ENSEMBLE OF FRAME HOLDER DEVICE

Abstract: An ensemble of frame-holder devices is made up by three elements. A frameholder (1) is constituted by a runner (19) provided at least with two claws (2,3) and a fixing device (13) of same on the frame, and an upper spring (6) liable to contract by the action of a chain or rod tightener (9,10). A second element is an extending one which allows the frame holder (1) to be placed at a lower level and made up by a claw (25) and a body (26) provided with a lodging (27) for the claw (2,3) of the above mentioned runner (19). A third element is constituted by an inverted U-shaped piece (29) provided with a device (36,37) to adjust the width of its way, and having each grooves (32,33) subject to lodge the claws (2,3;25) of the runner (19) and or of the extending element (26).

Description: The present invention relates to a device designed to hold frames which will later contain doors and windows, etc. in position during their installation. As occurs in many other cases, it is important that the added complication implied by proper installation, in this case of frames, gives its rewards in the form of improved results obtained by this operation. A door with a badly mounted frame will always give problems, both when swinging open and closed and when a certain degree of draught prevention is required. The same occurs with windows. A badly fixed frame will give the carpenter enormous problems when attempting to mount the relevant hinges properly, so as to obtain a perfect swinging capacity. Nevertheless, in an attempt to cut down labour costs such as those of employing two bricklayers on the job, the carpenters' work, whose importance must be borne in mind, becomes more costly. The invention here described can solve this and other problems continually arising in building work, and particularly when stanchioning door and window frames until these are held in place by the building itself. Antecedents of devices with a similar function are: Patent no. FR-A-1.405.370, consisting of a telescopic limb attached to a second part that hangs from the frame. This device is complicated to set up, adjust, use and manufacture. Patent no. FR-A-236.077, consisting of one or two stands, adjustable by means of screws and engaging the frame by the presssure exerted by screws. This is a very laborious and inefficient system compared to that now being described. U.S. patent no. 1.616.426 is similar to the french patent mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Two elements, pressing against the roof and fixed on the floor engage the frame and are transversally joined by a chain. This piece of equipment is highly difficult to use, and is big, bulky and no doubt heavy and clumsy. U.S. patent no. 2.914.812 is made up of an interior frame support, forming a rigid structure that holds the frames. It has the serious disadvantage that it cannot be used when cross pieces are fixed to prevent the frames from bending or warping. It can therefore only be used with guaranteed metal frames. It is furthermore a very large device, and consequently bulky, heavy and difficult to handle. With all this in mind, and from his own experience in the field, the applicant or inventor we are now concerned with has thought out, built and successfully tested devices that fulfil all the necessary requirements to clamp door and window frames and the like while these are being installed. It prevents the problems arising from incorrect or faulty mounting, and saves the labour time of two workers, who previously had to hold the frame until it became fixed into the building. In order to clarify the description later, there are here enclosed, two sheets of drawings in which five figures represent the essential nature of this invention, as an example. Figure 1 shows a view of the main device. Figure 2 shows a view of the adaptor element for lowering fixing height. Figure 3 is a view of the devices shown in figures 1 and 2, being put into practical use. Figure 4 shows an adaptor element to allow use on frames of any width. Figure 5 shows a profile view of an example of the use of the adaptor shown in figure 4. The device consists of a main vertically elongated track 1 and a a runner 19 having an orthogonal element fitted onto the track. On this runner 19 there are at right angles two hooked flange members 2,3 joined together, in such a way as to hang the device either from one hook 2 or the other 3. These hooked flanges have at their ends as stops jagged edges 5, 4 respectively. So that the runner 19 remains in a fixed position as regards the vertical track 1, there is a fixing device 13 which could be a lever, screw or similar, which prevents one part from moving along the other by simply being screwed in, or by pressure. The device is placed on the frame by means of one of the hooked flanges 2 and 3. This means that the equipment is literally hung from the corresponding frame. It is to be placed vertically, and the squaring of the vertical track 1 and that of the window can be checked since the distance between the vertical track 1 and the window