GB2119429A - Rotating barriers - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotating barrier (10) e.g. revolving door or turnstile has a support member (23), mounted in an opening for rotation about a first vertical axis (R), and three glass or plastics closure elements (11, 12, 13) mounted on the support member for rotation individually about respective further vertical axes (R1, R2 and R3). The closure elements are coupled to the support member by gearing or pulleys and belts so that each rotates about its respective vertical axis in response to rotation of the support member and at half the angular rotation speed of the support member. The barrier occupies a smaller width than conventional revolving barriers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to rotary barriers This invention relates to rotary barriers and it relates especially, although not exclusively to revolving doors and turnstiles.

A known form of revolving door, commonly referred to as the "paddle" type, comprises a number (typically four) of door elements mounted along respective edges for rotation about a common vertical axis thereby to control movement through an opening. A disadvantage associated with this form of door is that it occupies a space which must be at least twice the width of a door element and this may be inconvenient especially when space is restricted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary barrier which substantially alleviates the abovementioned problem.

Accordingly there is provided a rotary barrier comprising a support member mounted in an opening for rotation about a first vertical axis, a plurality of closure elements mounted on said support member, at regular intervals about said first axis, for rotation about respective further vertical axes, and means coupling each said closure element to the support member to control, in use, rotation of the element about the respective further vertical axis in dependence on rotation of the support member about said first vertical axis, whereby each closure element spans a smaller proportion of the opening on one side of said first vertical axis than on the diametrically opposite side thereof.

In one application of the present invention the rotary barrier can be used as a security door to control access to a- security area, in a bank for example.

In an embodiment there may be three said closure elements and said coupling means may be arranged so that each closure element rotates, in use, at half the angular rotation speed of the support member.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect a specific embodiment thereof is now described, by way of example only, by reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a revolving door, Figure 2 shows an upper plan view of the door mechanism, and Figure 3 illustrates movement of a single door element.

Referring initially to Figure 1, a rotary barrier in the form of a revolving door is shown generally at 10.

The door comprises a support member 20 mounted on a central bearing 21 for rotation about a first vertical axis R within an opening between two opposed wall portions W1 and W2.

The support member comprises an upper, generally triangular plate 22 and a similarly shaped lower plate 23. As shown in the drawing, the lower plate has generally inwardly curved sides which facilitate ready access to the door.

In this example, the two plates 23, 22 are not directly linked to one another for rotation about axis R, and in these circumstances a separate coupling (not shown in Figure 1) is provided to ensure that the two plates rotate about axis R in synchronism. The coupling may take the form of an endless belt extending between respective pulleys mounted centrally on each plate and passing around the opening.

Three closure elements in the form of panel members 1 1, 12 13 of glass or a plastics material, for example, are mounted between the upper and lower plates at their respective apexes. Each panel member is mounted on a central bearing to allow rotation about a respective further vertical axis R1, R2, R3. The rotation speed of each panel member relative to that of the support member is controlled by means of a coupling between the respective bearings and in the specific example, described hereinafter in greater detail, the coupling provides a gearing ratio of 2:1 so that each panel member executes one revolution about the respective further vertical axis on completion of two revolutions of the support member.

Referring now to Figure 2 the upper plate of the support member is shown, in plan, at 22 and is mounted centrally for rotation about the first vertical axis R. The three panel members are shown respectively at 11, 12 and 13 and each is mounted at a respective apex of the plate for rotation about the respective further axis (R1, R2, R3) which extends centrally through the panel member. Each panel member is caused to rotate in response to a rotation of the support member, as may be occasioned by a force F, say, applied to the door by a user. A system of endless belts or chains is provided to drivingly couple each panel member to the support member, with a gear ratio of 2:1 in this example.

In the illustrated example, the system comprises a first endless belt 23' which couples two pulleys mounted respectively on a central shaft S, fixed in relation to the support member and extending along vertical axis R, and at one apex of the upper plate 22 for rotation about axis R1, for example. A second belt 23" is provided to couple respective pulleys mounted at each apex of the upper plate 22 thereby to drivingly couple all the panel members to the support member.

In an alternative arrangement three belts are used. Each belt couples a pulley mounted on shaft S to a pulley mounted at a respective apex of the plate for rotation about the respective axis (R1, R2, R3).

In a yet further example, a geared arrangement is used consisting of a central gear wheel mounted on shaft S and three further gear wheels, of twice the diameter, mounted at a respective apex of the plate for rotation about the respective axis R1, R2, R3. Each further gear wheel is coupled to the central gear wheel via a respective intermediate gear wheel.

