Draining door sill assembly with adjustable threshold cap

• US 5,136,814 A
• Filed: 05/09/1991
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Headrick Management Corporation
• Original Assignee: Headrick Management Corporation
• Inventors: Headrick, J. Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): KANNAN, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US07/697,665
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 49/468, 49/471, 49/469, 49/470
• US Class Current: 49/468
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/70 Sills; Thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2001/707 Thresholds with special provision for insulation
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/9632 between a jamb and the threshold or sill of window or door frames

Abstract

A draining threshold and door sill assembly has an elongated frame member forming an upwardly open channel and a sill that slopes away from the channel. A threshold cap is removably captured within the channel and protrudes slightly thereabove. An end cap is securely fastened to an end of the assembly and is formed with a drain trough that extends transversely beneath the end of the assembly. The drain trough has a first portion that at least partially underlies the end of the channel and extends to a mouth at the outside edge of the assembly. Rain water that seeps under the threshold cap and into the channel flows to the end of the channel and into the drain trough of the end cap, which directs the water beyond the outside edge of and away from the assembly. The threshold cap has no openings in the top thereof and is vertically adjustable in the channel by means of a set of threaded pedestals that depend from the bottom of the threshold cap and rest on the floor of the channel. The pedestals can be threaded into and out of the threshold cap to adjust the vertical position of the cap within the channel.

Claims

1. A threshold and door sill assembly comprising:

an elongated frame member formed with a longitudinally extending upwardly open channel and a sill shaped to provide a surface that extends laterally and slopes downwardly from one side of said channel to an outside edge of said frame member;

an elongated threshold cap sized and configured to be received and supported within said channel with at least a portion of said threshold cap protruding upwardly from said channel;

an end cap adapted to be securely mounted to one end of said elongated frame member with said end cap being formed with a drain trough that extends transversely beneath said one end of said frame member;

said drain trough having a first portion positioned at least partially to underlie an end of said channel and an end portion forming a mouth at the outside edge of said frame member when said end cap is mounted to said frame member;

whereby rain water seeping under the threshold cap and into the channel flows to the end of the channel and into the end cap drain trough, which directs the water beyond the outside edge of the frame member and away from the threshold and sill assembly.

2. A threshold and door sill assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said channel is formed with a gutter that extends the length of said channel and wherein said first portion of said end cap drain trough is positioned to underlie an end of said gutter whereby rain water seeping under the threshold cap and into the channel is collected in the gutter and delivered thereby to the drain trough to be directed away from the threshold and sill assembly.

3. A threshold and door sill assembly as claimed in claim 1 and wherein said drain trough is further configured at least partially to underlie an end of said sill when said end cap is mounted to said frame member whereby rain water seeping under the assembly at the end of the sill is captured in the drain trough and directed thereby away from the threshold and sill assembly.

4. A threshold and door sill assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said channel has a floor and wherein said assembly further comprises means for selectively adjusting the vertical position of said threshold cap within said channel, said means including a set of threaded pedestals depending from and arrayed along the underside of said threshold cap with said pedestals being adapted to rest upon said channel floor and support said threshold cap thereabove, said pedestals being adapted to be threaded into and out of said threshold cap for adjustment of the vertical position of said threshold cap within said channel.

5. A threshold and door sill assembly as claimed in claim 4 and wherein a set of threaded lugs are mounted in the underside of said threshold cap and wherein said pedestals are threadably received within said threaded lugs.

6. A threshold and door sill assembly as claimed in claim 5 and wherein said threaded pedestals are formed with slotted heads at their lower ends whereby the pedestals can be adjusted with a screwdriver and wherein said slotted heads rest upon said channel floor when said threshold cap is positioned within said channel.

7. A threshold and door sill assembly as claimed in claim 6 and wherein said channel has an outside wall with an upper edge and an inside wall with an upper edge and wherein said assembly further comprises a rubberized strip mounted to and extending along the upper edge of said channel outside wall with said rubberized strip being configured to bear firmly against said threshold cap when said threshold cap is in position within said channel whereby the threshold cap is captured firmly between the rubberized strip and the channel inside wall and the rubberized strip forms a gasket to reduce seepage of rain water beneath the threshold cap.

8. A threshold and door sill assembly as claimed in claim 7 and wherein said channel inside wall is tapered outwardly at its upper edge to hold said threshold cap firmly but removably within said channel.

