WO1997013052A1

WO1997013052A1 - Flood or storm resistant barriers for doorways or window openings

Info

Publication number: WO1997013052A1
Application number: PCT/CA1996/000658
Authority: WO
Inventors: James E. Russell
Original assignee: Russell James E
Priority date: 1995-10-02
Filing date: 1996-10-02
Publication date: 1997-04-10
Also published as: AU7081496A

Abstract

A flood or storm resistant barrier (10) for a doorway or window opening comprises a frame (12) having two parts (14, 16), one of the frame parts (16) having portions in telescopic engagement with the other frame part (14), and a manually operable jack (38) mounted between the two frame parts (14, 16) and operable to move the two frame parts (14, 16) relative to one another to vary an external dimension of the frame (12) and thereby enable the frame (12) to be secured in a doorway or window opening by expansion of the frame (12) into engagement with opposed surfaces (98, 100) of the doorway or window opening. A waterproof/stormproof barrier member (10) is carried by at least one of the frame parts (14, 16) for blocking at least a portion of a doorway or a window opening when the frame (12) is secured therein.

Description

FLOOD OR STORM RESISTANT BARRIERS FOR DOORWAYS OR WINDOW OPENINGS

TECHNICAL VIEW

This invention relates to flood or storm resistant barriers

for doorways or window openings.

BACKGROUND ART

There are various situations where such barriers are

required. For example, a flood resistant barrier may be required for

an external doorway of a house or other building to keep out flood

water, or for an internal doorway in a building to keep water which

has accumulated on the floor in one room from passing to another

room. A situation of the latter may occur in a building such as an

art gallery or archive storage building where a water pipe has burst

or a water sprinkler system has malfunctioned. Also, a fire may

have occurred in one room and have been extinguished by a water

sprinkler system or other fire extinguishing water supply. A storm

resistant barrier may be required for boarding up a window when

severe weather or possibly rioting or looting is expected.

Although many different kinds of barriers have been

proposed for such purposes in the past, there is still a need for an

improved barrier of this kind.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an

improved flood or storm resistant barrier for doorways or window openings.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

According to the invention, a flood or storm resistant

barrier for a doorway or window opening comprises a frame having

two parts, one of the frame parts having portions in telescopic

engagement with the other frame part, and a manually operable jack

mounted between the two frame parts and operable to move the

two frame parts relative to one another to vary an external

dimension of the frame and thereby enable the frame to be secured

in a doorway or window opening by expansion of the frame into

engagement with opposed surfaces of the doorway or window

opening. A waterproof/stormproof barrier member is carried by at

least one of the frame pans for blocking at least a portion of a

doorway or a window opening when the frame is secured therein.

The manually operable jack may comprise four links

pivotally connected to form a parallelogram linkage, one pair of

opposed pivotal connections being mounted on respective frame

parts, and the other pair of opposed pivotal connections being

secured to holders through which a manually rotatable adjustment

rod passes to enable the configuration of the linkage and hence the

relative positions of the frame parts to be adjusted.

The barrier member may comprise a bag-like member containing the frame. Resilient sealing material may be provided

between the frame and the bag-like member around at least the

lower portion of the frame to ensure a sealing fit between the frame

and the corresponding portions of a doorway. Alternatively, the

barrier member may comprise a board-like member carried by one

of the frame portions and extending beyond the periphery of the

frame so as to cover a window opening when the frame is installed

therein.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by

way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of

which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flood resistant barrier in

accordance with one embodiment of the invention, with the barrier

member being shown in dotted outline and partly broken away to

show the frame in a clearer manner,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1

and showing a detail of the jack,

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of a lower part of the frame taken

in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1 and showing the sealing

arrangement thereon,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the flood resistant member of Fig. 1 installed in the doorway, the barrier member again being

partially broken away to show the frame in a clearer manner, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a storm resistant barrier in

accordance with a second embodiment of the invention positioned

for installation in a window frame.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 4 show a flood

resistant barrier 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the

invention which has a rectangular frame 12 with two parts 14, 16.

The first frame part 14 is of square section tubular metal with a top

member 18, bottom member 20, side members 22, 24 and horizontal

middle member 26, the various member being welded together. The

ends 28, 30 of the top and bottom members 18, 20 at one end of the

first frame part 14 are open. The second frame part 16 is of tubular

metal with a slightly smaller square section than the first frame part

14, and has a top member 32, bottom member 34 and side member

36. The top and bottom members 32, 34 of the second frame part

16 extend into the top and bottom members 18, 20 of the first frame

part 14 through the open ends 28, 30 so as to be telescopically

slidably mounted therein.

A manually operable jack 38 is mounted between the end

member 24 of the first frame part 14 and the end member 36 of the second frame part 16. The jack 38 comprises four links 40, 42, 44,

46 of channel section pivotally connected to form a parallelogram

linkage. The upper ends of links 40, 42 are connected to a pivot pin

48, and the lower ends of links 44, 46 are connected to pivot pin 50.

The lower end of link 40 is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 52 to

a bracket 54 welded to frame end member 24, and the lower end of

link 42 is pivotally connected by a pin 56, to a bracket 58 welded to

frame end member 36. The upper end of link 44 is connected by a

pivot pin 60 to bracket 54, and the upper end of link 46 is

connected by pivot pin 62 to bracket 58. The lower end of link 40

is provided with gear teeth 70 which mesh with gear teeth 72 on the

upper end of link 44. Similarly, the lower end of link 44 is

provided with gear teeth 74 which mesh with gear teeth 76 on the

upper end of link 46.

