GB2247270A

GB2247270A - Security door structure

Info

Publication number: GB2247270A
Application number: GB9119144A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Anthony White
Original assignee: Sitex Security Products Ltd
Current assignee: Sitex Security Products Ltd
Priority date: 1988-02-09
Filing date: 1991-09-06
Publication date: 1992-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-02-09
Also published as: GB8802899D0; GB9119144D0; GB2247270B; GB2247042A; GB9119199D0; GB2216161B; GB2247042B; GB2216161A

Abstract

A security door structure comprises a support frame (10) and a door panel (11) hingedly mounted in the support frame. The support frame is secured to the surround structure of an entrance to be protected by the security door structure by plurality of struts (28) each having a projecting key on a member (30) at one end for interlocking with a selected slot of a rail of the surround structure and at the other end a projecting flange of plate (32) to engage behind a door jamb (33). The strut is locked by a threaded fastener (34) acting between the strut and the surround structure (10). The hinge edge (17) of the door panel (11) and the opposed vertical edge (19) of the surround structure lie in planes at obtuse angles to the front face of the door panel. A lock bolt retaining staple preferably engages within the door panel to receive a lock bolt of a lock provided on the door panel. A slidable keyhole cover is controlled by a security clamping means operable by a tool. <IMAGE>

Description

SECURITY DOOR STRUCTURE This invention relates to a security door structure for providing temporary security to an entrance, e.g. a doorway, into a building structure.

In order to secure a doorway against unauthorised access, it is known to fixedly locate an auxiliary strong door across the doorway to bar access to the doorway. The auxiliary door is hingedly mounted in a support frame which is secured with respect to a surround structure of the doorway. EP-A0,141,623, for example, describes such a security door structure.

The invention seeks to provide improvements in such security door structures which, inter alia, facilitate fixing of the support frame to the doorway surround structure, or inhibit wrenching opening of the security door.

According to the invention, there is provided a security door structure comprising a support frame for securing to a surround structure of an entrance to be protected by the security door structure and a door panel hingedly mounted in the support frame, wherein the vertical side edge of the door panel at the hinge side thereof, and the confronting vertical edge of the support frame, lie in planes which are at obtuse angles to the plane containing the front face of the door panel so as to inhibit removal of the door panel after destruction of its hinges.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a support frame of a security door. structure in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of a door panel of a security door structure embodying the invention for location in the frame of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a rear view of the door panel of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a rear view of the top rail of the frame of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section along A-A in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a rear view of the bottom rail assembly of the frame of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a section along B-B of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a horizontal cross-section through the door panel and support frame assembly taken through either cross-sections X-X in Figure 1; Figures 9 and 10 are respectively cross-sections taken along A-A and B-B in Figure 8;; Figure 11 is a fragmentary detail in cross-section of the door panel and support frawe assembly showing a clamping device for locating it in position across a building'doorway employing a clamping strut; Figure 12 is a front view of the clamping strut of Figure 11; Figure 13 is an end view of the strut of Figure 12; and, Figure 14 is a diagrammatic representation in cross-section of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a security door structure in accordance with the invention comprises a support frame (10) (Figure 1) in which a door panel (11) (Figures 2 and 3) is hingedly mounted as illustrated in Figure 8. The door panel (11), which in use hinges outwardly of an entrance to be protected by a structure in accordance with the invention, is generally flush with the front face of the support frame. The door panel and the supporting frame are made of steel and can be provided with a facing layer of a plastics material.

The support frame comprises top and bottom rail assemblies (12,13) and a pair of vertical side rail assemblies (14,15) extending therebetween. The top and bottom rail assemblies are illustrated in Figures 4 to 7.

Each top and bottom rail assembly (12,13) is constructed as a generally box-section member having a slotted rail (14A,15A) upstanding from the rear surface of the box-section of the rail assemblies (12,13), respectively.

