US3676966A

US3676966A - Door-frame assembly

Info

Publication number: US3676966A
Application number: US888571A
Authority: US
Inventors: Douglas Ragland
Original assignee: RAGLAND Mfg AND CONSTRUCTION C
Current assignee: RAGLAND Manufacturing AND CONSTRUCTION CO; RAGLAND Mfg AND CONSTRUCTION C
Priority date: 1969-12-29
Filing date: 1969-12-29
Publication date: 1972-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-18

Abstract

A door-frame assembly for mounting in the door opening of a wall wherein the weight of the door mounted thereon is carried on concealed support members rather than the jambs. The assembly has a pair of rigid support members mounted on either side of the door. In the preferred case, plates, secured to the support members, face the door opening and are spaced generally such that the hinges of the door can be fastened directly thereto through openings in the jambs. The jambs can be of the double rabbet type including door stops having a channel facing the door opening and which contain apertures through which screws or other fastening means can be placed to secure the jambs to the plates. The channel is provided with a snap-in, flexible insert such that the fastening means are concealed. The door stop can also have a channel which faces the door side of the assembly and in which is carried a flexible insert to act as a weather seal or gasket. The header section, which serves also to space the support members, can be of either the same configuration as the jambs or can be comprised of a fascia strip which snaps into a partition cap. The support members can be adjusted vertically to accommodate various door height openings. This is accomplished by means of vertical slots located close to each end of the support through which extend fastening means which are slidable in the slots and adjustably tightenable in lower or upper brackets mounted on the floor or wall supporting members respectively. The sides of the jambs which embrace respective sides of the wall adjacent the door openings are equipped with in-turned legs which engage the wall surfaces and which contain longitudinal passageways into which can be inserted dowel pins to allow for splicing thereof.

Description

United States Patent Ragland 41 DOOR-FRAME ASSEMBLY [72] Inventor: Douglas Ragland, Houston, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Ragland Manufacturing and Construction Company, Houston, Tex.

[22] Filed: Dec. 29, 1969 [21] Appl.No.: 888,571

Primary Examiner--Alfred C. Perham Alt0meyRalph R. Browning [45] July 18, 1972 ABSTRACT A door-frame assembly for mounting in the door opening of a wall wherein the weight of the door mounted thereon is carried on concealed support members rather than the jambs. The assembly has a pair of rigid support members mounted on either side of the door. In the preferred case, plates, secured to the support members, face the door opening and are spaced generally such that the hinges of the door can be fastened directly thereto through openings in the jambs. The jambs can be of the double rabbet type including door stops having a channel facing the door opening and which contain apertures through which screws or other fastening means can be placed to secure the jambs to the plates. The channel is provided with a snap-in, flexible insert such that the fastening means are concealed. The door stop can also have a channel which faces the door side of the assembly and in which is carried a flexible insert to act as a weather seal or gasket. The header section, which serves also to space the support members, can be of either the same configuration as the jambs or can be comprised of a fascia strip which snaps into a partition cap. The support members can be adjusted vertically to accommodate various door height openings. This is accomplished by means of vertical slots located close to each end of the support through which extend fastening means which are slidable in the slots and adjustably tightenable in lower or upper brackets mounted on the floor or wall supporting members respectively. The sides of the jambs which embrace respective sides of the wall adjacent the door openings are equipped with inturned legs which engage the wall surfaces and which contain longitudinal passageways into which can be inserted dowel pins to allow for splicing thereof.

20 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 1 8 I972 SHEET 1 BF 3 7 Douglas Rag/and INVENTOR ATTORNEY PATENTED Juu 81972 SHEET 3 OF 3 R mm 9N Y "m E W N Q R m p m w. W T 0 A D B r m; y 7 6 3 3 DOOR-FRAME ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a door frame assembly and more particularly to a door frame assembly in which the door hinges are secured to concealed support members rather than the door jamb or casing, and in which the fastening means used to secure the jamb or casing to the support members can be concealed.