In the illustrated example, panel member 11 lies in the plane of the wall opening and so presents a barrier which effectively blocks off the passageway P between one wall portion W1 and the axis of rotation R of the support member. The other panel members 12, 13, however, are inclined to the plane of the opening and as such occupy a relatively small space in the-"dead" region between the other wall portion W2 and the axis of rotation R. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter a revolving door of the present invention in which each panel member rotates about its own axis as it rotates bodily about the axis of a common support member is especially compact and allows the axis of rotation R of the support member to be offset from the centre of the opening, as shown in Figure 2.

An alternative, but equivalent way of considering Figure 2 is to assume that the panel members, referenced at 1 1, 12, 13 represent three successive positions assumed by a single panel member after successive rotations of the support member through 1200.

The path described by a panel member in response to one complete rotation of the support member 20 is illustrated in Figure 3. It is assumed (for convenience) that initially, prior to rotation of the support member, the panel member occupies the position referenced at (i) in Figure 3 and lies in the plane of the opening. When, in response to a force applied to the door by a user, the support member rotates about its axis R the panel member is driven by its respective coupling 23 and is caused to rotate about its own axis at half the angular rotation speed of the support member.

The combined effect of these two rotations is to cause the panel member to execute a complex movement and representative positions of the pnale member throughout one complete rotation.

of the support member are shown at (ii) to (vii) in Figure 3.

It will be seen that the outer edge of the panel member, represented at X1, in position (i) describes a locus defined by the broken line I and similarly, the inner edge, Y1, of the panel member describes a locus defined by the chain-dotted line II.

During each complete rotation of the support member, therefore, the respective inner and outer edges move progressively through successive positions X1.. X7 and ..... . Y7 and the panel member rotates about its axis (R' in Figure 3) through 1800.

Clearly each panel member mounted on the support member undergoes an identical, though differently phased, motion.

It will be seen that, in use, each panel member skirts around the "dead" space 30, and a vertical partition member 31 ,fixed in relation to the support member, is located in this space.

As described hereinbefore, when the panel member occupies position (i) in Figure 3 it lies in the plane of the opening, and so its full width WD provides a barrier which blocks the passageway P through the opening and controls access from either side of the wall. Panel member 11 in Figure 1 is shown in this position. On rotation of the support member 20 through 1 800 the panel member moves to position (iv) in Figure 3 and then lies at right angles to the plane of the opening. Thus a revolving door, constructed in accordance with this invention, is capablebf providing an effective barrier of conventional width WD on one side of the rotational axis R yet requires a relatively narrow space on the opposite, "dead" side of the rotational axis. It is possible, therefore, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, to position the rotational axis R of the support member closer to one edge of the opening than the other edge and so the rotary barrier of the present invention offers the significant advantage that it can be fitted into an opning which is appreciably narrower than that required for an equivalent rotary. barrier of conventional construction. Whilst, for example, a conventional revolving door, providing a barrier width WD, requires an opening of 2WD a door constructed in accordance with the present invention requires an opening of about 80%.of this width.

It will be appreciated that although the description-hereinbefore relates to a revolving door construction, the present invention is also applicable to rotary barriers in general, especially turnstiles.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1. A rotary barrier comprising a support member mounted in an opening for rotation about a first vertical axis, a plurality of closure elements mounted on said support member, at regular intervals about said first axis, for rotation, relative to said support member,- -about respective further vertical axes, and means coupling each said closure element to the support member to control, in use, rotation of the element about the respective further vertical axis in dependence on rotation of the support member about said first vertical axis, whereby each closure element spans a smaller proportion of said opening on one side of said first vertical axis than on the diametrically opposite side thereof.
2. 2. A rotary barrier according to Claim 1 wherein there are three said closure elements and the coupling means is arranged so that each closure element rotates, in use, about the respective respective further vertical axis at half the angular rotation speed of the support member.
3. 3. A rotary barrier according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said coupling means comprises a first endless belt arranged to couple together the closure elements and a second endless belt arranged to couple one of said closure elements and the support member.
4. 4. A rotary barrier according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said coupling means comprises a plurality of-endless belts, each belt being arranged to couple together a respective closure element and the support member.
5. 5. A rotary barrier according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said coupling means comprises a plurality of gear wheel arrangements, each gear wheel arrangement being provided to couple a respective closure element to said support member.
6. 6. A rotary barrier substantially as hereinbefore described by reference to and as illustrated.in the accompanying drawings.