GB2036841A

GB2036841A - Security Communication Device

Info

Publication number: GB2036841A
Application number: GB7848379A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: DOUGAL J
Current assignee: DOUGAL J
Priority date: 1978-12-13
Filing date: 1978-12-13
Publication date: 1980-07-02
Also published as: GB2036841B

Abstract

A communication unit for a security barrier comprises extruded corrugated baffle members 24 stacked between like extruded upper and lower walls 11, 12 to provide tortuous sound transmitting passage therebetween laterally limited by side walls 18. The baffle members are held in place by engagement with grooves 15 in the upper and lower walls and also by grooves 25 in the side walls and/or by spacers 30. The front and back of the unit are formed by grilles 22 received in grooves 17 at the edges of the upper and lower walls. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Security Communication Device The invention relates to a security communication device for use in a security barrier.

Banks and Post Offices for example usually have a security barrier for separating an area occupied by staff from an area accessible to the public. The security barrier will normally comprise a counter providing a flat top or work surface divided by a screen of plate glass or armoured glass or of panels of such glass in a suitable frame. One or more security devices permitting the transfer of articles through the security barrier whilst limiting physical access through the barrier are normally provided.

It is also usually necessary to permit verbal communication between persons on opposite sides of the barrier and to permit such communication without loss of security. Devices such as are described and claimed in Patent 1 413 284 can be incorporated in the screen.

Such devices provide one or more tortuous passages through which sound vibrations can readily be transmitted but through which solids or noxious fluids cannot be effectively projected. The present invention is concerned with the provision of a communication device of this general kind of a particularly convenient construction.

The invention accordingly provides a communication unit for inclusion in a security barrier, the unit being constructed of lengths of first and second members each of uniform crosssection, side members extending transversely of the members, and means for spacing the lengths of the first and second members in predetermined manner.

The unit of the invention can thus comprise first members providing opposed walls of the unit, and second members providing the communication passages, the first and second members being shaped so that the second members can be stacked between the first members in the desired relationship, determined by the spacing means.

The second members can thus comprise extrusion of corrugated form and the first members can comprise extruded wall members between which a stack of the second members can be received. Securement of the side wall members to the first members can be all that is required to hold the entire assembly together, the spacing of the second members being ensured by the spacing means which can but need not be integrally formed with the side wall members.

communication unit of the invention is thus made up of a small number of easily produced parts which can be simply secured together in any desired length.

By way of illustration, the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a communication unit embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a like sectional side view of the unit; Figure 3 is a like view of a side wall of the unit; Figure 4 is a sectional side view of a modified unit; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a spacer included in the modified unit of Figure 4.

The communication unit 1 of Figures 1-3 comprises a housing with upper and lower housing members 11, 12 comprising identical extrusions of aluminium or the like. The extrusion has a plane side which is the outer side in use, the other side being provided with three projections 14 each formed with a V-shaped groove 15. At each longitudinal edge of the other side of the extrusion a ridge 16 projects which is formed with a rectangular groove 17.

The side walls 18 of the housing are provided by castings, again of aluminium or the like. Each side wall 18 has four inwardly projecting lugs 19, each lug being shaped and positioned to be received between a respective one of the ridges 16 and the projection 14 adjacent thereto when the side walls are assembled with the upper and lower housing members 11, 12. Externally, each side wall 18 is formed with a square or rectangular section ridge 20 which extends vertically in use as shown in Figure 1.

The ridges 20 serve to mount the unit 1 in a screen which will usually extend upwardly from a counter providing a flat top for a work surface, the screen and counter together constituting a security barrier. The screen may then comprise panels of bullet proof glass received in uprights in the form of channels shaped to receive the panels, a typical upright 21 being schematically shown in Figure 1. Because of the ridges 20, the unit 1 can be readily mounted in such a screen by reception of the ridges in the channelled uprights for example between glass panels overlying a device for the transfer of articles through the screen under security conditions, conveniently a device of the kind disclosed in GP-PS 1184 923,199 942, 1 428 658 or 1 419 382 or in Application 13 881/77 or 34 740/77.

