US2032693A - Detention closure - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1936. D, G. FRIES ET AL DETENTI ON CLOSURE Filed June 6, 1934 2 s heetsfiheet l INVENTORS. DAN/EL G. [AP/5.

BY DAN/1. PIP/1535A. M QM ATTORNEYS,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS,

March 3, 1936. D G. FRIES ET AL DETENTION CLOSURE Filed June 6, 1954 M m V 5 M. v M

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Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DETENTION CLOSURE Application June 6, 1934, Serial No. 729,313

8 Claims.

Our invention primarily relates to detention closures in the nature of barred windows for use in prisons or other penal institutions; although it is also applicable for use in prison doors and other closures. In the following description reference will be made to our invention as incorporated in prison windows, however we .do not wish to limit ourselves to that specific modification since its use in other closures will be fully apparent.

The existing and usual form of prison window comprises a series of vertical bars placed across the opening of the window and sufficiently close together to prevent the restrained prisoner from working his way between them and escaping. Sometimes a series of horizontal bars are also placed across the windows in order to more surely prevent exit, and also to strengthen the closure as a whole. These bars are made of tool-resisting steel, or of soft steel containing strips of toolresisting steel rolled into them. While this type of steel bar forms no part of our invention we prefer to use it in our invention, without being limited thereto, because it effectively prevents the cutting of the bars with hack-saw blades and other forms of cutting instruments. The existing barred windows from their very nature present a very unsightly appearance both from the outside of the prison and from the inside. This is a disadvantage which heretofore has been considered inherent in prisons, but which architects have unsuccessfully attempted to overcome. The modern tendency in the construction of penal institutions is to make them the least objectionable as possible in regard to their appearance, but on the other hand to maintain their strength and confining capacity.

It is an object of our invention to provide a prison window or closure which has all the strength necessary to detain the prisoner, but which also presents a very pleasing appearance both from the inside and the outside of the institution.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a prison window or closure which is readily erected, and which may conform to the shape of the existing window openings.

In some of our modifications it is our object to provide a closure which may be built around the existing bars in the window without removing or weakening them, but which will greatly add to their appearance and strength.

It is another object of our invention to provide a closure which permits the placing of panes of glass between the restraining bars, and which holds them in place without the use of a supplemental framework. It is our object to do this in such a manner that the panes of glass may easily be replaced if they should become broken.

It is a further object of our invention to provide all of the above at a very minimum of expense, since the cost of constructing prisons is a very important item in their construction.

These and other objects of our invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, we accomplish by that cer-' tain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe a preferred embodiment. Reference is now made to the drawings which form a part thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front View of a window made in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of a portion of our window, showing one of the modifications of our invention.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of a bar which is one of the modifications of our invention, and which is used in constructing a window.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a portion of our novel window made in accordance with one of our modifications.

Fig. 6 is a. cross-section of a bar illustrating one of our modifications.

Fig. '7 is a front view of a portion of a window made in accordance with one of our modifications.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are cross-sections of different bars showing different modifications of our invention.

' Briefly, our invention comprises the placing of 4 a covering having projecting flanges over the bars of a prison window and fastening the whole together in order to form an integral unit, and fastening panes of glass against the flanges of the covering in order to give the pleasing appearance as indicated in Figure 1. Our different modifications show the different forms of the covering, and also show modifications in which the bar, as an integral unit, is formed with projecting flanges in order to hold the panes of glass. We do not intend to limit ourselves to the exact configuration or form of the covering, or form of the bars themselves, but intend to cover all forms which will hold the glass in individual units integral with the bars themselves.

Referring to Fig. 2 in the drawings, the vertical bars I of the closure are in a single plane and contact the horizontal bars 2 which are in a different plane. These bars I and 2 are preferably made of steel having tool-resisting strips 3, which are rolled therein, and it is understood that the bars are placed close enough together to prevent any prisoner from working his way between them. There is a channel shaped cover 4, in which the channel portion is slightly larger than the diameter of the bars, placed around the bars in such a manner that the bars I and 2 are snugly positioned within the channel. There are projecting flanges and 5',.integral with and a part of the cover 4 which oppositely project from the edges of the channel portion and at right angles to the walls 6 of the cover 4.. Inasmuch as the vertical bars I and the horizontal bars 2 of the modification shown in Figs. 2'and a single plane. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the covers 4, positioned over the vertical bars I, are continuous and cut out at the points! where they cross the, horizontal bars 2. The covers over the horizontal bars 2 are a series of short lengths, with the ends of the flanges 5 and 5' beveled so as to snugly fit into the cut out points I of the vertical covers which in turn are configured to receive them. T-shaped strips 8 are placed over the flanges 5 and 5 in such a manner that the web 9 of the strip 8 projects away from the bars I and 2, and so that the cross-piece III of the strip 8 covers the channel portion of the cover 4 andthus encloses the bars I and 2 within, the 'cover 4. These T-shaped strips 8 may be cut out so as to permit a continuous and unbroken webs on the strips 8 covering the flanges 5, 5

A: of the'covers '4surrounding the vertical bars I,

one of them merely necessitates the replacement ,of that pane without the necessity of replacing the total glass in a given window. 7

It is apparent from the above that'the result is an integral barred window whichmay be made in any form desirable, and which maybe pleasingly configurated as is indicated in Figure 1.

