Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to strikes and more particularly to adjustable strikes.  
         [0003]     2. Background Art  
         [0004]     Double entrance doorways are used in a large variety of residential homes and commercial buildings. Typically, an active door provides for day to day ingress and egress to and from the residential home or building, and an inactive door remains closed, except in instances when a width greater than or equal to the width of the active door and less than or equal to the width of the double entrance doorway is required, such as, for example, for delivery of furniture and/or equipment that cannot fit through the double entrance doorway. If large objects, such as furniture and/or equipment must pass through the double entrance doorway, both the normally inactive door and the active door of the doorway are opened, to create a wide entrance way, through which the furniture and/or equipment may pass.  
         [0005]     Mating edges of the inactive door and the active door do not typically contact one another directly, but are separated by an astragal, the astragal being attached to the edge of an inactive leaf, the astragal extending the length of the inactive door, cushioning the closing of the active door and associated inactive leaf of the doorway, and sealing gaps between the inactive door and the active door.  
         [0006]     The astragals often have upper and lower bolt-slide assemblies, which lock the astragals and the inactive doors to upper and lower portions of a door frame surrounding the double entrance door way. The upper and lower bolt-slide assemblies have bolts, which slide within upper and lower ends of the astragal, and are pushed outwardly from the inactive door to extend beyond the ends of the astragal, and are received by upper and lower apertures in the upper and lower portions of the door frame, also known as the header and threshold sill, respectively, to lock the inactive door in place.  
         [0007]     The astragals typically have strike plates installed on the inactive door. The strike plates accept bolts, from deadbolts and locksets installed on the active door, which are used to lock the active door to the inactive door, and, thus, lock and restrict access through the double entrance doorway. The process of installing the strike plates on the inactive door requires alignment of the bolts with apertures of the strike plates, the process often time consuming and tedious, with strike fasteners difficult to locate and align on the astragal, often falling into the astragal, and jamming the astragal and other operating parts of the astragal.  
         [0008]     There is thus a need for an adjustable strike mounting system, which allows at least one strike plate to be fastened to an astragal installed and/or incorporated into the edge of an inactive door of a double entrance doorway, facilitates quick, easy, and efficient installation and alignment of the strike plates with locks and deadbolts installed in the active door, allows vertical and horizontal movement of the strike plates in the astragal, facilitates location and alignment of fasteners, and minimizes loss of the fasteners within the astragal and resultant jamming of the astragal and other operating parts of the astragal.  
         [0009]     The adjustable strike mounting system should have a cover plate, which can be mounted to an astragal having a housing, which has a longitudinal channel having retention guides, vertically slidable blocks, which have transverse slots, having horizontally slidable threaded elements, and spring leaves, which are adapted to hold the vertically slidable blocks in selected positions, the cover plates adapted to provide mounting surfaces for the strike plates, the cover plates abutting the retention guides, the strike plates having apertures, which can be aligned with locations of the locks and deadbolts quickly, easily, and efficiently.  
         [0010]     Different adjustable strikes have heretofore been known. However, none of the adjustable strikes adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,350,207 and 5,328,217 (Sanders) disclose locking astragals, for attaching to an inactive leaf of a double doorway, and in particular U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,217 discloses an adjustable strike plate. Each of the locking astragals has an elongated astragal casing, which has a channel and bolt-slide assemblies mounted slidably within the channel. Each bolt-slide assembly includes a latching member and bolt. By depressing the latching member, the latching member can slide through the channel, to extend and lock the bolts into indentations in upper and lower surfaces of a door frame. The bolts may also be retracted back into the astragal, to open the inactive leaf. Each of the latching members has an integral spring, which simplifies fabrication and assembly.  
         [0012]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,326 (Massey, et al) discloses a swing adaptable astragal with lockable unitary flush bolt assemblies, for double door entryways, which includes an extruded aluminum frame into which upper and lower flush bolt assemblies are slidably disposed. The flush bolt assemblies include a long metal bolt about which is injection overmolded a series of retainer guides, which ride in the frame. Locking mechanisms are also integrally overmolded onto the bolts. The frame and all components of the astragal assembly are symmetrical and reversible, so that the assembly is non-handed; that is, it can be adapted to both a right hand swing and a left-hand swing inactive door. A strike plate mounting system and bottom-sealing block are provided, and the upper end of the assembly includes means for sealing against a stop of a head jamb. Drafts at upper and lower inside corners of the doors of a double door entryway may be prevented.  