The dimensions of the ridges 20 must of course correspond to those of the channeled uprights 21 and instead of being formed integrally with the side walls 18, the ridges 20 may be secured to the otherwise plane outer surfaces of the side walls as by bolts. This makes it possible to fit the unit 1 into channelled uprights of any dimensions by selection of appropriately dimensioned ridges for connection to the side walls 18.

Externally the unit 1 is completed by two grills 22 of any suitable self-supporting plate material with good sound transmitting properties and preferably of decorative appearance. The grills 22 are received as shown in the grooves 17 of the housing members 11, 12.

Within the unit 1 are received four identical baffles 24 each comprising an extrusion of corrugated or zig-zag section. The ends of the baffles 24 are received in grooves 25 between raised portions 26 formed on the inner surfaces of the side walls 18 so as to be uniformly spaced apart. The spacing of the baffles is such that verbal communication can take place through the passages extending between the grills 22 and bounded by an adjacent pair of the baffles but such that the direct transmission throught the passages of a projectile or a projected fluid is prevented. The passages thus are such that a straight line between their ends at the grills 22 is intersected by at least one of the baffles 24. As shown in Figure 2, the apices of the corrugations of the uppermost and lowermost baffles 24 are received in the V-shaped grooves 1 5.Some of the projections 14 providing these grooves will be seen to be redundant; this is a consequence of the advantageous use of the same extrusion for both housing members 11, 12.

In the modified unit shown in Figures 4 and 5, the housing members 11, 12, the grills 22 and the baffles 24 are unchanged but the baffles are stacked in the correct relative position by means of separate spaces 30 which serve the same purpose as the raised portions 26 of the side walls 18.

The side walls 18 can consequently be plane on their inner surfaces except for the lugs 1 9; preferably the grooves 28 for the grills are still provided. Three of the spacers 30 can be employed at each end of the unit 1 but additional intermediate spacers can be employed if the length of the baffles 24 requires this extra support. Instead the spacers 30 can be differently positioned in each of the passages between adjacent baffles 24.

It will be appreciated that the unit 1 can be readily made up in any desired length by cutting appropriate lengths of the housing member and baffle extrusions and of the grills. These cut pieces are then assembled with two side walls and the unit secured together by forming four holes in each housing member to receive features such as the illustrated screws 31 extending into aligned holes 32 in the lugs 19.

The embodiments of the invention described can of course be varied in many ways, for example as to the number and shape of the baffles and the number and shape of the corrugations with which each baffle is formed.

The units can be produced in any desired dimensions and can be used in any attitude, thus vertically instead of horizontally as shown. The units can be stacked together in any desired combination for example four units can be secured together in box like form. The units can be connected in series to obtain a desired length for the passages between the baffles.

Claims

1. A communication unit for a security barrier, the unit comprising two spaced wall members each of a first uniform cross-section, a plurality of baffle members each of a second uniform crosssection, and mounting means positioning the baffle members between the wall members so as to form therebetween at least one tortuous passage through which sound can be transmitted but through which a projectile cannot be directly projected.

2. A communication unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the baffle members have corrugations extending therealong and the wall members have formations extending therealong for reception of the external peaks of the corrugations.

3. A communication unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the corrugations are formed by planar portions of the baffle members.

4. A communication unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein each planar portion is at right angles to the or each adjacent planar portion.

5. A communication unit as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein each baffle member is shaped to have on one side two troughs of which the peaks on the other side thereof are received in the formations.

6. A communication unit as claimed in any preceding claim having side members connected to the wall members and closing the or each passage laterally thereof.

7. A communication unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the mounting means comprise formations on the inner face of each side member for receiving the ends of the baffle members.

8. A communication unit as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein each side members has a ridge on the outer face thereof for mounting the unit in a security barrier.

9. A communication unit as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein each side member has at least one projection extending therefrom received between each well member and the baffle member adjacent thereto, the projections providing connecting means for connecting the side member to the wall members.

10. A communication unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the wall members have further formations along the edges thereof for receiving between the wall members grills which provide the ends of the or each passage.

11. A communication unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mounting means comprise at least one spacer received between adjacent baffle members.

12. A communication unit for a security barrier and substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1,2 and 3 or Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A communication unit as claimed in any preceding claim connected in series with another such unit.