GB2380218A

GB2380218A - Roller shutter flood defence barrier for the protection of buildings

Info

Publication number: GB2380218A
Application number: GB0220836A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Garvey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-09-07
Filing date: 2002-09-07
Publication date: 2003-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2022-09-07
Also published as: GB2380218B; GB0220836D0

Abstract

A barrier comprises a roller shutter 2 for deployment within an opening of a building, the roller shutter being stored in a casing 6 located at or below ground level 9. A control means, preferably a float operated water level sensor (Fig 5), activates a power means, preferably compressed air, to raise the roller shutter. The barrier may have slotted vertical guides 10 to receive the shutter edges, each containing watertight seals 15. Each guide may contain an externally threaded rotatable spindle 11 to which the shutter is attached, the spindle meshes with worm gear 16 driven by compressed air cylinders. The roller shutter is preferably of steel construction with a watertight membrane provided along adjacent longitudinal edges of the steel laths. Preferably, the watertight storage casing houses the compressed air cylinders.

Description

Title of the Invention Deployable barrier for the protection of buildings etc.

Field of the Invention This invention relates to a deployable barrier for the protection of buildings from ingress of flood water, from intruders, from damage etc.

Background of the Invention Particularly for flood water ingress, various barriers have been proposed for temporary installation and/or activation across doorways etc. However, most have required manual installation and hence an awareness of potential flooding, and during daytime a householder may for instance be away, or during nighttime may be unaware of the danger.

Object of the Invention A basic object of the invention is the provision of an improved deployable barrier.

Summary of the Invention According to the present invention, a deployable barrier for obscuring, partially or wholly, in its deployed position an opening (such as a doorway) of a building comprising: (i) a roller shutter which in a non-deployed, storage condition, is wound into a casing adapted, in use, to be located adjacent the opening to be protected and at, or below, ground level ;

(ii) a power means to deploy the shutter from its storage condition by unwinding and raising the latter to its deployed condition; and (iii) control means to control activation of the power means.

Advantages of the Invention Thus, with the casing located for example in a trench across a doorway, at or below ground level so as to present no obstruction to normal access to the doorway, triggering of the control means-either manually or automatically, causes the shutter to be gradually raised to its deployed position by being progressively unwound from its storage position.

Preferred or Optional Features of the Invention The roller shutter comprises steel laths.

The steel laths are rust proofed or galvanised.

The steel laths are provided with a synthetic plastics coating.

The synthetic plastics coating is of UPVC.

A watertight membrane eg of rubber, is provided along adjacent longitudinal edges of adjacent laths.

The barrier comprises right and left box section pillars adapted, in use, to be attached to a building, one at each side of the opening requiring protection.

Each pillar houses a spindle rotatable about a vertical axis and externally threaded, on which spindle is a non-rotatable nut in turn attached to a connector rod in turn connected to the leading lath of the roller shutter.

The nut is of brass.

The pillars have mutually facing, vertically extending slots, through which ends of the laths of the roller shutter pass into the pillars.

A watertight seal is provided along each slot.

The casing has a watertight, elongate slot in an upper surface, through which the roller shutter exits the casing when being deployed.

A trip switch is located at the top of either pillar, or both pillars.

The control means comprises a manually operable override switch located for example within the building concerned.

For flood protection, automatic deployment of the barrier is effected by an associated water level sensor triggering the control means.

The power means is located within the casing.

The power means is non-electric.

The power means comprises an air motor.

One or more compressed air cylinders are provided, also located within the casing.

The control means, when triggered, opens a valve on the or each compressed air cylinder, to force compressed air into the air motor.

Two, c-axial drive shafts extend from opposite sides of the power means, each terminating in a drive worm in mesh with a worm wheel carried by a lower end of each spindle The water level sensor comprises a housing with water inlet/outlet apertures.

The interior of the housing constitutes a float chamber for a float.

The float has a rod carrying an upper stop spaced from a lower stop, with ratchets provided on the rod over a portion extending towards the upper stop from the lower stop.

