[0001] This invention relates to a door fastening device in which a bolt is arranged so
that, in use, it is operated by the shooting of the deadbolt or latch of a lock of
the door to assume a position in which it prevents the opening of the door until the
deadbolt or latch bolt is withdrawn. The device may be secured to a side of the door
frame jamb, or may be received in a mortice in said jamb.
[0002] In the door fastening device disclosed in U.K. Patent Specification No. 321,113 the
door lock bolt, when extended, acts on an arm carried on one end of a spindle, on
the other end of which is a lever which engages one of a pair of linked swivel bolts
to cause both swivel bolts to extend into respective box staples on the door to hold
it closed. To allow for differences in the amount of movement of the latches or bolts
according to the different types of locks with which the device is used, adjustment
means in the form of an adjustable stop is provided on the arm where it is engaged
by the door lock bolt.
[0003] An object of the invention is to provide a door fastening device in an improved form.
[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention a door fastening device comprises a
bolt movable between a retracted position and an extended position where at least
part of the bolt extends, in use, to fasten the door, the bolt being linked to an
abutment member, said part of the bolt being movable to its extended position by engagement,
in use, of a bolt member of a lock or latch of the door with said abutment member,
said abutment member being adjustable to compensate for different clearances, in use,
between the device and the door in its closed position, to ensure sufficient engagement
of the abutment member by the bolt member to move said part of the bolt to its extended
position, and characterised in that the abutment member is a cam having a flat, first
surface and a second surface on a nose part.
[0005] Preferably the flat surface extends across the whole axial length of the cam, whilst
said second surface extends axially for only part thereof. Desirably said second surface
is arcuate.
[0006] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the interior of a fastening device of the invention,
in use, adjacent a close fitting door, with bolts of the device retracted.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing the bolts of the device of Figure 1 in an extended
position when a bolt of a lock of the door is extended.
Figures 3 and 4 are views corresponding to Figures 1 and 2 respectively, for a poor,
wide-gap fitting door, and with a cam of the device adjusted accordingly to compensate,
Figure 5 is a schematic horizontal part-sectional view through a device of the invention
and an adjacent door lock, where a surface of the door frame to which the device is
fitted is in line with a surface of the door to which the door lock is fitted, and
Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5, where the respective door and door frame
surfaces are out of alignment, with a faceplate of the device adjusted to compensate
accordingly.
[0007] In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred construction according to the invention,
there is shown a jamb 10 of a door frame to which, in the conventional manner is hingedly
secured a door 11. Basically the invention relates to a door fastening device, at
least one bolt of which is caused to extend from the frame when a bolt member of a
lock at the door extends, the extended bolt of the frame preventing opening of the
door, along with the bolt member itself, until retraction of said bolt member, whereupon
the bolt of the door fastening device automatically retracts to allow opening of the
door. The invention does not relate to the type of door lock used, and accordingly
the door lock and/or the door fastening device associated with the frame could be
received in a mortice in the door or frame edge, or could instead be fixed at a side
of the door or frame such as with a rim lock. Indeed this is the construction illustrated
in the Figures, perhaps best shown with respect to Figures 5 and 6.
[0008] Accordingly, as illustrated, the door 11 is shown with a lock 12 having a spring
loaded bolt 13 of conventional form, the lock 12 being secured at one side surface
14 of the door so as to lie flush with a front edge surface 15, with which edge surface
the front end of the bolt 13 is flush when in its retracted position. The jamb 10
has secured to its side surface 16 a door fastening device of the invention, with
the front part thereof being flush with the front edge surface 17 of the jamb. Instead
of the spring loaded bolt 13 being part of a lock, it could be part of a latch.
