GB2277551A

GB2277551A - A security assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2277551A
Application number: GB9405288A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William G Penticost
Original assignee: W R JEWISS
Current assignee: W R JEWISS
Priority date: 1993-04-27
Filing date: 1994-03-17
Publication date: 1994-11-02
Also published as: GB9308711D0; GB9405288D0

Abstract

A security assembly (1) for securing a wall opening (2), such as a door opening, in a wall (3) of a building against unauthorised entry, comprising a first rigid frame (5) securable around the wall opening, a second rigid frame (10) defining a closure opening, fixing means (15, 16, 20, 22 - 26) for securing the second rigid frame (10) to the first rigid frame (5) and a closure (42, 43) such as a door, fixed to the second frame (10) and closing the closure opening. <IMAGE>

Description

A security assembly This invention relates to a security assembly for securing a door or window opening in a wall of a building against unauthorised entry. In particular, but not exclusively, the security assembly is intended to be fixed around a door or window assembly of a residence during periods of extended non-inhabitation of the residence to prevent undesirable occupants, e.g. squatters, taking up residence.

In housing blocks administered by institutions or bodies, e.g. council housing blocks administered by local governments, it is not always possible to replace occupants when they leave a residence immediately with new residents.

During such periods of non-inhabitation of a residence, it is not uncommon for undesirable occupants to break into the residence through relatively easily openable doors or windows for the purpose of vandalising the residence and/or squatting in the residence. In the case of vandalisation of the residence, time consuming and often costly work needs to be undertaken to restore the residence to a habitable condition. In the case of squatters taking residence, time and much expenditure is required to evict them.

The present invention seeks to provide a security assembly for a residence which can be temporarily positioned around a door or window opening of the residence to make it more difficult for unauthorised personnel to enter the residence through the door or window opening.

According to the present invention a security assembly for securing a wall opening provided in a wall of a building against unauthorised entry, comprises a rigid first frame, first fixing means for securing the rigid first frame against the wall around the opening, a rigid second frame defining a closure opening, second fixing means for securing the second frame to the first frame so that, when the first frame is secured to the wall, the second frame completely covers the first frame and the closure opening is positioned inwardly of both the first frame and the said wall opening, and a closure fixed to the second frame and closing said closure opening.

The security assembly may be designed for securing either door or window openings in a wall of a building. If designed as a door assembly, the closure comprises a door which is fixed by hinges to one side of the second frame.

In this case a locking device or the like may lock the door to the other side of the second frame. If designed as a window assembly, the first and second frames will completely surround the window opening on all sides and the closure may, for example, either be hinged to one side of the second frame or be fixed to both sides of the second frame.

Preferably the first and second frames are made of steel.

Preferably the first frame comprises box section frame parts welded together to form a top and spaced apart sides.

The first frame may also be provided with a bottom, for example if the security assembly comprises a window assembly.

Preferably the second frame comprises frame parts welded together, at least one of which frame parts is of channel section. If the wall opening is in a single plane wall, conveniently all the frame parts will be of channel section.

However, if the wall opening is at a corner of two walls, one of the frame parts may not be of channel section.

Conveniently, in the case where the closure is hingedly fixed to the second frame, the closure opens inwardly and cover strips are secured to the second frame so as to cover peripheral edges of the closure when the latter is in a closed position within the closure opening.

Suitably the first fixing means comprise holes formed in the first frame and screw means which pass through said holes for use in securing the first frame to the wall.

Conveniently the second frame comprises spaced apart side frame parts and a bridging top frame part lying in a common plane and said second fixing means comprises a plurality of bolts having axes substantially parallel to said common plane bolting the first and second frames together. Preferably each bolt passes through openings formed in inwardly projecting means, e.g. studs, fixed, e.g.

welded, to the second frame part.

Conveniently the closure comprises an outer sheet panel, e.g. of steel, and horizontal bars fixed, e.g. welded, on the inside of the sheet panel and projecting from at least one side of the panel, the projecting side portions of each bar having an aperture formed therein for receiving therethrough a hinge pin when the closure is hinged to the second frame.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view from the front of one embodiment of a security assembly according to the invention for securing a door opening in a wall against unauthorised entry; Figure 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view from the back, on an enlarged scale, of a hinge assembly of the security assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a sectional view of part of the second frame of the security assembly shown on Figure 1; Figure 6 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a security assembly according to the invention for securing a door opening formed at the juncture of two walls; and Figure 7 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of part of the security assembly shown in Figure 6.

