EP3867449B1

EP3867449B1 - A multi-part crash resistant security gate

Info

Publication number: EP3867449B1
Application number: EP18797135.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Timothy MESSELIS
Original assignee: Guardiar Europe BVBA
Current assignee: Guardiar Europe BVBA
Priority date: 2018-10-16
Filing date: 2018-10-16
Publication date: 2023-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2038-10-16
Also published as: WO2020079469A1; EP3867449A1; EP3867449C0

Description

The present invention relates to a a multi-part crash resistant gate comprising a first gate part and a second gate part, at least one of said gate parts being slidably movable with respect to the other one between an open position and a closed position This invention in particular relates to a high impact multi-part gate, in particular a sliding gate, which is provided to prevent access to an area, and being able to withstand a considerable direct impact on it by vehicles or other means without giving access to the area.
More in particular this invention relates to a multi-part crash resistant gate with a total length of at least 10 meter, preferably at least 16 meter, more in particular at least 25 meter. Preferably, the gate parts have a maximal length of 16 meter.
The multi-part crash resistant gate according to this invention is in particular a part of a security barrier system comprising several barrier structures.
Security barriers as in WO 2012/095650 A are used to prevent people, animals etc. from intruding a certain area.
Many countries have one or several security barriers for protecting their national borders, in order to prevent people from other countries from immigrating. Also industrial sites, nature reserves, military sites or other areas/grounds are surrounded with security barriers to prevent intrusion of people and animals. These security barriers need to be solid and strong in order to effectively stop potential intruders. They also need to be able to absorb impacts from vehicles such as cars, trucks etc. because people can attempt to destruct a part of the security barrier by crashing into the security barrier with a moving vehicle. Security barriers can be used for temporary, semi-permanent or permanent access protection of areas.
These security barriers often comprise several barrier structures, such as fence structures and one or several gates such that certain people can access the area when desired. These gates are located between two barrier structures and connected to these barriers structures, such that the security barrier forms one continuous structure.
The different barrier structures were mostly fabricated in a fabric and then transported to the place where the security barrier will be placed. However, in the case of long gates, i.e. gates with a gate opening of at least 8 meter, the gate parts are mostly too long to transport them via a normal truck such that the different gate parts of a crash resistant gate will be transported via so called exceptional transport.
Since an exceptional transport is not always evident, because the limited lengths of standard steel profiles, which is 12 meter, it is known to divide a gate part in multiple parts, which will be assembled in situ via external plates which can be bolted on both parts. However, in the case of a crash resistant gate the known methods to connect the different parts aren't suitable to make a crash resistant connection. The known connections often form weaker spots in the gate structure, such that potential intruders try to pass the security in the proximity of the connection points.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a multi-part crash resistant gate comprising at least one multi-part gate part of which the connection between the different parts is crash resistant.
This object is achieved by providing a multi-part crash resistant gate comprising a first gate part and a second gate part, at least one of said gate parts being slidably movable with respect to the other one between an open position and a closed position, wherein at least one of said gate parts comprises at least a first gate part portion and a second gate part portion, wherein the first gate part portion comprises a first reinforcement beam portion provided to be crash resistant coupled to a second reinforcement beam portion of the second gate part portion for forming a reinforcement beam which extends over the length of said at least one of said gate parts.
Preferably, the beam portion is a metal beam, preferably a steel beam such as a H steel beam profile or HEB beam profile.
The gate portions can be transported separately and can be connected in situ in the vicinity of the location where the gate is to be installed. The transport of the shorter gate portions is much easier than the transport of an entire gate part.
In a preferred embodiment at least one of the gate parts comprises three or more gate part portions, while a respective reinforcement beam portion extends inside both hollow beams of each set of two adjoining gate portions. The gate portions are preferably being produced as separate items and being connected to one another to form the first and/or second gate part.
In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second gate part portions have respective end sides facing one another and which are adjoining in coupled position, and wherein said first reinforcement beam portion has a projecting part which protrudes from the end side of the first gate part portion.
More preferably, the first gate portion comprising a first hollow beam portion and the second gate portion comprising a second hollow beam portion, wherein in coupled position said gate portions are connected to one another such that the first and second hollow beam portions are aligned, and wherein said first reinforcement beam portion extending inside both the first hollow beam portion and the second hollow beam portion. In particular the projecting part of the first reinforcement beam portion extends into the second hollow beam portion. The hollow beam portions preferably are bottom beam portions. The use of a reinforcement beam portion with a projecting part will provide a crash resistant connection between the different parts of the gate part. The connection between the different gate part portions here is then not necessarily a weaker spot in the security gate, because the projecting part of the reinforcement beam can keep the different parts of the gate well in place when impact forces are exerted upon the gate at the level of the connection.
In a most preferred embodiment of the invention the first reinforcement beam portion is connected to the wall of the second hollow beam portion, for example by means of a number of bolts extending through openings in a wall of the hollow beam and through corresponding openings in the projecting part of the first reinforcement beam portion. The connection is preferably a nut and bolt connection.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention the end face of the projecting part of the first reinforcement beam portion and the end face of the second reinforcement beam portion are both provided with a connection plate in order to connect both beam portions with each other. Preferably, the second hollow beam portion is provided with an opening via which said connection plates can be connected via connection means. The connection is in particular done by horizontal extending connection means, preferably a nut and bolt connection. More in particular, the second hollow bottom horizontal beam portion (structure) is provided with an entrance opening via which said connection plates can be connected via connection means. Said entrance opening is preferably provide in the underside of the second horizontal beam portion. The horizontal connection, via the connection plates, strengthens the connection gate further as such making the security barrier more suitable to absorb impact forces exerted upon it.
In a first preferable embodiment the first gate part is movable between an open position leaving the passage through the security barrier open and a closed position closing off the passage. In a second preferable embodiment the multi-part crash resistant gate comprises a first gate part and a second gate part being movable with respect to one another between an open and closed position. In particular, the two gate parts being slidably movable with respect to one another between an open position leaving the said passage through the security barrier open and a closed position closing off the passage. In the closed position the gate parts can be connected to each other. In particular the first gate part and the second gate part are both slidably movable with respect to one another in a substantially horizontal direction.
Further preferably, each gate part portion is composed of a top horizontal beam portion and a bottom horizontal beam portion and a plurality of vertical elements extending between said beam portions.
The multi-part crash resistant gate (i.e. both gate parts) preferably has a total length of at least 10 m, preferably at least 25 m., most preferably 32 meter. Preferably, each gate part has a length between 12 meter and 16 meter.
The gate parts preferably also comprise guiding means in order to place the gate parts in an aligned position as they move to the closed position. One gate part for example comprises a guiding body which is extending in the movement direction (the lengthwise direction) of the gate part, and the other gate part comprises an open receiving structure with walls delimiting a receiving space, which is positioned opposite the guiding body and also extending in the direction of movement of the gate parts. When the gate parts move to the closed position, the guiding body is received between the walls of the receiving space and the gate parts are placed in the closed position in a very well aligned position. The receiving structure preferably comprises stopping means such that the guiding body abuts against the stopping means when the gate parts are in the closed position. The stopping means may for example be provided inside the receiving space.
In a preferred embodiment of the gate according to the invention, the gate further comprise a locking device for maintaining the gate parts in the closed position. Preferably, the locking device comprises