The utilization of metallic materials such a steel and aluminum for door frames and the like is well known. In particular, the use of aluminum door frames with their desirable appearance qualities is widespread in commercial buildings. While aluminum can be easily fabricated by extrusion into door frames and offers a pleasant appearance, it suffers from the disadvantage of being relatively soft and lacking the structural strength of steel. Many currently used aluminum doorframe assemblies are constructed in such a manner that the hinges of the doors are fastened directly to the aluminum door jambs. It has been found that such construction is undesirable since the weight of most doors used in commercial buildings is such that the screws used to mount the hinges on the aluminum jamb are easily caused to pull out due to the softness of the aluminum. Although several different door frame designs have been proposed whereby the hinges are not mounted directly to the aluminum frame, these suffer from the disadvantage of being more expensive to fabricate and generally more difficult and time consuming to install.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a door-frame assembly which may be quickly and easily installed, and which offers maximum strength and a pleasing appearance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a doorframe assembly wherein the hinges of the door are mounted directly to a concealed support member rather than the jamb and wherein the weight of the door is borne by both support members rather than thejamb.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a door-frame assembly in which the means used to fasten the jambs of the door frame can be concealed from view.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a door-frame assembly having concealed support members that are adjustable in length to accommodate varying door height openings.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a doorframe assembly in which the jambs and header can be easily spliced to accommodate varying heights and widths of door openings.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the description given herein and the appended claims.

The door-frame assembly presented herein uses rigid support members or studs suitably mounted on either side of the door opening. Provision can be made to make the studs vertically adjustable. Hinge supporting means which preferably comprise plates facing the door opening are fastened to at least one of the studs at suitable intervals. Channel-shaped jambs having side wings embracing opposite sides of the wall are fastened to the support members. The header section of the door-frame assembly which serves to laterally space the support members can be of two types depending on the wall construction. In one type wherein a self-contained door frame is employed, the header is of substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the casing members and is mortised to interfit therewith at the upper corners of the door opening. In the case where the door opening is in a wall having a partition cap, the header is comprised of a snap-in fascia strip. In this situation, the partition cap is a channel-shaped member having side wings which point toward the door opening. The side wings are provided with in-turned legs each having a longitudinal recess facing one another. The fascia strip, of generally U- shape and having detent legs snaps into the partition cap, projections on the legs of the fascia strip engaging the recesses in the legs of the partition cap. At least one of the jambs has at least one opening in the area where the hinge supporting means abuts the concealed side of the jamb such that the door hinge may be secured directly to the hinge supporting means and thus the weight of the door is transmitted directly to the studs or support members rather than acting on the jamb.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a fragmentary isometric view showing the hinge side of the door-frame assembly of the present invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary isometric views of a header and a hinge side-jamb, respectively, showing the manner in which they are assembled to form a mortised joint.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the-line 5-5 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a header assembly comprised of a fascia strip which snaps into a partition cap.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a hinge-side support member.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a strike-side support member.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary isometric view showing the strike side of the door-frame assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of another hinge-side support member.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, there is seen a header section, shown generally at 10, interfltted at a mortised joint to a hinge-side jamb, shown generally at 11. The header section 10, of the double rabbet type with a generally channel-shaped cross-section, has a web 10a and a pair of laterally extending limbs I3 to embrace opposite sides of the wall. ln-turned legs 14 extend from the free ends of limbs 13 towards opposite sides of the wall. Door stop 15 of header section 10 is provided with channels (described below) having flexible inserts I6 and 17. Hinge-side jamb 11 has the same general cross-sectional shape as header section 10 and is likewise comprised of a web 18 and limbs 19 extending laterally therefrom. The free ends of limbs 19 are provided with in-tumed legs 20 which, as in the case of header section 10, embrace the wall surfaces. Door stop 21 of jamb 11 also has

flexible inserts

22 and 23 fitted into channels described more fully below. Hinge-side support member 24 has fastened thereto hinge-support plate 24a. Hinge-support plate 24a is provided with threaded holes 27 by means of which a hinge leaf can be fastened thereto through mortised opening 28 in hinge-side jamb 11.

