GB2371825A

GB2371825A - Perimeter protection device for preventing vehicle access

Info

Publication number: GB2371825A
Application number: GB0213453A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Penderel Jackson
Original assignee: JACKSON PRECAST Ltd
Current assignee: JACKSON PRECAST Ltd
Priority date: 2002-06-12
Filing date: 2002-06-12
Publication date: 2002-08-07
Also published as: GB0213453D0

Abstract

The perimeter protection device 10, primarily for preventing unauthorised vehicle access to wheeled vehicles, comprises an elongate body adapted to lie parallel to the ground with an upper surface of the body presenting one or more upward protrusions 12 for deterring passage of a wheeled vehicle and wherein opposite ends of the body have male 14 and female 13 formations such that two similar bodies can be laid end-to-end with the female formation of one body engaging the male formation of the other of said bodies, the arrangement being such that in use said female formation will overlie the male formation so that the other body cannot be lifted without disturbance of said one body. The arrangement is preferably such that when two bodies are connected the inter-engaging male and female parts are not visible. The female formation may open to the underside of the associated body and may have a restricted opening at the end of the body, while the male formation may have an enlargement spaced from the associated body such that when the two bodies are connected they cannot be separated by moving one body longitudinally or angularly relative to the other. The male and female formations are preferably complementary dove-tail formations. The one or more protrusions preferably take the form of a linear series of upwardly tapering formations and the device is preferably formed as a concrete moulding which weighs in excess of 5000 kg. The claimed is a perimeter protection barrier formed by joining end-to-end a series of the devices wherein the two devices at the ends of barrier have no male or female formations at their free ends.

Description

"PERIMETER PROTECTION DEVICE" This invention relates to an improved perimeter protection device.

Perimeter protection devices are increasingly used to prevent vehicular access to premises such as the surroundings of warehouses and other buildings where goods may be stored and which may not be constantly attended. There is a limit to the amount that a thief can carry and he will want to bring a vehicle as close as possible to a building being robbed in order to carry away a heavy load as quickly as possible. Another use of perimeter protection devices is as a deterrent to trespassers and squatters bent on driving their vehicles onto or across land such as fields where they are unwelcome. Perimeter protection devices can be used in any situation where it is desired to prevent or at least deter the passage of wheeled vehicles.

Currently perimeter protection devices take the form of long, heavy objects placed end to end, each presenting upward protrusions or points. Thieves equipped with suitable tools or with a fork-lift truck may be able to move individual devices to gain passage through the barrier with a goods vehicle.

A principal object of the present invention is to make it more difficult to remove individual devices from a barrier.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a perimeter protection device comprising an elongated body adapted to lie parallel with the ground, an upper surface of the body presenting one or more upward protrusions for deterring passage of a wheeled vehicle, wherein opposite ends of the body have male and female formations such that two similar said bodies can be laid end-to-end with the female formation of one of said bodies engaging the male formation of the other of said bodies, the arrangement being such that in use said female formation will overlie said male formation so that said other body cannot be lifted without disturbance of said one body.

With this arrangement it is not possible to lift an individual device from the middle of a barrier of such devices connected end-to-end. Only the device at the end of the barrier which has no male formation engaged in a female formation can be lifted independently. Thereafter the nextadjacent device can be lifted and so on successively until the whole barrier is dismantled. Assuming that they have the capability to lift individual devices the necessity to dismantle a large proportion of a barrier will be enough to deter most thieves or trespassers if only because of the time this will take.

Preferably the arrangement is such that when said two bodies are connected the interengaged male and female formations are not visible. This will mean that persons other than those who created the barrier will not know simply by external inspection in what order the devices must be lifted.

This will be particularly the case if the two devices at the ends of the barrier have no male or female formations at their free ends.

Preferably the female formation opens to the underside of the associated body and has a restricted opening at the end of the associated body and the male formation has an enlargement spaced from the associated body such that when said two bodies are connected they cannot be separated by moving one longitudinally or angularly relative to the other.

The female formation may be a dove-tail shaped recess in said underside with its narrower end opening to the associated end of the body and the male formation may be of a complimentary dove-tail configuration with its narrower end joined to the body.

Said protrusions may take the form of a linear series of upwardly tapering formations, such as cones or pyramids.

