Operating mechanism for espagnolette fastening system

Abstract

 An operating mechanism for an espagnolette fastening system comprises first and second co-axial gear members (11,13) mounted for rotation by a handle. The first gear member (11) engages a first rack (10) formed on a first slider (3) and the second gear member (13) engages a third, motion-reversing gear member (15) which in turn engages a second rack (14) formed on a second slider (4). The first and second sliders (3,4) are arranged for movement in opposite senses and constitute or are, in use, connected to, respective espagnolette drive bars.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an operating mechanism for an espagnolette fastening system.

[0002] Espagnolette fastening systems are used to lock and unlock hinged windows in a frame. Typically, slidable bars extend along one edge of the window and carry projections which, when actuated by the operating mechanism, engage keeps on the frame to lock the window. The operating mechanism is usually driven by a handle which, when rotated in one direction, moves the bars to lock the window and, when rotated in the other direction, moves the bars to unlock the window.

[0003] Known such systems are relatively bulky and are therefore difficult to accommodate in the increasingly slim profiles now used for window sashes.

[0004] There has now been devised an operating mechanism for an espagnolette fastening system which overcomes or substantially mitigates the above mentioned disadvantage.

[0005] According to the invention, an operating mechanism for an espagnolette fastening system comprises first and second co-axial gear members mounted for rotation by a handle, the first gear member engaging a first rack formed on a first slider and the second gear member engaging a third, motion-reversing gear member which engages a second rack formed on a second slider, the first and second sliders being arranged for movement in opposite senses and constituting or being, in use, connected to respective espagnolette drive bars.

[0006] The operating mechanism according to the invention is advantageous primarily in that the arrangement of first, second and third gear members is compact. This enables the mechanism to be accommodated within a relatively small housing which can be received within a slim window sash profile without substantially weakening the profile.

[0007] The first, second and third gear members are conveniently pinions. The first and second gear members, being co-axially mounted, will be offset from one another and the third gear member will therefore be aligned in a plane parallel to, but displaced from, that of the first gear member.

[0008] The first and second sliders are preferably bars which are arranged for co-linear motion. To facilitate this, adjacent ends of the sliders are preferably formed such as to permit some overlap of the sliders. For example, the slider bars may have narrowed terminal portions which overlap and on which the first and second racks are formed.

[0009] The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of illustration only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a side view of an assembled operating mechanism for an espagnolette fastening system according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the operating mechanism of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 of the operating mechanism fitted to an escutcheon plate,

Figure 4 is an internal view of a first gearbox half forming part of the operating mechanism of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an internal view of a second gearbox half forming part of the gearbox of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of an espagnolette fastening system incorporating the operating mechanism of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is a plan view of the espagnolette fastening system of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of the overlapping ends of sliding bars forming part of the operating mechanism of Figure 1 in an "open" position, and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the sliding bars in a "closed" position.

[0010] Referring first to Figure 1, an operating mechanism (generally designated 1) for an espagnolette fastening system comprises a gearbox 2 connected to a pair of sliders 3,4. As can be seen from Figure 2, the gearbox 2 comprises first and second halves 2a,2b which are held together by pegs 35 (see Figure 4) which are formed integrally with the first gearbox half 2a, received in holes 36 (see Figure 5) in the second gearbox half 2b, and rivetted over. Upstanding from the top of the gearbox 2 are pegs 6 which locate in holes in a plate 7 (see Figure 3) to which an escutcheon plate 8 is secured by screws 9. Threaded fixing holes 5 are provided for attachment of an actuating handle (not shown).

[0011] The first gearbox half 2a houses the components shown in Figure 4. The first slider 3 comprises a generally flat bar which is received in a slot defined by the walls of the gearbox 2. Internally of the gearbox 2, the slider 3 has a narrowed part 3a which, in use, overlaps with a similar part 4a of the second slider 4. This is described more fully in connection with Figures 8 and 9 below. A first rack 10 is formed on the underside of the narrowed part 3a. A first pinion 11 is rotatably mounted in the gearbox 2, and has a square bore 12 for engagement with an actuating handle in conventional fashion. Formed integrally with the first pinion 11 is a second gear 13 of smaller diameter. The second gear 13 projects from the first gearbox half 2a.

[0012] The second gearbox half 2b is shown in Figure 5. The second slider, like the first slider 3, is received in a slot defined by the walls of the gearbox 2 and has a narrowed part 4a with a second rack 14 formed on its underside. The second rack 14 is engaged by a third gear in the form of a second pinion 15 which also engages the second gear 13.

[0013] Rotation of the first pinion 11 causes the first slider 3 to move from an extended position, as shown in Figure 4, to a retracted position in which the end of the narrowed part 3a abuts a shoulder 16 in the gearbox 2, the shoulder 16 acting as a limiting stop. At the same time, the second pinion 15 transmits and reverses the movement of the second gear 13, causing the second slider 4 to move in the opposite direction to the first slider 3. The sliders 3,4 thus move apart to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5, or move together.

[0014] The upper surfaces of the exposed ends of the sliders 3,4 are formed with toothed central ridges 17,18 which engage correspondingly shaped grooves on the underside of espagnolette drive bars 19,20 to which the operating mechanism 1 is connected (see Figure 6). The espagnolette drive bars 19,20 carry shoot bolts 21,22, fixed to cranked ends of the bars 19,20, and laterally projecting locking pins 23,24. The shoot bolts 21,22 locate in recesses in the window frame and the pins 23,24 in cast metal keeps fixed to the frame.

[0015] Cover bars 25,26 are fitted between the sliders 3,4 and the escutcheon plate 8 and extend along the window edge and around the ends of that edge. The cover bars 25,26 are fixed to the window by screws (not shown) passing through fixing holes 27, and elongate slots 28,29 are provided to accommodate the locking pins 23,24.

[0016] Figures 8 and 9 show the sliders 3,4 in plan with all other components omitted. In the "open" position shown in Figure 8 the sliders 3,4 are retracted into the gearbox 2 and the shoot bolts 21,22 are withdrawn from the window frame. Rotation of the handle throws the sliders 3,4 outwards to the "closed" position shown in Figure 9, thereby also driving the espagnolette drive bars 19,20 outwards and the shoot bolts 21,22 into engagement with the frame.

Claims

1. An operating mechanism for an espagnolette fastening system, comprising first and second co-axial gear members mounted for rotation by a handle, the first gear member engaging a first rack formed on a first slider and the second gear member engaging a third, motion-reversing gear member which engages a second rack formed on a second slider, the first and second sliders being arranged for movement in opposite senses and constituting or being, in use, connected to respective espagnolette drive bars.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first, second and third gear members are pinions.

3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first and second sliders are bars arranged for co-linear motion.

4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein adjacent ends of the sliders are formed such as to permit some overlap of the sliders.

5. A mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slider bars have narrowed terminal portions which overlap and on which the first and second racks are formed.

6. A mechanism as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first and second racks are formed on the narrowed terminal portions of the first and second sliders respectively.

7. A mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second sliders have formations for mating engagement with correspondingly shaped formations on espagnolette drive bars.

8. A mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the espagnolette drive bars carry shoot bolts at their ends, and laterally projecting locking pins.

9. A mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim, which is contained within a gearbox housing.

10. An operating mechanism for an espagnolette fastening system, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the accompanying figures.

Drawing