GB2203773A - Device securing safe inaccessibly to a base structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A security device by means of which a safe 50 can be immovably secured to the ground 17 comprises a ground or floor fixable structure (11 Fig. 1) securable to the ground 17 by e.g. screws 16, engagement means (40 Fig. 3) secured to the bottom 53 of a recess 51 in the base of the safe 50, and an inverted tray-like structure 18 being part of the structure 11 and being capable of securely and retainably receiving the engagement means (40 Fig. 3) when the safe 50 is placed over the structure 11. Due to the fact that a flange 52 at the base of the safe completely surrounds the structure (11 Fig. 1) and the engagement means (40 Fig. 3) both of the latter are inaccessible making the safe tamper-proof and immovable. <IMAGE>

Description

SECURITY DEVICES FOR SAFES This invention concerns safes and more particularly security devices for safes.

Primarily, although not exclusively, the present invention is concerned with the provision of security devices for small size safes, the term small herein meaning of the type normally used in the home and weighing in the order of 50 kg to 80 kg.

The type of safe as aforementioned is usually free standing on the floor (against one wall or two adjacent walls) or is secured to the floor by means of one or more pins, screws or bolts extending from inside the safe through corresponding hole(s) in the safe's base and into the floor.

The aforedescribed known manner of securing the safe to the floor is not very satisfactory and has at least two main disadvantages.

Firstly, from the security point of view, it would not be beyond the competence of a determined burglar to force a cutting implement between the bottom of the safe and the floor with the intention of of severing the pin(s), screw(s) or bolt(s) holding the safe to the floor using said implement so that the safe can then be carried away.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, any hole or holes drilled in the bottom of the safe can allow ingress into the interior of the safe of smoke and heat from any fire which may start in or contaminate the room, thereby defeating one of the main purposes of a safe, i.e. that it should protect valuables stored therein from the effects of smoke and heat from a fire.

It would also appear to be the case that obtaining fire damage insurance for safes which have drill holes in them is extremely difficult, if not impossible, because such drill holes allow the ingress of smoke and heat.

An object of the present invention is to provide a security device for safes which overcomes the aforesaid disadvantage.

With this object in view the present invention provides a security device for a safe comprising a ground or floor fixable structure on or over which the base of the safe is placeable with said structure secured to the ground or floor and with its ground or floor fixing means inaccessibly covered by said base, and engagement means integral with or securely attachable to the base of the safe and being securably and retainably engagable with the floor fixable structure, when the base of the safe is placed on or over the structure as aforesaid, also inaccessibly to cover the engagement means.

Advantageously, the ground or floor fixable structure is in the form of a square shape right-angled frame.

Ideally each side of the frame is L-shaped in cross-section providing an upstanding side wall and an inwardly projecting foot.

To enable the engagement means to be secured to the floor fixable structure preferably there is situated centrally within the frame and connected thereto an inverted tray-like structure which provides a pair of spring-loaded catches for the engagement means.

The engagement means may be in the form of an elongate U shape bracket the two limbs or legs of which each have a substantially C-shaped recess below which is a wedge-shaped portion which tapers towards the base of the limb or leg and which has a sloping surface.

With the latter form of engagement means the springloaded catches of the tray-like central structure of the frame can engage the C-shaped recesses of the engagement means when the safe is placed on or over the ground or floor fixable structure.

The central location of the catches, and their centrally situated engagements by the engagement means results in a secure connection of the safe to the ground or floor which connection cannot be tampered with.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings it being understood that the following is illustrative and not limitative of the scope of the invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the security device of the invention; Fig. 2 is an underneath plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an engagement means being part of the embodiment of Fig. 1 or 2; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a safe showing the preferred embodiment of the security device in situ.

Referring in detail to Fig. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of the security device 10 comprises a ground or floor fixable structure 11 in the form of a square shaped right-angled frame, ideally made of cast iron because such material is heavy and therefore anything made of it is not easy to move.

It will be appreciated that each side of the frame is L-shaped in cross-section providing an upstanding side wall 12 and an inwardly projecting foot 13.

Each foot 13 has two through holes 14 and 15 for the reception of ground or floor fixing means, for example screws 16 (Fig. 4), to enable the frame to be secured to the ground or floor 17 (Fig. 4).

Situated centrally within the frame is an inverted tray-like structure 18 which provides a pair of springloaded catches 19 and 20 for engagement means 40 (Fig.

3) secured to the bottom of a safe 50 (Fig. 4).

The structure 18 is cast iron or mild steel and is secured to two opposite sides of the frame by respective tongue-like extensions 21 and 22 each integral with the structure 18 and having its free end secured e.g. by welding, to a respective foot 13 of the frame.

Between both ends of the structure 18 and their associated extensions 21, 22 are respective integral Ushaped intermediate parts 23, 24 each have a through hole 25 for the reception of ground or floor fixing means such as a screw or a nail to ensure that the structure 18 is secured to the ground or floor equally as well as the frame.