The housing supports elements constituting pivots for spring steel connectors extending between the ratchet and a discharge valve of a compressed air cylinder.

The sensor housing carries manually operable deploy and retract buttons with connecting rods to the spring steel connectors, for manual operation or intervention.

Brief Description of the Drawings By way of example, in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a part-sectional side elevation of a barrier in accordance with the invention, during deployment ; Figure 1A is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 1; Figure 2 is a plan view of the barrier with a top of the casing removed; Figure 3 is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows the pillars located adjacent a doorway to be protected; part of the roller shutter in a deployed condition.

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a water level sensor; and Figures 6A to 6D show the interior of the sensor of Figure 5, in different operation position.

Detailed Description of the Drawings A deployable barrier 1 comprises a roller shutter 2 made up of a plurality of laths 3 hinged together at adjacent longitudinal edges, and with a watertight membrane 4 extending along each hinge.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the roller shutter 2 is wound on a drum 5 with a coil spring 40 rotatably housed in a casing 6 adapted to be located in a trench such that the casing 6, and its roller shutter 2, are located adjacent, and across an opening 7 (Figure 4) to be protected, an upper face 8 of the casing 6 being located at ground level 9.

Opposed ends of the casing 6 are each provided with a box section pillar 10 housing a spindle 11 rotatable about a vertical axis and externally threaded to receive a non-rotatable brass nut 12 a connecting rod 13, in turn attached to the leading lath 3A of the roller shutter 2, with ends of each lath 3,3A, passing through mutually facing, vertically extending slots 14, with water seals 15 along each slot 14.

Each spindle 11 is provided at its lower end with a toothed wheel 24 in mesh with a worm 16 carried at ends of drive shafts 17 extending from opposite sides of an air motor 18 comprising two bi-directional, contra-rotatable turbines 19 adapted to be impinged by compressed air released from either"up"cylinder 20A, or"down"cylinder 20B by a water level sensor 25 opening a discharge valve 26A, 26B of each cylinder 20A, 20B (as will be described in greater detail later) with rotation of the spindle 11 in one direction progressively raising the roller shutter 2 from its wound-up position illustrated in Figure 1, to a deployed position illustrated in Figure 4, and in the other direction lowering the roller shutter 2 to its wound-up position shown in Figure 1.

As detailed in Figure 4, each pillar 10 is attached to an t-section fabrication 21 in turn attached to brick work 22 at opposite sides of a doorway 23 of a building to be

protected by the barrier 1.

As illustrated in Figure 5, the water level sensor 25 comprises a base unit 27 from which extends upwardly a housing 28 having water inlet/outlet apertures 29.

Interior 30 of the housing constitutes a float chamber for a float 31 having a rod 32 carrying an upper, maximum position stop 33, and a lower, minimum position stop 34, with a portion of the rod 32 above the lower stop 34 being provided with ratchet 35.

The housing 28 supports elements 36 which constitute pivots for a spring steel connector 37A, 37B having one end engageable with a tooth of the ratchet 35, and the other end operable on one valve 26A, 26B to permit, or to shut-off, flow of compressed air to the turbines 19 Also illustrated is a manually operable override deploy button B, and a manually operable override retract button A, both buttons being attached by connecting rods to the appropriate spring steel connector.

Considering now Figures 6A to 6D, in Figure 6A, the barrier 1 is fully retracted, as the float 30 is in its lower most position, with deployment valve 26A primed by its spring steel connector 37A, due to the ratchet 35 being in a start position, whilst retraction valve 268 IS not primed, as its spring steel connector 37B has not cleared a tooth of the ratchet 35.

Upon a rise in water level occurring, water enters the water level sensor 25 via apertures 29, thus raising the float 31, the float rod 32 and the ratchet 35, as indicated in Figure 6B, with spring steel connector 37A eventually being displaced from the position illustrated in Figure 6A, to the position illustrated in Figure 6B when valve 26A

is opened for compressed air to impinge upon turbine 19 to lift the barrier 1 in increments dependent upon the particular tooth of the ratchet 35 in engagement with the spring steel connector 37A, which is a function of the water level.

