When fitting a door a carpenter must be able to hold the door in a vertical plane whilst maintaining the door edge, on which hinges are to be attached, substantially parallel to the doorframe in which the door is to be fitted. This task has proven to be quite difficult, especially with heavy or large doors.

Prior Art One way in which the carpenter has been able to maintain the door in the correct Orientation, in order to enable it to be fitted, was to employ a mate or an assistant. However, clearly this increased the cost of fitting the door, as an additional person needed to be employed for what was often only a short period of time. Another way in which the problem has been solved was for the carpenter to use a makeshift bracket that held the door in one orientation. One way of doing this was to place a pile of bricks or wood against each face of the door. A disadvantage with this was this type of crude, makeshift bracket was that the door was only held in one plane (parallel to the door frame). The carpenter still had to adjust the height of the door, so that it was properly aligned vertically within the frame, which proved difficult because when the carpenter varied the height of the door the bracket was disturbed and had to be reset. Another disadvantage with such crude brackets has been that they often marked, or even damaged the door.

The invention arose in an effort to overcome the aforementioned problems.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a clamp for clamping a door, the clamp having first and second clamp surfaces which define a jaw for clamping each face of the door; the surfaces being moveable with respect one to another, so as to accommodate doors of different widths; a base plate in which the clamp surfaces are supported and able to move with respect to one another and a locking means for locking the clamp surfaces when desired.

Preferably the clamp surfaces are supported on a clamp member and each member is able to move with respect to one another respect one to another, in the baseplate, so that, in use the door is clamped in a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to the plane of the base. Ideally both the jaws are disposed substantially at right angles to the plane defining the baseplate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a clamp for clamping a door, the clamp having first and second clamp surfaces which define a jaw for clamping each face of the door; the surfaces being moveable with respect one to another, so as to accommodate doors of different widths; a base plate in which the clamp surfaces are supported and able to move with respect one to another and a locking means for locking the clamps when desired, characterised in that the door is clamped at a height so that in use a door edge is less than 0.01 m from the ground.

Ideally the baseplate is sufficiently thin so as to enable it to be placed below the door thereby not requiring the door to be raised to too high a level. Otherwise, if the baseplate were too thick, an unacceptable gap would be present once the door had been fitted. Preferably the thickness of the baseplate is between 3 to 6 mm and ideally it is less that 4mm.

Due to the size of the baseplate it will be appreciated that the clamp may be used to grip and locate the door whilst the door is lying on its side, lengthwise. In this orientation the door is prevented from toppling whilst it is being worked on by a carpenter. The clamp therefore conveniently acts as a"mini vice"and enables the carpenter for example, to form grooves on the door edge, for receiving hinges; as well as other tasks such as planing, sanding and even drilling handle holes in the door. Carpenters may prefer to use one, or preferably two clamps, arranged in this manner to hold and locate the door at a convenient height, in order to work quickly and easily on the door local to where it is being fitted; rather than have to transport the door to a larger vice or workshop. A particularly beneficial feature of the clamp, when holding the door in this orientation, is that it raises the height of the door by a relatively small amount (the thickness of the baseplate) and therefore positions the door at an ideal height for working on. This ideal height facilitates marking, sawing, planing, chiseling and generally working on the part of the door that is required in order to fit it. Once hinges, handles and other furniture has been fitted, the clamp is released, the door rotated through 90° and the clamp repositioned under the door to enable it to be hung, as described below. The baseplate preferably has a portion of material disposed on it to prevent damage to, or marking of, the edge of the door.

Preferably the baseplate has an area, which is capable of preventing tipping or toppling of the door. Typically the area of the baseplate is between 0. 1 m2 to 1 m2 and ideally between 0. 25M2 toO. 5M2.

Adjustable feet may be positioned in or on the baseplate, which permit the baseplate to be adjusted so that different parts may be raised and lowered in order to accommodate unusually high steps, sills or uneven floors.

Ideally at least three, and preferably four, of the feet are provided in the baseplate, enabling the baseplate to be adjusted in a manner so that it can be rendered level.

Preferably the adjustable feet are retractable and are supported on a threaded shaft. A suitable recess is defined in the baseplate to receive each adjustable foot so that it is retractable within the thickness of the baseplate. An advantage of this is that the feet do not protrude beyond the thickness of the baseplate, thus ensuring it is as slim as possible to slide below a door. A suitable material may be placed on the feet so as to prevent marking or damage to floors.

One or more spirit levels may be located in, or on, the baseplate so that, in the event of uneven floors, the base of the door may be established as level.

Preferably a fabric or other material, such as a resiliently deformable synthetic plastics material or foam rubber material, is disposed on each of the clamp surfaces of the jaws of the clamp, so that when a door is gripped the door is neither damaged nor marked by their gripping action.

Packing means may be used with the door, at an edge remote from the hinge so as to assist levelling the door. Such packing means are ideally the same height as the baseplate of the clamp and may be used to prevent the door from tipping, thereby assisting in maintaining the door square within the door from during fitting of the hinges. Packing means are particularly useful in fitting large or heavy doors, In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention only one of the clamp members is capable of being moved. However, an embodiment of the invention is envisaged in which both are moveable.

