GB2500785A

GB2500785A - Adjustable cockspur handle

Info

Publication number: GB2500785A
Application number: GB1303352.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Ridgway
Original assignee: SECURITY HARDWARE Ltd
Current assignee: SECURITY HARDWARE Ltd
Priority date: 2012-02-24
Filing date: 2013-02-25
Publication date: 2013-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-25
Also published as: GB2500785B; GB201303352D0; GB201203239D0; GB2546688B; GB201706978D0; GB2546688A

Abstract

The adjustable handle 1 comprises a projection or spur 3 which, when in the locked position, overlaps a frame member (shim s, Figure 1a) of a supporting frame. A set gap width is present between a mounting surface of a fastening member portion 4 and the spur, with the spur and/or the fastening member being adjustable to vary the set gap width. A spacer portion (6a-c, Figures 4 and 5) may be attached to the spur or the fastening member in order to adjust the set gap width. The spacer may be releasably attachable or permanently bonded, and may be provided in a set of at least three different widths. The edges of the spacer portion may be rounded and/or arranged to overlap the edges of the spur base. The spacer may also be attached by separate fastening means, for example one or more screws.

Description

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I

IMPROVEMENTS-IN OR RELATING TO SECURITY

This invention relates to improvements in or ràlating to security and is more particulérly but not exclusively concerned with window or door handle furniture or * security hardware.

Many window units are fined with security handles known in the trade as cockspur' handles. Such handles may be of a locking or non-locking type and may have a generally V-shaped projection or spur extending generally at right angles to a rotatable handle portion of the security handle.

In use, the handle may be fitted to an opening window mounted in a surrounding fixed or casement frame such that the rotatable handle portion can be rotated between an unlocked position, in which the window can be opened, and a locked position, in which the projection or spur overlaps a frame member of the surrounding fixed frame, thereby preventing the window from being opened. In locking cockspur handles of this type, a key operated cylinder lock may be provided adjacent to the spur preventing the handle portion from being rotated to an unlocking position when the :* lock is operated to the locked position. The cockspur handle is usually provided with an elongate member fastening p rtion which is fixed or surface mounted to the :. : . surrounding frame of the opening window by screws received in holes in the elongate member fastening portion, said handle portion being rotatable relative to the elongate member fastening portion, in use.

Several sizes of cockspur handles may be required to suit various dimensions of windows(doors and window/door frames and a variety of standard set gap widths (i.e the distance between the mounting surface of the elongate member fastening portion and the inner surface of the spur) may be required. This tends to be disadvantageous, more particularly in the maintenance or repair market where the titter may, somewhat disadvantageously, have to carry e.g. five or six different sizes of cockspur handles of various standard widths, e.g. of 9mm, 13mm, 15mm, 17mm and 21mm set gap widths. However, in practice, the fitter may simply not measure up the unit to ascertain the correct size of replacement handle with the correct specified standard gap width, leading to replacement of an incorrectly sized handle with incorrect set gap width.

In some window fittings, shims or packers of various widths (having wedged ends) may be attached to the fixed framework (e.g. by superglue) adjacent the spur on the handle to take up various anomalous gaps (relatively small -2 to 6 mm) that may occur between the spur and the framework (possibly due to tolerance variations or over time due to changing environmental factors),The use of such shims may avoid rattling of the window in the surrounding fixed frame, by urging the window into a * tightly closed position and/or may help to prevent damage to the frame itself that might otherwise be caused by engagement of the spur directly with the framework.

* The spur engages a wedged end of the shim as the handle is moved to a locked position easing the spur to a tightly closed seatedposition, in well known manner, on ::: : a central flat part of the shith, in the fully closed position.

However, such, shims may vary from 2mm to 8mm at the thickest, tend to be unstable, and tend to be disadvantageous for a variety of reasons. Such shims may not be considered as aesthetically pleasing, particularly at their thickest. Different shim sizes could not conveniently be employed or selected to effectively bridge a relatively large gap that might occur between the inside surface of the spur and adjacent fixed framework, where an incorrect handle has been fitted having a standard set gap width which is too large for.the particular window/door unit. If an attempt was made to use such a shim to bridge a large gap due to using a handle of incorrect size, whilst the thickness of the shim itself might appear unsightly, it would appear even more unsightly or odd' when viewing other nearby correctly sized handles mounted on said unit possibly provided with much thinner shims or even with no shims at all.

