GB1604679A - Anti-vandal door screens - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN ANTI-VANDAL DOOR SCREENS (71) We CONTEC DEVELOPMENTS LIM rtED, a British Company of An Cala, 21 Gartcows Crescent, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Great Britain 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 method and apparatus for blocking off an opening or recess, for example a door, in a building.

There currently exists a serious problem for landlords and other property owners, particularly municipal housing authorities, in protecting houses and other buildings which are temporarily unoccupied between tenancies or for other reasons such as redevelopment. At the present time such buildings are normally protected by nailing timber or corrugated metal sheeting over the doors and other openings.

However, this method has proved ineffective against determined vandals who find little difficulty in forcing entry and thereafter causing damage to the property. In order to deny access to vandals many landlords have been forced to provide anti-vandal screens which require expensive work on the permanent fabric of the building, for example by insertion of fixing devices into the walls of the building or by bricking up the doors. These previously known methods involve expensive renovation work when the building is to be re-occupied.

An object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of rendering a building secure from unauthorised entry through an access opening thereof, in which method a screen of the kind specified is positioned across the opening and secured in position by a securing device, the securing device being adjustable from one side of the opening, and access to the securing device from the other side of the opening being prevented by the screen.

Preferably the securing device comprises an extensible support member which may securely be clamped in position against opposed surfaces bounding the opening. Preferably the securing device comprises connecting means by which the screen may be secured on one side thereof to support member.

According to this invention there is also provided a method of rendering a building secure from unauthorised entry through an access opening thereof, comprising the steps: a) securing an extensible support member across the opening; b) positioning a screen of the kind specified across the opening adjacent to the support member; and c) securing the screen on one side thereof to the support member, the screen preventing access to the support member from the other side of the screen.

According to this invention there is further provided apparatus adapted for use in partitioning across an access opening of a building to secure the building against unauthorised entry through said access opening and comprising: a) a screen of the kind specified; b) a support member adapted to be clamped across the opening; c) connecting means by which the screen may releasably be connected from one side thereof to the support member, when the support member is so clamped across the opening.

Preferably the screen comprises a lockable access door, which is conveniently slidable in guide rails, preferably generally H-shaped in cross-section, on the screen.

Preferably the guide rails have recesses at intervals along their length and the screen has corresponding peripheral projections, engagement of the projections with the recesses allowing the access door to be removed from the screen.

Alternatively, the accomplishment set out in the last preceding paragraph may be attained by the provision of the peripheral projections at spaced intervals along the lengths of the rails, the screen being provided with corresponding recesses.

An embodiment of the present invention wilt now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of an access opening in a building, unauthorised entry into the building through the opening being pre prevented by means of the present invention; Figures 2a and 2b are rear elevations corresponding to Figure 1; Figures 3a and 3b are sectional side and plan views corresponding to Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a detail of the screen shown in Figures 1,2 and 3; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are broken sectional views showing the top and bottom abutment rails; and Figure 8 is a broken sectional view showing the guide rails.

Referring now to the drawings an access opening, afforded by a door opening, of a building indicated generally at 1 has an existing door 2 which is to be rendered vandal-proof. Two lengthwise extensible trench support members afforded by telescopic trench struts 3 are jammed across the opening between the opposing sides of the frame with temporary wooden packing 4 being provided to prevent structural damage.

This invention utilises a screen 5 of the kind (herein referred to as being of the kind specified) in sheet form, and being of a sufficiently strong construction and composition as to resist damaged by vandals. Such screens may be (for example) of steel, aluminium, plywood, glass.

fibre, metal reinforced plastics or polycarbonate such as one of those marketed under the Trade Names MESHIlTE, LEXAN, MAK ROLON and DARVIC. The screen is cut to suit the size of the door opening and is secured across the door opening to the supports 3 as shown in Figure 4 by connecting means afforded by a flexible steel band 6 passing around the support 3 and being connected to a mounting bracket 7 in the form of a U-shaped channel which is in turn connected through snap head or counter sunk bolts 8 to the sheet 5.