Reference is now made to FIG. 9 for a detailed description of the strike side of the door-frame assembly of the present invention. The strike-side jamb, shown generally at I2, has substantially the same cross-sectional shape as hinge-side jamb II and header section 10, being comprised of web 29 having laterally extending limbs 30 and in-turnecl legs 31 extending from the free edges of limbs 30, legs 31 serving to engage the opposite sides of the wall. Door stop 32 of jamb 12 has flexible insert 33 fitted into a channel facing the door opening and flexible insert 34 fitted into a channel facing the door side of the assembly.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 11 show the details of a typical strike assembly. Strike plate 35 is fastened to strike-support plate 35a by means of screw 36 engaging threaded hole 52 in plate 35a. Strike box 37 is held in place in recess 51 of support member 25 by being sandwiched between strike support plate 350 and strike plate 35.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1, 7, 8 and 10 for a detailed description of the support members of the present invention. As best seen in FIG. 7, hinge-side support member 24 is generally channel shaped in cross-section having a web 40 and wings 41 extending laterally therefrom, the free ends of wings 41 having in-turned flanges 42 running substantially parallel to web 40. Mounted on hinge-side support member 24 are hinge support plates 24a which although welded to support member 24 can be fastened by any other suitable means. Hinge-support plates 24a having threaded holes 24b for receiving hingeside jamb fastening screws 71 (shown in FIG. 4), are generally spaced in such a fashion to accommodate the spacing of the hinges on the door to be mounted. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 7, when hinge-side jamb 11 is properly mortised to provide an opening 28 whereby hinge-support plates 24a are exposed hinge leafs can be connected directly to hinge-support plates 24a which of course are attached to support member 24. Since in the usual case, support member 24 fits between the sides of the wall in which the door is to be mounted, it is generally not wide enough to accommodate all of the hinge fastening screws. To circumvent this problem, support plates 24a are fastened to support member 24 so as to overlap the web 40 and thus provide a threaded fastening hole for all the hinge fastening screws. Support member 24 is also provided with

slots

43 and 44, located closely adjacent opposite ends thereof, to provide an adjustable mounting means (described more fully below).

Strike-side support member 25 has generally the same cross-sectional shape as hinge-side support member 24 having a web 45 with a pair of wings 46 extending from the lateral edges thereof, the free edges of wings 46 having in-turned flanges 47 extending therefrom substantially parallel to web 45. Strike-side support member 25 has fastened thereto, by welding or some other suitable means, backing plates 48 having threaded openings 49 therein to receive strike-side jamb fastening screws 71a (shown in FIG. Strike-side support member 25 also has fastened thereto, by welding or some suitable means, strike-support plate 35a. Strike support plate 350 is provided with threaded holes 52 whereby a strike plate can be fastened thereto and threaded holes 53 lying generally centrally thereof for receiving strikeside jamb fastening screws 71a which extend through strike-side jamb 12 to secure strikeside jamb 12 to support member 25. Support member 25 generally contains two cut-away

portions

50 and 51 which allow for the insertion of a strike box (shown in FIGS. 9 and 11). As in the case of hinge-side support member 24, strikeside support member 25 has

vertical slots

54 and 55 located closely adjacent the lower and upper ends respectively,

slots

54 and 55 serving as a means, in conjunction with suitable brackets, to fasten strike-side support member 25 to the floor and a suitable upper structural member in the wall or ceiling. Whereas FIGS. 7 and 8 depict support members for use where the door is substantially the same height as the support members, FIG. depicts a support member, shown generally as 26, for use where the support member runs to the ceiling whereas the door does not. Support member 26, which as shown is a hinge-side support member, is alike in practically every detail to support member 24, being generally channelshaped in cross-section having a web 56 and a pair of wings 57 extending therefrom, each free end of wings 57 having an inturned flange 58 which runs generally parallel to web 56.

