Claims:
What is claimed is
1. A door lock protector assembly for use on a hinged door and a door jamb having a stop rail against which said door closes, said door having a lock with a retractable bolt engagable in said jamb by extending out of a free end face of said door into an opening in said jamb, said lock protector assembly comprising:
2. An outside jamb plate for mounting on an outside of said jamb,
3. An inside jamb plate for mounting on an inside of said jamb, and
4. An end face member for mounting on an open end of said jamb which abuts said free end of said door when said door is closed, said end face member being shaped to conform with and cover said open end of said jamb and said stop rail around said opening in said jamb, said end face member being fixedly attached on a first side to said outside jamb plate and on a second side to said inside jamb plate and said end face member containing a face aperture for the passage therethrough of said retractible bolt into said opening in said jamb.
5. The door lock protector assembly of claim 1 comprising, in addition, an inside escutcheon plate for mounting on an inside of said door.
6. The door lock protector assembly of claim 1 wherein said outside escutcheon plate contains an aperture to permit passage therethrough of an outside lock turning shaft.
7. The door lock protector assembly of claim 2 wherein said inside escutcheon plate contains an aperture to permit passage therethrough of an inside lock turning shaft.
8. The door lock protector assembly of claim 1 wherein said shaped door jamb and stop rail shield contains one or more screw apertures through which mounting screws for a striker plate pass permitting said striker plate to be fastened to said jamb and thus secure said shield to said jamb.
9. The door lock protector assembly of claim 1 wherein said face aperture of said shaped door jamb and stop rail shield is sufficiently large to permit passage therethrough of said bolt and said mounting screws for fastening said striker plate on said jamb and sufficiently small to be covered on all sides by said striker plate when it is mounted.
Description:
This invention relates to the field of building or house doors and more particularly to the field of protective devices for the prevention of unauthorized entry through locked doors. It is well known that burglars and other individuals desiring to make an unauthorized entry through a locked door often gain entry by inserting a flexible tool, such as a strip of plastic or of thin metal between a closed door and the door jamb and then work the flexible tool to force the lock bolt or latch away from the door jamb and back into the door so that the door is free to open.
Unauthorized entry into houses and buildings is also accomplished by individuals striking the door with a strong blow which either splits the door or the door jamb in the vicinity of the door lock making it possible for the door to be easily forced open.
It is also well known that frequently burglars and others desiring to gain entrance to a house or building will pry off the stop rail from the door jamb in the vicinity of a lock. After the stop rail is removed in the vicinity of a lock, a flexible tool may be easily inserted between the door and the door jamb for the purpose of forcing the lock bolt back into the door so that the door may be released from the jamb.
A number of devices have been developed in an effort to combat the problem of unauthorized entry through locked doors. The devices available today have had the following drawbacks. Some are quite complicated and expensive to make; others require extensive modification of the doors or door jambs in order to be installed and none of the devices provide adequate protection against unauthorized entry by force which splits the lock mechanism away from the door and door jamb.
The purposes of this invention are to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive device which may be easily adapted to existing doors and door jambs to provide greatly increased protection from unauthorized entry through locked doors by preventing the use of a flexible tool to force the lock bolt back into the door, to greatly increase the difficulty of prying loose the jamb stop rail and to provide added strength to the door panels and door jamb in the vicinity of the lock to prevent entry through the door by forceful splitting of the door or door jamb in the vicinity of the lock.
In accordance with the present invention a door lock protector assembly is provided for use on a hinged door and a door jamb having a stop rail against which the door closes. The door has a lock with a retractable bolt in it which is engagable in the jamb by extending out of a free end face of the door into an opening in the jamb. The lock protector assembly comprises an outside escutcheon plate for mounting on the outside of the door, an end face plate for mounting on the free end face of the door and containing an aperture for passage of the retractable bolt, the end face plate being integrally attached on a first side to the outside escutcheon plate, and an outwardly directed and vertically extended flange fixedly mounted to the outside escutcheon plate. The flange is mounted sufficiently near the end face plate to prevent the insertion of a flexible tool between the end face plate and the door jamb when the door is closed and far enough away from the end face plate to permit the door to be opened without the flange striking any portion of the jamb or the stop rail. The assembly also contains a shaped door jamb and stop rail shield comprising an outside jamb plate for mounting on an outside of the jamb, an inside jamb plate for mounting on an inside of the jamb and an end face member for mounting on an open end of the jamb which abuts the free end of the door when the door is closed. The end face member is shaped to conform with and cover the open end of the jamb and the stop rail around and in the vicinity of the opening in the jamb. The end face member is fixedly attached on a first side to the outside jamb plate and on a second side to the inside jamb plate. The end face member contains a face aperture for the passage therethrough of the retractable bolt from the door lock into the opening in the jamb.
