GB2155517A - Perforation-resistant panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The panel comprises two outer plates (1, 2) between which is provided a filling material of elongated elements (16) which consist of twisted bars and which are arranged with clearance within chambers (15) so as to be movable in a vertical plane, a horizontal plane or in rotation under the action of a drilling tool. The panel of the invention is applicable for instance to the protection to the walls of bank rooms. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to a building panel for the protection of bank premises or the like The present invention relates essentially to a device forming a building panel adapted for instance to provide for the protection of various rooms such for instance as bank premises or the like from burglary or against breaking in.

There has already been propose building panels providing a protection against burglary or breaking in and consisting essentially of two substantially parallel metal plates between which is located a filling material or packing consisting of freely rotatable balls arranged side by side so as to be able in particular to withstand the penetration of perforating or drilling tools.

After the perforation of the outer plate, however, the balls may be extracted or withdrawn relatively easily from the panel and do no longer then perform their burglar-proofness function. Moreover, a building panel provided with such balls is relatively heavy hence difficult to carry and to install, and is generally not fully satisfactory in terms of the desired safety against breaking in.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to cope in particular with the inconveniences referred to hereinabove by providing an improved building panel which is light and accordingly easy to be carried and to be fitted and which in addition is quite capable of effectively withstanding the attacks with modern drilling tools and also the attacks by thermal tools.

For that purpose, the subject matter of the invention is a building panel for the protection of bank premises, rooms or the like, of the kind comprising two substantially parallel plates between which is arranged a filling material consisting of movable bodies, this panel being essentially characterized in that the movable bodies exhibit the shapes of elongated elements mounted in freely movable relationship and with clearance or play between both plates so as to be displaceable in a vertical plane, a horizontal plane and/or through rotation.

It is therefore understandable that in case of an attack with a piercing or perforating tool, the various vertical, horizontal and rotary motions of the elongated elements will not only cause the perforating tool to be blocked or jammed and destroyed, but will also generate considerable vibration and noise, likely to strip, start or set alarm systems into operation or at least draw the attention of persons being near the location or spot where the attack is taking place.

According to another characterizing feature of the invention, one or several aforesaid elongated elements are enclosed within chambers defined by structural sections regidly connected to both plates.

Thus, the elongated elements are freely movable within these chambers so as to provide the results mentioned hereinabove.

According to still another characterizing feature of the invention, the aforesaid elongated elements consist preferably of helically twisted steel bars or rods of rectangular cross section.

It should still be specified here that the structural sections defining the aforesaid chambers are substantially U-shaped, Zshaped or of a trapezoidal shape.

According to a preferred embodiment, there is associated with one of the two plates at least another or third plate through the agency of at least one distance-piece or spacer defining a space which contains at least a material withstanding mechanical and thermal attacks.

The material contained in the aforesaid space consists of one layer of hard material with which is possibly associated another layer containing a material releasing harmful or impeding vapours under the action of heat.

This latter layer may for instance comprise sulphur whereas the layer of hard material may include aluminium and grains of corundum incorporated into the aluminium.

According to still a further characterizing feature of the invention, the distance-pieces or spacers referred to previously consist of steel inserts welded onto the intermediate plate and the outer plate, and the structural sections defining the chambers containing the twisted bars are likewise welded onto the intermediate plate and onto the other plate.

It should be added here that the twisted bars loosely entrapped within the chambers substantially increase the sound transmission upon an attack, more especially as these bars extend vertically.

Moreover, this vertical arrangement of the bars in the chambers offers the advantage that after same have been cut through by a tool, the upper parts of the bars would fall through gravity down to the lower portion of the wall and so to say regenerate the said wall by the fact that they would obstruct the drilling hole again.

Now, further advantages and characterizing features of the invention will appear better in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples only illustrating several embodiments of the invention and wherein: -Figure 1 is a sectional view of a building panel according to the invention with the intermediate portion thereof broken away; -Figure 2 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of this panel; and -Figure 3 is a sectional view of still another alternative embodiment of this panel.

Referring to the embodiment shown on Fig.

1, there is seen a building panel which comprises two outer steel plates 1 and 2 between which is arranged an intermediate steel sheet plate 3. The edges of the panel are provided with metal sheets 4 which are assembled through welding to the outer steel plates 1 and 2 by means of the weld beads or seams 5.

Between the outer steel plate 2 and the intermediate plate 3 are provided small cylindrical distance-pieces or spacing inserts 6 made of steel. These inserts are assembled with their front faces through plug-welding by means of weld beads or seams 9 and 1 0.

More specifically, the inserts 6 are welded to the edges of holes 7 formed in the steel plate 2 and to the edges of holes 8 formed in the intermediate plate 3. In the space left between the steel plate 2 and the intermediate plate 3 is disposed a layer 11 of aluminiumcorundum which exhibits a great heat conductivity and would cause the drilling tool to be worn out owing to the corundum.

