Doorframe assembly for partition wall construction

In combination:

• a hollow wall partition construction having two spaced apart rows of wall panels with opposite wall face surfaces;
• a door opening in said hollow wall partition construction having vertical stud members positioned adjacent opposite sides of the door opening;
• metal backer jamb members at opposite sides of said door opening, said members being of substantially the same structural shape having a web portion connecting two free legs forming a generally U-shape wherein a portion of the web portion is thicker than remaining portions, said metal backer jamb members fastened at opposite wall face surfaces by means of fasteners attaching the free legs of said U-shape to said wall face surfaces, said free legs terminating in lip portions projecting outwardly from said wall face surfaces wherein at least one cutout portion adapted for coaction with door locking means is located along the thicker web portion of at least one metal backer jamb member;
• vinyl jamb members snap-engaged to said metal backer jamb members, said vinyl jamb members being of substantially the same structural shape having a generally U-shape comprising a body portion covering the web portion of the metal backer jamb member, said body portion having a centrally located upraised door stop portion, a longitudinal recess portion, flanges extending from opposite sides of the body portion extending over the free legs of the metal backer jamb member, and terminating in inturned nib portions snap-engaging the lip portions of said free legs whereby the vinyl jamb member envelops the metal backer jamb member;
• hinge plate means attached along the longitudinal recess of a vinyl jamb member at one side of said door opening;
• strike plate means attached in positional correspondence with said cutout portion of the metal backer jamb member along the longitudinal recess of the vinyl jamb member opposite said hinge means side of said door opening;
• mortising vinyl trim adhered along remaining open portions of the longitudinal recesses, said trim having a thickness substantially the same as the hinge plate means and strike plate means providing a mortised generally planar finished surface;
• and,
• a door member supported within said door opening by hinge means connective attachment along an edge thereof to said hinge plate means;
• and wherein the web portion of the metal backer jamb members comprises a centrally located inturned leg portion positionally corresponding with the door stop portion of the snap-engaged vinyl jamb member wherein said inturned leg extends inwardly of the door opening and projects into the upraised door stop portion.

A method of installing a doorframe assembly in a door opening in a hollow wall partition construction having vertical stud members adjacent opposite sides of the door opening and header means across the top of the door opening, said metod comprising the steps of:

• attaching generally U-shaped metal backer jamb members having substantially the same structural shape to opposite sides of said door opening by means of screw fasteners extending through legs of the metal backer jamb members engaging opposite wall face surfaces wherein at least one metal backer jamb member has a cutout portion adapted for coaction with door locking means;
• snap-engaging generally U-shaped vinyl jamb members having substantially the same structural shape over said metal backer jamb members by means of nib portions located on flanges of the U-shaped vinyl jamb members snap-engaging lip portions on metal backer jamb member leg portions;
• attaching hinge plate means along a longitudinal recess portion of a vinyl jamb member at one side of the door opening by means of screw fasteners extending through the vinyl jamb member and engaging the metal backer jamb member;
• removing a cutout slot on the longitudinal recess portion of the vinyl jamb member opposite the hinge means side of the door opening in positional correspondence with said cutout portion of the metal backer jamb member;
• attaching strike plate means at the cut-out slot portion along said longitudinal recess by means of screw fasteners extending through the vinyl jamb member and engaging the metal backer jamb members;
• adhering vinyl mortising trim along the longitudinal recesses of the vinyl jamb members at remaining open portions by means of applying adhesive material between said trim and longitudinal recesses wherein said trim having a thickness substantially the same as the hinge plate means and strike plate means whereby a substantially planar mortised surface is provided;
• and,
• having a door member in said door opening by attaching connective hinge means on a vertical edge of said door member to said hinge plate means, wherein said door member has locking means on an opposite vertical edge capable of coacting with said strike plate means to provide locking engagement thereby.