US3638589A

US3638589A - Protective door structure

Info

Publication number: US3638589A
Application number: US7506A
Authority: US
Inventors: James D Shoop
Original assignee: Diebold Inc
Current assignee: Diebold Nixdorf Inc
Priority date: 1970-02-02
Filing date: 1970-02-02
Publication date: 1972-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-01

Abstract

The protective door structure for filing cases, safes, vaults, and the like to protect against illegal, forced or surreptitious entry has a central body portion composed of a metal plate with a metal ring secured thereto with a casehardened steel plate located within the ring. A matrix of urethane plastic material completely encases the central body portion of the door and forms the external door shape. The plastic portions exposed to attack have a tight pattern of hardened steel balls or shot embedded in the matrix. The entire assembly is formed with properly spaced openings for housing the lock mechanism.

Description

I United States Patent us] 3,638,589

Shoop Feb. 1, 1972 [54] PROTECTIVE DOOR STRUCTURE 2,750,902 6/l956 McClellan ..l09/8l 3,380,406 4/1968 Gosnell ..l09/80 [72] James shmp Canmn Ohm 3,431,8l8 3/1969 King nan/404 [73] Assignee: Diebold, Incorporated, Canton, Ohio Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado [22] Flled' 1970 Attorney-Frease & Bishop [21] Appl. No.: 7,506

[57] ABSTRACT The protective door structure for cascs afes vault Ill. and the to protect against illegal forced or surreptitious [58] Field of Search ..l09/64, 76, 77, 80, 82, 83, entry has a central body pol-ion composed f a n plate 109/84 with a metal ring secured thereto with a casehardened steel plate located within the ring. A matrix of urethane plastic [56] Reierences Cned material completely encases the central body portion of the UNITED STATES PATENTS door and forms the external door shape. The plastic portions exposed to attack have a tight pattern of hardened steel balls 881,032 3/1908 Schultz "109/83 h t b dd d in the matrix, The entire assembly is formed 952,877 3/1910 Cowper 81 with properly spaced openings for housing the lock 997,785 7/1911 Fish ....lO9/77 mechanism 1,463,498 7/1923 Burgess ..l6l/404 1,561,845 1 1/1925 Goldsmith 109/76 14 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 4 IS IS i8 I be |o I PATENIEBFEB m1? 3,638,589

sum 1 w a ATTORNEYS w 8 AS 5 w. 7 m s 6. W a J PATENTED FEB 1 1872 ATTORNEYS PATENTEU KB I M SHEET 3 OF 3 INVENTOR. Jar/ms D Show ATTORNEYS PROTECTIVE DOOR STRUCTURE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS The drill-resistant structures shown in copending applications Ser, No. 785,275 filed Dec. 19, 1968 and Ser. No. 874,518, filed Nov. 6, 1969 and both now abandoned, of Newton J. Krug and James D. Shoop may be used in the construction of the improved doors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to protective door structures incorporated in safes, chests, filing cases and like security products. Such door structure is located at different positions in a security product to provide easy access by authorized personnel and the combination lock for the door is incorporated therein. A security product may be one used for filing or storage of money, valuables or classified documents by government, industry, stores, places of business and individuals to resist or delay attack by an intruder and thus delay or defeat attempts at illegal, forced or surreptitious entry to the interior of locked protective security products.

2. Description ofthe Prior Art Prior protective door structures have been made of various metal components and arrangements, such as forgings of malleable steel welded together with a casehardened steel plate sandwiched therebetween, for example, and used as doors for safes, etc., to protect or shield from illegal attack the zone in which the locking mechanism is located. These prior armor plate arrangements have very favorable protective properties from the standpoint of drill resistance but are very expensive to manufacture and thus present an unfavorable cost factor. Likewise, the prior protective door structures require considerable machining, welding, boring, grinding and painting to produce the finished product due to the outer surface being of metal, thus increasing the cost and time of manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing a new protective door structure having extremely high drill resistance efficiency which may be used to house the appropriate combination lock means and protect vital areas in security products so as to prevent or delay illegal, forced or surreptitious entry to the lock or to the interior of the security products protected by the door structure; providing a new protective door structure cheaper for comparable protection than the most efficient known prior art arrangement; providing a new protective door structure which is extremely simple to manufacture by eliminating machining, welding, drilling, filing and painting; providing a new protective door structure which resists being punched through as well as being drilled through; and providing a new drill-resistant door structure which achieves the stated objectives, simply, effectively and economically and solves problems and satisfies existing needs.

