GB2274479A - A Security System - Google Patents

Abstract

A security system 12 for an opening 11 comprises an upper frame member 13, a lower frame member 14, a number of bars 15 and a locking member 16. The lower member 14 has an elongate slot in the top (18, Fig 5) through which the lower ends of the bars 15 can pivot after first being located in a respective aperture (17, Fig 5) in the upper frame 13. The locking member 16 can be slid down the bars 15 to be locked to the lower frame member 14 so that the bars 15 are retained in the frame member 14. <IMAGE>

Description

A Security System This invention relates to a security system for temporarily barring an aperture in a structure and in particular, but not exclusively, for providing bars in a door or window to prevent unauthorised entry into a building.

There are many instances where the owners or occupiers of buildings wish to have the security of barred windows and or doors when they are absent from the premises, but would not wish to have the windows or doors barred, for at least much of the time, when they are in residence. There are a variety of proposals for providing systems and structures which will satisfy these requirements and a number consist in a pair of frame elements disposable on either side of a window opening and having opposed aligned pairs of apertures into which bars can be placed longitudinally and a locking mechanism which engages a special formation formed or mounted on the bars. These arrangements would be very effective if all window openings were of a standard size.

However, in practice, this is not the case and it becomes very expensive to provide a range of bar lengths having the particular formations required by these systems. The locking mechanisms also require a degree of precision in alignment to operate and so are susceptible to damage from mis-use or indeed attempts to remove the bars by burglars.

From one aspect the present invention consists in a security system for temporarily barring an aperture in a structure, comprising first and second frame means mountable at opposed locations in the aperture and having an opening or set of openings for receiving the free ends of bars, a set of bars dimensioned to extend across the aperture and locate in the frame members and means for locking the bars in their located position, at least some of the openings being formed such that their associated bars can be introduced andlor removed from the opening by movement of the respective ends of the associated bars in a direction which is generally transverse to the axis of the bars in their located positions.

This arrangement of 1'side entry" means that the bar can be locked in the frame member simply be preventing the reverse of that movement. This can be achieved by blocking the reverse path in some appropriate manner and so no special formation or construction of the bar is required.

This means that bars can be cut to length from stock in situ and indeed in general the approach will be more forgiving in the tolerances required in the length of the bar.

In one particular embodiment the second frame member is elongate and has an opening in the form of a longitudinal slot or open top. In that case the first member conveniently has discrete bar-shaped openings and each bar can be first inserted in its respective opening in the first member and then swung down along the line of the slot or open top into the slot or open top. In this case the locking means may include a further elongate member having a discrete opening for each bar so that it can be slidably mounted on the bars such that when it is adjacent the second frame member it serves to retain the bars within the opening and when it is slid along the bars away from the second member, they can be removed from the opening.

Thus the further member can be in the form of a plate or an inverted U which can initially be latched up to the first member so that its openings are aligned with the openings of the first member. The bars are then introduced into the first member through the further member and once all the bars are in place, the further member is slid down the bars to be locked to the second member.

In an alternative embodiment one of the frame members has a "top" facing into the aperture in which the openings are formed and a side wall having an entry for each opening through which an end of a bar can be introduced and removed.

Again the other frame member can then have a set of discrete openings. In this arrangement the locking means may include any element or elements slidable, or otherwise moveable, in or on the one frame member to close off the entry or entries. Conveniently the opening may be generally in the form of a key hole and the locking means may act to retain the bar in the circular portion of the key hole. Thus the locking means may be in the form of a serrated member on which the teeth or enlarged portions can retain the end of the bar, whilst the gaps between the teeth or enlarged portions can allow it to pass along the key hole slot to the entry.

In any of the above arrangements it is particularly preferred that the bars are of constant cross-section and have no projections, indentations or perforations.

The invention also consists of a method of temporarily barring an aperture in a structure including introducing an end of a bar into an opening, in a frame member mounted in the aperture, in a direction which is generally transverse to the axis of the bar in its locked position and temporarily retaining the bar in that locked position.

Although the invention has been defined above it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and specific embodiments will now be described in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of one form of temporary security system indicating its manner of assembly; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the system of Figure 1 in its locked position; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the system of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lower portion of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a side view of Figure 5; Figure 7 illustrates an alternative locking mechanism to that shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 is a schematic view of an alternative security system with the bars in place; Figure 9 is a scrap view from below of the upper frame member of Figure 8;; Figure 10 is an enlarged view of the top and bottom of the security system of Figure 8, whilst Figure 11 is the corresponding cross-sectional view; Figure 12 illustrates in scrap view a latch shown in Figures 10 and 11; Figure 13 is a scrap view from above of the lower frame member of Figure 10; and Figure 14 illustrates a method of locking the system.