[0009] The door fastening device comprises an elongate rectangular steel housing 18 between
the spaced parallel side walls 19,20 of which, at opposite ends of the housing, are
pivotally mounted respective swivel bolts 21 which may, for example, be of laminar
form made up of a series of plates. Each bolt has a rounded nose part 22 at one side
of its pivot, and at its opposite side there is a respective pivotal connection of
a link 23 which connects the bolts 21 for movement together between their retracted
state, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 where the bolts are received substantially in the
housing 18 with their respective outermost surfaces flush with the edge surface 17
of the jamb, to the extended position shown in Figures 2 and 4 where the swivel bolts
extend beyond said front edge 17 so that said nose parts 22 lie across the face of
the door, and can be received, for example, in respective cover boxes fixed to said
face of the door. If the lock 12 and door fastening device were to be morticed in
the door and door frame jamb, then the extended swivel bolts would, for example, be
received in recesses in the front edge surface of the door.
[0010] At the centre of the housing 18, the respective side walls 19,20, are cut away and
to one side of the link 23, depending upon the handing of the device, is fitted an
abutment member 24 which extends laterally of the housing through the opening in the
side wall 19, or 20 formed by said cutting away of said wall. The abutment member
24 is in the form of a cam having a base part 25 which contacts the link 23, a main
body part 26 and a nose part 27 extending from the main body part 26 as will be described.
[0011] As can be determined from the drawings, the base part 25 has a part-circular outer
surface portion 28, with said outer surface being completed by a first straight outer
surface portion 29 extending from one end of the portion 28 and a second straight
outer surface portion 30 extending from the other end of the portion 28, the two straight
surface portions meeting at 90°. The main body part 26 is of generally rectangular
shape with respective flat parallel sides 31,32, but with one flat end surface 33
and an opposite end surface 34 which is arcuate. This arcuate surface 34 has the same
centre as the base part 25 and a headed fixing screw 35, with a screwdriver slot 35a
or an hexagonal recess therein, is received through the abutment member 24 along said
common axis, the screw being received in a complementarily threaded hole in the link
23 so as adjustably to secure the cam to the link. The underside of the base part
25 can be recessed to receive a spring locking washer through which the screw 35 passes.
Finally with regard to the cam, it can be seen that whilst the flat surfaces 31,32,
and the arcuate end surface 34 extend for the whole lateral width of the cam, the
flat end surface 33 extends for only approximately half of this lateral width, whereupon
it terminates at the nose part 27 which is formed as a continuation of the two flat
sides 31,32, and has an arcuate end surface 36 of the same form as the end surface
34. It can be seen that the flat side 31 of the main body part 26 forms a continuation
of the straight outer surface portion 29, whilst the flat end surface 33 of the part
26 forms a continuation of the straight outer surface portion 30 of the part 25. It
will thus be appreciated that the tip of the nose part 27 is radially further from
the axis of rotation of the cam than the surface 31.
[0012] The housing 18 is fitted within a rectangular casing or cover box 37 which has spaced
parallel side walls 38,39 respectively defining an open side to the box. The side
wall 38 is approximately twice as long as the side wall 39 and has various slots and
holes therein. In addition its central portion is slightly recessed across the whole
of its lateral extent, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, to accommodate a steel faceplate
40, again as will be described.
[0013] The side wall 38 has respective upper and lower rectangular slots 41,42 to allow
passage of the swivel bolts 21 between their extended and retracted positions, and
in its recessed area, the side wall 38 has a rectangular slot 43 to receive the bolt
13 of the lock 12 when it acts on the abutment member 24 as will be described. Adjacent
the slots 41,42 respectively are formed respective pairs of countersunk fixing holes
(not shown) for securing the cover box to the door frame jamb 10, and the recessed
portion of the side wall 38 is formed with upper and lower holes, one of which is
diagrammatically illustrated at 44 in Figures 5 and 6. Each of said holes would normally
be formed in a recessed, pressed-in part of the wall 38, which part can receive for
sliding adjustment, a corresponding pressed-in part of the faceplate 40 around an
elongate slot, one of which slots in the faceplate, denoted by the numeral 45, is
shown in Figures 5 and 6. As will be described, a fixing screw 46 can be received
in each of the recessed slots in the faceplate to pass through the recessed hole in
the recessed part of the side wall 38, and thence into the door frame jamb as shown
in Figures 5 and 6 to secure the faceplate relatively to the cover box in the selected
adjusted position as will be described hereinafter. The faceplate 40 has a rectangular
slot 47 for passage of the bolt 13 when it engages the abutment member 24.