These objectives and advantages are obtained by a protective door structure, the general nature of which may be stated as including a metal front plate, metal ring means secured to the front plate forming door sidewalls, a casehardened steel protective plate attached to the front plate within the ring means; a matrix of plastic material, preferably urethane, en casing the plate and ring means and forming the external door shape; and a series of hardened balls or shot, preferably metal, arranged in a tight pattern in one or more layers with adjacent balls in contact with one another embedded in the urethane matrix over the outer surfaces of the front plate and ring means sidewalls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention-illustrative of the best modes in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles-are set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective door structure with a handle and locking mechanism attached;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the protective door structure shown in FIG. 1, with parts broken away and in section;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the parts shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section on line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of an alternate construction of a protective door structure;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8, FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the plate and support assembly of the alternate construction of FIGS. 7 and 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one of the support member components; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of another arrangement similar to FIG. 8.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A typical embodiment of improved protective door structure is indicated generally at 1 in FIG. 1 and includes a door handle 2 and combination lock 3.

The door 1 (FIGS. 1 through 6) has a circular metal front plate 4 which may be formed of low-carbon steel or casehardened steel, depending upon the degree of protection desired. Plate 4 provides the main body reinforcement of the door structure. A metal ring 5, concentrically located, preferably is tack-welded at 6 to plate 4, and a rectangular security plate 7 of tool steel or the like having a high coefficient of drill resistance also is tack-welded at 8 to plate 4.

Front plate 4 is formed with a central opening 9 and an aligned opening 10 is formed in the center of security plate 7. The dial spindle, not shown, of the combination lock 3 may extend through

openings

9 and 10. Ring 5 is formed with three openings 12 equally spaced along its circumference through which lock bolts of typical locking mechanism (not shown) may project.

Prior to welding security plate 7 to front plate 4, a hardened steel ball 13 is placed in recess II to provide extra protection for a critical area of the combination lock.

One of the usual methods of attack used by an intruder or safecracker is to drill through the door of the safe to the housing of the combination lock so as to gain access to the means for holding the lock bolt inoperative in locked position and to release and move such lock bolt. Sometimes this method of attack involves drilling and sometimes it involves drilling followed by punching. Front plate 4 and rectangular security plate 7 provide the usual and standard armor protection against such attack.

Plates

4 and 7 and ring 5, assembled as described, are embedded within a matrix 19, formed of plastic material, preferably cast urethane plastic material, to form the completed door shape or structure, as shown. The matrix portion generally indicated at 14 located over the front exposed surface 15 of front plate 4 provides additional protective means for the door. The matrix portion 16 surrounding the exposed surface 17 of ring 5 provides additional protection for the ring portion of the door 1.

A series of spherical steel balls 18 are cast within and embedded within the

portions

14 and 16 of the plastic urethane matrix 19 as the latter is cast. At the same time, the steel ball 13 located in opening 11 in plate 4 is also embedded in the cast matrix 19.

All steel balls 18 in any

matrix portion

14 or 16 preferably have the same diameter. However, the size, hardness, and grade of steel of the steel balls 18 may be varied depending upon the degree of protection desired.

For example, steel balls 18 may be made of carbon steel or stainless steel having at least a hardness of from 50 to 54 Rockwell C-Scale hardness. Balls 18 need not necessarily be steel or metal balls, but may be formed of ceramic material, such as Diamonite, an extremely hard and tough ceramic material known in the trade.

The balls 18 do not necessarily need to be truly spherical balls but may be commercial hardened steel shot," such as 5/l6-inch shot, which is commercially available and used, for example, in tumbling procedures. Such shot is generally round, but it may have some out-of-roundness and, therefore, cannot be said to be truly spherical.

Balls or shot 18 are arranged in a tight pattern, (FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 6) with each ball preferably in contact with the adjacent ball. The number of rows of balls 18 and the corresponding thickness of the

protective areas

14 and 16 can vary and is determined by the degree of protection desired and cost factors.