As best seen in FIG. 10 also, the means of fastening the support members on either side of the door opening, includes a means to adjust the height of the support members. The adjustable fastening means is comprised of

slots

43 and 44, L- shape brackets 60 and fasteners 61 which are slidable in

slots

43 and 44 and adjustable in brackets 60. As can be seen, when one leg of L-shape brackets 60 are fastened to the floor and ceiling or upper wall supporting member by means of screws extending through holes 62, support member 26 can be moved vertically up and down to the desired position and then threaded fasteners 61 screwed into threaded holes in the other leg of L-shape brackets 60 to secure support member 26 in place.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2, 3 and 10 to show the interfitting of header section 10 and the side jambs 11 and 12. For purposes ofillustration, strike-side jamb I2 and strike-side support member 25 are used. However, it is to be understood that the interfitting of the hinge-sidejamb II is identical. Web 12 of header section 10 is cut away so as to provide a tongue portion 63 extending therefrom. The length of tongue 63 is substantially equal to the thickness of web 29 of strike-side jamb 12 plus the thickness of strike-side support plates 48 such that when header 10 is fitted into strike-side jamb 12, the end of tongue 63 abuts against the web 45 of strike-side support member 25. Likewise hinge-sidejamb 11 is similarly mor tised so as to allow interfitting of the other end of header section 10 with the result that the ends of header section 10

abut support members

24 and 25 at the top part of the door opening. Header section 10 is secured to the door frame assembly by means of header bracket 64 which is L-shaped and has one leg secured to support member 25. The other leg of L-shaped bracket 64 fits against the concealed side of web 12 of header section 10. Header bracket 64 has threaded opening 65 whereby a threaded fastener extending through aperture 66 in web 12 of header section 10 can screwably engage threaded hole 65 to secure header section 10. Header bracket 64 can be secured to support member 25 by welding or any other suitable means. As shown in FIG. 10, a header bracket 64a having a vertical slot 59 in one leg can be adjustably fastened to support member 26 by means of a screw slidably extending through slot 59 and engaging a threaded hole in support member 26. This allows some vertical positioning of bracket 64a, which of course is fastened to header section 10 in the same fashion as that described for fastening bracket 64 to header section 10.

Referring now to FIG. 4, hinge-side support member 24 is positioned between

sides

67 and 68 of the wall being secured at the top and bottom by brackets 60 as explained above. Although not absolutely necessary, support member 24 can be further secured in the door opening by means of fasteners 69 extending through

wall edge facings

70 and 68 and engaging a suitable threaded opening in the wings 41 of support member 24. Wall edge facings 70 are obviously not necessary at all. Hinge-sidejamb 11 is secured in the door opening by means of threaded fasteners 71 extending through apertures in the bottom of channels 77, threaded fastener 71 screwing into threaded openings 24b of hinge-support plates 24a. Hinge leaf 72 of hinge 73 fits in mortise 28 of hinge-side jamb 11 so as to be substantially flush with web 18 of hinge-side jamb ll. Hinge leaf 72 is fastened by means of threaded fasteners 73 which screw into threaded openings 27 of hinge-support plate 240. As can be seen, this method of fastening hinge leaves 72 to the door-frame assembly results in the weight of the door being directly borne by the

support members

24 and 25 rather than, the jambs. As explained above, since

support members

24 and 25 are spaced by header section 10 and bear directly on the ends thereof, any moment acting parallel to the header section caused by weight of the door is transmitted from the hinge-side support member 24 through header section 10 acting in compression to support member 25 such that the weight of the door and any resulting moment acts against the support members rather than the jambs. In effect, and contrary to prior art door-frame assemblies, the exposed header section of the present invention acts in conjunction with concealed support members to bear the weight of the door. In heretofore proposed'assemblies, the exposed header acted in conjunction with the exposed jambs to support the door. This novel method of construction makes the door-frame assembly of the present invention clearly superior to other prior art assemblies.

