GB2198175A - Protective screen - Google Patents

Abstract

A screen to prevent access to windows and doors and to prevent vandalism comprises one or more panels (10) mounted in a rectangular frame (11 to 14). To assemble the screen on site, first and second channel-shaped members (11, 12) are aligned with facing channels and secured to a surrounding wall. The panels or panels (10) are slid into position therebetween with edge margins retained in the channels either before or after the fixing of one side member (13). To retain the panels (10) the other side member (14) is positioned, one end being pivotally supported within the first member (11) at (16) and the other end secured inside the second member (12) at (21). <IMAGE>

Description

PROTECTIVE SCREEN This invention relates to a protective screen, particularly for fitment over windows, doors and similar apertures to prevent access thereto and to prevent vandalism.

According to the invention a protective screen comprises a rectangular frame made up of four elongate frame members, namely first and second members, which are arranged opposite each other and are channel-shaped and are adapted for securement to walls or similar surfaces, and third and fourth members, which extend between the first and second members and at least one of which is adapted to have its one end pivotally supported within a respective end margin of the first member and its other end fixedly secured within a respective end margin of the second member, and one or more panels having opposing edge margins which may be slidingly accommodated within the channel-shaped first and second members.

The separate components of the screen, i.e. the frame members, the panelis) and various fixing means can be brought to a site of installation where the screen can be quickly and easily assembled, The advantage of the aforesaid pivotal support of one end of at least one of the third and fourth members is to minimize the number of fixing means, such as bolts, which have to be used since these are often liable to tampering and also usually require accurately alignment of apertures in respective components which cannot be assured during on site assembly.

Preferably, both the third and fourth frame#rnembers are pivotally supported at one end.

In practise, the first and second frame members are usually lower and upper frame members, respectively, which are arranged substantially horizontally. The third and fourth members then constitute respective, substantially vertical side members.

The channel-shaped first and second frame members are advantageously open-ended so that the third and fourth members can be readily inserted therein from the ends. This further facilitates assembly of the screen on aite and enables both the first and second frame members to be secured to the relevant wall or similar surface before the other components are put in place. In this respect, during assembly of a preferred embodiment of the screen, the upper and lower frame members are firstly secured in place and the panel(s) slidingly inserted therebetween. Each side member in turn then has its lower end pivotally located in the respective end of the lower frame member, whereafter it is swung upwardly until its upper end is located inside the end margin of the upper frame member, where it is subsequently secured.

Pivotal support of the one end of the or each side member in the respective end margin of the first member may advantageously be achieved in a simple manner by provision of a cross-piece in the respective end of the first, channel-shaped member and provision of a corresponding slot, preferably in the longitudinal direction of the side member, at the end of the or each side member, which slot is appropriately dimensioned to fit over the respective cross-piece.

To reduce the weight of the screen, the third and fourth frame members (side members) may also be in the form of channel-shaped profiles, although these must, of course, be sufficiently narrow to fit inside the channels of the first and second frame members.

The first and second channel-shaped frame members are conveniently adapted for securement to walls or similar surfaces by having pairs of aligned apertures formed at intervals therealong in their respective limbs, the apertures in one limb being, in each case, of larger diameter than the corresponding aligned apertures in the other limb. With this arrangement, heads of bolts or screws etc. may pass through the larger apertures and lie within the channels of the respective frame members when the bolts and screws etc. are tightened up (their shanks obviously projecting through the narrower apertures). In this way, the heads of bolt or screws etc., are not readily accessible to tampering, and in most cases, when the panels are inserted in position they should be completely concealed.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view of a fully assembled preferred embodiment of the screen of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the right hand end margin of the upper frame member of the screen shon in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the lower frame member along the line III - III in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of part of the lower frame member shown in Fig. 1 in the region of the cross-section shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of the lower frame member in the direction of the arrow V in Fig. l;; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the right hand end margin of the lover frame member of the screen shown in Fig. 1.

With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the protective screen of the invention comprises a plurality of panels 10, mounted in a rectangular frame consisting of lower and upper frame members 11, 12 and respective side members 13, 14 extending therebetween.