The vertical side frame members (14,15), as illustrated in Figure 8, are formed as a box-section open at the rear side thereof. The confronting walls (16,17) of the side rail assemblies (14,15) at the inner edge of the frame (10) lie parallel to one another but obliquely with respect to the front and rear faces of the door and frame assembly (10,11) as illustrated in Figure 8. The door panel (11) is formed with rearwardly projecting side edge portions (18,19) which extend generally parallel to the oblique internal edges of the frame side rail assemblies (14,15). The frame and door walls (16,18) are closely adjacent one another, in the closed position of the door, whereas the frame ahd door walls (17,19) are spaced apart to receive hinge plates (20), one of which is secured to the frame wall (17) and the other of which is secured to the door wall (19).The confronting frame walls (16,17) are formed with an integral inwardly extending slotted rail portion rail(21,22) as illustrated in Figures 1 and 8, the rails (21,22) being disposed at the inner side of the frame when the security door structure is in position across a building entrance.

In order to fixedly locate the support frame (10) in position across a building entrance for which the security door structure is to provide a temporary security against unauthorised access, a plurality of clamping struts (28v are used, one of which is illustrated in Figures 11 to 13. Each strut comprises a generally channel-shaped member having inwardly extending flanges (29) integral with the free edges of the side walls of the channel section. A fixing key plate (30) as shown in Figure 13, having a T-shaped projection (31), is welded at one end of the strut (28).The other end of the strut (28) is formed at an oblique angle to the longitudinal direction of the strut as illustrated in Figure 11 and has an angle plate (32) fixed thereto with one portion of the plate (32) fixed to the oblique end of the strut (29) and the other portion of the angle plate (32) projecting from the strut as a continuation of the base surface thereof. Generally a pair of struts (28) are utilized to engage the lower rail (15A) of the frame for securing it to respective opposite side jambs (33) of a doorway which is to be protected by the security door system. A further pair of struts (29) are similarly engaged with the upper rail (14A) to secure it with respect to the jambs (33).By utilizing such a means for securing the frame (10), there is no need to remove the existing door which is positioned in a wide open disposition to allow the engagement of the strut angle plates (32) behind the door jambs (33).

The T-shaped projection (31) of each strut (28) is engaged with a selected slot in the corres?onding rail (14A,l5A) in a disposition ,of the strut suitabile for permitting such engagement. The strut is then rotated with respect to the corresponding rail to engage the projecting portion of its angle plate (32) behind the corresponding door jamb (33). In this disposition, the T-shaped projection (31) interlocks with the corresponding rail and cannot be withdrawn therefrom. To effect a final clamping of the strut (28), a threaded fastener (34) is engaged in another slot in the rail (14A,15A) to project therefrom and to threadably engage a nut (35) located within the channel-section portion of the strut whereby tightening of the fastener (34) firmly clamps the door frame (10) against the masonry surrounding the door jambs (33). The nut is preferably spring-loaded against the flanged edges (29) of the strut but can slidably move along the channel-section thereof as required. It is also preferred to provide a hardened steel sleeve (36) around the portion of the fastener (34) between the frame rail and the strut (28) to inhibit severence of the fastener, for example by sawing, in an attempt to remove the security door structure by an intruder who has gained access to within the building.

An additional fixing plate (37) may be provided at selected positions along the vertical side rails (21,22) of the frame. Each plate (37) has an integral fixing strip (38) which extends into the entrance to be protected. Plate (37) is secured to the frame by a nut and bolt passing through an elongate slot in the plate (37) and through a selected slot in the corresponding rail (21,22) to allow movement of the plate (37) which respect to the frame and to bring the fixing strip (38) into abutment with an internal face of the door jamb (33) allowing a fixing screw to be passed into the door jamb thereby fixing the strip (38) thereto.

A pair of locking assemblies are provided on the door panel (11) opposite the pair of hinges therefor, respectively. Each lock assembly comprises a channel-shaped housing (39) having outwardly directed flanges fastened to the rear face of the door panel (11). A lock (40) is fixedly located within each, housing (39). A pair of U-shaped staples (41) are fixedly provided on the vertical side rail (21) of the support frame section (15) at respective unslotted portions of that rail (21). The staples project from the rail (21) towards the front of the frame structure (10) such that they lie behind the side edge portions (18) of the door panel (11) when the door is in the closed position. When the lock (40) is in its locked condition, the lock bolt (42) thereof engages within the aperture defined by a respective staple (41) as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9.