A building is illustrated in hatch lines at 10 and defines a window opening, part of which is shown at 11. A security system 12 is disposed within the opening 11 for temporarily barring the window to prevent unauthorised access. The security system 12 comprises an upper frame member 13, a lower frame member 14, a number of bars 15 and a locking member 16. The upper frame member 13 is formed with a series of spaced discrete apertures or openings 17 into which the upper ends of bars 15 can be introduced generally longitudinally. The lower frame member 14 has an elongate slot extending along much of the length of its top 18 so that the lower ends of the bars 15 can be pivoted into position within the lower frame member 14 after having first been locked in a respective aperture 17 in the upper frame member 13. (Alternatively the lower frame member 14 may simply be U shaped in section and have an open top 18). As can be seen from Figure 3 each of the frame members 13,14 are generally hollow.

The locking member 16 is essentially a plate 19 having a series of apertures 20 which have the same spacing as aperture 17. When the bars are being inserted, as shown in Figure 1, the locking member 16 is held up by the upper frame member 13 and can conveniently be latched thereto.

With the apertures 17 and 20 aligned, each bar can be pushed through both of its respective upper of apertures at the same time, so that when all the bars are in position the locking member 16 is threaded on the bars and slidable thereon. If it is then unlatched it can be dropped down on to the lower frame member 14, as illustrated in Figures 2, 5 and 6, where it can be locked with respect to the lower frame member 14 either by a key screw lock 21 as shown in Figure 6, a padlock 22 as shown in Figure 7 or any other appropriate means. Conveniently the locking member 16 has dependent legs 23 to prevent access to the lower ends of the bars 15.

When it is desired to remove the bars the method is simply reversed. It will be understood that as soon as the locking member 16 is at the lower end of the bars 15 they cannot be removed through the slot or open top 18.

Figures 8 to 14 illustrate an alternative construction.

Here the upper frame member 13 and bars 15 are identical to the previous embodiment, but the lower frame member 24 has a series of key hold openings 25, one for each bar, which communicate with respective lateral entry slots 26. As is illustrated in ghost lines in Figure 13, bars 15 can be introduced into their respective key hold slot 25 through the entry slot 26 and then moved up into the circular portion 25a of the key hole slot 25. A serrated latch element 27 is provided within the lower frame member 24 and can be toggled longitudinally by a rod 28 so that in the locked position the toothed projection 29 wedges the bar 15 within the circular portion 25a of the key hole slot 25.

When the latch is moved in the reverse position the gap 30 between the projections 29 lies opposite the key hole slot 25 and the bar can be removed from the circular end 25a.

The latch can be locked with respect to the lower frame element 24 by a padlock 31 as illustrated in Figure 14 or by any other suitable means. It will be understood that alternative member 16 of the first embodiment can be used as the latch.

In either arrangement the frame members can be attached to the building 10 by means of screws passing through locating holes 32. Conveniently these are aligned with the bar positions, as illustrated in Figure 9, so that they are not accessible when the bars are in position. Fixing holes 32 can be provided in other positions so that the frame members 13,14 can be mounted to the wall adjacent the opening, rather than in the opening, if necessary. The members 13,14 could also be mounted by end sockets or other suitable supports mounted in the recess or on the wall.

Where large openings 11 are to be barred, tie bars may be threaded on to the bars to prevent them being spread apart and may be held there by suitable locating elements such as collet type screw bushes.

The bars may have any appropriate cross-section and if hollow may include freely rotatable hardened inserts to make it more difficult for them to be sawed through. They may also contain vibration or other detectors for an alarm system.

Claims (13)

Claims

1. A security system for temporarily barring an aperture in a structure, comprising first and second frame means mountable at opposed locations in the aperture and having an opening or set of openings for receiving the free ends of bars, a set of bars dimensioned to extend across the aperture and to locate in the frame members and means for locking the bars in their located positions, at least some of the openings being formed such that their associated bars can be introduced into and/or removed from the opening by movement of the respective ends of the associated bars in a direction which is generally transverse to the axis of the bars in their located positions.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the second frame member is elongate and has an opening in the form of a longitudinal slot.

3. A system as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the locking means includes a further elongate member having a discrete openings for each bar and for being slidable mounted on the bars such that when it is adjacent the second member it serves to retain the bars within the opening and when it is slid along the bars away from the second member they can be removed from the opening.

4. A system as claimed in Claim 3, further comprising means for locking the further elongate member in its position adjacent the second member.

5. A system as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the further member is in the form of a plate or an inverted U.

6. A system as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 4, further including means for latching the further member to the second member with their respective openings aligned.

7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein one of the frame members has a "top" facing into the aperture in which the openings are formed and a side wall having an entry for each opening through which an end of a bar can be introduced and removed.

8. A system as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the locking means includes an element mounted on or in the one frame member to close off the entry or entries.

9. A system as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the locking means are in the form of a serrated member.

10. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the bars are of constant cross-section.

11. A security system substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of temporarily barring an aperture in a structure including introducing an end of a bar into an opening in a frame member mounted in the aperture, in a direction which is generally transverse to the axis of the bar in its locked position and temporarily retaining the bar in that locked position.

13. A method of temporarily barring an aperture in a structure substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.