         [0013]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,151 (Nicholas, Jr., et al) discloses an adjustable door strike and mounting template, having a striker plate, a main body, and a slider plate. The main body is affixed to a door jamb, with the slider plate between the door jamb and the main body, and adjustably mounted for receiving a standard striker plate. The main body is provided with an elongated aperture in the vertical direction, which permits the striker plate to have a continuous range of adjustments in the vertical direction. A mounting template for facilitating the installation of a door strike is also disclosed. The adjustable door strike and mounting template allow for mounting a door lock with either or both a latch and a deadbolt, without adversely affecting the door jamb.  
         [0014]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,050 (Mascotte) discloses an adjustable strike for door-locking and door-latching mechanisms of a door hingedly mounted onto a door frame, which comprises a plate member, having spaced openings mounted along an aperture of the door frame, and secured thereto for receiving plungers of the door-locking and door-latching mechanisms, to maintain the door in a closed and/or locked position. An adjustment member is located on the plate member adjacent at least the opening, for receiving the plunger of the door-latching mechanism, and being adjustable for engagement with such plunger to prevent play between the door and the door frame, when the door is in a closed and latched position.  
         [0015]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,397 (Allenbaugh) discloses an adjustable strike, comprising a strike plate, having a center section, with an aperture for receiving a bolt or latch, and upper and lower sections, disposed on opposite sides of the center section, that include interlock surfaces and horizontally elongated slots for receiving screws. Upper and lower keeper plates have corresponding interlock surfaces that engage those of the strike plate in a selected position to prevent movement of the strike plate. The keeper plates have round screw holes that can be aligned with the slots of the strike plate. Preferably, the interlock surfaces are formed by contiguous, V-shaped, vertically extending grooves.  
         [0016]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,293 (Paquette) discloses an adjustable strike for a latch bolt of a swinging door, the strike having a face plate to be placed over an appropriate cavity, and having a lip to extend into a doorway to engage and to press the latch bolt as the door closes. A flange is secured normal to the plate to extend into or beside the cavity, between the plate opening and the lip. A bolt extends through the flange, preferably being threaded therethrough. A movable wall, parallel to the flange, and spaced therefrom, is secured to the end of the bolt, and situated within the cavity behind the face plate, to be positioned within the plate opening, so that a keeper surface of the latch bolt bears against this wall, when the door is closed. Longitudinal movement of the bolt and the flange causes the wall to move towards or away from the flange, thereby altering the distance between the door stop and the movable wall. The wall is moved to a distance which provides a secure fit of the latch bolt and minimizes rattling of the closed door. The adjustable strike facilitates hanging of a door on a door frame, and subsequent adjustments required to minimize vibration of the door when closed.  
         [0017]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,291 (Headrick) discloses an astragal with integral sealing lock block, for use with a double door installation, which includes an astragal strip secured along a vertical edge of an inactive door. A lock block is slidably disposed in at least one end of the astragal strip, and can be moved between an extended position, for securing the inactive door, and a retracted position for freeing the inactive door. The lock block has a projecting bolt receivable in a receptacle in a door frame, when the lock block is slid to its extended position. A gasket is secured to an end of the lock block, and the bolt passes through an opening in the gasket. The gasket engages and seals against the door frame, when the lock block is in its extended position. Gaskets are also provided on the sides of the lock block, for engaging and sealing against the doors of the double door installation. When the doors are closed and secured in place, the lock block and gasket assembly prevents drafts from flowing under the door installation beneath the astragal thereof.  
         [0018]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,337,451 and Re. 35,618 (Goossens) disclose a gear hinge, having a thrust bearing. The hinge may include, in various combinations, gears having relatively small, rounded teeth, hinge members, which have anodized surfaces, bearings, which may be produced by a gas assisted injection molding process, and bearings, which are relatively hard.  
