Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an ad~ustable strike for receiv-
ing a latch bolt of a swinging door, and more particularly concerns a strike
having a movable wall which can bear against the camming surface of the latch
bolt of the door to secure the door in position against a door stop.
The latch bolt of a door normally has a beveled cam surface and a
flat keeper surface, the latch bolt being spring-projected from the door but,
upon exertion of a superior force, depressable into the door panel. The
superior force is provided by a lip or cam, usually inclined or curved, which
cams the latch bolt inwardly as the latch bolt rides over it while the door is
closing. When the door is closed, the latch bolt is properly aligned opposite -;
the opening of the strike, and the bolt springs outwardly into this opening
and a cavity behind it. Door movement is limited in one direction by the stop
which forms part of the door jamb and, in the other direction, by the keeper
surface of the latch bolt bearing against an edge of the opening of the strike.
In hanging a swinging door having a latch bolt, great care and skill
must be exercised in ensuring that the hole of the strike plate secured to the
door frame and the latch bolt projecting from the swinging edge of the door
; are properly aligned so that the door will be securely held against the door
stop. This alignment is critical not only in the vertical direction so that
the latch bolt will fit between the upper and lower edges of the opening in
the strike, but also in the lateral direction so that the door, when in closed
position, with its latch bolt fully extended into the cavity of the strike,
cannot vibrate and rattle between the door stop and the strike. Consequently,
in hanging a door, a carpenter will often first install the strike and then,
- through a slow, cumbersome, difficult process of alignment, next locate the
"i,~ latch bolt of the door in the strike plate and then determine where the hinges
of the door should be located.
, AlternatiYely, when the door is hinged first, it is not always pos-
~-l 30 sible to prepare the hole beneath the strike and fasten the strike in position
~ on the dQ~ox fx~me ~lth-the desired degree of accuracy. Often the location of
-' the strike must be readjusted. While this may only be a slight amount, this
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usually means resetting the screws.
Other ti~es, although the door may orig mally be hung in proper
position, through settling o the building or warping of the door or frame,
the strike may become misaligned with respect to the latch bolt so that,
again, the strike or the door must be ad~usted accordingly.
Moreover, in cli~ates experiencing harsh winter conditions, doorways
are often insulated before each winter by securing a band of insulation macer-
ial or "weatherstripping" along the doorstop particularly where the swinging
edge of the door meets the doorstop. This extra strip of insulation material
between the door and doorstop may be sufficient to preyent the latch bolt from
reaching the hole of the strike when the door is closed, so that the strike
must be re-positioned. -
An ad~ustable strike has been described in United States Patent No. -
3,161,429 of Torno, et al., issued December 15~ 1964, in which the lip and a
marginal portion of the pocket of the strike are movable towards or away from
the door or door jamb to reduce the clearance between the door and latch bolt
and these portions of the strike. Canadian Patent No. 721,030 of Russell,
issued November 9, 1965 describes and illustrates an adJustable strike in
which the tongue and a marginal portion of this pocket are ad~ustable in the
other, lateral direction by loosening two screws set in the face of the strike
~ for this purpose, sliding the adjustable part to the proper position, and then
; retightening the screws. Both strike mechanisms require the assembling of
several different parts, when installing the strikes.
Other references describing and illustrating strike mechanis~s
adjustable in the lateral direction are Canadian Patent No. 674,967 of Schlage, ~ -
issued November 26, 1963, which describes a single strike plate having a
tongue or flange extending into the pocket or cavity behind the plate, the
tongue being bendable to provide a secure fit f~r the latch bolt, and Canadian
patent No. 863,789 of Schlage, et. al., issued ~ebruary 16, 1971, which des-
cribes and illustrates a circular strike having a latexally ad~ustable ca~ or
which is ~s~ecu~ed in place b~ a scre~. The screws o~ this particular mecha-
nism, as well as the screws securing the ad~ustable portions o the Torno, et. al.
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mechanism and the Russell, et al. mechanism previously referred to, are all
clearly visible on the face of the plate and are operated from that direction.
The adjustable strike of Schlage, Canadian Patent No. 863,789 and
one described and illustrated in Model, Canadian Patent No. 319,005 issued
January 19, 1932, have shoulders which are adjustable within the cavity behind
the strike to restrict the play of the latch bolt in the strike opening.