The supports 3 and the steel band 6 thus provide a securing device for the screen, which may be adjusted from the inside of the door opening, and unauthorised access to which from the outside of the door opening is prevented by the screen.

A lockable access door comprising an opening 9 is provided in the screen 5,the opening 9 being substantially rectangular in shape. The opening is defined by rails 10 on the sheet 5 at the top, bottom and side edges of the opening 9. The rails 10 provided on the side edges act as guide rails and are substantially H-shaped in section, as can be seen from Figure 8, and are provided at intervals with cutout portions 11 on one leg of the H adjacent the opening 9. As can be seen from Figures 5,6 and 7 the rail 10 at the bottom edge of the opening 9 is also Hshaped and the rail 10 at the top of the opening 9 is H-shaped with the leg on the inner side of the opening 9 removed.

The access door also comprises a cover 12, preferably of the same material as the screen and having a shape corresponding to the opening 9. The cover 12 is provided with lugs (not shown) positioned so as to cooperate with the cut-outs 11 when the cover 12 is in its upper position, as shown in Figure 5, thereby enabling the cover 12 to enter into the side edge guide rails 10. When the cover 12 has entered the side edge guide rails 10 it is allowed to drop downwardly, as shown in Figure 6, to abut the bottom rail 10 and thereafter the top rail 10 is allowed to drop to the position shown in Figure 7 to abut the top of the cover 12. In this position a heavy duty back flap lock 13 is closed so as to prevent further unauthorised movement of the cover 12 and the rails 10. Clearly, with the lock 13 closed the cover 12 cannot be removed from the rails 10 in view of the fact that the lugs are not aligned with the cutouts 11.

Thus, the apparatus may be secured across the access openings, the necessary adjustment to the support device 3 and the connecting means 5 being made from one side of the screen, whilst, when so secured in position, the screen prevents access to the device 3 and the means 5 from the other side of the screen. The person erecting the apparatus may then pass from the building through the lockable access door.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of rendering a building secure from unauthorised entry through an access opening thereof, in which method a screen of the kind specified is positioned across the opening and secured in position by a securing device, the securing device being adjustable from one side of the opening, and access to the securing device from the other side of the opening being prevented by the screen.

2. A method according to Claim 1 wherein the securing device comprises an extensible support member which may securely be clamped in position against opposed surfaces bounding the access opening.

3. A method according to Claim 2 wherein the securing device comprises connecting means to secure the screen on one side thereof to the support member.

4. A method of rendering a building secure from unauthorised entry through an access opening thereof, comprising the steps: a) securing an extensible support member across the opening; b) positioning a screen of the kind specified across the opening adjacent to the support member; and c) securing the screen on one side thereof to the support member, the screen preventing access to the support member from the other side of the screen.

5. Apparatus adapted for use in positioning across an access opening of a building, to secure the building against unauthorised entry through said access opening, and comprising: a) a screen of the kind specified; b) a support member adapted to be clamped