Door stop 21 on hinge-side jamb 11 is provided with a channel 77 facing the door opening and a channel 79 facing the door side of the door-frame assembly. While channel 77 can be of any cross-sectional shape, as shown it is of a substantially rectangular cross-secti0n having recesses 76 running longitudinally along the sides thereof. Flexible insert 22 also is of a generally rectangular cross-section and has projections 78 extending from and running longitudinally along the opposing sides thereof, the projections 78 serving to fit into recesses 76 in channel 77. Once insert 22 is inserted in channel 77, threaded fastener 71 used to secure jamb 11 to support member 24 is concealed. Channel 79 which can also be of any shape but which as shown is of a generally trapezoidal-shaped cross-section, the base being formed by the bottom of channel 79, is also provided with flexible insert 23 of a generally triangular-shaped cross-section. While insert 79 as shown is hollow, it can be solid if preferred. Door stop 15 of header section and door stop 32 of strike-side jamb 12 are likewise provided with

identical inserts

16,17, 33 and 34 which fit into

corresponding channels

16a, 17a, 33a and 34a respectively.

As seen in FIG. 5, strike-side jamb 12 is secured to strikeside support member 25 in the same fashion that hinge-side jamb 11 is secured to hinge-side support member 24, threaded fastener 71a extending through apertures in the bottom of the channel, into which insert 33 fits, engaging threaded

openings

49 and 53 of

plates

48 and 35a mounted on strike-side support member 25. Flexible inserts 33 and 34 are shown in the channels of door stop 32 on strike-side jamb 12.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate header assembly wherein the header is comprised of a fascia strip which snaps into a partition cap portion. The partition cap section is generally channel shaped having a web 82 and a pair of wings 83 extending from the lateral edges thereof. Each free end of wings 83 has an in-turned leg 84. The fascia strip, also generally channel shaped, is comprised of a web portion 85 having a pair of detent legs 86 extending from the lateral edges thereof. Detent legs 86 are provided with projections 87 running longitudinally along the outside surfaces thereof. Web 85 has lip portions 88 on the lateral edges projecting past the outside surface of detent legs 86. In-tumed legs 84 of the partition cap section have recesses 89 facing one another and have a beveled corner 90 such that when the fascia strip is snapped into the partition cap section, projections 87 snap into recesses 89 and lips 88 fit the beveled corners 90 of legs 84 to form a flush fit of the fascia strip in the partition cap. The fascia strip is also provided with a door stop 91 having a trapezoidal-shaped channel 91 facing the door side of the doorframe assembly. Channel 92 is provided with flexible insert 93 of the same type and shape as

inserts

34 and 23.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and particularly in FIG. 2, the door-frame assembly of the present invention provides a method whereby the header section 10, side jambs 11 and 12 or the partition cap section of FIG. 6 can be spliced to accommodate various door heights and widths. While the splicing means is only described for the header section 10, it is to be understood that identical splicing means, as seen in the figures, is employed with the side jambs and the partition cap section of the alternate header assembly of FIG. 6. Passageway 74 extending longitudinally through legs 14 of header section 10 are provided with dowel 75 which snugly fits into passageway 74 thus allowing either the side jambs, or the header section, or the partition section of FIG. 6 to be increased in length if the need arises such as when a door-frame assembly is moved from a smaller to a larger door opening.

The hinge-support means attached to the support member can take various forms depending on the exact construction of the wall. As described above and preferably, the hinge support means comprise a plurality of plates fastened in a suitable manner such as by welding or by bolting to the support members, the plates being spaced such that the hinges of the door can be fastened directly thereto through suitably spaced mortised openings in the casing or jamb members. However, the hinge supporting means can constitute a single plate welded or otherwise affixed substantially along the entire length of the support member. Also the hinge supporting means can comprise a flange extending from the support member and being an integral part thereof but being wide enough to accommodate all of the hinge fastening screws. In general, it is only necessary that the hinge support means provide a surface to which the hinges of the door can be directly attached, the hinge support means in turn being attached, either as an integral part or by some suitable fastening technique such as welding, bolting, etc., to the support members. In general, due to the construction of most walls, the hinge supporting means will extend past the lateral edge of the support member on one side to accommodate the hinge and yet not interfere with the side of the wall.