Some variations of the disclosed door lock protector assembly also contain an inside escutcheon plate for mounting on the inside of the door. Also in some forms of the invention the inside and outside escutcheon plates contain apertures to permit passage of lock turning shafts through the apertures.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will now be shown by a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doorway showing a hinged door and a door jamb with a door lock protector assembly of the type described herein mounted on them;
FIG. 2a is an elevation view of a shaped door jamb and stop rail shield;
FIG. 2b is a cross section view of the shield of FIG. 2a taken on line 2b--2b;
FIG. 3a is an elevation view of the outside escutcheon plate of a door lock protector;
FIG. 3b is a cross section view of the door lock protector of FIG. 3a and FIG. 3c taken on lines 3b--3b of FIGS. 3a and 3c;
FIG. 3c is an elevation view of an end face plate of the door lock protector shown in FIG. 3a;
FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned view showing the door lock protector assembly mounted on a door and a jamb with the door closed;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the door lock protector assembly with the door open;
FIG. 6 is an elevation view showing a variation of the shaped doorjamb and stop rail shield;
FIG. 7 shows in perspective view another variation of the door lock protector assembly.
The perspective view of FIG. 1 shows a typical usage of a preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1 a hinged door 11 is closed against a stop rail 14 which is fastened to a door jamb 12. The jamb and an outer wall 23 are covered in the vicinity of a door opening 27 with a door molding 13. A door lock protector assembly 10 consisting of a door protector unit 50 and a shaped door jamb and stop rail shield 26 is mounted on the door 11 and jamb 12. An outside lock turning shaft 42 of the outside doorknob 51 passes through an aperture (not shown) in the door protector unit 50 and an outside doorknob cover plate 52 is secured to the door 11 and against the protector unit 50 to cover the aperture in the protector unit.
FIG. 2a is an elevation view of the shaped door jamb and stop rail shield 26. In a preferred model of the invention, the shield is formed from 1/16 inch milled steel which has been shaped to fit across the jamb and stop rail and extend along the inside and outside walls of the jamb. Normally the milled steel would be plated with a plating such as brass to prevent rusting and to make the shield more attractive. FIG. 2a shows an end face member 32 of the shield which contains a face aperture 38.
FIG. 2b is a cross section view of the shaped door jamb and stop rail shield 26 taken along line 2b--2b of FIG. 2a. The figure shows the end face member 32, an outside jamb plate 28, an inside jamb plate 30, the face aperture 38, a first side 35, of the end face member 32 and a second side 36 of the end face member 32. Plate 28 is fixedly connected to member 32 along side 35 and plate 30 is fixedly attached to member 32 along side 36.
FIG. 3a is an elevation view of the outside of the door protector unit 50. It shows an outside escutcheon plate 19, an aperture 41 in the escutcheon plate 19, an outwardly directed and vertically extended flange 25 which is attached to the escutcheon plate 19 by means of a welding plate 33 which is integrally attached to the flange 25 and is spot welded or otherwise fixedly attached to the plate 19.
FIG. 3b is a cross section view of the door protector unit 50 taken along lines 3b -- 3b of FIGS. 3a and 3c. It shows the outside escutcheon plate 19 containing the aperture 41 together with the outwardly directed and vertically extended flange 25 and its integrally connected welding plate 33 which are fixedly attached to the plate 19. FIG. 3b also shows an end face plate 21 containing an aperture 22 and a first side 24 of plate 21 which is fixedly or integrally attached to the outside plate 19 and a second side 37 of plate 21 which is integrally or fixedly attached to an inside escutcheon plate 39 which contains an aperture 44.
FIG. 3c is an elevation view of the door protector unit 50 showing the end face plate 21 which contains the aperture 22. The figure also shows the first side 24 and the second side 37 of the end face plate 21. The flange 25 also appears in the figure.