It is an object of the present inventiOn to at least alleviate one or more of the aforementioned, or other, disadvantages associated with cockspur handles or with other types of security handles.

According to the present invention there is provided a handle having a projection or spur that, in use, in a locking position overlaps a frame member of a supporting frame, for example, receiving a window or door to which a fastening member portion of the * r handle is fixed in use, said handle having a set gap width in between a mounting surface of the fastening member portion and the projection/spur, said projection/spur.

and/or the fastening member portion being adjustable to vary or adjust the set' gap width. * .

*. .: , , , . . . . . . Further according to the present invention there is provided a window or door assembly having at least one handle as described in the immediately preceding paragraph.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a building or structure having at least one window or door assembly as described in the immediately preceding paragraph.

Preferably, the spur/projection and/or fastening member portion has at least one attachable spacer portion (attachable to an inner surface of a spur/projection base or to an inner surface of a base of the fastening member portion as the case may be) to be able to vary or adjust the set gap width. Said spacer portion is, preferably, releasably attachable but could be permanently bonded to the spur/projection base or said base of the fastening member portion where applicable The handle may be provided with a set of at least three spacer portions preferably of different widths. In one embodiment, usually, only one selected spacer portion is to be utilised with the base of the spur/projection at any one time to vary the set gap width, although.in an alternate embodiment several spacer portions could be used at * * the same time with the spur/projection base. Additionally, or alternatively, only one L: selected spacer portion may be utilised with the base of the fastening member portion at any one time to vary the set gap width, although in an alternative embodiment *: several spacer portions could be utilised at the same time with the base of the ** * s.: fastening member portion. It is possible a spacer might be used on the spur base in conjunction with a spacer being used on the fastening portion base..

The spacer portions may be of any suitable material such as polypropelene or nylon.

Edges of the spacer portion/s may be rounded and/or arranged to overlap the edges of the spur/projection base, where applicable, to provide resistance to twistingldislodgement of the spacer portion relative to the spur/projection base as the handle to moved to the locked position.

The at least one spacer portion may be attached to the spur/projection and/or fastening member portion, as the case may be, by any suitable means such as separate fastening means e.g. in the form of one or more screws.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a handle having a spur or projection of adjustable thickness and/or having a fastening member portion of adjustablethickness or having a handle of a variable set gap width.

Many advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following

description and drawings. * . S * *

* * An embodiment of a security handle in accordance with the present invention will now be provided, withreference tothe following simplified diagrammatic drawings, in which: * .* -* $ * * So -FIGURE 1 a shows an isometric sectional side view through a window frame and cockspur handle, the general arrangement of which is known per se; FIGURE lb shows a front view of a cockspur handle of the type shown in FIGURE la (but opposite handed) in a locking position on a frame member of a surrounding fixed frame; FIGURE 1 c shows an. underside view of a known, locking, cockspur handle of similar format to that shown in FIGURES la, lb and FIGURES id and le show perspective views of the handle shown in FIGURE ic; FIGURE 2 shows an embodiment of a handle, in accordance with the present invention, of a type generally known in the art as a cockspurhandle, in a partially closed position; FIGURE 3 shows a view of the handle shown in FIGURE 2, in a filly closed locked position; FIGURE 4 shows a front view of a spacer portion of the spur of the handle as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3; U. *U * . . * . * FIGURE 5 shows vertical sectional views of three spacer portions of difI'erent.widths that may be utilised with the. handle as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

*: : Referring to FIGURES 1 to le of the drawings, a cockspur handle C of a known type has a spur S that overlaps frame member F of a surrounding fixed frame that receives opening window W. Rotatable handle portion H is shown in a locked position with the spur S engaging a shims ofaknown, wedged typefixed to the frame F. The shim s takes up any anomolous gap g (in a known manner) between the spur s and the frame member F enabling the window W to be tightly shut.