It should be understood, that while in most cases the doorframe assembly will be utilized to hang a door having a plurality of spaced hinges, it is possible that the door being hung may have only a single hinge extending substantially the full length of the door and therefore having only a single hinge leaf to be fastened to the hinge support means. In this situation, the hinge support means would preferably comprise, rather than a plurality of spaced plates attached to the hinge-side support member, a single hinge-support plate running substantially the length of the hinge leaf. In this case, the hinge jamb would simply be mortised to provide an opening for the entire length of the single hinge leaf. Also, as will be obvious, occasion may arise when both support members have hinge support means fastened thereto such as when double doors are employed.

While the strike-side support member is shown as having backing plates and a strike mounting plate attached thereto, this represents only a preferred embodiment and not a necessity. For example, the strike assembly and the strike-side jamb can be secured directly to the strike-side support member having none of the backing plates or the strike support plates. Furthermore, in the case of the door-frame assembly being utilized for a two-way swinging door where possibly no strike assembly is needed, obviously the strike assembly can be dispensed with completely. In that event, the strike-side support member serves primarily to support the weight of the door as transmitted via the hinge-side support member and the header and to serve as a mounting for the strike-side jamb.

The support members need not be made vertically adjustable, however, it is preferred that they be adjustable to accommodate varying door heights which are encountered. While other means can be employed to adjust the height of the support members, the use of the upper and lower L-shaped brackets secured to the floor and ceiling and/or wall member provides an easy method of installation of the support members and an equally easy method of adjusting their vertical height. Since the support members can be vertically adjusted and the side jambs and header jamb can be spliced, the doorframe assembly presented herein can be transferred from a smaller to a larger door opening without the necessity of having to construct an entirely new door-frame assembly. The advantages of such a system are obvious in commercial structures wherein frequent remodeling is being carried on to form new office space and wherein the door openings in the walls are not uniform.

As will be recognized the side jambs and header need not be provided with door stops, i.e., they need not be of the double rabbet type but can be plain. For example, in the case where a two-way swinging door is hung, the door stops would be dispensed with. In that event, the jambs would be fastened to the support members by a suitable hole drilled through the web of the jambs and the header. Furthermore, when the side jambs and header are provided with door stops, the door stops need not have the channels shown in the preferred embodiments. The channel facing the door opening provides an effective way to conceal the fastening means used to secure the side jambs and header respectively, but if concealment is not desired, the channel may be dispensed with. Also, while one may wish to retain the channel facing the door opening, in order to allow concealment of the fastening means, the trapezoidal-shaped channel facing the door side of the door-frame assembly can be dispensed with. However, the trapezoidalshaped channel with the triangular-shaped flexible insert permits quietness in door closing and acts as a gasket or weather seal. The particular shape of the channels is not critical, the ones shown being preferred but not necessary. The flexible inserts provided for the channels can be made of any flexible material such as plastic, rubber or other material commonly employed for such purposes.

The materials of constructions of the support members, jambs, header members, etc., is not critical. Generally, however, the support members will be constructed of steel although heavy-gauge aluminum could be employed. It is preferred that the hinge-support means secured to the support members he of a material sufficiently hard enough such that the screws used to secure the door hinges will not be pulled out if excessive moment or torque is applied to the door. While in the preferred case, the jambs will be made of extruded aluminum, it is possible to construct the jambs and header members out of certain plastic materials. In fact, it is the unique construction of the door-frame assembly of the present invention which allows the usage of plastics as the jamb and/or header material. Asexplained above, the weight of the door is completely borne by the support members thus eliminating the need for the jambs to have any substantial structural strength. Thus the door-frame assembly of the present invention allows door jambs and headers to be constructed of cheaper and easier to fabricate materials such as plastics.

