GB1600858A - Security installation - Google Patents

Description

(54) SECURITY INSTALLATION (71) We, MASTIFF SECURITY SYSTEMS LIMITED, a Company registered under the Laws of England, of Randalls Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a security installation for controlling access to a secured area, and is a modification of the systems described in British Patent Specifications Nos.

1414119, 1414120 and 1528901 which can be considered to be generally related to arrangements for permitting a door to be opened to give access to the secured area, only by persons carrying an appropriate token.

According to the present invention, a security installation includes a first area having an entry door from outside, and at least one access door leading to a secured area, and an automatic locking device which locks closed the or each access door in response to a person passing through the entry door.

The entry door may be of the kind described in any of the above Patent Specifications in which there is an arrangement for releasing a door automatically if someone entering is carrying a token generating an appropriate electrical signal. In one embodiment of the present invention, while the entry door can be freely opened, it can be arranged that if the person entering is carrying an appropriate token, then the system for locking the access door is automatically overridden and he can enter the secured area through the access door without any difficulty.

The access door may be normally closed, but free to open, with an automatic lock which is engaged when an unauthorised person enters the entry door. Alternatively the access door may be normally held open by a latch which is automatically released by an unauthorised person coming through the entry door, the access door would then close and lock automatically.

Operation of the lock on the access door can be arranged to give an audible warning, either in the first area or in a control room, and also possibly a visual warning. The lock on the access door, once operated, would remain locked until reset from a control room or possibly by a key operated reset switch located within the first area.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic plan view of a security installation.

The security installation is primarily for controlling entry to secured premises indicated generally at 11, access being through a door 12. The door 12 in fact leads from an ante-chamber or passage 13, entry to which from outside is through a door 14. It is possible that there may be more than one door 12 for controlling access to different secured areas, but in general exit from the chamber 13 can only be through the door 14 or one of the doors 12. It is possible that there is an office 15 with a window 16 for observing or interrogating entrants to the chamber 13, but in many applications that will not be used.

Under normal conditions, with no one in the ante-chamber 13, the door 12 is free to be opened from the outside or the inside, because an electrical lock 17 is normally in the released condition. In fact where it is desirable for safety in the case of a fire or for other reasons, the door 12 may be normally held open by an electro-magnetic latch 18 in the wall in the vicinity of the doorway.

The door 14 is also free to be opened from either side, but it has associated with it a three action control system.

Thus there is an inductive loop 21 in the floor surrounding the door arch for an area on either side, so that anyone approaching or leaving the door from either side must come within the field to which the loop 21 is responsive. Then there is a lamp and photocell arrangement 22 having components on either side of the arch so that a beam of light (or infra-red or other radiation) extends across the archway to a radiation detector, which is normally illuminated, but the beam of light will be broken by anyone passing through the doorway to interrupt the signal and provide an indication at a control unit.

An authorised person will carry in his pocket a continuously generating token, radiating signals to be picked up by the loop 21 when the person is in the vicinity of the loop.

The token and loop system may be generally of the tight security kind described in British Patent Specifications Nos. 1414119 and 1414120, or of the slightly less tight security level type described in British Patent Specification No. 1528901.

The radiation link 22 is arranged to send a signal to the control unit when the link is broken, which signal is arranged to operate the lock 17, and release the latch 18 so that the door 12, or all the doors 12 if there are more than one, automatically close and lock when someone wihtout a token enters the doorway 14.

If however, an authorised person carrying an appropriate token enters the door 14, the signal from his token picked up by the loop 21 will be delivered to the control unit and that is arranged to circumvent or over-ride the action of the radiation link 22 so that there is no resulting action on the catch and lock 17 and 18, and the authorised person can pass through the doorway 12 without any further action except to open the door if it is closed.

The unauthorised person without the token cannot open the door 12, which is electrically locked.

In some cases it is arranged that the presence of such an intruder not only locks the door 12, but sounds an audible warning on a Klaxon at 24 so that the intruder is warned, and in many cases it is desired that he should merely return the way he came.

Alternatively it can be arranged that the door 14 is automatically locked closed in those circumstances, so that the intruder is held within the ante-chamber 13, or it may be that he would then have to make application to a porter in the office at 15 through the window 16 to explain his business after which the porter could release the lock 17 if satisfied with the bonafides of the intruder.

The door 12 has a spy hole 25 so that people within the secured area 11 can see after an alarm has been given if the intruder is still in the ante-chamber 13, or if he has left. If the intruder has left, the door 12 can be released from the secured area side by operating a push-button 26.

An optional refinement of the system is an inter-lock between the doors 12 and 14, so that when either door is opened, the other is automatically locked. The lock would be released by anyone coming into the zone of the loop 21 carrying an appropriate token.

Thus for many applications, it is not necessary to have any control over persons leaving the controlled area 11. The door 12 is normally released or can be released by the push button 26, and the door 14 can always be opened, but the optional system mentioned above could be used in an application where it was desired also to control people leaving the area 11 in which case opening of the door 12 automatically locks the door 14, but an authorised person carrying a token can provide the necessary signal to the pickup loop 21 to cause the lock 14 to be released.

In any case where an intruder is detected in the chamber, 13, it is convenient if a visible alarm appears either in a control room, or possible even in the ante-chamber 13, so that the intruder can see that he has been detected.