         [0019]     Applications for gear hinges include swinging doors and folding curtains, used to divide large rooms. Typically, such hinges have bearing blocks, to prevent longitudinal movement of the gear hinges within the doors and folding curtains.  
         [0020]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,208 (Goossens) discloses an intumescent security pin for fire rated doors. In a door assembly composed of a door frame, a door having a hinge side and a hinge supporting the door on the frame, for pivotal movement of the door between an open position and a closed position, the hinge side of the door facing, and being adjacent to, a portion of the frame when the door is in the closed position, the door is provided with a recess in the hinge side; and the assembly is further provided with at least one projecting element secured to the frame portion to project into the recess, when the door is in the closed position and having a mass of thermally intumescent material, which is expandable for securing the projecting element to the door, upon being heated above a predetermined temperature.  
         [0021]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,210 (Marts) discloses a continuous gear hinge with intumescent seals, having extruded aluminum leaves and an extruded aluminum cap, which holds the leaves together at meshed gear segments on the leaves, and has the capacity to establish a seal between the door and hinge jamb to which it is attached. That seal derives from intumescent strips, which lie in recesses that open out of the leaves. In the presence of a fire, the inturnescent material, the strips of which extend the full length of the hinge, expands and bonds to the door and hinge jamb to not only seal the space between the two, but also to secure the door, should the hinge lose its capacity to hold the door.  
         [0022]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,493 (St. Aubin) discloses an astragal housing seal and lock, for use in a double door assembly having an active door and a relatively inactive door. The astragal has a vertically extending mullion housing, which is attached to a free edge of the relatively inactive door. A vertically extending slide section is mounted on the mullion housing on a sealing side of the free edge of the inactive door. The slide section extends from the free vertical edge of the inactive door, when the active door is in the closed position. The slide section is vertically movable from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein the slide section is moved vertically downward, with respect to the mullion housing, to engage the sill/threshold of the door frame, thereby preventing movement of the inactive door.  
         [0023]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,696 (Bursk) discloses a patio door assembly for removable astragal, in which a double door installation includes an astragal, which is removably mounted in a head jamb and sill portions of a door frame independently of the doors, the combination including a locking mechanism in one door, which incorporates a bolt arranged to project through the astragal into the other door to effect locking of both doors to each other and to the astragal.  
         [0024]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,893,594 and 5,678,871 (Zarzycki, Jr.) disclose a security astragal, which includes a security bar, that protects against tampering, having a door latching mechanism and a protective sheath, that secures the security bar from unauthorized removal.  
         [0025]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,751 (Hartman) discloses a locking assembly for an astragal, which can be attached to an inactive door of a double door unit of a residence or a building. The astragal is attached to an edge of the inactive door in space between the inactive door and active door. A separate locking assembly is attached adjacent a top end of the door and also adjacent a bottom end of the door. A plug having an elongated locking bolt extending therefrom is mounted in a front end of a carriage member. Additional structure is provided for reciprocal travel of the carriage member between a locked position and an unlocked position.  
         [0026]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,450 (Procton) discloses an astragal, which has an exterior aluminum extrusion and an interior wooden portion. The exterior extrusion includes a pair of rearwardly extending center walls, which form a channel for receiving the wooden interior portion. Attachments and door hardware can be installed in the wooden interior portion, while the extruded exterior acts as cladding.  
