GB2299604A

GB2299604A - Removable security bollard

Info

Publication number: GB2299604A
Application number: GB9507293A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jonathan Mark Nigel Grosvenor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-04-07
Filing date: 1995-04-07
Publication date: 1996-10-09
Also published as: GB9507293D0

Abstract

The bollard comprises a socket (2) for placing within the ground and a solid metal bar (5) insertable within the socket (2) so as to project above ground level; the socket (2) and bar (6) have external parts (5,7) arranged for locking together when the bar (6) has been inserted in the socket (2) so as to inhibit removal of the bar (6) from the socket (2). The bollard is designed to be simple and inexpensive to manufacture yet very robust.

Description

RMOVABLE BOLLARD This invention relates to removable bollards for use in preventing vehicular access to a given area.

Many different types of bollard are already used or have been proposed for preventing vehicular access to designated areas.

However, many of the known bollards are of relatively complex design particularly when provided with internal locking mechanisms.

Furthermore, the majority of known bollards which are movable between a locked position and an inactive or storage position are designed to act simply as a deterrent and are not sufficiently robust determined attempt to break the This invention aims to provide a removable bollard which is of simple design and thus inexpensive to manufacture whilst being sufficiently robust to resist a determined attack upon its structure.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a removable security bollard comprising: a socket portion for placing within the ground; and a substantially solid bar portion insertable within the socket portion so as to project above ground level; the socket portion and bar portion having external parts or components arranged for locking together when the bar portion has been inserted the socket portion so as to inhibit removal of the bar portion from the socket portion.

According to to further aspect of the ir,vention, there is provided a of parts for use in constructing a security bollard as The kit may exclude a solid bar used in forming the bar portion.

The invention also relates to the use of a removable security bollard as described above for preventing vehicular access to a given area.

Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the subsidiary claims of the specification.

The invention will now be further described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of a removable security bollard according to the invention when installed in the ground and in the locked position; Figure 2 is a front view of a socket portion of the removable security bollard shown in Figure 1: Figure 3 is a front view of a bar portion of the removable security bollard shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the socket portion shown in Figure 2 when not in use.

The removable security bollard shown in the drawings comprises two main portions, a socket portion 1 and a bar portion 2.

The socket portion 1 is preferably formed of a tube 2 of mild steel, with a circular plate 3 welded to its lower end to close that end of the tube and a flange plate 4 welded to its upper end which, in use, is preferably recessed into the ground so that its upper surface is flush with the ground. A lid 5 is attached to the flange plate 4 by means of a hinge which will be described further below in relation to Figure 4.

The socket portion 1 may thus be sunk into the ground to present an upwardly facing socket into which the bar portion 2 can be inserted.

When the security bollard is not in use, the hinged lid 5 can be swung into a closed position so that it covers the socket. The lid 5 is preferably designed so that when it is in the closed position it is recessed within the plate 4 and lies flush with the ground level and has no parts which project above ground level. The socket portion 1 may thus be positioned in an area, for instance, just inside or outside a doorway of a building and when it is not in use, the lid 5 may closed to cover the socket without leaving any projection WhiCh trip up somebody walking through the doorway.

The socket portion 1 is preferably secured in in the ground with the aid of concrete and/or some form of adhesive compound. The socket portion 1 may be further secured to the ground by bolts (not shown) passing through holes 4A in the flange plate 4 and into the ground.

The heads of the bolts are preferably recessed into the plate 4 so they do not project above ground level.

The bar portion 2 is preferably formed of a solid mild steel bar 6 of a shape and size suitable for fitting into the socket presented by the socket portion 1. The bar 6 is provided with locking means in the form of a projection 7 welded thereto. The projection 7 is positioned so that when the bar 6 has been inserted into the socket portion 1, the projection 7 lies just above ground level and can be locked to part of the socket portion 1, e.g. by means of a padlock 8. In a preferred arrangement, the projection 7 is positioned so it can be fitted through an aperture 9 in the lid 5 of the socket portion (when the lid 5 is in the open position) and a padlock 8 passed through a hole 10 in the projection so as to inhibit disengagement of the projection 7 from the @u @.The bar portion 2 is thus secured to the socket portion 1 so as to inhibit removal of the bar portion 2 from the socket portion 1.

