US3520085A

US3520085A - Adjustable door frame

Info

Publication number: US3520085A
Application number: US781137A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert W Pond
Original assignee: American Air Filter Co Inc
Current assignee: American Air Filter Co Inc
Priority date: 1968-12-04
Filing date: 1968-12-04
Publication date: 1970-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-14
Also published as: DE1960704A1; JPS4835307B1

Description

July 14, 1970' R, w. POND 3,520,085

ADJUSTABLE DOOR FRAME Filed Dec. 4, 1968 FIG.

INVENTOR.

IOBEFT M. POND United States Patent 3,520,085 ADJUSTABLE DOOR FRAME Robert W. Pond, Bethel Park, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Air Filter Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 781,137 Int. Cl. E06b 1/20 US. Cl. 49-505 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is an adjustable, easily weatherstripped door frame. The adjustable feature is the side jambs and head jamb combination which consists of two overlapping and contiguous members. The jambs can be made to span walls of varying thicknesses by merely sliding one over lapping member over the other in a horizontal direction until the wall has been spanned. The jambs are then secured by inserting a fastener through both overlapping members and securing the fastener into the surrounding wall. The door frame is further distinguished as being easy to Weatherstrip by having two normally extending stops located one on each side of the two side jambs and the head jamb. These stops are longitudinally serrated on opposed surfaces and are disposed on a converging course engaging the surrounding wall at a slight angle, leaving a crevice between stops and the wall. Sealant material is applied within this crevice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many times, professional builders have desired to insert a door through a wall. To do this, the builder would first have to knock a hole through the wall and insert a door frame through the hole. A problem arises, because prefabricated door frames are usually of a standard size; and, if for some reason, the wall to be spanned by the door frame is too wide or too narrow for the standard door, an expensive, specially ordered door frame must be obtained or the builder must alter the standard door frame or the wall so that the door frame and the wall compliment each other. This is very troublesome and expensive. Therefore, builders have been asking door and door frame manufacturers for a prefabricated door frame which is adjustable and has the structural integrity of a ready-made door frame. Further, builders have asked for a door frame which is easily weatherstripped. This invention provides a readily adjustable door frame which is easy to assemble, yet has the structural integrity of a pre-assembled door frame and, further, the door frame of the invention is more easily weatherstripped than door frames heretofore manufactured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, an adjustable. and easily weatherstripped door frame is provided. The door frame consists of two parallel side jambs and an interconnected head jamb. The jambs are made from two L- shaped members arranged so that the longer legs overlap and are contiguous and the shorter legs are on a converging path and are serrated on opposed surfaces. For Weatherstripping purposes, a sealing strip is disposed on the opposed surfaces of the shorter legs. For the purposes of securing the door frame, a plurality of fasteners are extended through both of the overlapping L-shaped members. A door stop is provided which consists of a normally projecting extension from one of the side jambs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a door and door frame incorporating the invention.

"ice

FIG. 2. is a cross-sectional view of section IIII as seen in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention is shown pictorially in FIGS. 1 and 2. The door frame 2 consists of two

parallel side jambs

30L and 30R and an interconnected head jamb 30H. The jambs are made from two L-

shaped members

8 and 10 so that the longer legs 32 of each overlap and are contiguous and the shorter legs 18 of each are on a converging path and are serrated on opposed surfaces. A sealing strip 24 is disposed between the shorter leg 18 and the wall 6. For the purposes of securing the door frame, a plurality of fasteners 20 are extended through both of the overlapping L-shaped members at point 22. A door stop 36 is provided which consists of a normally projecting extension from one of the side jambs. A resilient impact strip16 is vertically, coextensively disposed on the door striking surface of door stop 36.

Assembly can be done quickly since the door frame comes preassembled in only two pieces. The two pieces are the overlapping

members

8 and 10.

Members

8 and 10 corresponding to the left and

right side jambs

30L and 30R are connected at the pre-assembly point to the

corresponding members

8 and 10 which correspond to the head jamb 30H at the two ends of these members. This is graphically shown in FIG. 1 by mitered joints 38.

For assembly, one takes member 8 and places it across the wall 6 to be spanned so that the shorter leg 18 of member 8 engages the wall on three sides. At this time, a strip of sealant material is usually inserted on all three sides between the wall and the shorter leg 18 of member 8. Member 10 is then placed in an overlapping contiguous position to member 8 so that the shorter leg 18 of member 10 engages the opposed surface of the wall 6 on three sides. Again, one usually inserts a continuous piece of sealant material between shorter leg 18 and the wall on all three sides. Also, at this time, the bottom of the frame may be shimmed to insure squareness. Frame is then compressed by a clamping means such as a screw clamp engaging both shorter legs 18 of

members

8 and 10 and compressing them towards one another so that the converging sides 18 are altered to a parallel position compressing the sealant against the wall 6. This clamping operation can be conveniently conducted with a plurality of screw clamps extending around the three sides of the door frame. After the frame is secured and clamped in this manner, a series of holes are drilled through both overlapping

members

8 and 10 and a fastener is inserted through this hole securing the over lapping

members

8 and 10 to the surounding wall 6. In FIG. .2, the fastener is shown as a screw, but it could be any type of fastener such as a toggle bolt, a rivet, etc. Member 10 is also shown as countersunked in FIG. 2 to accept the head of the fastener. This is, of course, to give a flush fit.

One can readily see the greatly improved advantages of gripping and sealing obtained by the converging nature of the shorter legs 18 of overlapping

members

8 and 10. When these converging surfaces are straightened to a parallel position, they compress the sealant material against the wall with a force not possible if these converging members were parallel to start with. Further, the serrations on the opposed surface prohibit the escape of sealant material 24 and insure that a considerable portion will be retained to insure air-tightness.

A door stop 36 is shown in FIG. 2 and is a normally extending channel-shaped projection 36, extending from one of the side jambs, either 30L or 30R. The door stop 36 is coextensive in length with the length of the side jamb. On the striking surface 42, of the door stop 36 is a 3 continuous groove 40 which is coextensive in length with the length of the door stop 36 and into which is placed a resilient strip 16. The resilient strip may be made of rubber or plastic.

The door frame can be made of any material such as aluminum, wood, or plastic; but, due to the particular design of the door frame, extruded aluminum is preferred. The sealant material 24 can be any caulking material; but, for this purpose, a strip of silicone-butyl sealant tape is preferred.

What is claimed is:

1. A door frame comprising: a first and second parallel side jamb and a head jamb located normal to above and connecting said first and second side jambs; each side jamb and said head jamb comprising: two L-shaped members, each having a short leg and a long leg substantially normal thereto, said members being so arranged that the shorter legs of each member are substantially parallel, being disposed so as to converge, being serrated on opposed surfaces, and the longer legs of each member are overlapping and contiguous; a plurality of fasteners connecting said longer legs and holding said longer legs in a permanent contiguous position; a sealing material disposed on said opposed serrated surfaces, one of said L- shaped members of one of said side jambs having integral therewith and extending normally therefrom a 4 channel-shaped door stop, said door stop being coextensive in length with said side jamb to extend toward said opposed side jamb and being positioned to stop a door as it swings inwardly alongside said shorter leg of said L-shaped member.

2. A door frame as described in claim 1 in which said door stop has a resilient strip disposed on said door stops striking surface, said plastic strip being vertically coextensive in length with the length of said door stop.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,948,602 2/ 1934 Tracy 49--505 XR 2,736,930 3/ 1956 Longley 52217 XR 3,119,155 1/1964 Schlegel 49-505 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 757,389 4/ 1967 Canada.

KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 52-212