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D E S C R I P T I O N The present invention relates to a set of metal sections, especially for window and door frames with sliding panels.

As is known, window and door frames with sliding panels are made with a fixed frame and with one or more movable frames. Both the fixed frame and the movable frame comprise a respective pair of lateral vertical sections and a respective pair of horizontal sections, upper and lower, forming respective corner joints. The movable frame or frames incorporate glass panes and are provided with guide wheels for sliding with respect to the fixed frame, so as to form sliding panels.

The frames are assembled by joining the sections at the corners with head joints; to this end seats are made in the vertical sections in which the horizontal sections are inserted, that are then fastened with screws, forming a 90° joint. Thus the vertical sections have sizes that are larger than those of the horizontal sections, even in those cases where an especially high resistance to stresses is not required. Moreover, the horizontal sections of the movable frames differ from the vertical ones because they are provided with means for supporting the guide wheels for sliding.

This series of structural differences between the vertical and horizontal sections involves the need of a production diversification that makes development and manufacture of the products quite complex, increasing their final cost. The object of the present invention is a set of metal

sections, especially for window and door frames with sliding panels, having a high structural uniformity and thus allowing a simplification of the development and manufacture of the products and a reduction of the corresponding costs. Such object is attained with a set of metal sections for window and door frames wherein means for supporting wheels for the sliding action of movable frames are associated with brackets for joining vertical and horizontal sections for a movable frame. In this way the vertical and horizontal sections of a frame can be substantially similar and can be obtained to advantage from a single bar.

According to the invention, a set of metal sections for window and door frames, especially for window and door frames with sliding panels, comprises vertical and horizontal sections for a fixed frame and vertical and horizontal sections for a movable frame, joined by means of respective joining brackets so as to form respective corner joints, and is characterized in that joining brackets for corner joints of said movable frame are provided with means for supporting wheels capable of guiding said panels as they slide with respect to said fixed frame.

According to a preferred embodiment said vertical and horizontal sections of at least one frame have a substantially similar transversal cross-section, as they are obtained to advantage from a single bar.

Preferably said vertical and horizontal sections of at least one frame have end walls inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to corresponding longitudinal axes, suitable for being joined by means of said respective joining brackets, to form said respective corner joints.

With this solution it is possible to attain a considerable structural uniformity of the sections, with advantages of simplification in the development and manufacture of the products and of substantial reductions of costs. Features and advantages of the invention will now be illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment represented as a non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a window with sliding panels, whose frames are made with a set of sections according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the plane II-II of Fig. 1, in an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane III-III of Fig. 1, in an enlarged scale;

Figs. 4 and 5 represent in an axial cross-section and in an enlarged scale the sections of Figs. 1-3;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the plane VI-VI of Fig. 1, in an enlarged scale; Figs. 7 and 8 are partial sectional views, in an enlarged scale, of corner joints of the frames of the window of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 is a right-hand lateral view of the corner joint of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a variant of the corner joint of Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a partial sectional view taken along the plane XI-XI of Fig. 10;

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are left-hand lateral front and plan views, respectively, in an enlarged scale, of a corner bracket of Fig. 8. There is represented in Fig. 1 a window and door frame

formed by a window with panels sliding in the direction of the arrows 1; the window has a fixed frame, indicated as a whole with 2, that supports two sliding panels 3, each provided with a respective movable frame, indicated as a whole with 4, with glass panes 5 and with handles 6. The window is also provided with a fixed panel, indicated as a whole with 7. The fixed frame 2 is fastened with known means in the seat of the window.

As shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 7, the fixed frame 2 is constituted by a pair of lateral vertical metal sections 8, and by pair of horizontal metal sections 9, upper and lower. The sections 8 and 9, made of aluminium alloy, have a substantially "U-shaped" transversal cross-section, as also shown in Fig. 4, and are formed by a tubular casing 10 and by two longitudinal fins 11 having ends 12 folded to form guide rails of the panels 3, as will be illustrated later. The transversal cross-section of the vertical 8 and horizontal 9 sections is substantially similar, in shape and dimensions. As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the corner joints 15 between the sections 8 and 9 are accomplished by means of end walls 13 and 14 inclined at an angle of about 45° with respect to corresponding longitudinal axes; the inclined walls 13 and 14 are joined by means of joining brackets like the one, known, indicated as a whole with 16 in Fig. 7.

