GB2166798A

GB2166798A - Security device

Info

Publication number: GB2166798A
Application number: GB08428687A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Alec Riley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-11-13
Filing date: 1984-11-13
Publication date: 1986-05-14
Also published as: GB8428687D0

Abstract

The device is attached to the inside of a door (2) and near to the bottom. In the normal position the hinged member (4) is held clear of the floor (5), thus allowing the door to open freely. If the person opening the door places one foot behind the device, any attempt by the caller to push the door open further will result in the hinged member (4) contacting the foot and being deflected into contact (11) with the floor (5) at a suitable angle to prevent the door opening further (as shown with broken lines in Fig. 1.). The device can be supplemented with an alarm circuit which is triggered when a predetermined pressure is exerted on the door. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Door security The object of this invention is to provide an improved method of guarding a door against intruders and which offers considerable practical advantages as regards simplicity and effectiveness of use over the known procedure of using a chain which gives no protection once it is unlatched.

According to one aspect of the invention one half of a hinged device is attached to the door near to the opening while the other half is held clear of the floor by a resilient device or counter-balance weight.

Before opening the door to a caller one foot is placed at a convenient distance behind the free member of the hinge so that should the door be pushed from the outside the free member of the hinge will be deflected downwards by the foot causing it to contact the floor thus wedging the door and preventing further opening.

According to a further aspect of the invention the moving member of the hinged device can be held in contact with the floor by means of a wedge or suitable weight or by a magnet thereby providing an effective obstruction against the door being opened without further action by the occupier.

In practice and particularly for preventing intruders from gaining access, the construction and arrangement of the apperatus or a device for such purpose may be as follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing both the free state and operating position, Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device showing the inoperative position of a suitable wedge for biasing the moving member, and Figure 4 is a similar view showing the wedge holding the moving member against the floor.

Referring to Fig. 1, the device consists of one half of a hinge 1 fixed to a door 2 by means of suitable screws 3 while the other half 4 is held clear of the floor 5 by means of a suitable spring 6. The two halves of the hinge 1, 4 are pivoted on pin 7 which is held in position by a suitable retainer 8. The outer end 9 of the moving member 4 of the hinge is fitted with a suitable material 10 to provide frictional contact 11 with the floor 5 when the moving member 4 of the hinge is deflected by an obstruction (e.g. the foot) thereby halting further opening of the door 2.

Referring to Fig. 3 the device described above can be fitted with a means of holding the moving member 4 of the hinge in contact 11 with the floor 5 when the pressure on the door 2 to open it is released or reversed. The means shown in Fig. 3 is a sliding wedge 12 which is normally held in the inoperative position shown by friction applied by a spring 13 so that the device can be used as previously described.

When it is required to lock the moving member 4 of the hinge in contact 11 with the floor 5 the wedge 12 is slid down to contact the moving member 4 of the hinge as shown at 14 Fig. 4.

In addition to the advantages of ease and convenience of use, the compact nature of the device enables a check to be put on the degree of door opening even when both hands are engaged in receiving a parcel through the partly opened door.

It will be appreciated that devices embodying the invention may be developed in various ways beyond the basic arrangements described above, for example, by automatically triggering an electrical alarm circuit or operating a pneumatic alarm when a predetermined pressure is exerted on the door by a would be intruder.

1. A security device for attaching to the inside and near the bottom of a door but clear of the floor so that when the partly opened door is pushed by a would be intruder the device contacts the foot of the person opening the door causing the device to be deflected downward into contact with the floor at a suitable angle to prevent the door opening further.

2. A security device for attaching to the inside and near the bottom of a door but clear of the floor so that when the partly opened door is pushed by a would be intruder the device contacts the foot of the person opening the door thereby causing a moving member to contact the floor to prevent the door from opening further until the device is reset.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 which can be overridden so as to be held in contact with the floor until reset.

4. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 which operates a pneumatic alarm when a predetermined pressure is applied to the door.

5. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 which causes an electrical alarm to be activated when a predetermined pressure is applied to the door.