As evidence of the ease with which the door-frame assembly of the present invention can be removed from an existing doorway, it has been found that a complete door-frame assembly including support members, jambs, headers, etc., can be completely disassembled to be moved to another door opening in 4 /1 minutes. The advantages of such ease of disassembly, which carry over into installation, are obvious when one considers the number of door-frame assemblies generally installed in office buildings and other commercial structures.

lclaim:

1. A door-frame assembly for mounting in a door opening of a wall and between upper and lower structural members comprising:

a. a rigid support member mounted on each side of said door opening between opposite sides of said wall;

b. means anchoring said support members to said upper and lower structural members;

c. hinge supporting means secured directly to at least one of said support members;

. a pair ofjambs mounted on each side of said door opening, said jambs being generally channel-shaped in cross section, having a web and a pair of limbs extending laterally from each end of said web and embracing opposite sides of said wall adjacent said opening, at least one of said jambs having at least one opening therein so as to allow securing of at least one hinge leaf to said hinge supporting means; and

e. a header section mounted horizontally across the top of said opening between said jambs, portions of the ends of said header section extending beyond the webs of said jambs and abutting said support members whereby any moment caused by the weight of a door mounted on said assembly and acting parallel to said header section is transmitted through said header section acting in compression from the support member on which said door is mounted directly to the opposing support member.

2. The door-frame assembly of claim 1 wherein said hinge support means comprises at least one plate attached to said support member, at least one edge of said plate extending past the lateral edge of said support member, said plate having a width sufficient to accommodate fastening ofa hinge leaf.

3. The door-frame assembly of claim 2 wherein there are a plurality of said plates, said plates being spaced along said support member so as to allow fastening of a plurality of hinge leaves thereto.

4. The door-frame assembly of claim 3 wherein said support members are generally U-shaped in cross-section, having a web and a pair of limbs, the free end ofeach limb having an inturned flange running longitudinally along said limb.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said means anchoring said support members includes means to adjust the vertical height of said support members.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said header section is generally channel shaped in crosssection and has a web and a pair of limbs adapted to embrace opposite sides of said wall adjacent said opening, said header and said jambs being mortised to interflt one another at their intersecting points.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein said jambs and said header section are provided with door stops extending substantially their full length.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein each of said door stops on said side jambs has a longitudinal channel facing said door opening, the bottom of said channel facing said door opening having apertures therein whereby fasteners can be inserted through said apertures and secured to said supportmembers.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein said channel facing said door opening is provided with a flexible insert.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein said channel facing said opening and said flexible insert have a generally rectangular-shaped cross-section, opposing sides of said insert having projections running longitudinally therealong and said channel facing said door opening has recesses running longitudinally along the sides thereof whereby said projections may snap into said recesses when said insert is placed in said channel facing said door opening.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein each of said door stops on said jambs and said header section has a channel facing the door side of said door-frame assembly.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein each of the channels facing the door side of said door-frame assembly is provided with a flexible insert.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said channel facing said door side of said assembly has a generally trapezoidalshaped cross-section, the base of said trapezoidal-shaped cross-section being formed by the bottom of said channel facing said door side of said assembly and said insert has a triangular-shaped cross-section.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the free end of each limb of each of said jambs and said header section has an inturned leg running longitudinally along said limb and projecting toward theouter surfaces of said wall.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein each of said in-turned legs has a passageway running longitudinally therethrough, and there are provided dowel pins to fit into said passageways to allow for splicing of saidjambs and said header section.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said header section comprises a fascia strip for snapping into a partition cap portion, said partition cap portion being generally channel shaped and having a web and a pair of limbs, said limbs extending downward toward said opening, the free end of each of said limbs having an in-turned leg running longitudinally therealong, each of the legs having a recess running longitudinally therealong facing one another, said fascia strip being generally channel shaped in cross-section having a web and pair of detent limbs, each of said detent limbs having an outward facing projection running longitudinally therealong for snapping into the recesses in the legs of said partition cap portion, the lateral edges of the web of the fascia strip projecting past the outside surfaces of said detent limbs to form opposing lips, each of said in-turned legs on said partition cap portion being beveled to accommodate said lips, whereby said fascia strip flts substantially flush into said partition cap portion, the ends of said fascia strip abutting said support members.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein said fascia strip has a door stop, said door stop having a channel facing the door side of said assembly.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein said channel facing said door side is provided with a flexible insert.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein said channel facing said door side of said assembly has a generally trapezoidalshaped cross-section, the base of said trapezoidal-shaped cross-section being formed by the bottom of said channel facing said door side of said assembly and said insert has a generally triangular-shaped cross-section.

said partition cap portion.