Keyholes (43) are provided in the door panel (11) to provide access for the insertion of keys into the lock from the outside of the security door structure in order to effect locking and unlocking thereof. The keyholes (43) are opened and closed by respective sliding lock cover bars (44) which are formed as shallow channel-shaped members. The lock covers (44) are slidable in apertures formed in a side wall of the lock housing members (39) and one outward flange thereof, between positions in which they cover the keyholes (43) as shown in solid lines in Figures 8 and 9 and positions in which the keyholes (43) are uncovered as shown in dotted lines in Figures 8 and 9. Security screws (45) extend through horizontally elongate apertures (46) provided in the door panel (11) adjacent the hinges thereof, respectively, to fixedly clamp the lock cover bars (44) in their locked condition.The heads of the screws (45) are accessible from the front side of the door panel and can be loosened by using the specially shaped tool required to cooperate with the correspondingly shaped head formations of the screws (45) before the locking bars (44) can be slid to their positions in which the keyholes (43) are uncovered permitting access to the locks through the keyholes (43).

Toughened face plates (47) are provided on the outer face of the door panel (11) over the area where the locking assemblies (40) are provided. These plates inhibit drilling of the door to destroy the lock bolts (42). In addition, the plates carry dummy keyholes (48) with i the actual keyholes (43) in the door patfel being normally covered by the block cover bars (44) and concealed within lettering formed on the face plates (47) above the dummy keyholes (48) therein.

With the door frame (10) firmly secured against masonry surrounding a building entrance as illustrated in Figure 11, and with the door panel (11) in the closed position, a generally planar outside surface is formed with the door panel (11) being flush with the front surfaces of the door frame (10). Minimal space is provided between the confronting edges (16,18) of the door panel and frame at the side thereof remote from the hinges to inhibit the insertion of a tool for wrenching open the door. The location of the lock bolt receiving staples (41) within the side edges (18) of the door panel (11) inhibits springing of the lock bolts (42) out of the staples (41) by any attempt to forcibly separate the confronting side . walls (16,18) of the door frame and door panel, respectively.Furthermore if the hinges are forcibly destroyed, the cooperating slanted side edges (17,19) of the door frame and the door panel, respectively, prevent the door from being pulled outwardly of the frame (10) which would be possible if the side edges lay in planes perpendicular to the planes containing the door panel (11).

Figure 14 illustrates an alternative method of securing the door frame (10) across an access opening into a building structure. In this arrangement, a telescopic fixing bar (50) having interengaging channel-shaped sections (51,52) is utilized. The bases of the portions (51,52) are slotted and each portion (51,52) at its free end has a projecting lug (53,54) which engages behind an abutment surface in the access aperture. A pair of bar assemblies (50) are provided to extend generally parallel to the upper and lower slotted rails (14A,15A) of the frame (10) and are connected thereto by elongate threaded studs (55) having head portions which engage the frame rails (14A,15A) with the threaded shanks extending through aligned slots in the rails (i4A,15A) and slots in the opposed telescopic bar assemblies (50)- Nuts (56) are tightened on the free ends of the threaded shanks (55) to firmly clamp the frame (10) against the structure surrounding the access opening to be protected.

Claims

1. A security door structure comprising a support frame for securing to a surround structure of an entrance to be protected by the security door structure and a door panel hingedly mounted in the support frame, wherein the vertical side edge of the door panel at the hinge side thereof, and the confronting vertical edge of the support frame, lie in planes which are at obtuse angles to the plane containing the front face of the door panel so as to inhibit removal of the door panel after destruction of its hinges.

2. A security door structure according to Claim 1, wherein an apertured lock retainer is fixedly mounted on the support frame to engage within an edge portion of the door panel when in its closed position to receive a lock bolt of a lock provided on the door panel in order to inhibit withdrawal of the lock bolt from the aperture in the lock retainer by wrenching the door panel with respect to the support frame.

3. A security door structure according to Claim 1, wherein an apertured lock retainer is provided on the door panel to engage within a portion of the support frame to receive a lock bolt of a lock mounted on the support frame to prevent withdrawal of the lock bolt from the aperture in the lock retainer by wrenching the door panel with respect to the support frame.

4. A security door structure according to any one of Claims 1 - 3, wherein a lock is provided on the rear face of the door panel opposite a keyhole formed therein, and an elongate cover member is slidably mounted on the rear side of the door panel for movement between positions in which it covers the keyhole and in which the keyhole is uncovered, movement of the cover member being controlled by a security clamping means accessible from the front of the door panel, which security clamping means being operable by a tool of a specific form.

5. A security door structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig. 14 of the accompanying drawings.