is always the same, given the separation marked 14 and 16, between the vertical track 1 and the hook of the flange, depending on which hook is hung up, and the height of the boss 20, 21. To fix this piece of equipment in place, the hook 11 at the end of the tightening chain or rod that hangs from point 8, is simply joined to the lower part of the vertical track 12. This means that the vertical track 1 takes the stress exerted by the elongated resilient member 6, via the tightening device 9, 10. With the equipment set up in this way, the fixing device 13 should be loosened and the vertical track moved upwards until it touches the ceiling. To hold the frame, three elements like that descibed should be used. The hook 11 should then be unhooked from 12. Due to the strain exerted upwards by the resilient member 6 the end of the member will be held against the ceiling, which it engages due to its jagged edge 7. In order to prevent any possible movement of the frame to be installed, two devices hanging at the front should be used, with a third perpendicular to these, since if there are two fixing devices in the same position, a swinging movement could occur. This movement should be avoided by placing a third device perpendicularly to the other two. The join of the elongated resilient member 16 to the vertical track 1 is marked no. 15. If it should be impossible to mount one of these devices, due to special features of the frame ends not permitting the hooked flanges 2, 5 or 3, 4 to gain a purchase, the whole device can be placed at a central point of the frame. In this way, although it does not get support from 20 or 21, a rod, preferably metal and parallel to the frame should be used, going through the vertical track 1 at hole 18, and so allowing all the mounting possibilities. If the door of window frame is very close to the ceiling, the device would not work because the hooked flanges 2, 5 and 3, 4 are too far away, and the ceiling too close, even when the runner 19 is taken as high as it will go. To solve this problem, an additional part 26 in fig. 2, can be used in order to make the runner higher than the resilient member 6. This additional part has a hook 25 and a small socket for the hooked flanges 2, 5 and 3, 4 so that when it reaches the boss 28 it will be as shown in fig. 3, in which the frame is numbered 23 and the short distance between this and the roof is 24 with the roof being numbered 22. In this case the resilient member 6 is positioned at a level that is lower than the rest because it is hanging from part 26, which enables it to hang at a lower position, and so allows the resilient member to reach the roof. There could be problems with aluminium frames, narrower than wooden ones, since the hooked flanges of the runner, marked 2, 5 and 3, 4 and the hook 35 of the additional support 26 could slip if not securely held in place. In this case the clamping device drawn in fig. 4 is used, with its upwardly directed sockets 32 and 33 for the hooked flanges, and an adjustment device 36 and 37, that consits of a part fitting inside another 29 with a boss 31 mounted on part 30, to hold the frame holder more securely. This can also be placed at the other side of the part. Figure 5 shows an aluminium or metal frame profile on which the clamping device shown in fig. 4 is being used. The material of which the equipment here described is to be made could be any kind suitable for this purpose, whilst attempting to find the lightest, strongest and most economical for production.

Claims: A device for temporarily supporting a door, window or like frame in position during installation, comprising hook means (2,3) for engaging an upper corner section of the frame and a resilient member (6) mounted to engage the ceiling, characterised in that the device comprises a vertical elongated track (1), and a runner (19) mounted on said track for movement therealong, said runner having at least two hooked flange members (2,3), preferably at right angles, to engage the upper corner section of the frame and means (13) for fixing the position of said runner on said track, said elongated resilient member (6) being fixed at one end (15) to the upper end of said track, the other end of the resilient member being adapted to engage the ceiling and being provided with a chain (10) and/or rod (9) for deflecting the resilient member downwards. A device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an adaptor element (26) consisting of a rod member provided at its upper end with a hook member (25,35) for engaging an upper corner section of the frame, and a lower socket (27) for receiving a said hook member (2,3) of said runner (9). A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a clamping device of an inverted U shaped member, the base (29) of which is telescopic and the limbs of which are each provided with an upwardly directed socket (32,33) adapted to receive a said hook member (2,3,25,35).

Inventors: MARTINEZ SEGARRA, JUAN BAUTISTA
Applicants: MARTINEZ SEGARRA, JUAN BAUTISTA
Application year: 1986
Main classification: E04F21
IPC codes: E06B1, E04F21