As soon as the rod 32 and ratchet 35 have been engaged by connector 37B the retraction valve 26B is primed by the ratchet into a position where any decrease in water level will engage the retraction valve 7B thus allowing compressed air from the cylinder 20B to the reverse turbine 19 to cause partial or complete retraction of the barrier 1.

Figure 6C illustrates the High Tide condition when the float 31 is at its maximum upper position, the barrier 1 is fully deployed. Both valves 26A and 26B are in a neutral but primed position.

The retraction valve 26B cannot be engaged until the barrier 1 has been deployed either partially or fully by the rod 32 being elevated by the float 31.

Figure 6D illustrates the situation in which the water level is receding, the float 31 lowering the rod 32 thus engaging the teeth of the ratchet 35 against the spring steel connector 37B which again releases compressed air to the turbine 19 to rotate the latter in the reverse direction, to achieve lowering the barrier 1.

Apart from automatic activation of the valves 26A and 26B resulting from float movements, manual activation buttons 38A, 38B are provided at a top surface of the

housing 28, with connecting rods 39A, 39B to the respective spring steel connectors 37A, 37B. The buttons 38A and 38B are operable at any time, but in the interest of safety the manual overide retraction button 38A will only operate while pressure is continuously aplied to the button. Otherwise the position of the float 31 will automatically re-engage the valve 26B and re-deploy the shutter while ever the float chamber of the sensor 25 is flooded.

In addition, the system may be manually tested by applying continuous pressure to button 39A but on release, due to the counter weight of the float 31 in an empty float chamber the shutters will retract to their standby position within its casing at ground level.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A deployable barrier for obscuring, partially or wholly, in its deployed position an opening (such as a doorway) of a building comprising : (i) a roller shutter which in a non-deployed, storage condition, is wound into a casing adapted, in use, to be located adjacent the opening to be protected and at, or below, ground level ; (ii) a power means to deploy the shutter from its storage condition by unwinding and raising the latter to Its deployed condition; and (iii) control means to control activation of the power means. 2. A barrier as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the roller shutter comprises steel laths. 3. A barrier as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the steel laths are rust proofed or galvanised. 4. A barrier as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the steel laths are provided with a synthetic plastics coating. 5. A barrier as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the synthetic plastics coating is of UPVC. 6. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a watertight membrane eg of rubber, is provided along adjacent longitudinal edges of adjacent laths. <Desc/Clms Page number 10> 7. A barrier as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the barrier comprises right and left box section pillars adapted, in use, to be attached to a building, one at each side of the opening requiring protection. 8 A barrier as claimed in Claim 7, wherein each pillar houses a spindle rotatable about a vertical axis and externally threaded, on which spindle is a non-rotatable nut in turn attached to the leading lath of the roller shutter. 9. A barrier as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the nut is of brass. 10. A barrier as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein the pillars have mutually facing, vertically extending slots, through which ends of the laths of the roller shutter pass Into the pillars. 11. A barrier as claimed in Claim 10, wherein a watertight seal is provided along each slot. 12. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the casing has a watertight, elongate slot in an upper surface, through which the roller shutter exits the casing when being deployed. 13. A barrier as claimed in Claim 7, and any claim appended thereto, wherein a trip switch is located at the top of either pillar, or both pillars. <Desc/Clms Page number 11> 14. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the control means comprises a manually operable override switch located for example within the building concerned. 15. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein for flood protection, automatic deployment of the barrier is effected by an associated water level sensor triggering the control means. 16. A barrier as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the sensor is linked by an air tube to the control means. 17. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the power means is located within the casing. 18. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the power means is non- electric. 19. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the power means comprises an air motor. 20. A barrier as claimed in Claim 19, wherein one or more compressed air cylinders are provided, also located within the casing. 21. A barrier as claimed in Claim 20, wherein the control means, when triggered, <Desc/Clms Page number 12> opens a valve on the or each compressed air cylinder, to force compressed air into the air motor. 22. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein two, co-axial drive shafts extend from opposite sides of the power means, each terminating in a drive worm in mesh with a worm wheel carried by a lower end of each spindle. 23. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the water level sensor comprises a housing with water inlet/outlet apertures 24. A barrier as claimed in claim 23, wherein the interior of the housing constitutes a float chamber for a float. 25. A barrier as claimed in claim 24, wherein the float has a rod carrying an upper stop spaced from a lower stop, with ratchets provided on the rod over a portion extending towards the upper stop from the lower stop 26. A barrier as claimed in any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein, the housing supports elements constituting pivots for spring steel connectors extending between the ratchet and a discharge valve of a compressed air cylinder. 27. A barrier as claimed in any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein the sensor housing carries manually operable deploy and retract buttons with connecting rods to the spring steel connectors, for manual operation or intervention. <Desc/Clms Page number 13> 28 A deployable barrier substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. <Desc/Clms Page number 14> Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