Whilst the handles C are slightly different in FIGURES la, lb and ic to Ic similar parts bear the same reference numerals.

The cockspur handle H has a set standard gap width G defined between a mounting surface F' of elongate fastener member portion E of the handle C and the inner surface S' of the spur S. Different sizes of handle may have different set standard gap widths G. Thus, were the gap g to be any larger than as shown (2to 6mm), such as might occur by fitting a replacement handle of incorrect size, the width of shim & required would have to be increased by an amount that may be considered unsightly, in order to tightly close the window W. Thus, the use of shim wider than about 6mm would appear impractical.

:.. FIGURES 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings show an enibodinentof the present invention that may enable disadvantages of the arrangement shown inFIGURES Ito le to be obviated.

*.r' . C FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings show. views of a cockspur handle 1 ( being : gera11y of a known type as described in relation to FIGURES la to le) having a rotatable handle portion 2 with a generally V-shaped spur 3 extending at one end of the handle portion at right angles thereto. The handle portion 2 may be mounted to an opening window or door by screwing elongate fhstener member portion 4 thereto.

Handle portion 2 is rotatable between a frilly open position (not shown) in which the spur 3 is free of overlap with a surrounding fixed frame member (not shown in FIGURES 2 and 3), in use, to the 45° midway position.as shown in FIGURE 2 (in which the spur 3 partialiy overlaps the frame) and finally to the filly closed position as shown in FIGURE 3.

Handle portion 2 is rotatable relative to elongate fstener member portion 4 that, in use, is fixably connected by surface mounting to a window frame via screw holes 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d in a generally known manner. The cockspur handle I is provided with. a key operated cylinder lock 5 of a general form known per se, that may be used to retain the spur 3 in the fully closed position as shown in FIGURE 4, preventing any.rotation of the handle portion 2 until the key (not shown) is used to operate the cylinder lock 5, The cockspur handle 1 may be provided with a push button operated lock action of a generally known type (not shown). * . . *

The operation of the cockspur handle I as so far described is known.per se and as * -. * aforesaid such handles may be produced in various sizes in which the distance between the mounting surface 4e of the elongate fastening member 4 and the inner surface of the spur 3a (standard set gap width CI) varies. Cockspur handles are usually produced in five or six different sizes in which said set standard gap width G may be e.g. 9mm, 13mm, 15mm, 17mm or 21mm.

In order to provide a cockspur handle 1 of one size able to fulfilthe requirements of, for example, all of the five sizes of set gap width U previously mentioned, the cockspur handle I is provided with a selected one of several removable spacer portions 6a, 6b, 6c (see FIGURES 4 and 5), to effectively vary the distance of the inner surface of the spur 3a from the mounting surface 4a of the elongate fastening member 4 by providing, a thicker spur 3.

Accordingly, the selected spacer portion 6a, 6b, 6c may be of any specified width chosen, in this embodiment, from e.g. the three sizes shown in FIGURE 5. The three different widths of spacer portion 6;. ób, 6c shown in FIGURE 5 namely 4mm, 8mm and 12mm allow the selected gap width U width to be varied as 17mm, 13mm, 9mm respectively. if no spacer portion is used the selected gap width G wilt be 21mm.

The spacer portions 6; 6b, 6c may be of any suitable material, such as polypropylene or nylon, mounted on metal spur base 3b and may be attached to the underside of the spur base 3b by any suitable means such as screws 7 (one of which is shown in *. ..

FIGURE 5) located in receiving holes. The shapes of thespacer portions Ga, 6b, 6c * correspond essentially to the major part of the profile of spur base 3*b and, although not shown, the edges 61, 6W, 6c' of the spacer portions 6; 6b, 6c may be rounded * (and also of the spur base 3b) to enable smooth purchase of the spur with selected : i:::; spacer portion against the surrounding fixed frame member (not shown).

