GB2318766A

GB2318766A - Device for supporting a door or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2318766A
Application number: GB9621267A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carroll John Rawlings
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-10-11
Filing date: 1996-10-11
Publication date: 1998-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2016-10-11
Also published as: GB2318766B; GB9621267D0

Abstract

The device comprises a platform 2 for supporting a door 36 or the like and means for raising said platform by rocking it about a fulcrum 28 engaged with the floor 30. The item to be raised is a door or other large, unwieldy building component which may be supported in position to allow operations concerned with building construction to be carried out. The means for rocking the platform may be a lever arm 6 extending upwardly from the fulcrum and platform. A support strut 18 may be pivotally mounted on the lever arm including a member 24 intended to locate and engage the door to support it in a desired position whilst further operations are carried out, especially supporting the door within its doorway 32, 34 to allow marking of hinge positions and similar operations. The support strut may be adjusted by a pin and slot connection 14. The platform may comprise a plate member 4 with horizontal and upwardly and outwardly extending portions and a transverse cylindrical member 8 may be mounted at the lower end of the lever arm. A reinforcing member 10 may be attached to the cylindrical member and the horizontal portion of the plate. The cylindrical member may be replaced by a pair of wheels.

Description

A METHOD AND MEANS FOR TRANSPORTING AND LOCATING BIJILDING COMPONENTS This invention relates to a method of and means for transporting and locating building components and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with moving and supporting doors during their fitment pizza building.

It is a common problem in fitting a door into a doorway in a building to accurately locate and hold the door in its correct position while e.g. marking the position to be taken by door furniture, such as hinges, locks, handles and the like. This problem is mainly due to the ungainly nature of the door being fitted, its height and weight and the restrictive surroundings of the doorway.

The difficulties are enhanced by the demands of fire regulations to provide thick fireproof doors of heavy construction especially in business premises and hotels. Further problems arise due to recent health and safety regulations which limit the weight of articles lifted by workpeople.

It has become necessary to utilise the skills of two craftsmen during at least one part of the door fitting operation, with a consequent increase in labour costs.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the above difficulties and to provide improvement in the building craft generally.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a device which is capable of supporting a building component e.g. a door or other large unwieldy structure, in position during the process of carrying out of further operations necessary in the building construction, the device including a platform capable of supporting the building component in a substantially vertical dispos!Whion, means to raise the platform by rocking it about a fulcrum point in engage 2 nt with a floor area and a lever arm extending generally upwardly from the platform and the fulcrum point.

The device may further include a support strut pivotally mounted on a lug located on the lever arm and carrying a component locating and engaging member at its free end remote from the lug.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device in use.

As seen in the drawings the device comprises a platform 2 formed from a steel plate member 4 secured by welding or riveting to a lever arm 6 which extends upwardly from a length of tubular steel 8. A reinforcing plate 10 underlies the platform 2 and is welded or riveted thereto and to the tubular member 8.

Midway along the lever arm 6 is secured a lug 12 welded to the lever arm.

The lug is formed with a slot 14 and three holes 16 are also formed in the lug as shown.

A strut 18 is pivotally mounted on the lug 12 by a screw and wingnut device 20, the screw passing through the slot 14 and adjustable along it. At the opposite end of the strut is pivotally mounted, by means of a further screw and wingnut device 22, a door steadying member 24 which has a door contacting face 26 comprising a felt or rubber pad.

As will be clear from the drawings, the strut may be adjusted lengthwise of the slot 14, and angularly adjusted about the screw of the device 20.

Similarly the door steadying member 24 may be angularly adjusted with respect to the screw of the device 22.

Thus, the platform may be rocked about the fulcrum point 28, where the tubular member 8 rests on the floor 38, by depression of the lever arm 6 in an anti clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2.

The doorway framework is seen in section view at 32 in Figure 2 and is rebated at 34.

In use a door 36 is manoevred on to the platform 2 and the lever arm is then rocked in an anti-clockwise direction about the fulcrum point 28.

The device is then dragged along the floor 30 to locate the door approximately to its required location within the doorway. A packing piece 38, typically a piece of wood some 3mm thick, is placed in position between the top of the door and the rebate 34, after which the platform is again raised by rocking it about the fulcrum point 28, trapping the spacer 38 to ensure a 3mm gap between the door and the rebate.

The strut 18 is then rocked about its screw and wingnut and the angle of the member 24 adjusted to locate against the surface of the door and maintain it in position.

The craftsman thus has his hands free to mark off the position of hinges, locks or other door furniture whilst the door is retained in position.

Although the above description refers to a device for moving and temporarily locating a door, the device may, of course, be used for moving and locating other components in a building or other structural arrangements, e.g. preformed building panels, partitions, plaster boards or the like.

A steel tubular member 8 is shown and described: this may be replaced by a pair of axle-mounted wheels to facilitate transportation of the building component across ground other than the floor of a building.

Claims

1. A device for supporting a door or other large unwieldy structure in position during the process of carrying out further operations necessary in a building construction, the device including a platform capable of supporting the door or other structure in a substantially vertical disposition, and means for raising the platform by rocking it about a fulcrum point in engagement with a floor area.

2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the means for rocking the platform about its fulcrum point includes a lever arm extending generally upwardly from the platform and the fulcrum point.

3. A device according to Claim 1, further including a support strut pivotally mounted on the lever arm and including a member adapted to locate and engage the door or other structure in order to maintain it firmly in its desired position while further operations are carried out on it.

4. A device according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the support strut is adjustably mounted by means of a pin and slot connection to a lug fixedly mounted on the lever arm.

5. A device according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the member adapted to locate and engage the door is pivotally mounted to one end of the support strut distal from the lug on the lever arm.

6. A device according to Claim 5, wherein the member adapted to engage the door is provided with a soft or resilient pad on its door engaging face.

7. A device according to any or all of the above claims wherein the platform comprises a transverse cylindrical member secured to the lower end of the lever arm, a plate member providing a substantially horizontal portion and an upwardly and outwardly extending portion which is secured to the transverse cylindrical member and to the lever arm.

8. A device according to Claim 7, wherein a reinforcing member is secured to the cylindrical member and to the underside of the horizontal portion of the plate member.

9. A device according to Claims 7 and 8, wherein the horizontal and the upwardly extending portions are secured to the transverse cylindrical member and to the lever arm by welding.

10. A device for use in supporting a door or other structure in position substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of supporting a door or other large unwieldy structure whilst work is being carried out on the structure which includes: (a) locating a spacer member between the top of the door and the door frame; (b) inserting a platform member beneath the lower surface of the door and a floor member; (c) raising the platform member by rocking the platform about a fulcrum point by means of a lever arm secured to the platform and to a horizontal cylindrical member and by so doing trapping the spacer member firmly between the door and the door frame; (d) adjusting a strut member to apply pressure to a surface of the door between the lever arm and the door.