Patent Application
20070113498
This invention relates to finishing arched doorways. More particularly this invention relates to a unique method of finishing an arched door in a building wall using a two piece door frame having a jamb and casing attached thereto. If the door frame includes a stop then the archway is suitable for hanging an arched top door therein.
An arched doorway creates an artistic appeal and an elegance in a room which a rectangular door frame lacks. The problem with utilizing arched doorways is that their conventional construction is both complicated and time consuming. Most tradesmen who hang and finish wallboard are not prepared to provide arched doorways. Detailed layout is not something these tradesmen usually do, or normally need to know. These problems to some degree have been overcome by three piece archway kits which are sold to simplify and speed up the construction of an arched doorway in a framed rectangular opening. These three piece kits have joints on opposite straight side portions, and an arched top portion which spans across between the opposite sides. The door frame portions in the arched door way kit normally include door jams and casings. Typically wall board is hung both around the straight side portions of the doorway, and left hanging down over what will become the top arched portion of the framed doorway. The straight side portions are first installed, the drywall hanging over the top central portion of the door way is next arched, and then the central portion is installed over the top arched opening in the doorway, adjacent to and over the straight side portions. The arched central member is installed over as well as adjacent to the straight side portions in order to cover the joint therebetween. This results in what looks like a flared header, or is known as a capital, on both sides of the doorframe. This capital protrudes into the door opening and makes the installation of any door covering the opening difficult. Another problem with this construction method is weakness in the joints between the straight side portion and central arched portion. The arch requires additional framing within the interior corner portions of the rectangular opening to provide sufficient support to the arched wallboard. Another problem with many of these three piece archway kits is that they utilize capitals or flared headers to cover the joint between the opposite side straight portions of the door jam and the top overhead arched portion thereof. These capitals extend inwardly into the door opening making it more difficult to hang a swinging door in the opening.
It is an object of this invention to disclose a prefabricated arch construction kit. It is an object of this invention to disclose an arch construction kit which will inherently provide adequate support adjacent to the arch within a rectangular framed opening without the need for additional angular framing. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a prefabricated arch construction kit which has a minimal number of pieces and a system which maintains those pieces in close proximity without the need to cover the gap with an additional board. Lack of an additional board not only reduces cost, but lack of a gap covering board which protrudes into the door opening allows a door to be hung within the arched opening. Capitols are inconsistent with common contemporary styling.
One aspect of this invention provides for an arched door frame for use within an arched opening in a framed, wallboard clad wall comprises: two similar door frame side portions each having a lower straight portion, an upper rounded portion, and an upper connection edge portion; wherein each door frame side portion has a jamb having a width generally equal to a stud width and two thicknesses of wallboard, and a contoured casing attached to both a front and rear edge portion of the jamb; and, frame side alignment and connection maintenance means to centrally align and maintain the two frame side portions in close proximity.
In a preferred aspect of the invention the frame alignment means comprises clip holes and dowels in the upper connection edge of one of the door frame side portions, and wherein the connection maintenance means comprises a front and back U shaped clip having opposite ends which are received in the clip holes, one clip hole in an outer edge of each jamb side portion, said clip holes positioned therein to maintain the door frame side portions in close proximity when the U shaped clips are inserted therein.
A method of constructing an arched door frame in a framed rectangular wall opening comprises the steps of: a) attaching wallboard around the lower straight side portions of the opening; b) attaching wallboard around and across the upper arched portion of the opening; c) roughly marking the upper portion of the arch on the wallboard and removing the interior side portion of the arch; d) positioning one side portion of the door frame within the arched opening; e) positioning the other side portion of the door frame within the arched opening; f) using a frame side alignment and connection maintenance means to centrally align and maintain the two frame side portions in close proximity; and thereafter, g) attaching the two side portions of the door frame to the studs in the framed wall.
Various other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The following is a discussion and description of the preferred specific embodiments of this invention, such being made with reference to the drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar parts and/or structure. It should be noted that such discussion and description is not meant to unduly limit the scope of the invention.
Turning now to the drawings and more particularly to
Arched door frames 20 are dimensioned to fit either 4″ or 6″ nominally dimensioned stud walls 16. The door frames 20 are dimensioned for standard width, 30, 32, 34, and 36″ wide door framed door openings 18.
A general method of constructing an arched door frame 20 in a framed rectangular wall opening 18 comprises the steps of: a) attaching wallboard 14 around the lower straight side portions of the opening 18; b) attaching wallboard 14 around and across the upper arched portion of the opening 18; c) roughly marking the upper portion of the opening 18 on the wallboard 14 and removing the interior side portion thereof; d) positioning one side portion 22 of the door frame 20 within the opening 18; e) positioning the other side portion 22 of the door frame 20 within the opening 18; f) using a frame side alignment and connection maintenance means 34 to centrally align and maintain the two frame side portions 22 in close proximity; and thereafter, g) attaching the two side portions 22 of the door frame 20 to the framed wall 16. This general method may further comprise the step of aligning the frame side portions 22 using dowels 36 and maintaining the frame side portions 22 in alignment by inserting the U shaped clips 38 in the clip holes 40. This general method may further comprise the step of positioning and attaching casing keys 39 between the top central side portions of the casing 32 attached to the door frame side portions 22.
While the invention has been described with preferred specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.