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

Claims (13)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. prevented by means of the present invention; Figures 2a and 2b are rear elevations corresponding to Figure 1; Figures 3a and 3b are sectional side and plan views corresponding to Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a detail of the screen shown in Figures 1,2 and 3; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are broken sectional views showing the top and bottom abutment rails; and Figure 8 is a broken sectional view showing the guide rails. Referring now to the drawings an access opening, afforded by a door opening, of a building indicated generally at 1 has an existing door 2 which is to be rendered vandal-proof. Two lengthwise extensible trench support members afforded by telescopic trench struts 3 are jammed across the opening between the opposing sides of the frame with temporary wooden packing 4 being provided to prevent structural damage. This invention utilises a screen 5 of the kind (herein referred to as being of the kind specified) in sheet form, and being of a sufficiently strong construction and composition as to resist damaged by vandals. Such screens may be (for example) of steel, aluminium, plywood, glass. fibre, metal reinforced plastics or polycarbonate such as one of those marketed under the Trade Names MESHIlTE, LEXAN, MAK ROLON and DARVIC. The screen is cut to suit the size of the door opening and is secured across the door opening to the supports 3 as shown in Figure 4 by connecting means afforded by a flexible steel band 6 passing around the support 3 and being connected to a mounting bracket 7 in the form of a U-shaped channel which is in turn connected through snap head or counter sunk bolts 8 to the sheet 5. The supports 3 and the steel band 6 thus provide a securing device for the screen, which may be adjusted from the inside of the door opening, and unauthorised access to which from the outside of the door opening is prevented by the screen. A lockable access door comprising an opening 9 is provided in the screen 5,the opening 9 being substantially rectangular in shape. The opening is defined by rails 10 on the sheet 5 at the top, bottom and side edges of the opening 9. The rails 10 provided on the side edges act as guide rails and are substantially H-shaped in section, as can be seen from Figure 8, and are provided at intervals with cutout portions 11 on one leg of the H adjacent the opening 9. As can be seen from Figures 5,6 and 7 the rail 10 at the bottom edge of the opening 9 is also Hshaped and the rail 10 at the top of the opening 9 is H-shaped with the leg on the inner side of the opening 9 removed. The access door also comprises a cover 12, preferably of the same material as the screen and having a shape corresponding to the opening 9. The cover 12 is provided with lugs (not shown) positioned so as to cooperate with the cut-outs 11 when the cover 12 is in its upper position, as shown in Figure 5, thereby enabling the cover 12 to enter into the side edge guide rails 10. When the cover 12 has entered the side edge guide rails 10 it is allowed to drop downwardly, as shown in Figure 6, to abut the bottom rail 10 and thereafter the top rail 10 is allowed to drop to the position shown in Figure 7 to abut the top of the cover 12. In this position a heavy duty back flap lock 13 is closed so as to prevent further unauthorised movement of the cover 12 and the rails 10. Clearly, with the lock 13 closed the cover 12 cannot be removed from the rails 10 in view of the fact that the lugs are not aligned with the cutouts 11. Thus, the apparatus may be secured across the access openings, the necessary adjustment to the support device 3 and the connecting means 5 being made from one side of the screen, whilst, when so secured in position, the screen prevents access to the device 3 and the means 5 from the other side of the screen. The person erecting the apparatus may then pass from the building through the lockable access door. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A method of rendering a building secure from unauthorised entry through an access opening thereof, in which method a screen of the kind specified is positioned across the opening and secured in position by a securing device, the securing device being adjustable from one side of the opening, and access to the securing device from the other side of the opening being prevented by the screen.

2. A method according to Claim 1 wherein the securing device comprises an extensible support member which may securely be clamped in position against opposed surfaces bounding the access opening.

3. A method according to Claim 2 wherein the securing device comprises connecting means to secure the screen on one side thereof to the support member.

4. A method of rendering a building secure from unauthorised entry through an access opening thereof, comprising the steps: a) securing an extensible support member across the opening; b) positioning a screen of the kind specified across the opening adjacent to the support member; and c) securing the screen on one side thereof to the support member, the screen preventing access to the support member from the other side of the screen.

5. Apparatus adapted for use in positioning across an access opening of a building, to secure the building against unauthorised entry through said access opening, and comprising: a) a screen of the kind specified; b) a support member adapted to be clamped

across the opening; c) connecting means by which the screen may releasably be connected from one side thereof to the support member, when the support member is so clamped across the opening.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein the support member is extensible in length.

7. The invention according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the screen is provided with a lockable access door.

8. The invention according to Claim 7, wherein the access door is slidable in guide rails on the screen.

9. The invention according to Claim 8 wherein the guide rails are generally H-shaped in cross-section.

10. The invention according to one of Claims 8 and 9 wherein the access door is re movable from the screen.

11. The invention according to Claim 10 wherein the guide rails are provided with recesses at intervals along their length, and the screen is provided with corresponding peripheral projections, or vice versa, engagement of the projections with the recesses allowing the access door to be removed from the screen.

12. A method of preventing unauthorised entry into a building through an access opening thereof, when carried out substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. Apparatus for preventing unauthorised entry into a building through an access opening thereof, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.