GB2304805A

GB2304805A - A window stay

Info

Publication number: GB2304805A
Application number: GB9518340A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yurek Adrian Wronski
Original assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Current assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Priority date: 1995-09-08
Filing date: 1995-09-08
Publication date: 1997-03-26
Also published as: GB9518340D0

Abstract

A window stay has an arm 11 attached to the window, links 13-15 and a base 12 which is attached to the frame. The base has a raised portion 20 containing a slot 19, which may be curved. The pivot 17 is secured in the slot 19 by an enlarged head underlying the raised portion of the base and lying flush with the frame engaging parts of the base. The pivot may be laterally deformable by a screw to adjust the friction in the slot. A link 15 is attached to the base by a fixed pivot 16 which may have a shaft with an eccentric, so that rotation of the shaft alters the longitudinal position of the link 15. The base may have one end folded through 180 degrees to form a frame engaging part (not shown).

Description

STAYS This invention relates to stays for mounting windows or the like in a frame.

It is well known to provide stays for windows or doors where the window or door is supported on an arm and the arm is in turn supported on a base mounted on the frame. The arm may be directly engaged on the base or it may be connected to the base by a linkage. In the former case, there is usually additionally a link between the arm and the base.

In either arrangement one of the connections with the base involves a slider, which is slidably retained on the base to move in a groove or track formed thereby. Such grooves or tracks usually require a rolling operation for their formation and the component count of such stays is quite high. For both these reasons the stays can be quite expensive.

From one aspect the invention consists in a stay for mounting a window or the like in a frame comprising, an arm for supporting the window, a base mountable on the frame and a linkage for supporting the arm on or connecting the arm to a base for movement of the arm between the first position in which it overlies the base and a second position in which it extends at an angle to the base wherein the end of the arm, or the end of the linkage, which engages the base as slidably movable relative to the base as the arm moves between its first and second position characterised in that a portion of the base provides a slot in which the end, or an extension thereof, is held for said sliding movement.

Preferably the portion is raised relative to the frame engaging part of the base and particularly conveniently the portion may be formed as a bridge.

The extension may be in the form of a pivot, which extends through the slot. The pivot may have an enlarged head underlying a portion of the base and in a particular preferred embodiment the bottom of the head portion lies almost flush with the frame engaging portions of the base.

This feature reduces the chances of the pivot being forced open because the head would rapidly engage the frame and thus resist twisting movement. The part of the pivot which lies in the slot is preferably laterally deformable to vary the frictional engagement of the pivot with the base and hinges and the ease with which with the frame moves. This deformation is conveniently adjustable and in one arrangement a screw is located to be screwed into and out of the shaft of the pivot.

The base is preferably in the form of a sheet metal pressing and may conveniently be formed of mild steel which may, for example, be covered in an anti-corrosive or antioxidising coating. In one arrangement the base may have a turned-over portion at one end to provide a frame-engaging part and it may also form one end of the raised portion.

The link or one linkage of the link may be mounted on the base by fixed pivot, which preferably has a shaft with an eccentric such that rotation of the shaft alters the longitudinal portion of the link it locates. The shaft can preferably be rotated whilst the linkage is held by the pivot.

At least a part of the slot may be curved and the curve may be shaped such that at least part of the movement of the arm is linear and preferably longitudinal. This is particularly preferred where the base also includes an end cap and in at least one embodiment the linear movement of the arm occurs up to the point at which the arm engages the end cap which moves from its second position to its first.

When the stay includes an end cap it is preferably integral with the base.

From another aspect the invention consists of the stay having a base, an arm for supporting the window and a linkage extending between the arm and the base and connected to the base by means of a pivot characterised in that the pivot has a shaft with an eccentric such that rotation of the shaft alters the longitudinal position of the linkage.

The pivot may allow the link to be demounted as described in our United States Patent No. 5392494. However, the construction is such that the shaft can be rotated without the link being dismounted.

Although the invention has been described above, it is to be noted that it includes an any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed with various ways and specific embodiments will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frame arm stay; Figure 2 is a scrap sectional view along the line I-I; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a alternative form of stay; Figure 4 is a scrap sectional view along the line II II; Figure 5 is a scrap sectional view along the line III III; Figure 6 is a scrap sectional view along the line III III but with a pivot shaft in an alternate position; and Figure 7 is a scrap sectional view along the line IV IV.