Between the outer steel plate 1 and the intermediate plate 3 are provided Z-shaped or more specifically trapezoidally shaped sheet steel sections 1 2 which are assembled through welding to the plate 1 by means of weld beads or seams 1 3 and to the intermediate plate 3 by means of weld beads or seams 14.

The structural steel sections 12, together with the plates 1 and 3 define chambers 1 5 wherein elongated elements 1 6 are arranged in freely movable relationship. These elements 1 6 consist of helically twisted steel bars, rods or pins of rectangular cross-section. These bars 1 6 are entrapped within the chambers 1 5 with a side clearance or play over the whole extent of the said chambers which extend themselves throughout the height of the panel.

Thus, upon an attempt of piercing by means for instance of a boring-crown set with diamonds, this boring crown after perforation of the steel plate 1 would at first come into engagement with the freely movable elon gated elements or twisted bars 1 6 so that these elements would start jolting and vibrat ing within the chambers 1 5. This would result in a blocking or jamming and destruction of the boring bit crown and also in a substantial noise generation. Even when these bars 1 6 are cut through or pushed or driven aside the noise would be keeping up even during the attack of the aluminium-corrundum layer 11.

Moreover, the cutting-through of the bars 1 6 would cause the upper parts of these bars to fall down towards the hole drilled by the tool, thereby further increasing the difficulty of passing the boring crown therethrough.

As to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, it is seen that it corresponds to a large extent to the one shown on Fig. 1 in that the same reference numerals have been used to designate like elements.

Here, however, instead of structural steel sections 1 2 of trapezoidal shape seen on Fig.

1, there are used structural U-shaped sections 1 7 so that the chambers 1 8 defined by the structural sections 1 7 exhibit a rectangular shape. According to the embodiment shown, each rectangular chamber 1 8 contains two twisted bars 1 9 loosely housed in the said chambers.

As to the embodiment seen on Fig. 3, it corresponds substantially to that shown on Fig. 2, except for the fact there there is provided here in addition to the aluminiumcorundum layer 21 between the plates 2 and 3 an additional sulphur-based layer 20. Thus, in case of a thermal attack, the layer 20 would release or let evolve vapours detrimental to the operator.

It should be understood that the invention is not at all limited to the embodiments described and shown which have been given by way of examples only.

Thus, the aluminium-corundum layer 11 is not at all compulsory and therefore the panel could merely comprise two plates 1 and 3 with twisted bars 16, 1 9 accommodated within the chambers 15, 1 8 and this without being outside of the scope of the invention.

Likewise, any number of twisted bars 1 6 may be provided inside of said chambers and the outer outline of these chambers may be of any shape in accordance with the shapes of the steel sections 12, 1 7 which are selected.

These structural section may be of any configuration, U-shaped, Z-shaped, of trapezoidal or sinusoidal shape or as a general rule of any meander-like shape.

Accordingly, the invention comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if same are carried out according to its gist.

Claims (1)

1. A building panel for the protection of bank premises or the like, of the type comprising two substantially parallel plates between which is provided a filling material consisting of movable bodies, characterized in that the movable bodies exhibit the shapes of elongated vertical elements arranged in freely movable relationship and with clearance between both plates so as to be displaceable in a vertical plane, a horizontal plane and/or in rotation.

2. A panel according to claim 1, characterized in that one or several aforesaid elongate elements are enclosed within chambers defined by structural sections rigidly connected to both plates.

3. A panel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the aforesaid elongate elements consist of helically twisted steel bars of rectangular cross-section.

4. A panel according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the structural sections defining the chambers exhibit a substantially U-like, Z-like or trapezoidal shape.

5. A panel according to one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that one of both aforesaid plates is associated with another plate through the medium of at least one distance-piece defining between said plate and the intermediate plate a space containing at least one material withstanding mechanical and thermal attacks.

6. A panel according to claim 5, characterized in that the material contained within the aforesaid space consists of a layer of hard material with which is possibly associated another layer including a material releasing noxious vapours under heat.

7. A panel according to claim 6, characterized in that the layer comprises aluminium and bodies made of a hard material such as corundum whereas the other layer comprises sulphur.

8. A panel according to one of the foregoing claims, characterizedin that said distancepieces consist of steel inserts welded onto the intermediate plate and the outer plate and likewise said structural sections defining the chambers are welded onto the intermediate plate and onto the other plate.

9. A building panel substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown on the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claims 1 and 2 above have been deleted or textually amended.

New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:-

1. A building panel for the protection of bank premises or the like, of the type comprising two substantially parallel plates between which is provided a filling material consisting of freely movable bodies having the shape of elongated vertical elements, characterized in that one or several aforesaid elongated elements are enclosed within chambers defined by structural sections rigidly connected to and between both plates.

Claims 3 to 9 above have been re-numbered as 2 to 8 and their appendancies corrected.