FIG. 4 is a partially sectioned view showing the door lock protector assembly 10 installed on the hinged door 11 and the door jamb 12 with the door 11 in a closed position. The figure shows the door 11 with an outside face 20 and an inside face 40 and a free end face 17. The door 11 contains within it a door lock 15 with a retractable bolt 16. Movably attached to the lock 15 and extending out of the face 20 of the door 11 is the outside lock turning shaft 42 which connects the outside door knob 51 to the lock 15. The outside door knob cover plate 52 surrounds the shaft 42 and is connected threadedly to bolts (not shown) extending through the door 11 to an inside door knob cover plate 53 so that the plate 52 can be secured tightly against the door 11 by tightening the bolts through the inside door knob cover plate 53. Likewise, an inside lock turning shaft 45 is movably attached to the lock 15 and extends through the inside face 40 of the door 11 to connect the lock 15 with an inside door knob 54. The inside door knob cover plate 53 surrounds the shaft 45 and is supplied with bolts (not shown) which enable the inside plate 53 to be secured tightly against the door 11.
As also shown in FIG. 4 the retractible bolt 16 of the lock 15 extends, when the door is closed and locked, into an opening 18 in the jamb 12. The jamb 12 has an outside 29 and inside 31 and an open end 34. The opening 18 extends into the jamb 12 through the open end 34. The stop rail 14 is fixedly attached to the jamb 12 in a vertically extended direction along the open end 34. The door molding 13 is attached to the jamb 12 on the outside 29 around the door opening 27 (see FIG. 1). An inside door molding 55 is similarly attached to the inside 31 of the jamb 12 around the door opening 27 (not shown).
In the preferred embodiment of this invention as shown in FIG. 4 the door protector unit 50 consists of a substantially U-shaped metal or plastic unit 56 containing and forming the outside escutcheon plate 19, the inside escutcheon plate 39, and the end face plate 21. The outside 19 contains the aperture 41, the inside plate 39 contains the aperture 44 and the end face plate 21 contains the aperture 22. The outwardly directed and vertically extended flange 25 together with its integrally attached welding plate 33 are fixedly attached to the outside plate 19. Flange 25 is positioned on plate 19 sufficiently close to the end face plate 21 to prevent the passage of a flexible tool, such as a thin plastic or thin metal strip from being inserted between the flange 25 and the jamb 12 to tamper with the retractible bolt 16 and sufficiently far away from the end face plate 21 that the flange 25 does not strike the jamb 12, the stop rail 14, or any other item attached to the jamb 12 when the door 11 is opened.
The flange 25 as shown in the preferred embodiment extends approximately perpendicularly to the escutcheon plate 19. In other variations of this invention, the flange 25, although outwardly directed from the escutcheon plate 19, may be angled toward the plate 21 and in other variations angled away from the plate 21. The aperture 41 permits passage of the shaft 42 through the plate 19. The aperture 44 permits passage of the inside shaft 45 through the plate 39 as shown in FIG. 4. The outside plate 19 and the inside plate 39 may be tightly secured to the door 11 by tightening the bolts (not shown) which connect the outside door knob cover plate 52 and the inside door knob cover plate 53.
As further shown in FIG. 4 the shaped door jamb and stop rail shield 26 is positioned on the jamb 12 and the stop rail 14 along the open end 34 of the jamb 12 in the vicinity of the opening 18. The shield 26 comprises an outside jamb plate 28 which is positioned along the outside 29 of the jamb 12 and between the outside 29 and the door molding 13; an inside jamb plate 30 which is positioned along the inside 31 of the jamb 12 and between the inside 31 and the inside door molding 55; and an end face member 32 which is positioned along the open end 34 of the jamb 12 and the stop rail 14. The end face member 32 contains the face aperture 38 through which the bolt 16 of the door lock 15 may pass to permit the bolt 16 to engage the jamb 12 in the opening 18. A striker plate 49 is secured by screws (not shown) into the jamb 12 through the face aperture 38 thereby also fastening the shield 26 to the jamb 12.
In other variations of this invention additional fastening of the shield 26 to the jamb 12 may be made by providing screw openings in the outside jamb plate 28 and the inside jamb plate 30 and securing said plates 28 and 30 to the jamb 12 by means of mounting screws (not shown).
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of this invention mounted on a door and jamb with the door opened. The figure shows the door 11, the door jamb 12, the door molding 13, the inside door molding 55, and the stop rail 14. It also shows the door protector unit 50 mounted on the door 11 with the outside escutcheon plate 19 containing the outwardly directed and vertically extended flange 25 secured in position on the door by the outside door knob cover plate 52 which surrounds the outside lock turning shaft 42 which extends from and is connected to the outside door knob 51. A key 59 is shown in the knob 51. Indications of the end face plate 21 and the inside escutcheon plate 39 are also shown.