[0014] As shown in the Figures, the housing 18 is secured in position at the side surface
16 of the door jamb by means of a pair of vertically spaced screws 48 passing through
the side walls 19,20 as well as respective spacers 49 which fill the interior space
between such side walls, the screw passing into the side surface of the frame. With
the housing secured in place, the cover box can then be positioned over this, as shown
in Figures 5 and 6, and secured in place by way of the fixing screws passing through
the countersunk holes in the side wall 38 as described above. The bolts 21 are pivoted
in the housing 18 by screws equivalent to screws 48, which thus also serve to fix
the housing to surface 16, such equivalent screws also passing through spacers at
opposite sides of the bolt.
[0015] Operation of the door fastening device will now be described.
[0016] Firstly with regard to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown the door fastening device
fitted at a door jamb of the door frame, where the door is a good close fit. In other
words the clearance between the front edge surface 15 of the door and the front edge
surface 17 of the jamb is minimal. In contrast, with the arrangement shown in Figures
3 and 4, there is illustrated a poor wide-gap fitting door with the front edge surface
15 of the door spaced much further apart from the front edge surface 17 of the jamb.
By comparing these two (extreme) arrangements, it will be appreciated that it is necessary
to ensure that extension of the bolt 13 moves the link 23 to its fully inward position
in its housing so as fully to throw the swivel bolts. In Figures 1 and 2, it can be
seen that the cam is positioned relative to the front surface of the link so that
the flat side 31 of the cam is flush with the front surface of the link and faces
the forward end of the bolt so as to be engaged thereby, the depth of the bolt being
such that it also abuts the non-arcuate portion of the nose part 27 which merges with
said side 31. With this arrangement, the minimal gap referred to between the door
and the door frame jamb means that there is sufficient extension of the bolt fully
to shoot the swivel bolts if the bolt does not engage the cam until it reaches the
front surface of the link. Accordingly, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the spring
loaded bolt 13 will extend through the slot 47 in the faceplate, and the slot 43 in
the side wall 38, and then engage the cam surfaces as described above, so as to push
on said cam, pivot the link 23, and cause the swivel bolts to extend to their respective
positions shown in Figure 2, the nose part 22 of each swivel bolt passing through
the rectangular slots 41,42 respectively so as to fasten the door as previously described.
These swivel bolts cannot then be released until the bolt 13 is retracted, e.g. by
handle or key operation, the swivel bolts then returning to their retracted positions
under gravity, with the link swinging from its Figure 2 to its Figure 1 position.
[0017] In contrast, with the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4, the increased gap between
the door and the frame means that if the cam remained in its adjusted Figure 1 position,
part of the bolt extension would be taken up in clearing said gap, with the result
that the link would not be moved sufficiently rearwardly so as fully to throw the
swivel bolts. Accordingly it can be seen from Figures 3 and 4 that the relative position
of the cam to the link has been adjusted, by inserting an appropriate tool in the
screwdriver slot 35a or hexagonal recess in the screw 35 to release the cam for relative
rotational adjustment, the screw thereafter being retightened. As shown in Figures
3 and 4, the adjusted position is at 90° from the Figure 1 position so that the nose
part 27 now projects outwardly through the slots 43 and 47 so that the abutment member
is engaged by extension of the bolt 13 earlier than with the Figure 1 operation, so
that accordingly the full extension of the bolt 13 again moves the link to its rearward
position shown in Figure 4, where the swivel bolts 21 are fully extended. Accordingly
by appropriate adjustment of the relative position of the cam on the link 23, (stepless
adjustability), different clearances between the door and its frame can be compensated
for so as in all instances to provide a full throw of the swivel bolts. It will of
course be appreciated that these fastening bolts can be other than swivel bolts, for
example the movement of the link could be translated into sliding movement of appropriate
upper and lower bolts. Access to the screw 35 is possible by undoing the appropriate
screws and removing the cover box 37 and faceplate 40. Moreover the bolt 13 could
be a deadbolt, instead of a spring loaded bolt, and key operated.