at least one first locking body integral with, or attached to, the first gate part, said first locking body defining a first passage,
at least one second locking body integral with, or attached to, the second gate part, said second locking body defining a second passage, and
a securing element,

Each gate part of this sliding gate comprises a respective locking body and the two locking bodies preferably are provided on different levels (at different heights above the surface on which the sliding gate is mounted). The securing element can be placed in a position extending through the respective passages defined by these locking bodies and interconnecting the two gate parts. A force exerted on the front side of the sliding gate (the front side is the side at the outside of the restricted area or building) is transmitted to the securing element by the two locking bodies and results in two forces acting on the securing element at different levels. In this way the securing element firmly locks each movable gate part in place and can withstand heavy impact forces without breaking. Even when the impact forces deform the gate parts, they remain in a closed and interconnected position and the forces are still transferred through the gate material to the supporting structure and/or to the foundations of the sliding gate. This results in a security sliding gate with a very high impact resistance.
The present invention is now explained in greater detail below with reference to the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments of a gate according to the present invention. The aim of this description is solely to give illustrative examples and indicate further advantages and particularities and thus cannot be interpreted as a limitation of the field of application of the invention or of the patent rights claimed in the claims.
In this detailed description, reference is made by means of reference numerals to the appended drawings, wherein

figure 1 : is a side view of a multi-part crash resistant gate according to the invention, in a closed position;
figure 2 : is a side view of a multi-part crash resistant gate according to the invention, in an open position;
figure 3 : is an enlarged view of the left part of the sliding gate of figures 1 and 2;
figure 4 : is a view of section V-V of the gate shown in figure 1 ;
figure 5 : is a front view of a first gate of a multi-part crash resistant gate according to the invention, comprising three gate parts (gate elements) in a non-coupled position;
figure 6 : is a view of detail C shown in figure 5 .

