Patent Publication Number: US-6990741-B1

Title: Door frame alignment method system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a tool and more particularly a door-framing tool for squaring and properly aligning door frames, particularly steel door frames, prior to installing a door within the frame. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In order to fit properly, the frame in which a door is to be installed must be entirely square and plumb. This means that the vertical and horizontal jambs must all be in the same plane and, further, the vertical jamb portions must be precisely parallel. If the door jambs are out of square, that is one corner is not in planar alignment with the others, the door will not fit or hang properly. Similarly, if the vertical jambs are not precisely parallel, the door will not fit and either unsightly gaps will exist or excessive trimming will be necessary at the time of installation. 
   In recent years, metal framing is becoming more common in both commercial and in some residential applications. Metal framing offers a number of advantages in terms of cost, dimensional accuracy and resistence to environmental conditions. 
   As indicated above, framing, both metal and wood, must be precise in order for the door secured to the frame to fit properly. However, with metal framing, it is much more difficult to position and realign frames once they have been secured. In this respect, wood is much more forgiving and easier to adjust to using shims than metal. Metal frame materials are often secured by sheet metal screws which are difficult to remove if realignment is necessary. 
   Therefore, it is important to initially and properly align the frame, whether it be metal or wood, to provide for ease of installation of the door. Often, framing is installed by one trade then the doors are subsequently installed at a later date by another trade. Thus, if realignment or adjustment is necessary, it may become necessary to recall the framers for corrective action which adds considerably to the expense and job delays. 
   Various devices can be found in the prior art for accurately framing a door opening. U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,556 discloses a doorjamb jig. This device sets the door frame so the door frame will be plumb in both vertical and horizontal positions. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,546 discloses a one-piece door framing tool for aligning metal wall studs within a steel doorway. The invention comprises spacer legs which fit snugly around the wall stud. The spacer legs are joined by two cross members. In use, the tool is snugly fitted around a metal wall stud and using the handle, the metal wall stud is maneuvered into a space within the door frame. The spacer legs of the tool serve as an alignment mechanism to create an equal gap in each side of the metal wall stud from floor to ceiling. 
   As indicated above, there are various devices for assisting and properly installing an opening around a frame. However, despite the existence of these various devices, none facilitate precise alignment of the door frame, insuring that the frame elements are planar and further insuring that the vertical frame members are precisely parallel. Accordingly, there exists a need for an effective and easy-to-use door alignment system which will accomplish these results. 
   It is therefore an object to provide a door alignment system for use in aligning and squaring a door frame, particularly for application to metal door frames. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Briefly, the objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by an alignment system, according to the invention, which has a squaring system temporarily securable to a door frame during installation of the frame so that adjustment of the frame can be accomplished to insure that the corners of the frame are planar. The door squaring system consists of a reel rotatively mounted on a housing. The reel has a spool and includes a ratchet mechanism to prevent the spool from rotating in one direction. A line is attached to the reel and is extended over and around corner guide members. Each of the corner guide members has a body and a guide which may be a wheel. The body on each of the corner guide includes fastener means so that the members can be attached at selected locations to a metal door frame. The fastener means may be magnets and the corner attachment guide members may also include through bores so that these members may be temporarily attached to wood framing members as well. 
   In use, the reel is secured to the frame at a location, as for example abutting the doorstop near the bottom end of one of the vertical framing members. The corner guide members are secured at other selected locations such as abutting the doorstop at the upper end of the two vertical frame members and the lower end of the opposite vertical members. The line can be payed out to extend in criss-cross fashion from the reel to the opposite upper corner, then horizontally to the upper corner of the frame member on which the spool is located and back to the lower end of the opposite vertical frame member or jamb. If the corners of the frame or jamb are square, the line will form an intersection at a mid-point location within the opening. If the door is not square, that is the jamb members are not planar, then the line will not form an intersection indicating to the installer that further adjustment alignment is necessary. 
   The system also includes a jamb spacing system which includes a spreader plate which is placed in the threshold between the lower end of the vertical jambs. The spreader plate has a horizontally adjustable track and end members which are engageable with the opposite jambs. The end members are adjustable to accommodate door jambs variously dimensioned. The installer can then, by extending the retracting threshold track, establish precise parallelism between the vertical jambs. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description, drawings and claims, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the door-alignment position of the system installed in a typical door frame, the frame being shown in dotted lines; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the corner guide members; 
       FIG. 2A  is a side view of the corner guide members shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a detail view of the intersecting lines when an opening is properly squared; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the reel; 
       FIG. 4A  is a side view of the reel; 
       FIG. 5  is detail view of the spreader portion of the system for adjusting the opposite vertical jambs to a precise parallel position; 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along  6 — 6  of  FIG. 5 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a top view showing the spreader assembly in position extending across threshold of the opening. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
   Turning now to the drawings,  FIGS. 1 through 4A  illustrate the door alignment portion of the system. The door alignment portion of the system is generally designated by the numeral  10  and is shown in conjunction with a conventional door frame having opposite vertical jambs  12  and  14  which at their upper end are interconnected by a horizontal header or jamb  16 . The jambs  12  and  14  include a stop  19  which extends around the opening against which the door, when installed, will abut. The jamb assembly is installed to vertical and horizontal framing members or studs. The framing members or studs and jambs may be wood, but the present system has particular application to insulations using metal studs and framing members. 