A stay, generally indicated at 10, comprises an arm 11, a base 12 for attachment to the frame, and first, second and third links 13, 14, 15 which support the arm on the base in a generally known manner. The third link 15 is mounted on the base by a pivot 16 of fixed position, whilst the links 13 and 14 are joined together by a common pivot, generally indicated at 17. The shaft 18 of the pivot 17 also passes through a slot 19 formed in a raised portion 20 of the base 12. (The shaft 18 is retained in the slot 19 by an enlarged head 21. The shaft is dimensioned so that it can slide within the slot 19 and the degree of frictional engagement can be adjusted by screwing in or out the axial screw 22, which is shown in Figure 2.

It will readily be understood by those skilled in the art that the stay 10 functions in a similar fashion to conventional stays of this type, but it has significant advantages. Firstly, the base can be pressed in a single operation; secondly, it can be made from mild steel; and, thirdly, the pivot 17 is cheap both to form and to assemble.

Further, the slot 19 can be profiled so as to adjust the geometry of the stay and hence the movement of the arm 11.

When an end piece or cap 23 is provided on the base 12, the slot may be profiled so that the arm moves longitudinally until it engages the end cap 23, rather than in the arc of many current stays. This would reduce or remove the tendency of the nose 24 of the arm 11 to miss the end cap 23. (The end cap 23 would obviously generally require a separate forming step.) An alternative form of stay is generally indicated at 24 in Figure 3. This corresponds with a form of stay which is commonly used in the United States but once more is constructed with a raised portion 20, a slot 19 and a pivot 17. The operation is essentially the same. The stay 24, however, has two additional features. Firstly, one end 25 is turned over, both to provide a location 26 for attachment to the frame and also to provide the means of raising one end of the portion 20. The other feature is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, where the fixed pivot 16 has a shaft 27 which is eccentric to the pivot head 28. The shaft 27 can be rotated by an Allen key locating in the recess 29 and the longitudinal position of the associated link 30 can thus be adjusted. As has been mentioned above, this pivot may be formed to allow the link 30 to be demounted as described in the abovementioned U.S. Patent. Such a pivot could replace the pivot 16 where this adjustment is considered useful.

The ability of the pivot to be so adjusted without the link 30 being demounted is itself inventive.

Claims

1. A stay for mounting a window or the like in a frame comprising, an arm for supporting the window, a base mountable on the frame and a linkage for supporting the arm on or connecting the arm to the base for movement of the arm between a first position in which it overlies the base and a second position in which it extends at an angle to the base, wherein the end of the arm, or the end of the link, which engages the base is slidably movable relative to the base as the arm moves between its first and second positions characterised in that a portion of the base defines a slot in which the end or an extension thereof is held for said sliding movement.

2. A stay as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the portion is raised relative to prune engaging parts of the base.

3. A stay as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the portion is in the form of a bridge.

4. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the extension is in the form of a pivot which extends through the slot.

5. A stay as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the pivot has an enlarged head underlying the portion of the base.

6. A stay as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the bottom of the head portion lies almost flush with the frame engaging parts of the base.

7. A stay as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the portion of the pivot which lies in the slot is laterally deformable to vary the frictional engagement of the pivot with the base.

8. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the base is in the form of a sheet metal pressing.

9. A stay as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the base is formed from mild steel.

10. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the base has a turned over portion at one end to provide a frame engaging part.

11. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein one link of the linkage is mounted on the base by a fixed pivot.

12. A stay as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the fixed pivot has a shaft with an eccentric such that rotation of the shaft alters the longitudinal position of the link it locates.

13. A stay as claimed in Claim 12, wherein in the shaft can be rotated whilst the link is held by the pivot.

14. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein at least part of the slot is curved.

15. A stay as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the curve is shaped such that at least part of the movement of the arm is linear.

16. A stay as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, further including an end cap.

17. A stay as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the end cap is integral with the base.

18. A stay having a base, an arm for supporting the window and a linkage extending between the arm and the base and connected to the base by means of a pivot characterised in that the pivot has a shaft with an eccentric such that rotation of the shaft alters the longitudinal position of the linkage.

19. A stay substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.