The multi-part crash resistant gate (high impact sliding gate) according to this invention and shown in the figures, is installed to close off a passage (P) to a restricted area (see figures 1 and 2). It has a total length (L) of approximately 32 m and includes two identical sliding gate parts (A) and (B), also called leafs, with a length of approximately 16 m. The leafs (A, B) are slidably movable along aligned movement paths (M_A), (M_B) in horizontal direction (see figure 1) between a closed position (shown in figure 1), closing off the passage (P) and an open position (shown in figure 2), leaving the said passage (P) open. The leafs (A,B) have facing end sides (18),(19).
The sliding gate comprises a concrete foundation (1) supporting four guiding structures (2),(3),(4),(5), of which two (2),(3) are erected on the left side of the passage (P) and two (4),(5) are erected on the right side of the passage (P). Each guiding structure (2),(3),(4),(5) comprises two vertical posts (2a),(3a),(4a),(5a) on opposite sides of the movement paths (M_A), (M_B) and a connecting beam (2b),(3b) bridging the top ends of the vertical posts (2a),(3b),(4b),(5b), so that the vertical posts and the connecting beam define a rectangular guiding aperture. In figure 3, only the connecting beams of the guiding structures (2),(3) on the left side of the passage (P) are shown. In figures 1 and 2, only one post (2a),(3a),(4a),(5a) of each guiding structure (2),(3),(4),(5) is shown. The four guiding apertures are aligned in the direction of the movement paths (M_A), (M_B) of the leafs (A),(B).
Each guiding structure (2),(3),(4),(5) further comprises guiding elements (not shown on the figures) fixed to the respective posts, on the side facing the leaf (A),(B) extending therethrough, in order to guide the leaf (A),(B) in a substantially vertical position during its movement along its movement path (M_A), (M_B).
The left leaf (A) extends through the guiding apertures formed by the two holding structures (2),(3) on the left side of the passage (P) and can slide through said apertures from its closed position (shown in figure 1) to its open position in which the right end side (18) of the leaf (A) is in the vicinity of the guiding structure (3) which is closest to the passage (P).
The right leaf (B) extends through the guiding apertures formed by the two holding structures (4),(5) on the right side of the passage (P) and can slide through said apertures from its closed position (shown in figure 1) to its open position in which the left end side (19) of the leaf (B) is in the vicinity of the guiding structure (5) which is closest to the passage (P).
In figure 2, the leafs (A, B) are moved away from each other to a partial open position leaving a narrow free passage (F) in between the end sides (18),(19) of the leafs (A, B).
Each leaf (A, B) comprises a top horizontal beam (10) and a bottom horizontal beam (11) and a plurality of rods (12) with a rectangular cross section extending in vertical direction at regular intervals between the top horizontal beam (10) and the bottom horizontal beam (11) and connected thereto by welding.
At regular intervals along the length of the horizontal beams (10),(11), a vertical beam (13) having a larger rectangular cross section than the vertical rods (12) is provided. Above each vertical beam (13), a respective L-shaped profile (14) is fixed to the top horizontal beam (10) extending vertically so that its longitudinal axis coincides with the longitudinal axis of the vertical beam (13).
The bottom horizontal beam (11) of each leaf (A, B) is a hollow horizontal tube-shaped beam with a rectangular cross section of which the dimensions are approximately 450 x 250 mm. The metal walls of the tube-shaped beam (11) have a thickness of about 12,5 mm.
Each leaf (A, B) is composed of three gate part portions, also called leaf portions. The gate portions of the left leaf (A), their respective lengths and their respective top and bottom beam portions are indicated in figure 3. The right leaf (B) is identical. Each leaf portion (a1; a2; a3) has the total height of the leaf (A) but only a part (a1),(a2),(a3) of its length. Each leaf portion thus comprises a respective portion (10a),(10b),(10c) of the top beam (10) and a respective portion (11a),(11b),(11c) of the bottom beam (11), as well as a number of vertical rods (12),(13),(14) extending between these top and bottom beam portions.
The three leaf portions (a1; a2; a3) are connected to one another with aligned top (10a),(10b),(10c) and bottom beam portions (11a),(11b),(11c). The leaf portions (a1; a2; a3) are produced as separate items and connected to each other in situ to form the entire leaf (A). The transport of the shorter leaf sections (a1; a2; a3) is easier than the transport of the leafs (A), (B) with a length of 16 m.
In order to connect the different leaf portions (a1; a2; a3) in a crash resistant manner, each leaf (A) comprises a reinforcement beam composed of different reinforcement beam portions. In this case there are three reinforcement beam portions, wherein the first one (8) is provided to be crash resistant coupled to the second (9) one, and the second one is provided to be crash resistant coupled to a third one (not shown). In this manner the reinforcement beam extends over the total length of the leaf (A). The reinforcement beams are preferably HEB 200 steel bars
As can be seen on figure 5, the first and second gate part portions have respective end sides (15 and 16) facing one another and which are adjoining in coupled position, and wherein said first reinforcement beam portion (8) has a projecting part (8') which protrudes from the end side (15) of the first gate part portion (a1).
On figure 6 the first (8) and second reinforcement beam portion (9) are visible in a non-coupled position. In a coupled position, the first reinforcement beam portion (8) has one end inside the bottom beam portion (11a) of the first leaf portion (a1) and the other end, in particular the projecting part (8') inside the bottom beam portion (11b) of the adjoining second leaf portion (a2). The second reinforcement beam portion (9) having one end inside the bottom beam portion (11b) of the second leaf portion (a2) and the other end inside the bottom beam portion (11c) of the adjoining third leaf portion (a3).
The reinforcement beam portions are connected to the wall of the bottom beam portion (11a), (11b), (11c) by means of a number of bolts (17) extending through openings in a wall of the hollow bottom beam portions and through corresponding openings in the projecting parts (8'; 9') of the reinforcement beam portions. The connection is preferably a nut and bolt connection.
The reinforcement beam portions are also connected with each other, therefore, the end face of the projecting parts are provided with a connection plate (18). Preferably, the hollow bottom beam portions (11b, 11c) are provided with an (entrance) opening via which said connection plates can be connected via connection means. The connection is in particular done by horizontal extending connection means, preferably a nut and bolt connection. Said entrance opening is preferably provide in the underside of the second (11b) and third (11c) horizontal beam portion. The horizontal connection, via the connection plates, strengthens the connection gate further as such making the security barrier more suitable to absorb impact forces exerted upon it
A set of wheels (not shown in the figures) is fixed to the bottom horizontal beam (11) of each leaf (A),(B). The wheels are fixed at regular intervals along the length of each leaf (A), (B) so that each leaf is supported by its set of wheels and the leaf can be rolled along its movement path (M_A), (M_B) from its closed position to its open position. To this end, the wheels of each set are guided by a guiding rail (19) extending along the movement paths.
Skirt plates (20) are fixed in front of the wheels along the entire length of each leaf (A),(B) at the front side and at the rear side of the leafs (A),(B). The front side is situated at the outside of the restricted area and the rear side is situated at the inside of the restricted area.
Each leaf (A),(B) comprises, at its side closest to the other leaf (B),(A), a respective vertical end beam (21) having a larger rectangular cross section than the vertical beams (13). The two leafs (A),(B) have respective end beams (21) with facing vertical sides and respective bottom horizontal beams (11) with facing vertical sides.
The leafs (A),(B) further comprise a locking device which is provided to firmly interconnect the two leafs (A),(B) so that the leafs (A),(B) are maintained in their closed position, thereby locking the sliding gate. As both leafs (A),(B) are of equal length, the locking device is provided approximately in the middle of the sliding gate (A),(B).