If it is not desirable to place bars at theedge of the window, ledges I3 may be placed on the window jam I9 in the same plane as the crosspieces In of the T-shaped'strips 8 in order to hold the glass II a which contacts the edge of the frame. In erecting the window, it is preferable to place it with the channel coverings 4 on the outside and the glass I I on the inside, since this gives the pleasing and uniform appearance of a lattice window from the outside of the institution. As the windows are usually pennanently fastened in the frame; closable. air apertures may be hinged into the window proper as is cidedly tortuous cut with the blade.

illustrated in Fig. 9. The construction of these air vents is not a part of our invention and is old in the art; but they usually comprise a hinge I4 with a drip projection I5 on the outside, and is merely shown to illustrate how they may be applied to our novel window.

From the above description of our novel window, it is apparent that a prison window already in place and composed of vertical bars and horizontal bars may be covered as above described without the necessity of removing any of the bars in the window. Also it is apparent that should the existing window merely have vertical bars, it may be covered, or horizontal bars may be inserted, or even dummy bars may be inserted in order to bring about the pleasing effect obtained by our invention.

It is apparent from the above description that a number 'of modifications of our invention are possible, some of which we have illustrated in the drawings. Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the use of our invention with flat, vertical and horizontal bars, which are cut out so that they all lie in the same plane. In this case it is possible to use the channel shaped covers 4a alone, and to position the glass panes II directly against the flanges 5a and to hold them in place by means of putty I2. The modifications shown in Figs. 6, 10, 11 and 12 are believed to be self apparent from the drawings, the difference being merely in the shape of the bars and the forms of the covers.

Within the scope of our invention we contemplate the modifications shown in Figures 4 and 5. These modifications comprise the rolling of the prison bars themselves with a cross-section having flanges St for holding the glass, and with either a rounded portion I6 (in Fig. 5) or a smoothed off square portion I6a of heavier construction than the rest (in Fig. 4). This formation provides the strength in the thickened portion I6 and. I6a, and at the same time permits the configuration relating to the glass holding feature and the pleasing appearance. In forming the window of this material portions of the projecting flanges 5b may be cut out to provide a perfect fit and to insure all of the flanges 5b being in the same plane. While these novel bars preferably contain tool-resisting strips 3, which are rolled into them when they are made, it should be understood that the heating of the bars permits them being worked without the loss of the tool-resisting quality when they are cooled. When forming a window or closure in the manner illustrated in Figure 5, the bars are all welded together after the window has been formed, and

thus present a single integral unit. When using the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, it is not possible to follow the construction weld with a hack saw blade and thus break through the bars, since the abutting endof the horizontal bar 20. is curved around the solid portion I6 of the vertical bar Ia, which portion I6 is not cut, and therefore it would necessitate a de- Besides when constructing prison closures having both vertical and horizontal bars, the vertical bars are usually placed close enough together to prevent an exit even if the horizontal bars were removed.

When our novel window or closure has been erected, it is, of course, painted to withstand weathering, and may be so painted as to conform to the surrounding structure and thus fit appearance that is not even suggestive of a penal institution or place of detention.

It is to be understood that different forms of our preferred form may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A barred closure comprising a set of vertical bars and a set of horizontal bars, channel shaped covers with extending flanges placed over said bars, and a T-shaped strip fastened to said flanges by the cross piece of the T so as to close said channel covers with the bars inside and with the web of the T extending outwardly, glass panes abutting the web of the T and resting on the cross piece of the T, all of said parts being fastened together so as to form an integral unit.

2. A barred closure comprising a set of vertical bars and a set of horizontal bars, said sets contacting each other, channel shaped covers with extending flanges positioned around said bars, T-shaped strips resting on said flanges so as to close said channels, with the web of the T projecting, panes of glass abutting the web of the T-shaped strips, the whole being fastened together to form a single unit.

3. A barred closure comprising a set of vertical bars and a set of horizontal bars, said sets contacting each other, channel-shaped covers with extending flanges positioned around said bars, T-shaped strips resting on said flanges so as to close said channels, with the web of the T projecting, panes of glass abutting the web of the T-shaped strips, the whole being fastened together to form a single unit, the bars being of tool resisting material.

4. A detention closure comprising a plurality of vertical bars and a plurality of horizontal bars arranged to form a plurality of rectangles, channel shaped covers having oppositely disposed projecting flanges positioned around said bars so that said flanges form a uniform horizontal plane, T-shaped strips positioned with the cross-piece of the T against the flanges and with the web of the T projecting so as to close said channels,

panes of glass positioned in said rectangles and abutting against said Web of said T, the whole being fastened together in order to form an integral unit.

5. A barred closure comprising a set of vertical bars and a set of horizontal bars, said sets contacting each other, channel-shaped covers with extending flanges positioned around said bars, T- shaped strips resting on said flanges so as to close said channels, with the web of the T projecting, the whole being fastened together to form a single unit, the bars being of tool resisting material.

6. A barred closure comprising a set of horizontal bars and a set of vertical bars in two separate parallel planes, the bars in one plane contacting the bars in the other plane, channel shaped covers having extending flanges positioned around and covering substantially one half of said bars in both planes with the extending flanges in one plane, glass panes resting on said flanges, and the whole being fastened together to form a single unit.

'7. A barred closure comprising a set of bars in one plane and a set of bars in another plane, said two planes being parallel and the bars in one contacting the bars in the other, channel shaped covers having extending flanges positioned around said bars in both planes, the depth of the channels being such that the flanges are all in the same plane, glass panes resting on said flanges, and the whole being fastened together to form a single unit.

8. A barred closure comprising a set of bars in one plane and a set of bars in another plane, said planes being parallel, channel shaped covers having extending flanges positioned around the bars in both planes, the depth of the channels covering the bars in one plane being greater than the depth of the channels covering the bars in the other plane, with the extending flanges of all the channels in one plane, glass panes resting on said flanges, and the whole being fastened together to form a single unit.

DANIEL FRIES. DANIEL FRIES, en.

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