In the embodiment of the invention in which only one of the clamp members is capable of being displaced, adjustment of the moveable clamp member is achieved in a myriad different ways. A particularly advantageous technique in which this movement has been achieved is by way of a guide, which is defined in the baseplate. The guide is defined by a slot and is adapted to permit lateral movement of one of the clamp members therewithin.

Means is provided in the guide, which is dimensioned and arranged to permit the locking of the moveable clamp member with respect to the baseplate. A particularly advantageous embodiment employs a slot or aperture having a recessed groove formed in the baseplate and a foot which is dimensioned to be received in the slot, the foot being disposed in the slot, for example, by way of a sympathetic raised lip adapted to engage the groove so as to enable slidable movement of the clamp member within the slot, but prevent its removal therefrom. It will be appreciated that the lip may be formed in the slot and a recessed groove may be formed on the foot of the clamp member.

The baseplate and each of the clamp members are ideally demountable so as to enable the door clamp to be disassembled and packed suitable for storage or transport. Alan screws or bolts may be employed to enable the clamp members to be securely connected to the baseplate.

The baseplate is ideally formed from a material such as mild steel or aluminium.

The clamps may be formed from a synthetic plastics material such as nylon, ABS or they may be formed from wood or an injection moulded plastics or even aluminium.

The locking means may employ a catch, toothed rack and pinion, friction fit or other suitable locking means. Ideally however a quick release lock is employed which is connected to a screw thread.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the Figures in which: Brief Description of the Figures Figure 1 shows an above plan view of the clamp ; Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the clamp in the direction of arrow X; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the clamp in the direction of arrow Y; Figure 4 is an end view of the clamp ; Figure 5 is a diagrammatical view of the clamp holding a door being worked on in order to fit hinges; and Figure 6 is a diagrammatical view of the clamp holding a door for fitting.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Referring to the Figures, there is shown a clamp 10 comprising baseplate11 having first and second jaws 12 and 14 arranged to receive a door 16. Felt, deformable synthetic plastics material such as synthetic foam or other similar fabric are disposed in layers or sheets 18 on inner clamp surfaces of jaws 12 and 14 so as to prevent marking the door 16. An aperture 20 is formed in the baseplate 11 and permits jaw 12 to move in the direction of double headed arrow A. A quick release locking lever 24 acts to lock jaw 12 firmly with respect to the baseplate 10 and jaw 14. Feet 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d are mounted on respective threaded portions 28a to 28d. The feet 26 may be adjusted to vary the height and orientation of the baseplate so as to accommodate uneven floors, lips or sills. Strengthening ribs 30 are formed in the clamps. These transmit compressive force of the jaws 12 and 14 on the door 16 into the baseplate 10.

The jaws 12 and 14 are connected to the baseplate 11 with countersunk bolts 38.

Clamp 10 will now be described briefly with reference to the Figures in operation.

Clamp 10 may be used to grip and locate the door 16 whilst the door 16 is lying on its side, lengthwise, effectively acting as a"mini vice". Two clamps may be used, one at each of the door 16, to achieve this. This configuration of clamps 10 enables a carpenter 50, to form grooves 52 in door edge 56, for receiving hinges 42; as well as other tasks such as planing, sanding and even drilling handle holes in the door 16. By holding and locating the door 16 at a convenient height, it can be worked on quickly and easily local to where it is being fitted.

This is seen to be an advantage to carpenters, because the door 16 is raised to an ideal height for working on. Clamping the door at a height h, of typically less than a centimetre above ground level, facilitates marking, sawing, planing, chiseling and generally working on the part of the door 16 that is required in order to fit it. Once hinges 42, handles (not shown) and other furniture (not shown) have been fitted, the clamp 10 is released, the door 16 rotated through 90° and the clamp 10 repositioned under the door 16 to enable it to be hung, as described below. The baseplate 11 preferably has a portion of material disposed on it to prevent damage or marking to a floor. Packing means 99 may be used to assist leveling the door 16.

A carpenter places the door 16 to be fitted on the clamp 10 so that it is able to stand upright freely and without support. The door 16 is then oriented so that it is substantially at the correct height to be received into a doorframe 40 and the door 16, whose edge receives hinges, is aligned in a substantially parallel plane to the doorframe 40 in which the door is to be located. Hinges 42, which have been fitted to the doorframe 40 are then connected to the edge of the door 16, by moving the door, held in the clamp 10, to a position where the hinges may be attached. By attaching the hinges in this way the door 16 is able to swing freely within the frame 40. Once this has been done the clamp 10 is removed. The door 16 is thus properly hung and the clamp 10 may be reused for another door or disassembled for storage. The plane of the door 16 is thus seen to be perpendicular to the doorframe at any position at which the hinges are extended.

The invention has been described by way of preferred embodiments only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, although the clamp 10 has been described in an embodiment in which one of the jaws is displaceable ; both jaws may be displaceable with respect to the baseplate.

Similarly an embodiment is envisaged in which jaws may be arranged to clamp the door by way of a pincer type grip arrangement. Such a door clamp may be configured so that the clamp is capable of grabbing or clamping an edge of a door on an opposite side from the hinges. An advantage of this is that the baseplate does not have to be placed beneath the door and this arrangement is particularly advantageous where there is minimum clearance between the bottom of a door and the floor.

It will also be appreciated that the invention may be used to fit cupboard doors, larger doors and gates, such as those used on large buildings, hangers or barns.