The construction of the spring-loaded catches 19 and 20 is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each catch consists of a rectangular slot 26 cut in the top 27 of the structure 18 which co-operates with a substantially rectangular plate 28 secured at its centre to the underside 29 of the structure 18 by means of a rivetlike pin 30 such that the plate 28 can pivot about the pin 30. The pivotal movement of the plate 28 is limited by a pair of stops 31 arranged on the underside 29 of the structure 18 such that there is one stop 31 on each longitudinal side 32 of the plate 28.

In its normal position the sides 32 of the plate 31 are held firmly against the stops 31 by means of a spring 33 which is secured at one end to one side of the structure 18 and at its other end to any eye hook 34 on the plate 28.

The short ends of the plate 28 both have a portion 35 which, with the plate in its normal position, cover substantially one-half of a respective one of the slots 26. It will be seen that the portions 35 of the plate 28 cover different halves of respective slots 26 in mirror-image fashion.

As previously stated, the catches 19 and 20 co operate with engagement means 40 which, as shown in Fig.

4, is in the form of an elongate Ushape bracket 41 the two limbs or legs 42, 43 of which each have a substantially C-shaped recess 44 below which is a wedge shaped portion 45 which tapers towards the base of the limb or leg 42 or 43. The wedge-shaped portion 45 has a sloping surface 46.

The limbs or legs 42, 43 are formed on the bracket 41 in mirror-image fashion.

Fig. 4 shows in cross-section the bottom half of a safe 50 in the base of which is a recess 51 such that the wall of the safe is thinner in this region and defines a flange 52 which is continuous around the periphery of the base.

The bracket 41 forming the engagements means 40 is secured by welding to the bottom 53 of the recess 51, .thus avoiding the need to cut a hole(s) from the outside to the inside 54 of the safe 50.

In using the security device 10 of the invention, the structure 11 (e.g. the frame) is firstly secured to a desired spot on the floor 17 of a room by the chosen fixing means 16. The safe 50, with the bracket 41 forming the engagement means attached thereto in the manner aforesaid, is placed manually or mechanically over the frame such that the frame is within the recess 51. As the safe is placed over the frame the legs 42, 43 of the bracket 41 engage with respective springloaded catches 19, 20. Engagement is achieved by virtue of the sloping surface 46 of the wedge-shaped portion of each leg 42, 43 running up against that portion of the plate 28 covering part of a respective one of the slots 26 in the top 27 of the structure 18 which pivots the plate 28 about pin 30 against the force of the spring 33 gradually uncovering more of the slot.

Eventually the said portions of the plate 28 will meet the C-shaped recess 44 at the end (in the sense of the insertion direction of the legs 42, 43) of each sloping surface 46 and thereupon the portions will snap into a respective recess 44 as the plate 28 is brought back to its normal position under the action of the spring 33.

The engagement means 40 is now secured to the ground or floor fixable structure 11.

Both the structure 11 and the engagement means 40 are inaccesible covered by the safe 50 since the frame is surrounded by the flange 52 of the safe 50 and both the frame and bracket 41 are within the recess 51 defined by the flange 52. In fact, with the security device of the invention a safe is permanently fixed in one spot and cannot be moved from that spot (either by its owner or a thief) except with extreme difficulty.

To move a safe which has been fixed in place by the security device one would have to drill a hole or series of holes in the flange to get at the engagement means and disconnected that. This is not something which most thieves would contemplate doing as it is very time consuming not to say noisy. Furthermore, utilisation of the security device of the invention does not involve drilling or otherwise altering the structure of the safe, and any fire/smoke barrier material which it may incorporate, in any detrimental way, thereby maintaining the fire damage capacity of the safe.

Claims (10)

1. A security device for a safe comprising a ground or floor fixable structure on or over which the base of a safes placeable with said structure secured to the ground or floor and with its ground or floor fixing means inaccessibly covered by said base, and engagement means integral with or securely attachable to the base of the safe and being securably and retainably engagable with the floor fixable structure, when the base of the safe is placed on or over the structure as aforesaid, also inaccesibly to cover the engagement means.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ground or floor fixable structure is in the form of a square shape right-angled frame.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each side of the frame is L-shaped in cross-section providing an upstanding side wall and an inwardly projecting foot.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein an inverted tray-like structure which provides a pair of spring-loaded catches for the engagement means is connected to and situated centrally within the frame.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the tray-like structure is secured to two opposite sides of the frame by a tongue-like extension from each end of the structure to the foot of the frame there opposite.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein each catch consists of a rectangular slot cut in the top of the tray-like structure which co-operates with a substantially rectangular plate secured at its centre to the underside. of the structure by means of a rivet-like pin such that the plate can pivot about the pin.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plate is provided with a spring which holds it in its normal position against a pair of stops which define the limit of its pivotal movement.

8. A device as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein respective portions of the plate cover at least half of the opening of each rectangular slot.

9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the engagement means is in the form of an elongate U shape bracket the two limbs or legs of which each have a substantially C-shaped recess below which is a wedgeshaped portion which tapers towards the base of the limb or leg and which has a sloping surface which is cooperable with the portion of the plate covering the opening of a respective rectangular slot forming part of a respective spring loaded-catch.

10. A security device for a safe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.