Pre-hung door kit with selectively reversible hand
OwnerLaurence E. Bennettinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pre-hung door assembly kit enables the selective reversal of the hand of a pre-hung door mounted with hinges in a door frame for opening in one of right-hand and left-hand openings. The reversal is accomplished by rotating the door about a vertical axis and relocating vertical door jamb legs to maintain the correct juxtaposition of a previously prepared latching hardware location in the door with an appropriate previously prepared strike plate mortise in one of the door jamb legs so that factory precision is maintained with simplified field installation. Door stops are placed on the jamb legs so as to cover fasteners which secure the door frame in place in a building wall.
Claims15
In a pre-hung door assembly kit which enables selective reversal of a hand of a pre-hung door mounted with hinges in a door frame for opening in one of right-hand and left-hand openings, the door having opposite first and second faces, an upper edge, a lower edge, laterally opposite first and second side edges extending longitudinally between the upper and lower edges, a longitudinal axis extending along the door intermediate the first and second side edges of the door, a transverse thickness between the opposite first and second faces, and a latch location adjacent the first side edge and spaced a predetermined distance from the lower edge, the door frame having a top and laterally opposite first and second sides, the kit comprising an improvement wherein:
- the hinges each include a longitudinal hinge pin socket for location adjacent one of the first and second faces of the door, and a hinge plate extending transversely from the hinge pin socket a transverse distance to an opposite hinge plate edge;
- the door frame includes first and second door jamb legs, the first door jamb leg having opposite first and second surfaces, a first end and a longitudinally opposite second end, the opposite first and second surfaces being located such that one of the first and second surfaces confronts the first side edge of the door;
- the first surface of the first door jamb leg includes a first strike plate mortise spaced from one of the first and second ends a distance corresponding to the predetermined distance between the lower edge of the door and the latch location;
- the second surface of the first door jamb leg includes a second strike plate mortise spaced from one of the first and second ends a distance corresponding to the predetermined distance between the lower edge of the door and the latch location;
- and
- the second door jamb leg has longitudinally opposite first and second ends and the hinges are mounted between the second door jamb leg and the second side edge of the door to hang the door in the door frame for opening in one of the right-hand and left-hand openings;
- whereupon by placement of the first door jamb leg along the first side of the door frame, with the first surface confronting the first side edge of the door, the first strike plate mortise confronts the latch location, and by mounting the hinges in a first position between the second side edge of the door and the second door jamb leg, with the hinge pin sockets adjacent the first face of the door, the door is hung to open in one of the right-hand and left-hand openings;
- and
- whereupon by reversal of the hinges to mount the hinges in a second position between the second side edge of the door and the second door jamb leg, with the hinge pin sockets adjacent the second face of the door, rotation of the door about the longitudinal axis thereof, and placement of the first door jamb leg along the second side of the door frame, with the second surface of the first door jamb confronting the first side edge of the door, the second strike plate mortise confronts the latch location and the door is hung to open in the other of the right-hand and left-hand openings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.