6. Any device according to claim 3 and claim 4.

7. Any device according to claim 3 and claim 5.

8. A device as in claim 1 or claim 2 for attaching to sliding doors.

9. A device as in claim 8 embodying any claims 3 to 7.

10. A security device substantially as herin described with reference to any of the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Door security The object of this invention is to provide an improved method of guarding a door against intruders and which offers considerable practical advantages as regards simplicity and effectiveness of use over the known procedure of using a chain which gives no protection once it is unlatched. According to one aspect of the invention one half of a hinged device is attached to the door near to the opening while the other half is held clear of the floor by a resilient device or counter-balance weight. Before opening the door to a caller one foot is placed at a convenient distance behind the free member of the hinge so that should the door be pushed from the outside the free member of the hinge will be deflected downwards by the foot causing it to contact the floor thus wedging the door and preventing further opening. According to a further aspect of the invention the moving member of the hinged device can be held in contact with the floor by means of a wedge or suitable weight or by a magnet thereby providing an effective obstruction against the door being opened without further action by the occupier. In practice and particularly for preventing intruders from gaining access, the construction and arrangement of the apperatus or a device for such purpose may be as follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing both the free state and operating position, Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device showing the inoperative position of a suitable wedge for biasing the moving member, and Figure 4 is a similar view showing the wedge holding the moving member against the floor. Referring to Fig. 1, the device consists of one half of a hinge 1 fixed to a door 2 by means of suitable screws 3 while the other half 4 is held clear of the floor 5 by means of a suitable spring 6. The two halves of the hinge 1, 4 are pivoted on pin 7 which is held in position by a suitable retainer 8. The outer end 9 of the moving member 4 of the hinge is fitted with a suitable material 10 to provide frictional contact 11 with the floor 5 when the moving member 4 of the hinge is deflected by an obstruction (e.g. the foot) thereby halting further opening of the door 2. Referring to Fig. 3 the device described above can be fitted with a means of holding the moving member 4 of the hinge in contact 11 with the floor 5 when the pressure on the door 2 to open it is released or reversed. The means shown in Fig. 3 is a sliding wedge 12 which is normally held in the inoperative position shown by friction applied by a spring 13 so that the device can be used as previously described. When it is required to lock the moving member 4 of the hinge in contact 11 with the floor 5 the wedge 12 is slid down to contact the moving member 4 of the hinge as shown at 14 Fig. 4. In addition to the advantages of ease and convenience of use, the compact nature of the device enables a check to be put on the degree of door opening even when both hands are engaged in receiving a parcel through the partly opened door. It will be appreciated that devices embodying the invention may be developed in various ways beyond the basic arrangements described above, for example, by automatically triggering an electrical alarm circuit or operating a pneumatic alarm when a predetermined pressure is exerted on the door by a would be intruder. CLAIMS

6. Any device according to claim 3 and claim 4.

7. Any device according to claim 3 and claim 5.

8. A device as in claim 1 or claim 2 for attaching to sliding doors.

9. A device as in claim 8 embodying any claims 3 to 7.

10. A security device substantially as herin described with reference to any of the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:

1. A security device which is attached to the inside and near the bottom of a horizontally swingable inwardly openable door comprising a base plate for fixing to the door and incorporating a hinge pin for a swinging member which is held clear of the floor at a suitable distance by a spring so that when a partly open door is pushed by a would be intruder the swinging member of the device contacts either the foot of the person opening the door or other suitable obstruction automatically causing the swinging member to be deflected downward into contact with the floor at a suitable angle which will vary according to the distance between the floor and the fixed member and preventing the door opening further until pressure on the outside of the door is released thus permitting the swinging member to return to its normal position without the need to reset manually thereby enabling the door to be operated normally.

2. A security device substantially as in claim 1 but for attaching to horizontally slidable doors.

3. A security device substantially as in claims 1 and 2 but incorporating an adjusting screw which will vary the angle between the swinging member and the door so as to adjust the clearance between the swinging member and the floor.

4. A security device substantially as in claims 1 and 2 but incorporating a wedge or substantially cylindrical member which would automatically enter the space created above the hinge pin and between the top of the swinging member and the fixed base plate to a depth of engagement determined by the angle of movement of the swinging member when being deflected into contact with the floor thereby preventing the swinging member from returning to its original position until the said wedge or substantially cylindrical member is reset.

5. A security device as in claim 4 but the wedge or substantially cylindrical member being inserted manually into the said space.

6. Any security device described in any of the forgoing claims incorporating a pneumatic alarm which will be activated at a predetermined pressure.

7. Any security device described in any claim 1 to 5 incorporating electrical contacts which will operate at a predetermined pressure to activate an alarm which can be remotely located.