In another arrangement (not shown), the projection 7 may be rotatably mounted to the bar 6. e.g. about an axis perpendicular to the length of the bar 6, so it swivels on the bar 6 and is therefore more difficult to wrench off the bar 6.

To assist in carrying the bar 6 (which may be quite heavy when made of solid mild steel), two handles 11A and 11B are preferably provided thereon; one loop handle 11A being welded the top of the bar 1 and another loop handle 11B being welded to the side of the bar 1 approximately midway along its length. The lower handle 11B is preferably mounted just above the projection 7 as shown so as to shield the projection and make it more difficult to strike the projection 7 with a hammer when the bollard is in the locked position.

As shown in Figure 4, the lid 5 is secured to the flange plate means of a hinge which comprises a hinge pin in the form of a steel rod 12, which passes through or is secured to part of the lid 5 and two tubular sections 13A and 132 which are recessed in the plate 4 and welded thereto. The ends of the rod 12 are fitted into the tubular sections 13A and 13B. Access to the rod 12 is thus restricted making it difficult to force the hinge apart.

The security bollard described above is particularly designed to protect buildings or other property from attack by so-called ramraiding in which a vehicle is driven into a door, window or wall of a building Sc as to break into the building One or more security bollards may y be positioned inside or outside the building so as to provide an additional barrier which needs to be broken down before access can be gained to the interior of the building. In a preferred design, the solid metal bar 5 has a diameter of around 2 inches (50 mm) and a length of at least 4 feet (120 cm).The tubular part 2 of the socket portion preferably has ar; internal diameter slightly greater than 2 inches (50 mm) so as to be able to receive the bar 6 therein and a length of around 18 inches (45 cm). Approximately 18 inches (45 C".) cf the bar 6 can thus be inserted into the socket portion, leaving around 2 feet 6 inches (75 cm) of the bar projecting above ground level. It is important that an appreciable length of the bar 6 is inserted into the socket to provide sufficient resistance against vehicle being rammed against the bar 6. If the length of bar 5 in the socket is insufficient there is a danger that a force applied to the upper section of the bar will be able to lever the socket portion 1 out of the ground.

It has been found that a security @ bollard of such a specificaticn is sufficiently robust to resist attack by even a relatively large vehicle being purposefully dflven into the bollard.

It will be appreciated that the material and dimensions of the bollard may be varied depending on the particular application. However, to ensure the bar 6 is sufficiently robust it is preferably substantially solid throughout its length and should preferably have a solid crosssectional area of at least 3 square inches (19 square cm) and preferably in the range 3 to 30 square inches (19 to 200 square cm).

The length of bar 6 inserted in the socket portion should be at least 12 inches (30 cm) and preferably in the range 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm). The length of bar projecting above the ground should be at least 2 feet (60 cm) and preferably in the range 2 feet 6 inches to 4 feet (75 - 120 cm).

The bar 6 and socket preferably have a circular cross-section but may be of some other shape, e.g. square, hexagonal, etc.

A significant advantage of the type of bollard described above compared to known bollards is its simplicity, ease of manufacture and hence relatively low cost. The socket is preferably made of low carbon mild steel and may be manufactured inexpensively from commonly available tubing formed of this material. The only fabrication required is the welding of the circular plate 3 and flange plate 4 to the tube and the assembly and welding of the lid 5 and hinge construction. The bar 6 can also be made of low carbon mild steel round bar which is again commonly available and inexpensive. Fabrication of the bar portion 2 simply comprises welding on the projection 7 and the two handles 11A and 11B. These components may also be made of mild steel, e.g. the handles may be formed from drawn wire.