The device is preferably a concrete moulding of a weight in excess of 5000 Kgs.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an underplan view of the device, and Figure 4 is an end view as viewed from the right-hand end of Figure 1. The device 10 is a concrete moulding approximately 4 m long, a little over 1 m wide and 1 m high and weighs in excess of 5000 Kgs. It has a flat underside 11 and a linear series of pyramid formations 12 on its top side. Thus with its underside 11 flat on the ground the pyramids 12 will upstand to deter a wheeled vehicle from passing over the device.

In accordance with the present invention the device 10 is formed at one end with a dove-tail recess 13 and at its other end with a complementally shaped dove-tail tongue 14. The recess 13 opens to the underside 11 of the device 10 and its narrower end 15 opens to the associated end of the device 10. Two similar devices 10 can be joined end-to-end by laying the recess 13 of one of them over the tongue 14 of the other. When so joined they cannot be disconnected by relative longitudinal or angular movement but only by lifting the end having the recess 13 off the end having the tongue 14.

When a series of interconnected devices 10 form a barrier only the device at the end of the barrier which has no tongue 14 engaged in a recess 13 can be lifted independently. Devices in the middle region of the barrier cannot be moved without simultaneously displacing devices at their opposite ends.

Devices 10 forming a barrier preferably include one lacking a tongue 14 and one lacking a recess 13. These will be placed at opposite ends of the barrier so that opposite ends of the barrier have blank faces. If this is done it will not be possible to ascertain by external inspection at which end of the barrier one must begin lifting the devices.

The devices 10 have bores 16 between adjacent pyramids 12 through which bolts (not shown) can be passed to anchor a device to the ground. At least the end device in a barrier of the devices which can be lifted may be so bolted as an added precaution.

It will be understood that a device 10 need not have the straight configuration illustrated. It may be curved or, to form a corner, generally L-shaped. The succession of pyramids 12 is also an optional feature. They might be replaced with cones or spikes or a single upstanding protrusion extending lengthwise of the device.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A perimeter protection device comprising an elongated body adapted to lie parallel with the ground, an upper surface of the body presenting one or more upward protrusions for deterring passage of a wheeled vehicle, wherein opposite ends of the body have male and female formations such that two similar said bodies can be laid end-to-end with the female formation of one of said bodies engaging the male formation of the other of said bodies, the arrangement being such that in use said female formation will overlie said male formation so that said other body cannot be lifted without disturbance of said one body.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arrangement is such that when said two bodies are connected the interengaged male and female formations are not visible.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the female formation opens to the underside of the associated body and has a restricted opening at the end of the associated body and the male formation has an enlargement spaced from the associated body such that when said two bodies are connected they cannot be separated by moving one longitudinally or angularly relative to the other.
4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the female formation is a dove-tail shaped recess in said underside with its narrower end opening to the associated end of the body and the male formation is of a complimentary dove-tail configuration with its narrower end joined to the body.
5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said protrusions take the form of a linear series of upwardly tapering formations.
6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is a concrete moulding of a weight in excess of 5000 Kgs.

7. A perimeter protection barrier formed by joining end-to-end a series of devices each in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two devices at the ends of the barrier have no male or female formations at their free ends.
7. A perimeter protection device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

CLAIMS :

1. A perimeter protection device comprising an elongated body adapted to lie parallel with the ground, an upper surface of the body presenting one or more upward protrusions for deterring passage of a wheeled vehicle, wherein opposite ends of the body have male and female formations such that two similar said bodies can be laid end-to-end with the female formation of one of said bodies engaging the male formation of the other of said bodies, the arrangement being such that in use said female formation will overlie said male formation so that said other body cannot be lifted without disturbance of said one body, the arrangement further being such that when said two bodies are connected the interengaged male and female formations are not visible, the female formation opening to the underside of the associated body and having a restricted opening at the end of the associated body and the male formation having an enlargement spaced from the associated body such that when said two bodies are connected they cannot be separated by moving one longitudinally or angularly relative to the other.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the female formation is a dove-tail shaped recess in said underside with its narrower end opening to the associated end of the body and the male formation is of a complimentary dove-tail configuration with its narrower end joined to the body.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said more than one protrusions take the form of a linear series of upwardly tapering formations.

4. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is a concrete moulding of a weight in excess of 5000 Kgs.

5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a vertical section through either the male or the female formation orthogonal to its longitudinal axis is an oblong the longer sides of which are horizontal.

6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the male and female formations are each horizontally elongated.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is curved.
8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the body is Lshaped.
9. A perimeter protection device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
10. A perimeter protection barrier formed by joining end-to-end a series of devices each in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the two devices at the ends of the barrier have no male or female formations at their free ends.