   The system includes a reel  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 4A . The reel  20  includes a housing  22  which may be of any convenient shape but is shown as having a front surface  24  and a rear surface  26  which is parallel to the front surface. The body has opposite top and side walls  27 ,  28 ,  29  and  30 . A magnet  25  is provided in the rear wall  26  and through bores  32 ,  34 ,  36  and  38  extend through the body for reception of fasteners. 
   A shaft  33  is rotatively mounted in bearings in body  20  and extends from the front surface  24  terminating at a crank or handle  35 . A spool  40  is secured to the shaft for rotation therewith. The spool has a generally V-configuration and is provided with a notch  42  for securing or tying-off a line or cord. A ratchet mechanism includes a pawl  44  which engages a ratchet wheel  48  secured to the inner surface of the spool  40 . Thus, it will be seen that rotation of the spool in a clockwise direction is restricted by the pawl. The pawl may be disengaged by applying an outward force to the knob  50  to overcome the biasing force of spring  52 . Note that the pawl is pivotal about pivot point  54 . 
   In addition to the spool, the system includes at least three corner guide members  60 ,  60 A and  60 B. The corner guide members are identical in construction and  FIGS. 2 and 2A  are representative of the construction of members  60 ,  60 A and  60 B. Each includes a body  64  which rotatively supports a shaft  66 . The end of the shaft  66  carries a roller or wheel  68  having a generally V-configuration. Again, a notch  70  is provided for tying-off or securing the end of a line. The body may be provided with one or more through bores  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  extending between the opposite sides of the body as well as extending from the front to the rear of the body. These bores accommodate fasteners such as nails or screws for temporary securement to wooden members. In addition, the body and the corner members include a magnet  65  so that these guide members may be temporarily, magnetically secured to metal frame structures. 
   In use, the reel  20  is secured either by means of the integral magnet  25  or by means of screws or fasteners in one or more of the through bores to a location at one of the four corners of the door opening. In  FIG. 1 , the reel  20  has been secured to the lower end of the right hand vertical door jamb with the rear surface abutting the doorstop  19  on the hinge side. Corner guide members  60 ,  60 A and  60 B have been secured either by fasteners or magnetically to the upper corners of jamb members  12  and  14  and to the lower end of jamb  12  also abutting the doorstop. The line on the reel of the spool  20  is then payed out, criss-cross fashion, as shown in  FIG. 1 , extending angularly at  80  to the upper corner member  60 , horizontally at  82  to the member  60 A and downwardly and angularly at  80  to member  60 B. The line can then be pulled taught by means of the handle  35  on the spool. Rotation of the spool in the opposite direction is resisted by the ratchet mechanism engaged by the pawl. Once the line is taut, the intersection location “I” of lines  80 ,  84  shown in  FIG. 3  is observed. If the lines barely touch, the door frame is true and square as all of the corners are in the same plane. If any of the corners of the door are out of alignment, the line will not lightly intersect. The installer can then make the necessary adjustments to the frame to bring the lines into light contact. 
   Once the frame and jamb are properly aligned, the installer can then proceed with the next step which is insuring that the opposite jamb members  12  and  14  are in precise parallel relationship. The spreader portion of the system for accomplishing this is shown in  FIGS. 5 through 7  and generally indicated by the numeral  100 . The spreader plate includes an axially adjustable threshold track  110  connected. The track has a center plate  112  slidable relative to track  114 . 
   A pair of studs  120  extend from the track  114  through the slots  118  in the track. Thus, the overall length of the track can be adjusted by loosening the associated nut  122  and adjusting the plates  110 ,  114  relative to one another and thereafter tightening the nut. Track  110  is attached to head  130  and plate  12  is attached to head  132 . 
   Each of the head members  130 ,  132  include a front jamb plate  140 , spaced-apart side jamb plates  142 ,  144  and rear plates  146 ,  148 . The jamb plate are adjustable and similarly constructed, as seen in  FIG. 8 . Each defines a slot  150  which receives a threaded member  152  extending from the fixed jamb plate. A fastener  156  engages the threaded member and it will be apparent by loosening the threaded member, the width of the plates can be adjusted to accommodate jambs having different dimensions. Similarly, the spreader plate assembly can also be adjusted to accommodate jambs having different thicknesses. Accordingly, rear plates can be adjusted by means of the threaded slots in the top of each wing plate. The nuts can be loosened to position the wing plates as required. 
   In use, the threshold spreader assembly is installed across the threshold at the bottom of the door jambs as seen in  FIGS. 5 and 7 . The jamb engaging members are adjusted to fit the configuration and dimensions of the jambs which may vary to some extent. The rear plates will extend around the jamb so that adjustment in either a retracting or extending direction may be accomplished. With the spreader assembly in position, the installer can then, using a measurement scale and level, insure that the jambs are both vertical and in parallel. The square aligning procedure having been previously completed or may be checked again. 
   From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a system for accurately and effectively aligning door jambs. With the system of the present invention, the installer can accurately insure that the door jamb is properly aligned and that the vertical jamb components are parallel to one another. 
   It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to make various changes, alterations and modifications to the invention described herein. To the extent these various changes, alterations and modifications do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims, they are intended to be encompassed therein.