Claims

A multi-part crash resistant gate comprising a first gate part (A) and a second gate part (B), at least one of said gate parts (A, B) being slidably movable with respect to the other one between an open position and a closed position, wherein at least one of said gate parts (A, B) comprises at least a first gate part portion (a1) and a second gate part portion (a2), characterised in that the first gate part portion (a1) comprises a first reinforcement beam portion (8) provided to be crash resistant coupled to a second reinforcement beam portion (9) of the second gate part portion (a2) for forming a reinforcement beam which extends over the length of said at least one of said gate parts.
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to claim 1, characterised in that the first (a1) and second (a2) gate part portions have respective end sides (15; 16) facing one another and which are adjoining in coupled position, and that said first reinforcement beam portion (8) has a projecting part (8') which protrudes from the end side (15) of the first gate part portion (a1).
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first gate portion (a1) comprising a first hollow beam portion (11a) and the second gate portion (a2) comprising a second hollow beam portion (11b), wherein in coupled position said gate portions (a1, a2) are connected to one another such that the first and second hollow beam portions (11a),(11b) are aligned, and that said first reinforcement beam portion (8) extending inside both the first hollow beam portion (11a) and the second hollow beam portion (11b).
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to claim 3, characterised in that the first reinforcement beam portion (8) is connected to the wall of the second hollow beam portion, for example by means of a number of bolts (17) extending through openings in a wall of the hollow beam portion and through corresponding openings in the projecting part (8') of the first reinforcement beam portion (8).
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to claim 2 to 4, characterised in that the end face of the projecting part (8') of the first reinforcement beam portion (8) and the end face of the second reinforcement beam portion (9) are both provided with a connection plate (18) in order to connect both beam portions (8, 9) with each other.
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to claim 5, characterised in that the second hollow beam portion (11b) is provided with an opening via which said connection plates (18) can be connected via connection means.
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first gate part (A) and the second gate part (B) are both slidably movable with respect to one another in a substantially horizontal direction.
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gate has a total length (L) of at least 10 m, preferably at least 25 m.
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the gate parts (A; B) comprises three or more gate part portions, while a respective reinforcement beam portion extends inside both hollow beams of each set of two adjoining gate portions.
A multi-part crash resistant gate according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gate further comprise a locking device for maintaining the gate parts in the closed position.