GB2308859A - Security screen for building aperture with lockable means for clamping the screen to the aperture from the outside. - Google Patents

Abstract

A boarding up system for windows, doors and the like after damage from burglars, which can be fitted from the outside of the building. A panel 14 closes off window 12 from the outside, and a like panel or a beam 18 spans the door or window aperture on the inside. The beam 18 and panel 14 are clamped to the window frame by a screwthreaded stem 20. Screwthreaded stem 20 passes through the beam 18 and ends in a disc 22 which has teeth to grip beam 18. The end of the screwthreaded stem extending through to the outside of panel 14 passes through a large washer and is secured by a wing nut. A padlocked bolt 70 is provided and cooperates with the washer to make the wing nut angularly fast so as to prevent the nut being released until the lock has been freed. A drill bit tool for tightening the wing nut is also disclosed (figure 5).

Description

SECURITY SYSTEMS This invention relates to security systems primarily for use in boarding up windows, doors and the like after damage as been effected for example by burglars. Usually the burglar has broken a window or a glass pane in a door in order to reach inside and release catches or bolts, or has jemmied open the door or window. In order to make the premises secure, as a temporary measure until such time as the door or window can be reglazed or rerun or perhaps fresh bolts or locks fitted, it is usual to place a panel of plywood, blockboard or the like over the door opening or window opening, and on the external side of the room space, and use a length of timber to span the door frame or window frame on the inside of the room space, and connect the panel to the length of timber by one or more bolts.

The problem with the conventional solution which is outlined above is that it requires the person effecting the boarding up to complete the operation from the inside of the room space in order to tighten the nuts on the bolts which effect clamping, since if the nuts were on the outside they would be readily released by the next passing unauthorised person. The person effecting the boarding up consequently has to exit the room space and the building by another route and in the case of commercial premises this normally involves cooperation of a keyholder to release and later rye lock a different door.

If the key holder is unavailable for any reason or in some cases where the damaged door is the only one, as in smaller commercial or shop premises, difficulties rema i ii.

The object of the present invention is to deal with these problerus.

According to the invention a hoarding up system comprises a first member for location irtrnali y of a space, a screwthreaded ste fast with the first member and extendinÖ externally of the said space so as to be threadable through a panel closing off access to said space, a large washer plate threaded by said ste ni , a nut engaged with said stem, and a locking device on said washer for selectively preventing rotation of said nut.

Preferably the first member is provided with a plurality of spikes or other projections to embed in timber spanking the door or window which is to be boarded up on the inside of the space and so as to render the stem annularly fast.

Preferably the nut is a wing nut, and the large washer is provided with a channel member to trap the wing so as to render it angularly fast relative to the channel, and means are provided on the large washer to fix the channel thereto including a padlock or like means.

One embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings where in - Figure 1 is a section through a door or window which has been boarded up using the system of the invention; Figure 2 is an elevation to a larger scale of components of the invention; Figure 3 is a view on an even further enlarged scale showing certain components for use with the invention; Figure 4 is a further increased scale fragmentary plan view of some of the components in use; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a tool used in the system.

Turning now to Figure 1, the window or doorway which is to be boarded up includes frame members 10 on opposite sides of the space. The broken lines 12 indicate the location of the door which may have been forced off its hinges.

The door opening is to be blocked using a panel 14 on the exterior side of the doorway and an associated panel 16 shown in broken lines on the inside of the doorway. Alternatively, panel i6 may be replaced by a length of timber such as lo which extends across the doorway from side-to-side or top-to-bottom.

The device provided by the invention essentially comprises the screwthreaded stem 20 which extends through the doorway or window space and which serves to clamp the panel 16 or beam 18 to the panel 14.

Turning now to Figure 2, the stem 20 is fast with a plate 22 at one end which is to be located on the inside of the doorway or window space. Hence the stem 20 and plate 22 may form a generally Tee shape, or the plate 22 could be a disc. Opposite ends of the plate 22 or the periphery of the disc are provided with a series of tangs 24 for the purpose of embedding into the panel 16 or beam 18 so as to fix the angular position of the threaded stem 20. This is to prevent the stem 20 being rotated when the associated nut, shown with the reference numeral 26 is applied from the exterior and is tightened into position.