         [0027]     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an adjustable strike mounting system, which allows at least one strike plate to be fastened to an astragal installed and/or incorporated into the edge of an inactive door of a double entrance doorway, facilitates quick, easy, and efficient installation and alignment of the strike plates with locks and deadbolts installed in the active door, allows vertical and horizontal movement of the strike plates in the astragal, facilitates location and alignment of fasteners, and minimizes loss of the fasteners within the astragal and resultant jamming of the astragal and other operating parts of the astragal. The adjustable strike mounting system should have a cover plate, which can be mounted to an astragal having a housing, which has a longitudinal channel having retention guides, vertically slidable blocks, which have transverse slots, having horizontally slidable threaded elements, and spring leaves, which are adapted to hold the vertically slidable blocks in selected positions, the cover plates adapted to provide mounting surfaces for the strike plates, the cover plates abutting the retention guides, the strike plates having apertures, which can be aligned with locations of the locks and deadbolts quickly, easily, and efficiently.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0028]     The present invention is directed to an adjustable strike mounting system, which allows at least one strike plate to be fastened to an astragal installed and/or incorporated into the edge of an inactive door of a double entrance doorway, facilitates quick, easy, and efficient installation and alignment of the strike plates with locks and deadbolts installed in the active door, allows vertical and horizontal movement of the strike plates in the astragal, facilitates location and alignment of fasteners, and minimizes loss of the fasteners within the astragal and resultant jamming of the astragal and other operating parts of the astragal.  
         [0029]     The adjustable strike mounting system has a cover plate, which can be mounted to an astragal having a housing, which has a longitudinal channel having retention guides, vertically slidable blocks, which have transverse slots, having horizontally slidable threaded elements, and spring leaves, which are adapted to hold the vertically slidable blocks in selected positions, the cover plates adapted to provide mounting surfaces for the strike plates, the cover plates abutting the retention guides, the strike plates having apertures, which can be aligned with locations of the locks and deadbolts quickly, easily, and efficiently.  
         [0030]     An adjustable strike mounting system having features of the present invention comprises: a channel having an opening, a bottom and longitudinally disposed opposing tracks; a cover plate straddling the opening and abutting the longitudinally disposed opposing tracks, the cover plate having an aperture; male fasteners; female fasteners; a strike plate having an aperture and holes receiving the male fasteners therethrough; the strike plate abutting the cover plate, the strike plate aperture and the cover plate aperture substantially common one with the other, the strike plate aperture receiving the strike plate received male fasteners therethrough; positioning blocks adapted to align the strike plate aperture with a bolt, each the positioning block having a chamber, the chamber having one of the female fasteners therein, and a hole from the exterior of the block to the chamber receiving one of the received cover plate male fasteners therethrough, the male fastener mating with and fastened to the female fastener therein the chamber, the chamber adapted to retain the female fastener therein when the male fastener is fastened to the female fastener, and transverse sets of opposing rails and adjacent spring leaves, the transverse sets of opposing rails and adjacent spring leaves mounted therein the channel between the bottom and the opposing tracks of the channel.  
     
    
     DRAWINGS  
       [0031]     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:  
         [0032]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an adjustable strike mounting system, constructed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a portion of the adjustable strike mounting system;  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a positioning block of the adjustable strike mounting system;  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of entrance doors, comprising an inactive door, shown in a closed position, and an active door;  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the inactive door, showing the adjustable strike mounting system and an astragal installed thereon the inactive door;  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  is a section view of the adjustable strike mounting system;  
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is another section view of the adjustable strike mounting system;  
         [0039]      FIG. 8  is a section view of the strike mounting system shown with an alternate embodiment of an astragal installed thereon the inactive door;  
         [0040]      FIG. 9  is a section view of the strike mounting system shown with an alternate embodiment of an astragal installed thereon the inactive door;  
         [0041]      FIG. 10  is a section view of the strike mounting system shown with an alternate embodiment of an astragal installed thereon the inactive door, and also showing the active door;  
         [0042]      FIG. 11  is a section view of the strike mounting system shown with an alternate embodiment of an astragal installed thereon the inactive door, and also showing the active door;  
         [0043]      FIG. 12  is a section view of the strike mounting system shown with an alternate embodiment of an astragal installed thereon the inactive door, and also showing the active door; and  
         [0044]      FIG. 13  is a section view of the strike mounting system shown with an alternate embodiment of an astragal installed thereon the inactive door, and also showing the active door.  