9. A threshold and door sill assembly comprising:

an elongated frame member formed with a longitudinally extending upwardly open channel having a floor, and a sill shaped to provide a surface that extends laterally and slopes downwardly from one side of said channel to an outside edge of said frame member;

an elongated unitary threshold cap having an uninterrupted upper surface and sized and configured to be received and supported within said channel with at least a portion of said threshold cap protruding upwardly from said channel; and

adjustment means for selectively adjusting the vertical position of said threshold cap within said channel, said adjustment means including a set of threaded pedestals depending from and arrayed along the underside of said threshold cap with said pedestals being adapted to rest upon said channel floor and support said threshold cap thereabove, said pedestals being adapted to be threaded into and out of said threshold cap from the bottom side thereof for adjustment of the vertical position of said threshold cap within said channel.

10. The threshold and odor sill assembly of claim 9 and wherein said threaded pedestals are formed with slotted heads at their lower ends whereby said pedestals can be threaded into and out of said threshold cap with a screwdriver and wherein said threshold cap is supported above said channel floor upon the slotted heads of said pedestals.

11. The threshold and door sill assembly of claim 10 and further comprising a set of threaded lugs mounted to the underside of said threshold cap and wherein a respective one of said pedestals is threadably secured within a corresponding one of said threaded lugs.

12. In a threshold and door assembly of the type having a threshold cap mounted in an elongated channel and protruding upwardly therefrom and a sill shaped to provide a surface that extends laterally and slopes downwardly from one side of said channel to an outside edge of said assembly, the improvement comprising an end cap on said assembly with said end cap being mounted to one end of said frame member and being formed with a drain trough that extends transversely beneath said one end of said frame member, said drain trough having a first portion positioned at least partially to underlie an end of said channel and an end portion forming a mouth at the outside edge of said assembly, whereby rain water seeping under the threshold cap and into the channel flows to the end of the channel and into the end cap trough, which further directs the water beyond the outside edge of and away from the threshold and sill assembly.

13. In a threshold and door sill assembly of the type having an elongated threshold portion from which a sill portion downwardly slopes to a forward edge, a method of collecting rain water that seeps under the assembly and directing the collected rain water away from the assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing the rain water as it seeps under the assembly;

(b) directing the captured rain water to the ends of the assembly;

(c) receiving the rain water at the ends of the assembly and directing the received water transversely beneath the sloped sill portion of the assembly to the forward edge thereof; and

(d) expelling the water from the assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 and wherein step (c) includes providing an end cap on the assembly with the end cap being formed to define a drain trough positioned to receive rain water at the ends of the assembly and direct it to the forward edge thereof.

15. An entranceway door assembly comprising a door frame having spaced vertically extending jambs, a door hingedly secured to one of said jambs, and a threshold and sill assembly extending between and secured to the bottom end portions of said vertically extending jambs, said threshold and sill assembly comprising an elongated frame member formed with a longitudinally extending upwardly open channel and a sill shaped to provide a surface that extends laterally and slopes downwardly from one side of said channel to an outside edge of said frame member, an elongated threshold cap positioned and supported within said channel with at least a portion of said threshold cap protruding upwardly from said channel, an end cap securely mounted to one end of said elongated frame member with said end cap being formed with a drain trough that extends transversely beneath said one end of said frame member, said drain trough having a first portion positioned at least partially to underlie an end of said channel and an end portion forming a mouth at the outside edge of said frame member, whereby rain water seeping under the threshold cap and into the channel flows to the end of the channel and into the end cap drain trough, which directs the water beyond the outside edge of the frame member and away from the threshold and sill assembly.

16. A threshold and door sill assembly comprising an elongated frame member having a threshold portion, a sill portion, ends, and a forward edge;

at least one end cap secured to an end of said frame member with said end cap forming member, said though having a portion that at least partially underlies the end of said frame member to capture water that seeps under said assembly at the ends thereof, said end cap and said trough extending beneath said sill portion of said assembly to a mouth at the forward edge of said frame member, whereby water seeping beneath the end of the frame member is collected in the drain trough and directed thereby beneath the sill portion of the assembly to the forward edge thereof for drainage away from the threshold and door sill assembly.

17. The threshold and door sill assembly of claim 16 and wherein said trough extends beyond the end of said frame member a distance sufficient to underlie the bottom of a door jamb secured to the assembly end to collect water seeping under the end of the door jamb, and direct it away from the assembly.

18. A threshold and door sill assembly comprising an elongated body having ends and a forward edge, means on said assembly for collecting rain water that seeps into and under the assembly and directing the collected rain water along the length of said elongated body to the ends thereof, and means on at least one end of said elongated body for capturing rain water directed to such end, directing the captured rain water transversely beneath said body to the forward edge of the assembly, and expelling the rain water from said assembly at the forward edge thereof.