Claims

1. A door-frame assembly for mounting in a door opening of a wall and between upper and lower structural members comprising: a. a rigid support member mounted on each side of said door opening between opposite sides of said wall; b. means anchoring said support members to said upper and lower structural members; c. hinge supporting means secured directly to at least one of said support members; d. a pair of jambs mounted on each side of said door opening, said jambs being generally channel-shaped in cross section, having a web and a pair of limbs extending laterally from each end of said web and embracing opposite sides of said wall adjacent said opening, at least one of said jambs having at least one opening therein so as to allow securing of at least one hinge leaf to said hinge supporting means; and e. a header section mounted horizontally across the top of said opening between said jambs, portions of the ends of said header section extending beyond the webs of said jambs and abutting said support members whereby any moment caused by the weight of a door mounted on said assembly and acting parallel to said header section is transmitted through said header section acting in compression from the support member on which said door is mounted directly to the opposing support member.

2. The door-frame assembly of claim 1 wherein said hinge support means comprises at least one plate attached to said support member, at least one edge of said plate extending past the lateral edge of said support member, said plate having a width sufficient to accommodate fastening of a hinge leaf.

4. The door-frame assembly of claim 3 wherein said support members are generally U-shaped in cross-section, having a web and a pair of limbs, the free end of each limb having an in-turned flange running longitudinally along said limb.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said means anchoring said support members includes means to adjust the vertical height of said support members. 6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said header section is generally channel shaped in cross-section and has a web and a pair of limbs adapted to embrace opposite sides of said wall adjacent said opening, said header and said jambs being mortised to interfit one another at their intersecting points.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein each of said door stops on said side jambs has a longitudinal channel facing said door opening, the bottom of said channel facing said door opening having apertures therein whereby fasteners can be inserted through said apertures and secured to said support members.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein said channel facing said door side of said assembly has a generally trapezoidal-shaped cross-section, the base of said trapezoidal-shaped cross-section being formed by the bottom of said channel facing said door side of said assembly and said insert has a triangular-shaped cross-section.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the free end of each limb of each of said jambs and said header section has an in-turned leg running longitudinally along said limb and projecting toward the outer surfaces of said wall.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein each of said in-turned legs has a passageway running longitudinally therethrough, and there are provided dowel pins to fit into said passageways to allow for splicing of said jambs and said header section.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said header section comprises a fascia strip for snapping into a partition cap portion, said partition cap portion being generally channel shaped and having a web and a pair of limbs, said limbs extending downward toward said opening, the free end of each of said limbs having an in-turned leg running longitudinally therealong, each of the legs having a recess running longitudinally therealong facing one another, said fascia strip being generally channel shaped in cross-section having a web and pair of detent limbs, each of said detent limbs having an outward facing projection running longitudinally therealong for snapping into the recesses in the legs of said partition cap portion, the lateral edges of the web of the fascia strip projecting past the outside surfaces of said detent limbs to form opposing lips, each of said in-turned legs on said partition cap portion being beveled to accommodate said lips, whereby said fascia strip fits substantially flush into said partition cap portion, the ends of said fascia strip abutting said support members.

19. The assembly of claim 18 wherein said channel facing said door side of said assembly has a generally trapezoidal-shaped cross-section, the base of said trapezoidal-shaped cross-section being formed by the bottom of said channel facing said door side of said assembly and said insert has a generally triangular-shaped cross-section.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein each of said in-turned legs of said limb of said partition cap portion has a passageway running longitudinally therethrough, and there are provided dowel pins to fit into said passageways to allow for splicing of said partition cap portion.