     
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS  
       [0045]     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the references and associated reference numerals of the following description and accompanying drawings where: 
         1  adjustable strike mounting system      2  positioning block      3  screw      4  nut      5  cover plate      6  lockset strike      7  deadbolt strike      10  astragal      14  block      16  block top      18  block bottom      20  block side      22  block end      24  retaining rail      26  spring leaf      28  chamber      30  chamber roof      32  roof rails      34  chamber floor      36  floor rails      38  hole      40  oblong hole      42  rectangular hole      43  oblong hole arcuate end      44  oblong hole side      50  plate      52  cover plate side      54  cover plate aperture      56  aperture corner      58  exterior edge      60  interior edge      61  cover plate retaining lip      62  lockset strike aperture      63  lockset strike hole      64  deadbolt strike aperture      65  deadbolt strike hole      66  astragal housing      68  longitudinal channel      70  longitudinal channel bottom      72  longitudinal channel wall      73  longitudinal channel end      74  L shaped retention guide      76  retention guide base      78  retention guide side      80  retention guide edge      82  retention guide retaining lip      84  side channel      90  inactive door edge      92  inactive door      94  door frame      96  astragal end      98  astragal bolt      100  sill      102  header      104  lockset      106  deadbolt      108  active door      110  seam      300  alternate astragal housing      302  saw tooth recess      304  finned tail      306  foam weather strip      308  cavity      310  alternate astragal housing      312  thermal break      314  slot      320  alternate astragal      322  alternate astragal housing      324  cover      326  outer seal      328  inner seal      330  alternate astragal      332  thermal break      340  alternate astragal      342  cover element      344  saw tooth recess      346  finned tail      348  weather strip seal      349  inner seal      350  alternate astragal      352  thermal break        
 
       DESCRIPTION  
       [0127]     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1-13  of the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numbers.  
         [0128]      FIGS. 1-7  show an embodiment of the present invention, an adjustable strike mounting system  1 , which comprises positioning blocks  2 , screws  3 , nuts  4 , a cover plate  5 , and a lockset strike  6  and/or deadbolt strike  7 , for use with an astragal  10 .  
         [0129]     Each of the positioning blocks  2  comprises a block  14  having a top  16 , a bottom  18 , opposing sides  20 , and opposing ends  22 , and transverse sets of opposing retaining rails  24  and adjacent spring leaves  26  molded to the opposing ends  22  of the block  14 , the block  14  having a chamber  28 , which has a roof  30  having roof rails  32  and a floor  34  having floor rails  36 , the chamber  28  and the opposing roof rails  32  defined by a hole  38  through the block  2  from one of the opposing ends  22  to the other one of the opposing ends  22  and an oblong hole  40  through the top  16  of the block  14  to the roof  30  of the chamber  28 , the chamber  28  and the opposing floor rails  36  defined by a substantially rectangular hole  42  through the floor  34  of the chamber  28  to the bottom  18  of the block  2 , the oblong hole  40  having arcuate ends  43  and substantially parallel sides  44 , and preferably being countersunk. The chamber  28  also has sides, which may have nibs and/or small projections protruding therefrom.  
         [0130]     Each of the cover plates  5  comprises a substantially planar plate  50  and opposing sides  52 , which are substantially perpendicular to the substantially planar plate  50 , the substantially planar plate  50  having a substantially rectangular aperture  54 , which has arcuate corners  56 , each of the opposing sides  52  having a substantially planar exterior edge  58  and an interior edge  60  having a longitudinal retaining lip  61 .  
         [0131]     The lockset strike  6  has aperture  62  and holes  63 , and the deadbolt strike  7  has aperture  64  and holes  65 .  
         [0132]     The astragal  10  has astragal housing  66  having a longitudinal channel  68 , which has a bottom  70 , opposing walls  72 , and opposing ends  73 , each of the opposing walls  72  having a track or longitudinal substantially L shaped retention guide  74 , which has a longitudinal base  76  substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal wall  72  and a longitudinal side  78  substantially parallel to the longitudinal wall  72 , the longitudinal side  78  having an edge  80  having a longitudinal retaining lip  82  adjacent to and facing the longitudinal wall  72 , and which forms a longitudinal side channel  84 .  