Where it is attempted to drill through protective portion 14 or sidewall portion 16, as soon as some penetration of the urethane matrix 19 occurs, the point angle of the drill engages one or more of the balls 18 and the drill may be deflected thereby to such a degree that the drill breaks. In the absence of breakage, even though the drill is deflected, the point angle of the drill engages and attempts to bite into the spherical hardened surface of one or more of the balls 18. This results in the balls spinning within the urethane matrix because of the natural lubricating characteristics of the material. Balls 18 in spinning freely, driven by the rotating drill thus offer great resistance to the ability actually to drill completely through

areas

14 or 16.

The direct contact between adjacent balls 18, one with another, within urethane matrix 19 prevents the balls engaged by the drill from being moved laterally of the drill axis.

Although plastic materials having lubricating properties, such as urethane, have been indicated as preferred, there are some plastic materials that have very little lubricating characteristics. These when used provide some adhesion between the balls and matrix which results in the balls being difficult to spin or turn. Under such circumstances, the drill will break as it attempts to bit into the ball surface.

Some adhesion between the ball and its socket in the matrix is desirable so as to inhibit removal of a ball when a core drill is used in an attempt to drill a hole having the same diameter as a ball. Under these conditions, the core drill cannot reach the plane of the centers of the balls because of interference by the balls surrounding and contacting the particular ball being core drilled. The result is that the plastic matrix material holds the ball against later removal for example by a magnet after removal of the core drill. It goes without saying that the hardened rounded surface of a ball partially exposed by a core drill offers no means for gripping the ball other than perhaps by a magnet for removal.

Areas

14 and 16 are likewise impervious to attack by punching. If one of these areas is partially penetrated by a drill, the drill withdrawn, and an attempt is made to insert a punch in the partially drilled hole to punch through

area

14 or 16, or to punch one or more balls 18 through the urethane matrix 19, or to spread the matrix and balls apart by the punching action; front plate 4 or metal ring 5 prevents the punch from further penetration. Also the door frame of the safe or chest (not shown) with which the protective door is engaged prevents spreading of the balls 18 and matrix 19.

Protective area 14 is formed with a central opening a through which the lock spindle extends, and area 16 is also provided with three openings 12a to coincide with openings 12 in metal ring 5.

Matrix l9 completely encases the back portion of the assembly of plate 4 and ring 5 as well as the back surface 21 of security plate 7. Thus, the exposed rear surface 22 of front plate 4 within ring 5 is covered by a thick wall 23 of urethane. An opening 24 is formed in the center of wall 23 which coincides with

openings

10, 9, and 10a of plate 7, front plate 4 and protective area 14, respectively. Opening 24 may be enlarged at 25 within a collar portion 25a of matrix wall 23 to cooperate with door-locking mechanism parts, not shown.

A circular opening 26 also is formed in wall 23 for receiving relock mechanism. Opening 26 is directiy in line with recess 11 formed in front plate 4 which houses protective steel ball 13. Several posts 27, provided with openings 28, may be formed on wall 23 for mounting portions of the locking mechanism.

A portion of protective area 14 extends outward forming a large hinge portion indicated generally at 29 provided with an opening 30 receiving hinge pin 31. Pin 31 is pivotally connected to the safe for opening or closing the door.

Protective door structure 1 may be made by placing the completed assembly of the front plate 4, metal ring 5 and security plate 7 in a die or mold cavity, with balls 18 arranged in the die or mold cavity at the exposed areas most subject to attach where additional protection is desired. Urethane or other plastic material is injection molded in the cavity, completely encasing the metal assembly in a urethane jacket or case with the exposed areas protected by the steel balls 18.

SECOND EMBODIMENT A modified protective door structure 20 is shown in FIGS. 7-9 having spaced parallel metal reinforcing plates and hardened steel shot embedded in a urethane matrix or case.

Two circular

mild steel plates

32 and 33 are used in the door 20 as internal reinforcement and

plates

32 and 33 are assembled as a cagelike structure (FIG. 9) by welding Z-shaped spacers 34 at 35 to the

plates

32 and 33.

Plate 32 is formed with a central opening 36 through which a dial shaft or spindle of a combination lock may extend. Plate 33 has a larger central opening 37. The space 38 between rear face 39 of plate 32 and inner face 40 of plate 33 is filled with steel shot 18 embedded in urethane matrix 41.

