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD EACH OTHER TO EFFECT SAID CLAMPING CONTACT, EACH OF THE TENSION PLATES IN SAID PAIRS BEING BENT TO CONFORM SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE INTERIOR CONTOUR OF THE JAMB, AND GUIDE MEANS CARRIED ON THE INTERIOR OF SAID TRANSVERSE WALL FORMING TRACKS FOR ENGAGEMENT BY A PORTION OF EACH TENSION PLATE FOR RETAINING SAID PLATES IN POSITION WHEN TENSION IS APPLIED THEREBETWEEN EXERTING SAID CLAMPING.

Images