         [0133]     The astragal  10  is mounted to edge  90  of inactive door  92  of door frame  94 , and the adjustable strike mounting system  1  is mounted to the astragal  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The astragal  10  has opposing ends  96  and bolts  98 , the bolts  98  slidably mounted in the longitudinal channel  68  of the astragal  10  at the opposing ends  96 , for securing the inactive door  92  to sill  100  and/or header  102  of the door frame  94 . The astragal  10  may have actuating means for retracting and/or extending the bolt  98  into the sill  110  and/or the header  102 . Lockset  104  and/or deadbolt  106  are mounted to active door  108  of the door frame  94 .  
         [0134]     The adjustable strike mounting system  1  is installed onto the astragal  10 , as follows: 
        the nuts  4  are inserted into the holes  38  of the positioning blocks  2 , the nuts  4  being forced to pass the nibs and/or small projections on the sides of the chambers  28  of the positioning blocks  2 , once passed the nibs and/or small projections preventing the nuts  4  from falling out of the positioning blocks  2  and maintaining the nuts  4  in suitable positions adjacent the oblong holes  40  to allow the screws  3  to be easily fastened thereto, upon completion of which each of the positioning blocks  2  has one of the nuts  4  therein;     each of the positioning blocks  2  is inserted into one of the opposing ends  73  of the longitudinal channel  68  of the astragal  10  and slid to a selected location, estimated to be in the vicinity of the lockset  104  and/or the deadbolt  106  mounted on the active door  108  when the active door  108  and the inactive door  92  are closed adjacently abutting one another, the opposing retaining rails  24  of the positioning blocks  2  abutting the longitudinal base  76  of the longitudinal substantially L shaped retention guide  74  and the spring leaves  26  of the positioning blocks  2  being spring loaded under compression and abutting the bottom  70  of the longitudinal channel  68  of the astragal  10 , the positioning blocks  2  being retained in place by the opposing retaining rails  24  and the spring loaded spring leaves  26  and holding the positioning blocks  2  at the selected locations during installation of the adjustable strike mounting system  1 ;     the astragal  10  is mounted to the edge  90  of the inactive door  90 ;     the cover plates  5  are trimmed or cut to appropriate lengths, the lengths of which preferably hide seam  110  beneath the lockset strike  6  and/or the deadbolt strike  7 , and snapped onto the astragal  10 , the cover plates  5  being held in place during installation by the substantially planar exterior edges  58  and the interior edges  60  of the cover plates  5  being force fit into the longitudinal side channels  84  of the astragal  10 , the longitudinal retaining lips  61  of the cover plates  5  abuttingly adjacent the longitudinal retaining lips  82  of the longitudinal side channels  84  of the astragal  10 ;     the cover plates  5  may alternatively be cut or trimmed to the appropriate lengths, inserted into one of the opposing ends  73  of the longitudinal channel  68  of the astragal  10 , and slid into place, prior to the astragal  10  being mounted to the edge  90  of the inactive door  90 ;     the lockset strike  6  and/or the deadbolt strike  7  are loosely fitted to the positioning blocks  2  by inserting the screws  3  through the holes  63  of the lockset strike  6  and the holes  65  of the deadbolt strike  7  through the substantially rectangular apertures  54  of the cover plates  5 , through the oblong holes  40  of the positioning blocks  2 , and loosely fastening the screws  3  to the nuts  4  therein, the lockset strike  6  and/or the deadbolt strike  7  adjacent the cover plates  5 , the lockset strike  6  and/or the deadbolt strike  7  being pulled toward the positioning blocks  2 , as the screws  3  are fastened to the nuts  4 ;     the aperture  62  of the lockset strike  6  is matinlgy aligned with a bolt of the lockset  104 , and the aperture  64  of the deadbolt strike  7  is matingly aligned with the deadbolt  106 , the screws  3  and nuts  4  being slid within the holes  38  in the lengthwise direction of the oblong holes  40  for horizontal alignment of the lockset strike  6  and/or the deadbolt strike  7  on the astragal  10 , the nuts  4  being slidable within the holes  38 , the positioning blocks  2  being slid up and/or down for vertical alignment of the lockset strike  6  and/or the deadbolt strike  7 , the positioning blocks  2  being slidable within the longitudinal channel  68  of the astragal  10 , the countersunk portions of the oblong holes  40  aiding in alignment and preventing any countersunk