Figures 1 to 5 show one embodiment of a door assembly, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, for securing an existing door opening 2 (see Figure 2) in a wall 3 against unauthorised entry. The door assembly 1 is designed to fit door openings 2 of different sizes and, in Figure 2, the arrows A-A and B-B indicate, respectively, the minimum width a and maximum width b of door opening with which the door assembly 1 can be used.

The door assembly 1 is primarily intended to be temporarily fitted into an existing doorway of a dwelling unit of a block of flats or the like to secure the doorway against unauthorised entry when the dwelling unit is uninhabited during periods between changeover in occupancy of the dwelling unit. During such changeover periods squatters or other undesirables are liable to enter the dwelling unit unless the existing door (not shown) is itself strong and secure. In general, however, such existing doors can be easily forced open by squatters or the like and it is therefore necessary to fit the more secure door assembly 1 to the door opening 2. In order to fit the door assembly 1 in position, it is necessary first to take off the existing door, although the existing door jambs 4 (see Figure 2) are left in position.

The door assembly 1 comprises a rigid first frame 5 (shown in chain lines in Figure 1) consisting of box-section steel side frame parts 6 and 7 joined together by welding to a box-section steel head frame part 8. The front and back walls of the frame parts 6 and 7 (and optionally also the frame part 8) are provided with aligned holes 9 to enable the frame 5 to be secured with plugs and screws to the wall 3 around the door opening 2. A rigid second frame 10, having channel-section steel side frame parts 11 and 12 joined together by welding to a channel section steel head frame part 13, is secured to the first frame 5 so as to completely cover the latter. Each of the frame parts 11-13 comprises spaced apart side walls 11a and lib, 12a and 12b and 13a and 13b joined by a bridging wall llc, 12c and 13c, respectively.

In order to secure the second frame 10 to the first frame 5, the front walls of the frame parts 6-8 are formed with a plurality of spaced apart openings 15 (see Figure 2) through which extend spaced apart inwardly extending projections 16 welded on the inside of the bridging walls llc-13c. A plurality of short channel section mounting members 20 are welded to the inside of the walls 12a and 12c and, although not shown in detail, also to be walls 11a and 11c and 13a and 13c. Holes 21 are formed in bridging wall 20a of each mounting member 20 through which pass bolts 22 (shown in dashed lines in Figure 1). The threaded free end of each bolt 22 passes through aligned holes 23 and 24 formed in side walls of the first frame 5, through a transverse hole 25 formed in the projection 16 and is screwed into a threaded nut 26 welded to the outside of the side wall of the frame 5 containing the hole 24. Access to the head 22a of each bolt 22 is gained via holes 30 formed in the side walls 12a (and ila and 13a).

After the bolts 22 have been tightened to rigidly secure the frames 5 and 10 together, their heads 22a may optionally be welded to the mounting members 20 and the holes 30 may be closed by welding closure members (not shown) into each hole. It will be appreciated that for each of the twelve bolts 22 shown in Figure 1, there will be correspondingly twelve projections 16, twelve mounting members 20 and twelve sets of holes 23 and 24 which are aligned with the transverse hole 25.

A reinforced door 40 is secured within door opening 41 defined by the walls lla-13a of the second frame 10. The door 40 comprises a steel panel 42 having four steel cross bars 43 having four steel cross bars 43 welded to its back surface. Each bar 43 is longer than the width of the panel 42 and projects at each of its ends from the sides of the panel 42. Opposite ends of each bar 43 have hinge holes 45 therein.

Hinge members in the form of a pair of spaced apart parallel plates 50 and 51 are welded to the walls 12a and 12b of frame part 12 and the walls 11a and 11b of frame part 11 at the level of the bars 43 (see Figure 1). Thus four pairs of plates 50 and 51 are welded to each of the frame parts 11 and 12. By providing plates 50 and 51 on both frame parts 11 and 12, it is possible to hinge the door 40 from either of its sides. In the Figures, the door 40 is shown hinged to the frame part 12. The ends of the bars projecting from the non-hinged side of the door may be trimmed if desired.

The projecting end portions of the cross bars 43 adjacent the frame part 12 are positioned between their associated pairs of spaced apart plates 50 and 51 and hinge bolts 52 are passed between the holes 45 and aligned holes 54 and 55 formed in the plates 50 and 51, respectively.

Nuts 56 are secured to the lower ends of the hinge bolts 52 and each hinge assembly has spacer washers 57-60.

The outer surface of the panel 42 is substantially aligned with the outer surface of the bridging walls llc- 13c. However steel covering strips 62 are welded to the bridging walls llc-13c to cover gaps formed between the periphery of the panel 42 and the surrounding second frame 10.

A lock 63 (see Figure 1 showing two alternative mounting positions) may be fixed to the back of the door 40.

Although not shown the lock has one or more locking bars engageable within reinforced parts of the second frame 10.