The panels 10 are of a standard size and in the illustrated example there are three of them. They preferably comprise glass reinforced polyester, which may be further reinforced by steel mesh, as, for example in the range of transparent or translucent sheet materials sold under the Registered Trade Mark VANDALITE. Narrow U-profiled or channel-shaped plastics strips (not shown) are fitted around the edges of the panels 10. Where the panels 10 abut one another their edges (with the aforesaid strips fitted therearound) are located in respective opposing recesses of H-profile strips 15 which are of almost equal height to the panels 10.

The lower frame member 11 is channel-shaped, and more specifically, in this embodiment is U-shaped in cross-section, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5. At each end of this frame member 11, a cross-piece in the form of a respective rivet 16 extends transversely of the channel, through the both limbs 17, 18 of the U-profile, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. Also at equally spaced intervals along the frame member 11, between the respective rivets 16, pairs of aligned apertures 19,20 are provided in the respective limbs 17, 18 of the U-profile, the apertures 19 in one of the limbs 17 being of considerably larger diameter than the corresponding apertures 20 in the other limb. This is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

The upper frame member 12 is similarly U-shaped in cross section and has pairs of aligned apertures 19,20, one of each pair being larger, arranged along its length. It differs from the lower member 11 in that at its ends, instead of rivets, it is simply provided with two elongated openings 21, one above the other, in that limb of the U-profile which has the larger apertures 19 as indicated in Fig. 2.

The two side members 13, 14 are identical. Each is U-shaped in cross-section, just as the upper and lower members 12, 11, but is somewhat narrower than the latter. Each has a pair of apertures (not shown) adjacent its upper end corresponding to the elongated opening 21 in the upper frame member 12. Finally, each is formed at its lower end, with an elongate slot 22 which extends longitudinally of the member 13, 14, about midway across each limb of its U-profile. Adjacent this slot 22 the rounded part of the U-profile is preferably cut away at an angle, as indicated by reference numeral 23 in Fig. 6, so that at each side it tapers towards the slot 22.

The assembly of all the aforesaid components to form the screen shown in Fig. 1 will now be briefly described. Assuming that the screen is to be used to cover a window or window aperture which is to be protected against vandalism, the upper and lower frame members 11, 12 are firstly secured to a wall surrounding the window, at an appropriate spacing thereabove and therebelow, by means of the pairs of aligned apertures 19,20.

In this respect, the channels of the members 11, 12 are mutually facing and the limbs 18 having the smaller apertures 20 are disposed adjacent the wall and bolts are inserted through the larger apertures 19 to secure these limbs 18 to the wall by way of those smaller apertures 20. Thus, when fully tightened, the heads of the bolts are disposed inside the channel of the respective U-profiles 11, 12, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Indeed, it is in order to permit the bolt heads to pass therethrough that the apertures 19 are larger than the aligned apertures 20.

One of the side members 13 or 14 may then be secured in position. The slot 22 in its loser end is simply located over the rivet 16 at the appropriate end of the lower member 11, with the rounded part of the side member U-profile and the inclined region 23 facing outwardly. The provision of the inclined region 23 obviously facilitates the formation of the pivotal engagement of the slot 22 over the rivet 16 and the subsequent upward swinging of the side member 13 or 14 until its upper end locates in the relevant end margin of the upper frame member 12.The apertures near the upper end of the side member 13 or 14 are brought into alignment with the elongate openings 21 in the upper member and the respective members can then be securely connected by or screws way of these by tamperproof bolts/ The pivotal interengagement at the bottom and the provision of elongated openings in the upper frame member mean that extremely accurate alignment of components is not necessary and considerable variation, as will be encountered at different on site locations, is provided for.

The panels 10 and their intervening H-profile supports 15 are then slid into place from the remaining open end of the frame, their upper and lower edges being supported within the channels of the upper and lower frame members 12, 11. The other side member 13 or 14 is then secured in place in the same manner as the first one. Alternatively, of course, both side members 13, 14 may be put in place after the panels have been installed between the upper and lower members 12, 11. The edge margins of the panels 10 overlie the heads of the bolts used to secure the upper and lower members to the wall so that access to these bolts cannot be had via the apertures 19 once the screen is fully assembled.The pivotal interengagement between the side members 13, 14 and the lower member 11 cannot easily be interfered with and the bolts used to secure the side members to the upper member 12 are specially tamper-proof and also less accessible due to their height.