The surrounding edges 61, 6W, 6c' of the spacer portions 6 may be extended to partially wrap around the edges of the spur base 3b, in a manner not shown but which should be easily envisaged, to enable stronger resistance to any twisting or 10* displacement of the spacer portion 6a, ób, 6c relative to the spur base 3b as the handle 2 is moved to the locking position.

Of course, the handle 2 may be utilised with the spur base b' and no spacerportion 6a, 6b, óc where required.

Whilst not shown in the FIGURES of the drawings the elongate fastening member portion 4 may be of adjustable thickness in addition to, or instead of, the spur 3 being of adjustable thickness. Accordingly, the elongate fastening member portion 4 may be provided with a selected one of several suitably shaped and.sized removable spacer portions (not shown), to effectively vary the distance of the mounting surface 4a of the elongate fastening member portion 4 from the inner surface of the spur 3a by providing a thicker fastening member portion 4, in a manner which should be generally envisaged. Accordingly the selected spacer would be attached to a base of the elongate fasteningmember portion by any convenient means and would usually have a peripheral outline substantially the sameas the peripheral outline of said base. S. *e * . * . *..**

: *. . Whilst the present invention envisagesthe provision ofa variable thickness fastening member portion 4 alternatively or in addition to a variable thickness spur 3, it may be.

* that a variable thickness fastening member portion could possibly give rise to some instability and so the preferred means of varying the set gap width G is by varying the thickness of the spur.

Additionally, rather than the fastening member portion itself being adjustable in thickness by providing one or more attachable spacer portions, it is possible the handle may be provided with a number of replaceable fastening members of different thicknesses in order to vary the set gap width.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be unduly limited by the particular choice of terminology and that a specific term may be replaced or supplemented by an equivalent or generic term. For example, the. term shim' could be replaced by packer' or extension piece'; handle portion' may be replaced by grip portion' or handle grip portion'. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions relating to the handle or combinations thereof might be individually patentably inventive. The singular may include the plural and vice versa Additionally, any range mentioned herein for any parameter or variable shall be taken to include a disclosure of any derivable sub-range within that range or of any particular value of the variable or parameter arranged within, or at an end of, the range or sub'range. ** * . * * *

S

See... * * * S. * * S S.. S * *. * S * S * S S * C l2

Claims

CLAIMSI. A handle having a projection or spur that, in use, in a locking position. overlaps a frame member of a supporting frame, for example, receiving a window or door to which a fastening member portion of the handle is fixed in use, said handle having a set gap width in between a mounting surface of the fastening member portion and the projection/spur, said projection/spur andlor the fastening member portion being adjustable to vary or adjust the set gap width.
2. A handle as claimed in Claim 1 in which the spur/projection and/or fastening member portion has at least one attachable spacer portion to be able to vary or adjust the set gap width.
3. A handle as claimed in Claim 2 in which said at least, one spacer portion is releasably attachable or permanently bonded.
4. A handle as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 having a set of at least three spacer portions preferably of different widths.
5. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4 in which only one selected spacer portion is to be utilised with abase of the spur/projection to vary the set gap width.* S. -Se * S S. 55 * .
6. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 in which only one selected spacer portion is to be utilised with a base of the fastening member portion to vary the setS

: gap width.

* . 54S * S
7. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 6 in which the spacer portion/s are of polypropelene or nylon.
8. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7 where at least one spacer portion is provided for the spur/projection and edges of said spacer portion/s are rounded and/or arranged to overlap the edges of the spur/projection base.
9. A handle as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 8 in which the at least one spacer portion can be attached to the spur/projection and/or fastening member portion, as the case may be, by separate fastening means e.g. in the form of one or more screws.
10. A handle substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
11. A handle having a spur or projection of adjustable thickness and/or having a fastening member portion of adjustable thickness or having a handle of a variable set gap width.
12. A window or door assembly having at least one handle as claimed in any one of* * the preceding claims. * * . * *
13. A building or structure having at least One window or door assembly as describedS: in the immediately preceding paragraph. *.* *