The simple construction of the bollard helps increase its robustness and minimises the number of parts which can malfunction, become clogged with dirt or which may get wet and corrode. The provision of external locking means (as opposed to locking means within the bar or below ground level) also simplifies the construction. Furthermore, the locking mechanism is clearly visible to anyone contemplating trying to break the barrier provided by the bollard and may well deter them from attempting to disable or force the lock and/or make it apparent that the bar cannot be simply lifted out of the socket. Other forms of locking means which satisfy these criteria may be used and, as mentioned above, it is preferable that when the bar 6 is removed from the socket and the lid 5 closed, no part of the socket portion should project above ground level.

Mild steel components have the benefit of being inexpensive and are sufficiently robust for most applications. However, if further strength is required, higher grade materials can be used. Another advantage of using a mild steel bar is that it is more likely to bend rather than break off if struck by a vehicle. It has also been found that in some circumstances a vehicle may ride up on the bar if it bends and become impaled or hooked upon the bar thus trapping the vehicle so it cannot be used as a getaway vehicle.

The parts of the bollard need not be provided with any protective finish as being made of substantially thick, solid material they are not especially susceptible to corrosion. Nevertheless, parts may be primed, painted or galvanised as desired. If the bollard is used inside a building or at prestigious premises, the visible parts may be bright zinc plated to improve their appearance or parts may be formed of stainless steel.

The bollard described above may be provided as a kit of parts. It will be appreciated that the heaviest and largest component of the bollard is the solid bar 6. Thus, as well as providing a kit of parts comprising components for assembling the socket portion 1 and the bar for inserting in the socket, it would also be possible to provide a kit of parts excluding the bar particularly as the type of bar used is widely available.

It will also be appreciated that the bollard described above can be used in a wide variety of applications: protection against ram-raiding as described and other applications where it is required to block vehicular access, e.g. blocking access to a bridle path, closing off part of a car park, or providing both lane control and protection for workmen at roadworks.

Claims

1. A removable security bollard comprising: a socket portion for placing within the ground; and a substantially solid bar portion insertable within the socket portion so as to project above ground level; the socket portion and bar portion having external parts orcomponents arranged for locking together when the bar portion has been inserted in the socket portion so as to inhibit removal of the bar portion from the socket portion.

2. A bollard as claimed in Claim 1 in which the socket portion comprises a tube for receiving the bar portion, the tube preferably being formed of steel.

3. A bollard as claimed in Claim 2 in which closure means in the form of a hinged lid is provided at one end of the tube for closing the tube when the socket portion is not in use.

4. A bollard as claimed in Claim 3 in which the socket portion is arranged so that when placed into the ground with the top thereof level with the ground and the lid in a closed position no part thereof projects above ground level.

5. A bollard as claimed in any preceding claim in which the solid bar portion comprises a solid bar preferably formed of steel.

6. A bollard as claimed in Claim 5 in which one or more carrying handles are provided on the bar.

7. A bollard as claimed in any preceding claim in which the said external components for locking together comprise a first projection secured to the bar portion and an aperture or second projection on the socket portion.

8. A bollard as claimed in Claims 3 and 7 in which the first projection is arranged to engage with an aperture provided in the lid when the lid is in an open position.

9. A bollard as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising locking means, preferably a padlock, for locking the said external components together.

10. A bollard as claimed in any preceding claim in which the bar portion has a substantially solid cross-sectional area in the range 3 to 30 square inches (19 to 200 square cm).

11. A bollard as claimed in any preceding claim in which the length of the socket portion for receiving the bar portion is at least 12 inches (30 cm) and preferably in the range 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm).

12. A bollard as claimed in any preceding claim in which the bar portion has a length such that when inserted in the socket portion the length of bar portion projecting therefrom is at least 2 feet (60 cm) and preferably in the range 2 feet 6 inches to 4 feet (75 to 120 cm).

13. A removable security bollard substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A kit of parts for use in constructing a security bollard as claimed in any preceding claim.

15. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 14 excluding a solid bar for forming the said bar portion.

16. Use of a removable security bollard as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13 for preventing vehicular access to a given area.

17. Use of a removable security bollard as claimed in claim 16 in which the bollard is positioned adjacent a wall, doorway or window of a building so as to protect the building from ram raiding.

18. Use of a removable bollard as claimed in claim 17 in which the bollard is positioned inside the building.