A central opening 42 is formed in matrix 41 concentrically located with respect to

openings

36 and 37. Matrix 4] also has a large central recess 43 formed therein to receive door lock mechanism.

Members 34 each have a web 44 provided with an opening 45, a flange 46 extending from one edge and spaced flanges 47 extending from the other edge.

Passages 49 are formed in matrix 41 extending from the outer edge 50 of matrix 41 to recess 43 and are aligned with spacer openings 45, to receive locking mechanism bolts. A thin coating 51 of the urethane is molded over the outer surface 52 of plate 32 when the urethane matrix 41 is molded.

THIRD EMBODIMENT Another modified door structure is shown at 53 in FIG. 11. Door 53 is similar to door 20 except that the front plate 320 is thinner and the urethane matrix jacket 54 bonded to the front 55 of plate 32a is very thick and contains a number of layers of embedded shot 18 to provide maximum drill-resistance protection.

The matrix 54 is formed with an opening 56 to accommodate a lock spindle. The lock dial may be located in recess 57.

Thus, the entire locking mechanism for the door 53 is protected from attack by the shot embedded

urethane matrix portions

54 and 41. The thickness of

matrix portions

54 and 41 and of plate 32a may be varied to secure the desired degree of protection.

The front door surface 58 and side door surfaces 59 may be shaped to any desired contour during molding and thus present smooth, hard, attractive surfaces without the problems and expense encountered with prior exposed metal door surfaces.

The doors shown in the drawings are typical circular doors for small safes or money chests. Their sizes may be varied for larger safes and the shape may be rectangular rather than circular if desired.

Also the door structures may have any desired shape, the shape being determined by the outer shell or coating of molded urethane formed by the mold in which the reinforced urethane door is molded. Heretofore, doors for safes and the like made of metal required extensive and expensive machining, grinding, and polishing operations to obtain the desired final finished shape and appearance. Such operations and their expense are eliminated by molding the main door body of urethane.

Furthermore, the reinforced urethane door is not subject to rusting, and the urethane surfaces resist scratching, marring or clinging which normally can injure the outer metal surfaces of a metal safe door.

Any desired color may be incorporated in the urethane as molded, to color the urethane casing or coating throughout. Thus, painting, sometimes used for metal safe doors, is eliminated.

The rate that the molded urethane door burns when attacked with a torch is substantially the same as the rate that metal forgings are burned in similar doors formed from forged components. Thus, the improved door structure has approximately the same torch burning resistance as prior doors. However, the improved door has an added advantage in respect to torch burning resistance in that when burned, the urethane gives off fumes and has a napalm effect which provide very dangerous conditions in attempting to burn through a urethane door with a torch.

Although security plate 7 provides additional protection for door 1 of FIG. 3, other door protective means may be incorporated in any of the doors shown by including such known protective devices as copper plates, or combined torch and tool-resistant plates, any ofwhich may be laminated within the urethane case.

Balls or shot 18 embedded in the protective areas of the improved doors, in addition to increasing drill resistance, also reduce the cost of the door since shot is considerably cheaper than the equivalent volume of urethane.

The improved door structure has the further advantage of providing drill resistance by the balls encased in urethane in the

areas

14 and 16 which cover the entire front and outer sides of the door. Thus drill resistance is provided completely over all outer door surfaces that are subject to drilling attack. In prior doors it has not been possible to provide drill resistance to such complete extent.

The fundamental concept of the present invention provides a protective door structure in which the door body, which otherwise may be termed its case or jacket is formed of urethane plastic material, molded to eliminate requirements of machining, etc., for finishing the outer surface, contour, shape and finish, and which may be colored if desired to eliminate painting; the urethane door body having embedded therein as internal reinforcement, metal plates, cages, etc., not only to support locking components assembled in the door but also to reinforce the urethane door body as well as to resist various modes of attack; and the door body also having a series of metal balls embedded within desired portions or areas ofthe urethane body to increase drill resistance.