The security assembly 1 described provides secure protection of the door opening 2. The first frame 5 which is screwed or bolted to the wall 3 is completely obscured by the second frame 10 so that it is impossible to see from the outside how to dismantle the security assembly or how to remove it from the wall. Furthermore there are few surfaces available between which a jemmy or the like can be inserted to lever the door 40 open or the second frame away from the wall.

In order to remove the security assembly from the wall 3 it is necessary to remove the bolts 22. This will require the closure plates (if provided) closing the openings 30 to be removed and the bolts 22 to be unscrewed. If the bolts 22 are welded to the members 20 they will have to be freed before they can be unscrewed. After the frames 5 and 10 are detached from each other the frame 5 can be removed from the wall 3.

An alternative embodiment of security assembly according to the invention is designated by the referenced numeral 90 in Figures 6 and 7. The assembly 90 is intended for securing a door opening 91 formed at the junction between two vertical walls 92 and 93 extending at right angles to each other. The security assembly 90 is similar to the assembly 90 and where possible the same reference numerals have been used to identify similar parts. The main differences between the two assemblies 1 and 90 is in the frame parts of the first and second frames which are positioned adjacent the wall 92 and which frame parts are identified by the reference numerals 94 and 95, respectively, in Figures 6 and 7.

The frame part 94 is similar to frame parts 6-8 except that the side wall (instead of the back wall) of the boxsection steel frame part 94 adjacent the wall 92 is provided with holes for screws or bolts to pass through to secure the frame part 94 to the wall 92.

The frame part 95 is not of channel section like the top and other side frame part of the second frame. Instead the frame part 95 has an inner side wall 95a and a front wall 95b which butts up against the wall 92. Shortened bolts 96 rigidly secure the frame parts 94 and 95 together, each bolt 96 passing through the aligned holes 23 and 25 and being screwed into nut 26 which, in this embodiment, is welded to the inner side wall of the box-section frame part 94.

In both embodiments of security assemblies described, the same security assemblies can be used to secure door openings of different sizes.

Although not described in detail, a security assembly according to the invention can be constructed to secure a window opening. In this case, each of the first and second frames will be of generally rectangular form, with the second frame concealing the first frame when the security assembly is fixed in position. Instead of a door hinged to the second frame, a closure may be hingedly or non-hingedly fixed to the second frame.

Claims

1. A security assembly for securing a wall opening provided in a wall of a building against unauthorised entry, comprising a rigid first frame, first fixing means for securing the rigid first frame against the wall around the opening, a rigid second frame defining a closure opening, second fixing means for securing the second frame to the first frame so that, when the first frame is secured to the wall, the second frame completely covers the first frame and the closure opening is positioned inwardly of both the first frame and the said wall opening, and'a closure fixed to the second frame and closing said closure opening.

2. A security assembly according to claim 1 for securing a door opening, in which said closure comprises a door which is fixed by hinges to one side of said second frame.

3. A security assembly according to claim 2, in which means are provided to lock the door to the other side of said second frame.

4. A security assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the first and second frames are made of steel.

5. A security assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the first frame comprises box section frame parts welded together to form a top and spaced apart sides.

6. A security assembly according to claim 5, in which the first frame is provided with a bottom.

7. A security assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the second frame comprises frame parts welded together, at least one of which frame parts is of channel section.

8. A security assembly according to claim 7 for securing a wall opening in a single plane wall, in which all the frame parts of the second frame are of channel section.

9. A security assembly according to claim 2 or 3, or any of claims 4 to 8 when dependent on claim 2, in which the closure opens inwardly and cover strips are secured to the second frame so as to cover peripheral edges of the closure when the latter is in a closed position within the closure opening.

10. A security assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the first fixing means comprise holes formed in the first frame and screw means which pass through said holes for use in securing the first frame to the wall.

11. A security assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the second frame comprises spaced apart side frame parts and a bridging top frame part lying in a common place and said second fixing means comprises a plurality of bolts having axes substantially parallel to said common plane bolting the first and second frames together.

12. A security assembly according to claim 11, in which each bolt passes through openings formed in inwardly projecting means fixed to the second frame part.

13. A security assembly according to claim 2 or 3, or any of claims 4 to 12 when dependent on claim 2, in which the closure comprises an outer sheet panel and horizontal bars fixed on the inside of the sheet panel and projecting from at least one side of the panel, the projecting side portions of each bar having an aperture formed therein for receiving therethrough a hinge pin when the closure is hinged to the second frame.

14. A security assembly for securing a wall opening provided in a wall of a building against unauthorised entry, the security assembly being constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 1 to 5 or Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.