The invention relates to handles, for example to handles for windows and doors. Such handles commonly comprise a handle portion rotatable on a base portion. In use, the base portion is attached to a window or door and the handle portion is provided with a spindle which passes through the base portion and into an operating mechanism so that rotation of the handle with respect to the base portion operates the mechanism and opens or closes the window or door.

One typical form of handle is manufactured by moulding the handle around the end of the spindle to secure the spindle within the handle. The handle has a projecting collar surrounding the spindle which is passed through a hole in the base portion and is then deformed to secure the handle portion and base portion together while still permitting rotation of the handle portion with respect to the base portion.

This method of manufacture is relatively expensive, and furthermore the length of the spindle is determined during the initial manufacturing stages. The invention provides a handle comprising a handle portion, a base portion and a spindle, the handle portion being rotatable with respect to the base portion but being held in position against the base portion by trapping the base portion between a projecting part of the spindle and the handle portion. The projecting part of the spindle may comprise a washer surrounding the spindle.

The washer may be held in position on the spindle by engagement with a shoulder on the spindle. The inner end of the spindle is preferably gripped within the handle portion.

Preferably the inner end of the spindle is an interference fit within a socket of the handle portion. The inner end of the spindle portion may have projections to increase the grip between the spindle and the handle portion. The projections may comprise a plurality of annular barbs.

The inner portion of the spindle may be tapered.

The angle of taper may be from 0.5° to 0.75°.

A claim to a further embodiment, the inner end of the spindle portion, and the inner part of the handle portion, have co-operating flats to reduce the risk of the handle portion rotating with respect of the spindle portion.

The handle portion is preferably of plastics material and the spindle is preferably of metal. A preferred material for the handle portion is ABS. The ABS may be plated.

A preferred material for the spindle is mild steel.

The base portion may be provided with a cover cap, for example to conceal one or more fixing holes.

The cover cap may also be of ABS and may be plated.

In an alternative embodiment, the handle is an aluminium or magnesium die casting.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of a handle according to the invention;

Figure 1 a is an enlarged detailed view of part of the spindle of the handle;

Figure 2 is a side view of the handle; Figure 3 is a front view of the handle;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the handle taken on line A - A of Figure 3;

Figures 4a and 4b are more detailed views of part of the cross-sectional view of Figure 4;

Figure 5 is a view similar to figure 3 showing a second embodiment handle according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view on line B-B of figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view on the spindle of the embodiment shown in figures 5 and 6.

The principle components of the handle shown in the figures 1 to 4b are a handle portion 10, a base portion 1 1 and a spindle 12. In use the handle portion 10 has to be rotatably mounted on the base portion 11 with the spindle 12 projecting from the handle portion 10, through the base portion 1 1 , and into a window or door such that rotation of the handle portion 10, with respect to the base portion 11 , causes rotation of the spindle 12 within the window or door, thus operating a mechanism of the door.

This embodiment of the invention is principally concerned with the way in which the components 10, 1 1 and 12 are assembled and fastened together.

The handle does however include a latch assembly 13, a locking barrel 14 and a cover cap 15. When the handle is in use, the locking barrel 14 can be operated to lock the handle portion 10 in position with respect to the base portion 1 1 , thus locking the window or door.

The components 10, 1 1 , 13 and 15 may be moulded from plastics material. Spindle 12 and locking barrel 14 are made of metal. The handle portion 10 has a projecting circular cross-section boss 16 which in use projects through holes in the latch assembly 13 and the base portion 1 1. The location of the boss 16 within the hole in the base portion 1 1 guides the handle portion for rotation with respect to the base portion 1 1.

The metal spindle 12 is manufactured from a length of square cross-section metal which is turned down to provide a cylindrical portion 17 and the end of the cylindrical portion is then further treated to provide annular barbed ribs 18 the profile of which is shown in more detail in Figure 1a.

The turning down of the portion 17 provides a square cross-section shoulder 19.

As best seen in Figure 4b, the hole 20 in the base portion 1 1 also has a shoulder 21. The handle is provided with a washer 22 which has an inner diameter slightly larger than the portion 17 of the spindle 12 such that the washer can slide over the portions 18 and 17 of the spindle 12 until the washer comes to rest against the square cross- section shoulder 19. The washer 22 has an outer diameter which is too large for the washer to pass right through the hole 20 in the base portion 11 but can fit within the larger diameter portion of the hole provided by the shoulder 21 , as best seen in Figure 4b.

The key components are very simply secured together by passing the spindle 12 through the washer 22, through the base portion 20, through the hole in the latch sub- assembly 13, and into the boss 16. The size of the portion 18 is selected to be an interference fit within the boss 16, as best seen in Figure 4a.

To facilitate the forcing of the portion 18 into the socket in the boss 16, the portion 18 may be provided with a slight taper angle, for example from 0.5° to 0.75°.

In other words, the portion 18 of the spindle 12 is forced into the boss 16 and cannot subsequently be withdrawn therefrom. The portion 18 is securely gripped within the boss 16 and it is the grip provided by this interference fit which retains the components together, while still permitting the handle portion 10 to rotate with respect to the base portion 1 1 , unless it is locked in position by operation of the locking barrel 14.

The way in which the locking barrel 14 and latch sub-assembly 13 fit within the handle 10 is shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 4 but will not be described in detail, since these components are conventional.

The base portion 1 1 has holes 23 therein for mounting the base portion on a window or door. In use, one of the fixing holes 23 is concealed by the handle 10, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and to make the assembly aesthetic, the other hole 23 is covered by clipping on the cover cap 15.

The handle portion 10 and base portion 1 1 may be made of any suitable plastics material, PC or ABS being preferred. ABS has the advantage that it can be plated.

The base portion 11 may be made of similar material, or may be a zinc die casting.

The spindle 12 is preferably made from mild steel. The cover cap 15 may also be of PC or ABS. The latch assembly 13 may be of ABS or nylon.

The locking barrel 14 may be of any suitable metal.

In the embodiment shown in figures 5 to 7, the spindle 12 is provided with a flat 24

(see figure 7) and the handle 10 is provided with a corresponding flat 25 (see figure

6). These flats cooperate to ensure that the spindle cannot slip and rotate within the handle.

In yet another embodiment, the handle may comprise an aluminium or magnesium die casting.

All the principle manufacturing steps are carried out before final assembly of the components, which can be carried out on site, or during a late stage of manufacture. Thus the length of spindle 12 can be chosen at the last minute, to suit on site parameters, such as the thickness of the window or door.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.