portions of the holes  63  of the lockset strike  6  and/or any countersunk portions of the holes  65  of the deadbolt strike  7  and/or heads of the screws  3  from interfering with the positioning blocks  2  one with the other;     upon completion of matinlgy aligning the aperture  62  of the lockset strike  6  with the lockset  104  and matingly aligning the aperture  64  of the deadbolt strike  7  with the deadbolt  106 , the screws  3  are fastened to the nuts  4 , completing the installation, with the screws  3  in tension, the screws  3  pulling the nuts  4  against the roof rails  32  of the positioning blocks  2 , forcing and holding the retaining rails  24  of the positioning blocks  2  in place abuttingly against the longitudinal bases  76  of the longitudinal substantially L shaped retention guides  74  of the astragal  10 , forcing and holding the lockset strike  6  and/or the deadbolt strike  7  in place abuttingly against the cover plates  5 , and forcing and holding the cover plates  5  in place with the exterior edges  58  and the interior edges  60  of the cover plates  5  being forced into the longitudinal side channels  84  of the astragal  10 , the longitudinal retaining lips  61  of the cover plates  5  abuttingly adjacent the longitudinal retaining lips  82  of the longitudinal side channels  84  of the astragal  10 .        
 
         [0143]     The positioning blocks  2  are preferably injection molded from an engineered plastic resin, such as an acetal, to provide the necessary flexural strength and properties for the spring leaves  26 , although other suitable materials may be used. The astragal housing  66  and the cover plates  5  are preferably of metal, such as aluminum or steel, thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, rubber, or other suitable material or combination thereof.  
         [0144]      FIGS. 8-13  show alternate embodiments of astragals having astragal housings that the adjustable strike mounting system  1  may be used with, although other suitable astragals having other suitable astragal housings may be used.  
         [0145]      FIG. 8  shows an alternate embodiment of an astragal housing  300 , which has a saw-tooth recess  302  to retain finned tail  304  of a typical wrapped foam type weather strip  306  for sealing. The astragal housing  300  also has cavity  308 .  
         [0146]      FIG. 9  shows an alternate embodiment of an astragal housing  310 , which is substantially the same as the astragal housing  300 , except that the astragal housing  310  has thermal break  312 , for installations in climates that experience extremely cold weather, in which the astragal housing  310  is fabricated from an aluminum extrusion, or other suitable material having substantially the same properties, which would otherwise readily lose heat to the outside and result in condensation, and in some cases even the formation of ice. The thermal break  312  is created by filling cavity  308  of the astragal housing  300  with a polyurethane thermal break compound, after which it is de-bridged by milling slot  314 , thus, separating outer and inner portions of the astragal housing  310  and preventing infiltration of the cold.  
         [0147]      FIG. 10  shows an alternate embodiment of an astragal  320 , which may be used for installation on a pair of outwsinging rather than inswinging doors, which has astragal housing  322 , cover  324  that provides overlap, and outer seal  326 , and is used on the active leaf of the pair of out swinging doors. Inner seal  328  is of greater reach as the beveled edge of the active door is reversed, creating a greater gap at its inner edge.  
         [0148]      FIG. 11  shows an alternate embodiment of an astragal  330 , which may be used for installation on a pair of outwsinging rather than inswinging doors, which is substantially the same as the astragal housing  320 , except that the astragal  330  has thermal break  332 .  
         [0149]      FIG. 12  shows an alternate embodiment of an astragal  340 , which may be used for installation on a pair of outwsinging rather than inswinging doors, in which cover element  342  has saw-tooth recess  344  to accommodate finned tail  346  of a wrapped foam weather strip seal  348 . Inner seal  349  is of greater reach as the beveled edge of the active door is reversed, creating a greater gap at the inner edge.  
         [0150]      FIG. 13  shows an alternate embodiment of an astragal  350 , which may be used for installation on a pair of outwsinging rather than inswinging doors, which is substantially the same as the astragal housing  340 , except that the astragal  350  has thermal break  352 .  
         [0151]     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

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