Accordingly, the new protective door structure provides an improved drill-resistant door structure which is very simplified in construction and manufacture; provides efficient drill resistance to attack by usual and known means used by an intruder attempting to gain illegal forced or surreptitious entry to a protected area; eliminates costly arrangement heretofore required for doors or safes, vaults and other similar protective containers; and achieves the objectives described and solves problems that have existed in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Having now described the features. discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved protective door structure may be made and used, the characteristics of the new structure, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts, and combinations are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safe door including a one-piece integral matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions forming the external door shape, protective metal plate means embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case, and a locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions.

2. The door defined in claim 1 in which the door case has a front surface, in which the reinforcing plate means includes a plate in the case front portion spaced from the front surface, and in which a series of drill resistant balls substantially contacting each other is embedded in the entire case front portion between said plate and front surface.

3. The door defined in claim 1 in which a series of drill-resistant balls substantially contacting each other is embedded in plastic matrix material throughout the case.

4. The door defined in claim 1 in which the door case has a front surface, in which the plate means includes a plate having a surface spaced from but parallel with the front surface, and in which a series of drill-resistant balls substantially contacting each other is embedded in the plastic matrix case between the door front surface and the locking mechanism recess.

5. The door defined in claim 4 in which the balls are embedded in the matrix case on both sides of the plate.

6. A safe door including a matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions and an edge surface forming the external door shape, protective metal plate means embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case, the reinforcing plate means including a ringlike member in the case edge portion spaced from the edge surface, a series of drill-resistant balls embedded in the case edge portion between said ringlike member and edge surface, and a locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions.

7. A safe door including a matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions and front and edge surfaces forming the external door shape, protective metal plate means embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case, the reinforcing plate means including a plate in the case front portion spaced from the front surface and a ringlike member connected with the plate in the case edge portion spaced from the edge surface, a series of drill-resistant balls embedded in the case front portion between the plate and front surface and in the case edge portion between the ringlike member and edge surface, and a locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions and the ringlike member.

8. The door defined in claim 7 in which the drill resistant balls are metal balls selected from the class consisting of spherical balls and shot.

9. The door defined in claim 7 in which the case, plate and ringlike member are circular in shape.

10. The door defined in claim 7 in which additional protective plates are embedded in the matrix connected to the first named plate and surrounded by the ringlike member.

11. A safe door including a matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions forming the external door shape, protective metal plate means embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case, the reinforcing plate means including a pair of plates and spacer support members connected to the plates and holding the plates in spaced relation in the matrix case, anda locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions.

12. The door defined in claim 11 in which the door case has an edge surface, in which the reinforcing plate means includes a ringlike member in the case edge portion spaced from the edge surface, and in which a series of drill-resistant balls is embedded in the case edge portion between said ringlike member and edge surface.

13. A safe door including a matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions and an edge surface forming the external door shape, protective metal plate means embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case, a locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions, a series of drill-resistant balls embedded in the ease adjacent the edge surface, lock bolt openings formed in the case and plate means extending from the locking mechanism recess to said edge surface, and the embedded balls deterring drilling from the exterior of the door toward said lock bolt openings.

14. A safe door including a matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions, an edge surface and a front surface forming the external door shape, a protective metal plate embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case having a surface spaced from but parallel with the front surface of the door, a locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions, a series of drill-resistant balls substantially contacting each other embedded in the entire plastic matrix case between the door front surface and the locking mechanism recess and adjacent the edge surface, lock bolt openings formed in the case extending from the locking mechanism recess to said edge surface, and the embedded balls deterring drilling from the exterior of the door toward said lock bolt openings.

Claims

11. A safe door including a matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions forming the external door shape, protective metal plate means embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case, the reinforcing plate means including a pair of plates and spacer support members connected to the plates and holding the plates in spaced relation in the matrix case, and a locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions.

13. A safe door including a matrix case of urethane plastic material having front, rear and edge portions and an edge surface forming the external door shape, protective metal plate means embedded in and reinforcing the matrix case, a locking mechanism recess formed in the case rear portion surrounded by the case front and edge portions, a series of drill-resistant balls embedded in the case adjacent the edge surface, lock bolt openings formed in the case and plate means extending from the locking mechanism recess to said edge surface, and the embedded balls deterring drilling from the exterior of the door toward said lock bolt openings.