[0018] As previously mentioned, the faceplate and the cover box are relatively adjustable
and this adjustment is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 shows an arrangement
where the side surfaces 14,16 respectively of the door and the frame are in line,
and with this arrangement, illustrated for a poor wide-gap fitting door, the faceplate
is fixed to the cover box with the fixing screw 46 shown at one end of the faceplate
slot 45. With this arrangement the slot 47 in the faceplate is aligned with the bolt
and the nose part 27 of the cam projects through said slot 47 at one side thereof,
in a position to be engaged by the bolt when it is thrown.
[0019] If however the respective side surfaces 14 and 16 are not aligned, as shown in Figure
6, the relative positions of the faceplate and the cover box shown in Figure 5 would
not be suitable to allow the bolt to engage the cam, in that part of the faceplate
would block such movement. However by allowing for relative adjustment movement between
the faceplate and the cover box, this misalignment of the surfaces 14,16 can be overcome.
As shown in Figure 6, the fixing screw 46 is now positioned in the slot 45 at the
opposite end thereof to that shown in Figure 5, so that the bolt can now still pass
through the slot 47 with which it is aligned and also the slot 43, with the nose part
27 now being at the opposite side of the rectangular slot 47 to that shown in Figure
5. Accordingly the adjustment allows for compensation for different relative dispositions
between the door and the frame, and in particular the cover box fitted at said frame.
It will be noted that, for simplicity, the sections through the cam, faceplate adjustment
slots/screws and fixing spacers have been shown on a common section line, though in
practice this would not be the case.
[0020] It will be appreciated that if the clearances shown in Figures 1 and 3 respectively
are extremes, it is possible to cater for any clearance in between these extremes
merely by angularly adjusting the cam relative to the link as appropriate, given that
this will bring part of the arcuate surface 36 to a position where when it is engaged
by the bolt 13, it is moved sufficiently rearwardly so as fully to extend the bolts
21 via the link 23. The cam surface thus provides the facility for stepless adjustability,
as previously mentioned.
1. A door fastening device comprising a bolt (21) movable between a retracted position
and an extended position where at least part of the bolt extends, in use, to fasten
the door (11), the bolt being linked to an abutment member (24), said part of the
bolt being movable to its extended position by engagement, in use, of a bolt member
(13) of a lock (12) or latch of the door with said abutment member, said abutment
member (24) being adjustable to compensate for different clearances, in use, between
the device and the door (11) in its closed position, to ensure sufficient engagement
of the abutment member (24) by the bolt member (13) to move said part of the bolt
to its extended position, characterised in that the abutment member is a cam having a flat, first surface (29, 31) and a second surface
(36) on a nose part.
2. A door fastening device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said cam is angularly movable
about a rotational axis.
3. A door fastening device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the second surface (36) extends
radially further from said rotational axis than the first surface (29, 31).
4. A door fastening device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the first
and second (31:36) surfaces are alternatively directed to face outwardly of said opening
in the casing by angular adjustment movement of the cam through 90°.
5. A door fastening device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the first
surface (29:31) extends across the whole axial length of the cam.
6. A door fastening device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the second
surface (36) extends axially for only part of the axial length of the cam.
7. A door fastening device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6,
wherein the second surface (36) is arcuate.
8. A door fastening device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the cam has
a flat end surface engaged against a flat side of a link (23) connected to said bolt
(21), the cam being secured to said link by a screw (35) defining a rotational axis
of the cam and being releasable to allow angular movement of the cam relative to said
link.
9. A door fastening device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein at its respective opposite
ends, the link (23) is pivotally connected to a pair of swivel bolts (21), each of
which is pivotally mounted for swinging movement at its respective associated casing
opening.