There may be a conventional metal detector positioned to be triggered if a metal object follows an authorised person carrying a token through the door 14. Then the door 12 can be locked closed and a warning given.

Thus, if an authorised person is directed through the door at gunpoint, the detection of the gun will override the effect of the token carried by the authorised person.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A security installation including a first area having an entry door from outside, and at least one access door leading to a secured area, and an automatic locking device which locks closed the or each access door in response to a person passing through the entry door.

2. An installation as claimed in Claim 1 including a pick-up adjacent the entry door responsive to selected radio signals transmitted by a token carried by the person passing through the entry door.

3. An installation as claimed in Claim 2 including means for over-riding the automatic locking device if the pick-up receives the selected radio signals.

4. An installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the access door is normally closed, but free to be opened, in which the automatic locking device is locked closed when a person passes through the entry door without a token transmitting radio signals.

5. An installation as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 including a latch arranged normally to hold the access door open but to be automatically released when a person comes through the entry door without a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. on either side, so that anyone approaching or leaving the door from either side must come within the field to which the loop 21 is responsive. Then there is a lamp and photocell arrangement 22 having components on either side of the arch so that a beam of light (or infra-red or other radiation) extends across the archway to a radiation detector, which is normally illuminated, but the beam of light will be broken by anyone passing through the doorway to interrupt the signal and provide an indication at a control unit. An authorised person will carry in his pocket a continuously generating token, radiating signals to be picked up by the loop 21 when the person is in the vicinity of the loop. The token and loop system may be generally of the tight security kind described in British Patent Specifications Nos. 1414119 and 1414120, or of the slightly less tight security level type described in British Patent Specification No. 1528901. The radiation link 22 is arranged to send a signal to the control unit when the link is broken, which signal is arranged to operate the lock 17, and release the latch 18 so that the door 12, or all the doors 12 if there are more than one, automatically close and lock when someone wihtout a token enters the doorway 14. If however, an authorised person carrying an appropriate token enters the door 14, the signal from his token picked up by the loop 21 will be delivered to the control unit and that is arranged to circumvent or over-ride the action of the radiation link 22 so that there is no resulting action on the catch and lock 17 and 18, and the authorised person can pass through the doorway 12 without any further action except to open the door if it is closed. The unauthorised person without the token cannot open the door 12, which is electrically locked. In some cases it is arranged that the presence of such an intruder not only locks the door 12, but sounds an audible warning on a Klaxon at 24 so that the intruder is warned, and in many cases it is desired that he should merely return the way he came. Alternatively it can be arranged that the door 14 is automatically locked closed in those circumstances, so that the intruder is held within the ante-chamber 13, or it may be that he would then have to make application to a porter in the office at 15 through the window 16 to explain his business after which the porter could release the lock 17 if satisfied with the bonafides of the intruder. The door 12 has a spy hole 25 so that people within the secured area 11 can see after an alarm has been given if the intruder is still in the ante-chamber 13, or if he has left. If the intruder has left, the door 12 can be released from the secured area side by operating a push-button 26. An optional refinement of the system is an inter-lock between the doors 12 and 14, so that when either door is opened, the other is automatically locked. The lock would be released by anyone coming into the zone of the loop 21 carrying an appropriate token. Thus for many applications, it is not necessary to have any control over persons leaving the controlled area 11. The door 12 is normally released or can be released by the push button 26, and the door 14 can always be opened, but the optional system mentioned above could be used in an application where it was desired also to control people leaving the area 11 in which case opening of the door 12 automatically locks the door 14, but an authorised person carrying a token can provide the necessary signal to the pickup loop 21 to cause the lock 14 to be released. In any case where an intruder is detected in the chamber, 13, it is convenient if a visible alarm appears either in a control room, or possible even in the ante-chamber 13, so that the intruder can see that he has been detected. There may be a conventional metal detector positioned to be triggered if a metal object follows an authorised person carrying a token through the door 14. Then the door 12 can be locked closed and a warning given. Thus, if an authorised person is directed through the door at gunpoint, the detection of the gun will override the effect of the token carried by the authorised person. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A security installation including a first area having an entry door from outside, and at least one access door leading to a secured area, and an automatic locking device which locks closed the or each access door in response to a person passing through the entry door.

2. An installation as claimed in Claim 1 including a pick-up adjacent the entry door responsive to selected radio signals transmitted by a token carried by the person passing through the entry door.

3. An installation as claimed in Claim 2 including means for over-riding the automatic locking device if the pick-up receives the selected radio signals.

4. An installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the access door is normally closed, but free to be opened, in which the automatic locking device is locked closed when a person passes through the entry door without a token transmitting radio signals.

5. An installation as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 including a latch arranged normally to hold the access door open but to be automatically released when a person comes through the entry door without a

token transmitting radio signals.

6. An installation claimed in any of the preceding claims including means for giving an audible and/or a visual warning in response to the access door being locked closed.

7. An installation as claimed in any of the preceding claims including means for releasing the locking device from a control room or from the secured area, or from within the first area by a key operated reset switch.

8. An installation as claimed in any of Claims 2-7 including a metal detector which, when triggered, to locks closed the access door if a person with a token is accompanied through the entry door by a gun.

9. A security installation arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.