However neither of these mechanisms provides more than a shoulder or edge
against which the keeper surface of the latch bolt can react when a door is
closed, thus constituting an inherent weakness in each device. Also, the
mechanism described and illustrated in the Model patent requires a set of
tracks to guide the shoulder as it slides across the plate hole. The shoulder
is adjusted by means of a bolt threaded through a flange of that shoulder, the
bolt having a screw head rotatably secured in a rivet. These features add
significantly to the complexity of the device and to the costs of manufacturing
it.
Other references of background interest are Lundbert, Canadian
Patent No. 295,934, issued December 24, 1929 and Schlage, United States Patent
No. 2,869,913, issued January 20, 1959, both of which describe and illustrate
strike mechanisms having adjustable features.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an economical,
~- readily constructed and readily installed adjustable strike for the bolt of a
swinging door which will permit easy lateral adjustment of the edge of the
strike against which the keeper surface of the latch bolt bears when the door
is closed, to a position which ensures a secure fit of the latch bolt and
minimizes vibration or play of the closed door. It is a further object of the
, invention to provide an adjustable strike having secure engagement of the
latch bolt in the pocket thereof. It is a further object of the invention to
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provide such an adjustable strike in which the adjust~ent mechanism is well
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hidden so as to provide a neat attractive appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTI~N
In accordance ~th the present invention, there is proYided an
adjustable strike for receiving a latch bolt of a swin~ing door, the strike
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comprising a face plate provided with an opening for receiving the latch bolt
of the door when closed, for securing to a door jamb over an appropriate
cavity adjacent a door stop. A lip, being an extension of the face plate,
extends from the doorway to engage and depress 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, the end of the bolt towards the lip being operatively exposed when
the strike is installed. A means whereby the bolt may be longitudinally
adjusted and secured in the flange is associated with the bolt. The mechanism
has a movable wall parallel to the flange and spaced therefrom, adapted to be
positioned within the cavity behind the face plate and positionable within the
plate opening so that the keeper surface of the latch bolt will bear against
this wall when the door is closed. The other end of the bolt is secured to
this movable wall. Longitudinal movement of the bolt in the flange causes the
wall to move towards or away from the flange, permitting alteration of the
distance between the door stop and this movable wall to a distance which will
provide a secure fit of the latch bolt and minimize vibration of the closed
door. It is preferred that the bolt threadably engages the flange bolt and
that means to rotate the bolt are associated with the end of the bolt towards
the lip. The bolt may be rotatably fastened to the movable wall by securing
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means so that rotation of the bolt in the flange causes longitudinal movement
of the bolt and movement of that wall. Forwardly extending sides are fixed to
the upper and lower ends of the movable wall, these sides slidably guided by
guide means to assist in aligning the movable wall, the ends of these sides,
after predetermined longitudinal movement of the bolt in one direction, acting
as stops by abutting against an appropriately positioned abutment member to stop
the bolt from becoming disengaged from the flange by further such longitudinal
~i movement from the flange.
, An adjustable strike according to the present invention readily permits
hanging of a door by placing the door on its hinges first, and then vertically
locating the place in the door jamb where the cavity and strike should be
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positioned. When the cavity is drilled or otherwise formed and the strike
is installed, the ~ovable wall is adjusted to secure the latch bolt within
the opening when the door is closed. The mechanism according to the present
invention is made from simple, readily constructed parts and may be pre-
assembled in the factory so that the carpenter or person installing the mech-
anism is not concerned with a multitude of loose individual parts which must
be sequentially assembled. As the keeper surface of the latch bolt, when
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the door is closed, bears against the mQvable wall, greater durability of the
adjustable strike and resistance to the rebound forces exerted by the latch
bolt on the strike when a door is closed are achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION O~ THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent
upon reading the following detailed description and upon referring to the
drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective section view of an adjustable rectangular
strike mechanism acco~ding to the present invention installed on a door jamb;
Figure 2 is a plan section view of the mechanism of Figure 1 taken along
lines II-II;
Figure 3 is a vertical inside section of a circular strike mechanism
according to the present invention;
While the invention will be described in connection with preferred .
embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit
the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover
all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the :
spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION ::
In the drawings, similar features have been given similar reference
numerals.