An adjusting rod 64 extends downwardly through an

aperture in pivot pin 48 and an aperture in pivot pin 50. The lower

end portion of adjusting rod 62 is screw-threaded as also is the

aperture in pivot pin 50. The upper end of adjustment rod 62 has a

slotted connector 65 into which pins 67 on the lower end of a

manually rotatable adjuster 66 can be fitted after passing through a

slot 68 in the top frame member 32. The upper end of adjuster 66

is provided with a circular hand grip 69. -o-

The length of the frame 10 can be varied by inserting the

adjuster 66 through the slot 68 so that the pins 67 engage in the

slotted connector 65, and then rotating the adjuster 66 to cause the

jack 38 to lengthen or shorten and similarly cause the frame 10 to

lengthen or shorten by telescopic movement of the second frame

part 16 relative to the first frame part 14.

The outer surfaces of the side frame members 22, 36 have a

sealing strip 78, 80 of foam material secured thereto in any

appropriate manner, and the bottom surface of the bottom member

20 has a sealing strip 82 of foam material secured thereto. Near the

open end 30 of bottom member 20, the sealing strip 82 is cut away

to form a slot 84, and the bottom part of bottom member 20 is

similarly cut away to form a slot 86. A sealing strip 88 of foam

material is secured to the bottom of bottom member 34 and can

slide in the slots 84, 86. During telescopic movement of the second

frame part 16 relative to the first frame part 14, sealing strip 88

slides in slots 84, 86.

The frame 12 is housed in a waterproof barrier member 90

of plastic sheet material in the form of a bag with an open top 92,

which may of course be closed in an appropriate manner after

insertion of the frame 12 if desired. The barrier member 90 has a

size which fits the frame 12, except that it has a length corresponding to the maximum length of the frame 12.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The flood barrier 10 can be used for example in a doorway

94, see Fig. 4, with a width within the range of variable length of

the frame 12. The frame 12 is placed on the bottom 96 of the

doorway 94, and its length adjusted in the manner previously

described to cause the end members 22, 36 of the respective frame

parts 14, 16 to firmly engage the opposite sides 98, 100 of the

doorway 94, with sealing strips 78, 80 and side portions of the

barrier member 90 therebetween, thereby providing a seal between

the ends of the barrier member 10 and the sides 98, 100 of the

doorway 94.

The weight of the frame 12 will ensure that the sealing

strips 82, 88 on the bottom portion of the frame 12 provide a seal

between the bottom of the barrier member 10 and the bottom 96 of

the doorway 94.

It can clearly be seen from Fig. 4 that the barrier member

10 provides an efficient flood water barrier up to the height of the

barrier member 10. The doorway 94 can be an external doorway as

shown to protect against floods caused by weather-related flooding,

or may be an internal doorway to protect against water, for example

from a burst pipe or other unwanted water in a building. -o-

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, a storm resistant

barrier 110 has a frame 112 which is substantially the same as the

frame 12 of the previous embodiment, and a manually operable jack

138 which is substantially the same as the jack 38. Instead of a

barrier member in the form of a bag however, a barrier member 190

is in the form of a rectangular board which is secured in any suitable

manner to the first frame part 114 only, the barrier board 190 being

somewhat larger in length and height than the frame 112. The end

members 122, 138 of the frame 112 are provided with projecting

pegs 111, 113.

The storm barrier 110 can be used for example to protect a

window 194 with a width in the range of length adjustability of the

frame 112. The frame 112 is positioned between the sides 190, 200

of the window 194, and the frame 112 is lengthened by use of the

manually operable adjuster 66 (not shown in Fig. 4) to secure the

frame 112 in the window frame. Pegs 111, 113 fit into pre-drilled

holes 202, 204 in the window frame sides 198, 200. The barrier

board 190 extends over the window 194 and beyond the top,

bottom and sides of the window frame to protect the window from

storm damage. The barrier 110 could also be used for protection

against rioting or looting.

Other embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example, the frame may

be made of synthetic plastic material instead of metal.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. A flood or storm resistant barrier for a doorway or

window opening comprising

a frame having two parts, one of the frame parts having

portions in telescopic engagement with the other frame part,

a manually operable jack mounted between the two frame

parts and operable to move the two frame parts relative to one

another to vary an external dimension of the frame and thereby

enable the frame to be secured in a doorway or window opening by

expansion of the frame into engagement with opposed surfaces of

the doorway or window opening, and

a waterproof barrier member carried by at least one of the

frame parts for blocking at least a portion of a doorway or a

window opening when the frame is secured therein.

2. A flood or storm resistant barrier according to claim 1 in

which the manually operable jack comprises four links pivotally

connected to form a parallelogram linkage, one pair of opposed

pivotal connections being mounted on respective frame parts, and

the other pair of opposed pivotal connections being secured to

holders through which a manually rotatable adjustment rod passes to

enable the configuration of the linkage and hence the relative positions of the frame parts to be adjusted.

3. A flood or storm resistant barrier according to claim 1 in

which the barrier member comprises a bag-like member containing

the frame.

4. A flood or storm resistant barrier according to claim 3 in

which resilient sealing material is provided between the frame and

the bag-like member around at least a lower portion of the frame to

ensure a sealing fit between the frame and corresponding portions of

a doorway.

5. A flood or storm resistant barrier according to claim 1 in

which the barrier member comprises a board-like member carried by

one of the parts and extending beyond the periphery of the frame so

as to cover a window opening when the frame is installed therein.