It is envisage that the upper and lower members 12, 11, the side members 13, 14, and the panels 10 will be provided only in a limited range of sizes, e.g. 180, 240, 300, 360cm for the upper and lower members 12, 11 and 60, 90, 120, 150cm for the side members 139 14. Appropriate sizes can then be selected to ensure that the fully assembled screen will completely cover the door, window, or other aperture or structure to be protected.

The invention is not, of course, limited to the exact details of the above-described embodiment, which is merely a favourable practical embodiment given by way of illustration.

In alternative embodiments, the various channel-shaped members need not be U-shaped, but could be more angular, the side members need not be channel-shaped at all, and only one of the side members need be pivotally but non-fixed mounted at its lower end. Furthermore, there may only be a single panel in the screen and the frame need not be orientated strictly in accordance with the illustrated embodiment (although that will be most usual) since it may be mounted askew and/or the side members may be those fixed to the wall, with the uppermost and/or lowermost member pivotally supported therein at one end and fixedly secured therein at the other end.

Claims (13)

1. A protective screen comprising a rectangular frame made up of four elongate frame members, namely first and second members, which are arranged opposite each other and are channel-shaped and are adapted for securement to walls or similar surfaces, and third and fourth members, which extend between the first and second members and at least one of which is adapted to have its one end pivotally supported within a respective end margin of the first member and its other end fixedly secured within a respective end margin of the second member, and one or more panels having opposing edge margins accommodated within the channel-shaped first and second members.

2. A protective screen as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second frame members are lower and upper frame members, respectively, which are arranged substanially horizontally, while the third and fourth members constitute respective substantially vertical side members.

3. A protective screen as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the channel-shaped first and second frame members are open-ended and the third and fourth members are adapted for insertion therein from the ends

4. A protective screen as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein pivotal support of the one end of the or each side member in the respective end margin of the first member is achieved by provision of a cross-piece in the respective end of the first, channel-shaped member and provision of a corresponding slot at or near the end of the or each side member, which slot is appropriately dimensioned to fit over the respective cross-piece.

5. A protective screen as claimed in claim 4 wherein the slot in the side member extends in the longitudinal direction of said member from the end thereof.

6. A protective screen as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the third and fourth frame members (side members) are in the form of channel-shaped profiles of sufficiently narrow dimension to fit inside the channels of the first and second frame members.

7. A protective screen as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the first and second channel-shaped frame members are adapted for securement to walls or similar surfaces by having pairs of aligned apertures formed at intervals theralong in their respective limbs, the apertures in one limb being, in each case, of larger diameter than the corresponding aligned apertures in the other limb.

8. A protective screen as claimed in any preceding claim and including two or more panels and H - profiled strips located between the panels, the strips providing opposing recesses which receive adjacent edges of the respective panels.

9. A method of providing a protective screen over a window, door or similar aperture comprising securing elongate upper and lower channel-shaped members to a wall or similar surface around the window, door or similar aperture in substantially horizontal aligned disposition and with mutually facing channel#, slidingly inserting olle or more pallels beLwee## sald members, upper alld lower edge marginsof said panel or panels being retained in the respective channels thereof and fixing side frame members into place between respective ends of the upper and lower members so as to retain the panels, the ends of the side members being located in the facing channels of the upper and lower members, at least one end of one side member being pivotally supported in one of the channels.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the lower channel shaped member is provided with a cross piece at one end and one end of one side frame member is slotted, the slotted end being pivotally located on the cross piece and the side member being swung upwards until its other end locates in the channel of the upper member where it is secured.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the lower channel-shaped member is provided with a cross-piece at each end and one end of each side frame member is slotted, the slotted ends being pivotally located over the respective crosspieces and the side members in turn being swung upwards until their ends locate in the channel of the upper member where they are secured

12. A protective screen substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of providing a protective screen substantially as hereinbefore described.