: Turning first to Figure 1, there is shown a strike having rectangu-
; lar face plate 4 and case 5 secured to door jamb 6. Door stop 8 is secured to ~ :
door jamb 6 adjacent face plate 4. Face plate 4 is provided with opening 10
: for receiving the latch bolt 12 ~see Figure 2~ within the cavity of the jamb
~ or the space within case 5 of the door when closed. Lip 14, being an exten-
. sion of the surface of face plate 4, is provided to act as a cam for latch
bolt 12 when the door 15 is closed. Latch bolt 12 has camming surface 16 and
keeper surface 18. ~s the dopx closes, ca~ming surface 16 engageS and is
depressed by lip 14.
` Fl~nge 20 i~s.secu~ed normal to plate 4, extending i.nto o~, as in -~
Fi`gure 2, being one side of an appropriate cavity~which has been .formed in
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door jamb 6 prior to installation of the strike. As can be clearly seen inFigure 2, flange 20 is located between opening 10 and lip 14.
Bolt 22 threadably engages flange 20 and extends therethrough. The
end of free end 24 of bolt 22 extends behind and is hidden by lip 14. A screw
head or other appropriate rotation means is provided at this end. The other
end 26 of bolt 22 is rotatably secured, by riveting, for example, to movable
wall 28. Movable wall 28 is spaced from and parallel to flange 20. Rotation
of bolt 22 causes the bolt to progress through or withdraw from flange 20, and
causes movable wall 28 to move towards or away from this flange. As can be
seen in Figure 2, movable wall 28 is positioned within the plate opening so
that keeper surface 18 of latch bolt 12 can bear against this wall when the
door is closed. In other words, rotation of bolt 22 permits alteration of the
distance d between door stop 8 and movable wall 28 to a distance which will
provide a secure fit of latch bolt 12 in the strike with no vibration of the
door against stop 8. Of course when a proper distance d has been achieved,
bolt 22 is no longer rotated and movable wall 28 is secured in this position.
To movable wall 28 are affixed upper side 30 and lower side 32,
these sides being guided by guide means, namely cooperating upper and lower
sides 34 and 36 respectively of strike case 38 (or, in a simpler version,
not shown, the walls of the cavity) to assist in aligning movable wall 28.
Additionally, the ends of these sides, after predetermined longitudinal move-
ment of the bolt abut against the opposite side walls of the case to stop
the bolt from further rotation and prevent disengagement from flange 20. The
edge of wall 28 nearest plate 4 may be rearwardly bent or have a rearwardly
extending flange or wall 40 secured to it as shown in Figure 2, parallel to
and adjacent the back of face 4, so that latch bolt 16 will be guided direct-
- ly to the portion of opening 10 in front of wall 28, even when this wall is
positioned considerably in advance of edge 41 of opening lOo In other words,
flange or wall 40 prevents latch bolt 16 from entering the cavity~between
movable wall 28 and flange 20.
I`t should be noted that the main, slgnificant di~ference between the
embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 and that o$ Figures 1 and 2 is that the
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gure 3 embadiment of the inventi4n i$ ~ s~tFike plate baying a circular face
46. Th~s mechanism has been designed with a circulaP case fo~ a ci~cular
cavity, and hence flange 20 ~vuld nor~ally be of circular ~ arcllte sha~e.
single screw 47 at the back of the case $ecures the strike plate to the door
jamb.
This circular version of the strike ylate designed for a circular
cavity, is a preferred embodlment whether the face is circular, as in ~igure
3, or rectangular (not shown~, since only~a drill and bit is required to make
the cavity for installation. Once the proper height for the plate is found, a
hole of appropriate diameter is drilled in the ~amb, the plate is tapped into
position, and a screw is inserted at the back of the case.
To minimize weaP on riveted end 26 o~ bolt 22 by latc~ ~olt 12,
and to provide an even surface against which keeper surface 18 can bear,
movable wall 28 has been provided wi~th indentation 44, the indentation, of
course, being in the directlon of flange 20.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance ~lth
the present invention, an adjustable s*rike for receiving a latch bolt of a
swinging door that fully sat~sfies the ob~ects, aims and advantages set forth
above. While the invention has been described ~n conjunction with specific
` 2Q embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and
variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the fore~
going description. ~or example, it is envisaged that the bolt might be longi-
tudinally extendable through the ~lange and securable therein at a predeter~
j mined position using means other than the thread illustrated in the drawings.
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` Also,`stop means other than the upper and lower sides of the movable wall,
such as a hexagonal headed bolt, might be provided to ensure that the bolt did
not pass entirely through the flange when being rotated. It is intended to
embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall w~thin the
; ~ spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. ~`
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