1. A deployable barrier for obscuring, partially or wholly, in its deployed position an opening, such as a doorway, of a building comprising : (i) a roller shutter which in a non-deployed, storage condition, is wound into a casing adapted, in use, to be located adjacent the opening to be protected and at, or below, ground level ; (ii) right and left box section pillars adapted, in use, to be attached to a buiiding, one at each side of the opening requiring protection, each pillar housing a spindle rotatable about a vertical axis and externally threaded, on which spindle is a non- rotatable nut in turn attached to the leading lath of the roller shutter.

(iii) a power means to deploy the shutter from Its storage condition by unwinding and raising the latter to its deployed condition; and (iv) control means to control activation of the power means.

2. A barrier as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the roller shutter comprises steel laths.

3. A barrier as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the steel laths are rust proofed or galvanised.

4. A barrier as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the steel laths are provided with a synthetic plastics coating.

5. A barrier as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the synthetic plastics coating is of UPVC.

6. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a watertight membrane eg of rubber, is provided along adjacent longitudinal edges of adjacent laths.

7 A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the nut is of brass.

8. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pillars have mutually facing, vertically extending siots, through which ends of the laths of the roller shutter pass into the pillars.

9. A barrier as claimed in Claim 8, wherein a watertight seal is provided along each slot.

10. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the casing has a watertight, elongate slot in an upper surface, through which the roller shutter exits the casing when being deployed.

11. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a trip switch is located at the top of either pillar, or both pillars.

12. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the control means comprises a manually operable override switch located for example within the building concerned.

13. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein for flood protection,

automatic deployment of the barrier is effected by an associated water level sensor triggering the control means.

14. A barrier as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the sensor is linked by an air tube to the control means.

15. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the power means is located within the casing.

16. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the power means is non- electric.

17. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the power means comprises an air motor.

18. A barrier as claimed in Claim 17, wherein one or more compressed air cylinders are provided, also located within the casing.

19. A barrier as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the control means, when triggered, opens a valve on the or each compressed air cylinder, to force compressed air into the air motor.

20. A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein two, co-axial drive shafts extend from opposite sides of the power means, each terminating in a drive

worm in mesh with a worm wheel carried by a lower end of each spindle.

21 A barrier as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the water level sensor comprises a housing with water inlet/outlet apertures

22. A barrier as claimed in claim 21, wherein the interior of the housing constitutes a float chamber for a fioat.

23. A barrier as claimed in claim 22, wherein the float has a rod carrying an upper stop spaced from a lower stop, with ratchets provided on the rod over a portion extending towards the upper stop from the lower stop.

24. A barrier as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein, the housing supports elements constituting pivots for spring steel connectors extending between the ratchet and a discharge valve of a compressed air cylinder.

25. A barrier as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein the sensor housing carries manually operable deploy and retract buttons with connecting rods to the spring steel connectors, for manual operation or intervention.

26. A deployable barrier substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.