The shaped door jamb and stop rail shield 26 is shown in FIG. 5 mounted on the jamb 12. The location of the outside jamb plate 28 against the outside 29 of the jamb 12 is also shown. The figure also shows the striker plate 49 with screw apertures 46 secured in position by means of mounting screws 48. The aperture 57 is also shown.
FIG. 6 shows a variation of the shaped door jamb and stop rail shield. The figure is an elevation view which corresponds to the view of FIG. 2a of the preferred embodiment. FIG. 6 shows the end face member 32 of the shield 26 and a smaller face aperture 38a which permits passage only of the retractable bolt 16 therethrough. The member 32 also contains two openings 58 for mounting screws 48 (see FIG. 5) to pass thereby securing the striker plate 49 (FIG. 5) and the shield 26 to the jamb 12.
FIG. 7 shows one of the many possible variations of the present invention. The figure shows a door lock protector assembly 70 as utilized on a hinged door 71 with a double lock system 72. The system 72 has a door latch 84 and a lock mechanism (not shown) which may be operated by means of a thumb actuating plate 73 of the latch 84 above a door handle 74. The actuating plate 73 and handle 74 are mounted on mounting plates 75. The system 72 also has a key lock unit or night latch 76. A night latch bolt (not shown) can be operated by inserting a key in the key hole 77 of the latch 76.
As also shown in FIG. 7 a door jamb 78 with a stop rail 79 provides the fixed unit against which the door 71 may be closed together with openings 82 and 83 in the jamb 78 to receive the locking and latching bolts from the door latch 84 and the night latch 76. The bolt from the latch 84 is engagable in opening 83. The bolt from latch 76 is engagable in opening 82.
As further shown in FIG. 7 the door lock protector assembly 70 consists of a substantially U-shaped metal or plastic door unit 85 which fits into a free end 86 of the door 71 and covers portions of the outside, inside and free end 86 of the door 71 in the vicinity of the double lock system 72. The unit 85 contains holes which permit the door latch 84 and night latch 76 to be mounted outside the unit 85 and still be securely attached to the door 71 and to operate the latch bolts (not shown) operated by the latch 84 and the latch 76. The door unit 85 also contains an outwardly directed and vertically extended flange 87 which is located when installed sufficiently close to the free end 86 to prevent a flexible tool from being inserted between the door 71 and the jamb 78 when the door 71 is closed and sufficiently far from the free end 86 to permit the door 71 to be opened without the flange 87 striking any portion of the jamb 78 or any device attached to it.
The assembly 70 also comprises a shaped door jamb and stop rail shield 88. The shield 88 fits over an open end 89 of the jamb 78 and the stop rail 79. The shield 88 has an inside plate (not shown) which is mounted between the jamb 78 and an inside door molding 81 and an outside plate 90 which is mounted between the jamb 78 and an outside door molding 80. The inside plate (not shown) and the outside plate 90 are fixedly attached to and an integral part of the shield 88. An end face member 91 of the shield 88 extends over the rail 79 and the open end 89. It contains one or more apertures (not shown) to permit the latch bolts from latches 76 and 84 to pass through the shield 88 into the openings 82 and 83. The apertures (not shown) also provide passageways for mounting screws 92 to extend through the shield 88 into the jamb 78. A strike plate 93 is mounted on the jamb 78 over the shield 88 in such a position that a plate opening 94 provides access to the jamb 78 opening 82 and a plate opening 95 provides access to the jamb 78 opening 83. The mounting screws 92 secure the plate 93 and the shield 88 to the jamb 78.
It has been found that if the ANGLE A shown in FIG. 3b between the inside escutcheon plate 39 and the end face plate 21 and the ANGLE B between the outside escutcheon plate 19 and the end face plate 21, as measured along a horizontal plane through the door protector unit 50, is each less than 90° that the unit 50 is more easily mounted on the door 11. Therefore, ANGLES A and B need be only approximate right angles. They may actually range from about 75° up to something greater than 90°.
From the above it may be seen that the objectives of this invention have been achieved in that a simple, relatively inexpensive device has been provided which may be easily adapted to existing doors and door jambs to provide greatly increased protection from unauthorized entry through locked doors by preventing the use of a flexible tool to force the lock bolt back into the door, to greatly increase the difficulty of prying loose the jamb stop rail and to provide added strength to the door panels and door jamb in the vicinity of the lock to prevent entry through the door by forceful splitting of the door or door jamb in the vicinity of the lock.
The above detailed description is for illustration only. Modifications and variations of the present invention can be made by those skilled in this art having the above teaching before them without departing from the scope and teachings of this invention. Accordingly the following claims are intended to encompass all such variations.