There are indicated with 18 and 19 two additional sections, with a substantially "L-shaped" transversal cross-section clearly visible in Fig. 3; one, 18, is fastened to the upper section 9 and forms a covering trim and dripper, to protect the panels, the other, 19, is fastened to the ₍ lower section .9 and forms a covering trim and a channel for collecting condensate water.

The movable frame 4 of each panel 3 is constituted by a pair of vertical metal sections 20, one lateral and one central, and by a pair of horizontal metal sections 21, upper and lower, clearly visible in Fig. 2, 3, 8 and 9. The sections 20 and 21, made of aluminium alloy, have a substantially

"H-shaped" transversal cross-section, as also shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and are formed by a transversal wall 22, provided with a longitudinal hole 23, and by lateral walls 24. The walls 24 are curved at one end to house seals, not shown, that engage with a glass pane 5, and are provided with holding tangs 25, suitable for forming seats 47 for seals, not shown, and a seat 48, whose function will be illustrated later. The transversal cross-section of the vertical sections 20 and horizontal sections 21 is substantially similar, in shape and dimensions. Corner joints 26 between the sections 20 and 21 are formed by means of end walls 27 and 28 inclinded at an angle of about 45° with respect to corresponding longitudinal axes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8; the inclined walls 27 and 28 are joined by means of joining brackets, like the one indicated as a whole with 29, that are inserted in the seats 48 and engage the transversal wall 22 and the tangs 25 of the sections 20 and 21.

There are indicated with 30 and 31 two additional sections with a substantially "L-shaped" transversal cross-section, fastened to the central vertical sections 20 of the panels 4, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to form a joint that is air- and watei—tight.

To advantage, both the sections 8 and 9 and the sections 20 and 21 are obtained from a single respective bar; when they are needed, the bars are cut in sections of a length adequate for forming the vertical and horizontal sections for the fixed

frame 2 and for the movable frames 4.

Each joining bracket 29, as it appears from Fig. 8, 9, 12 - 14, has "-."-shaped lateral walls 32, wherein there are obtained connecting grooves 50 and partially annular seats 33, suitable for rotatably supporting a pivot 34 of a wheel 35, that slidingly guides the panels 3 with respect to the fixed frame 2, through the engagement with the folded end 12 of a fin 11 of a section 9, as shown in Fig. 2. The walls 32 are joined by transversal walls 36, one of which is provided with an abutment appendix 37 that acts as a limiting device for the sliding movements of the panels 3, while the other is provided with a hole 38, suitable for housing a screw 39. The sides of each bracket 29 are inserted in the seats 48 of the sections 20 and 21, so as to form the corner joints 26, that are then fastened by screwing the screw 39 in the longitudinal hole 23 of a horizontal section 21.

There is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 a joining bracket 40, wherein parts similar to those of the bracket 29 are indicated with the same numbers. The bracket 40 has lateral walls 42 provided with slots 41, in which there is inserted the pivot 34 of the wheel 35, rotatably supported by a stirrup 42, by means of annular seats 43 obtained in its sides. To the stirrup 42 there is fastened an adjustment screw 44, that screws into a plate 45 fastened to the walls 32 of the bracket 40. The screw 44 and the slots 41 permit the adjustment of the position of the panels 3 with respect to the fixed frame 2, moving the pivot 34 of the wheel 35 with respect to the section 21, so as to eliminate any clearance.

It appears from the preceding description that the set of sections 8, 9, 20, 21 described, with its high degree of

structural uniformity, allows substantial simplification in the development and manufacture of the products and considerable cost reductions.