The nut is preferably a wing nut as shown.

Conveniently the nut is applied and rapidly spun along any unwanted length of the stem 20 into the desired position for tightening by use of a tool as shown in Figure 5. This tool has a solid end portion 30 apt to be gripped in the chuck of a cordless drill, a tubular body portion 32 which is a clearance fit on the stem 20, and a pair of claws 34,36 extending in opposite directions for engagement with the wings of the nut. Such drills are available with reversing motors, so that the same tool can be used whether the nut is to be applied and tightened or loosened and removed, at different stages and times.

The nut 26 clamps on to a large washer 40 shown in a simple form in Figure 2. This protects the panel 14 and allows for the possibility of wear if one and the same panel is used on a number of occasions, and also makes it more difficult for a subsequent intruder who might at tempt to jemmy the pate 40 anrl force tlle boarded up door.

The preferred form for the large washer 40 is shown in Figure 3. The central hole 42 shown in dotted line is a clearance fit on the stem 20. The washer is provided with a hasp loop 44 radially of the hole. Approximately diametrically located on the large washer is a pierced lug 46. @ olt 48 is a plate with an elongated slot 50, see also Figure 4 which is a plan view of this area, and a pair of lugs or abutment ribs 54,56 is disposed one on either side of the slot so that the hole 42 lies centrally between them when the parts are in the Figure 3 position.

The bolt 48 has an upturned end portion 58 integral with a lug 60 extending in the circumferential direction of the washer 40 and lug 60 is apertured. The bolt can be manipulated to the Figure 3 position when the aperture in te lug 60 and the aperture in the lug 46 coincide so that they can be threaded by a padlock shown in broken line in Figure 3 with the reference 70 and also seen in Figure 1 with the same reference.

In use, the loose washer without the bolt 48 is placed in position on the stem after the same has been threaded through an appropriate hole in the panel 14 and the wing nut is applied and tightened against the loose washer 40.

The wing nut is left in a position in which the wings lie diametrically in alignment with the radius on which the hasp 44 lies. olt 48 can then be manipulated so that the end 72 is about to enter the hasp 44 whilst the length of the bolt is inclined at an angle to te plate 40, typically of say 50 degrees and then the ol can he lowered to the position similar to that in Figure 3 allowing the wing nut to enter the slot 50 and lie between tlie ribs 54,56 and then the bolt can be shot to the illustrated position, i.e. by movement along the diameter, to take the lug 16 to face-to-fac contact with the lug 46 and allow the padlock to be placed in pusitiori.

Tie wing nut is then angularly fast with the plate 40.

It is possible to tighten the wing nut into good frictional engagement with the plate 40 so as to render it fast with the panel before the locking operation is effected, but to prevent any possibility of the wing nut itself being turned on the stem by turning the whole plate bolt and pad lock, the plate 40 may be provided with tangs or the like in the same way as the plate 22.

It will be appreciated that a particularly large area for example a shop window may require a plurality of sets of the parts as described.

Claims (6)

1. A boarding up system comprising a first member for location internally of a space, a screwthreaded stern fast with the first member and extending externally of the said space so as to be threadable through a panel closing off access to said space, a large washer plate threaded by said stem, a nut engaged with said stem, and a locking device on said washer for selectively preventing rotation of said nut.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the first member is provided with a plurality of spikes or other projections to embed in timber spanning the door or window which is to be boarded up, so as to render the stem angularly fast therewith.

3. A system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the nut is a wing nut.

4. A system as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the large washer is provided with d channel member to receive the wing nut and prevent the same being rotted relative to the channel, and means are provided on the large washer t fix the channel thereto including a padlock or like means.

5. A system as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the large washer is provided with hasp loop at one position and with an apertured lug art a lsosition substantially diametric thereto, and said channel member forms a bolt adapted to have one end engaged in said hasp and the other end provided in an apertured lug to be made captive with the lug on the washer by means uf the padlock.

6. A boarding up system substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.