US2070219A - Door - Google Patents

Description

M. J. TRACY Feb. 9, 1937.

DOOR

Filed May 22, l1935 /NvE/Yro/E, M. J. 772,40/

ATTO/BNEV Patented Fel). 9, 1937 UNITED STATES Pdii'liii GFFICE l2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to doors, and more specifically to doors of the type used in jails, prisons, and the like Where persons are held in coniinement, the predominant object of the invention being to provide an improved door oi' this type which is so constructed and arranged that the parts of the door which provide security against escape through the door by sawing, cutting, or disassemblement are concealed so that a person confined by the door does not have such access to the parts referred to as would permit him to work undetected on said parts in an attempt to effect his escape.

It is Well known to persons familiar with such matters that prisoners confined in cells and other enclosures ci prisons and the like who are seeking to escape from confinement usually search for a starting point at which to commence the operations which they hope will result in their freedom from coniinement. In other words, if a cell or other structure presents an accessible rivet, bolt, joint or some sort, or bar, a confined person has present what he considers a vulnerable point at which he may start his operations tending toward escape. It has of late years been recognized by oliicials having charge of jails and prisons and the prisoners therein that the ideal jail or prison would be one wherein the cells or other enclosures were so constructed and arranged that no such accessible points of attack were presented to the prisoners, the theory being that if no vulnerable points are visible and accessible in the coniining structure, including the` door thereof, a prisoner who seeks to escape is so balied by the apparently impregnable nature of the enclosure which confines him that he abandons any attempt to escape. Or ii a prisoner should start his operations tending toward escape Without knowledge of the presence of any weaker points in the confining structure or the door, if any exist, he might select the strongest and most impregnable part for his operations, and thus be frustrated in his attempt to escape.

The improved door disclosed herein to all outward appearances is constructed oi ordinary ysheet steel, Without any attaching elements being visible and accessible to a prisoner at which attacks upon the door might be started. However, Within the interior of the improved door a concealed, barred structure is provided which includes elements formed of tool-resisting material, and this concealed, barred structure provides the door with the necessary security against escape through the door. In attempting to escape through the improved door a prisoner may be able to cut through the steel sheeting of the door, as this is not tool-resisting material, but he would then be faced with the problem of cutting through the tool-resisting elements of the concealed, barred structure of the door, 5 which would probably end the attempted escape.

Another advantage of the improved door disclosed herein is that it satisiies the requirements] frequently encountered in jail and prison building that the buildings and equipment be made 10 to appear less like the jails and prisons of past years, which predominated in exposed barred Walls and exposed barred doors. Because the barred structure of the improved door is concealed by an outer shell of sheet steel, the door 15 has a less austere appearance than does a door of exposed barred construction.

Fig. l is a front elevation or" the improved door, a portion of the outer steel sheeting being broken away to show the interior construction 20 of the door.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a larger scale taken through the door illustrated in Fig. 1, parts oi the door being broken away to conserve space.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. l, parts of the door in this view also being broken away to conserve space.

In the drawing, wherein is shownfor the purpose oi illustration, merely, one embodiment oi 30 the invention, A designates the improved door generally. The door A includes opposed, spaced apart plates l and 2, these plates being formed of sheet steel or any other suitable material, and being co-extensive with the opposite sides of the 35 door. Within the interior of the door and at the opposed longitudinal edges thereof are arranged elongated bars 3 and il of steel or other suitable material, these bars being extended from points adjacent to the lower edge oi the door to points 40 adjacent to the upper edge thereof. The plates i and 2 are turned inwardly at the opposed longitudinal edges or" the door, as shown in Fig.

3, to provide laterally extended portions l and 2 at each longitudinal edge of the door which 45 abut against each other. The laterally extended portions i and 2' oi the plates i and 2 and the bars 3 and l are secured together, preferably by welding, whereby said plates and bars provide a rigid, unitary construction. 50

spaced longitudinally of the door from top to` bottom and extended transversely of said door are pairs of elongated angle bars 5 and 6, each associated pair oi said bars being assembled to provide a box-like structure that extends trans- 55 Versely of the door from a point adjacent to one longitudinal edge or" the door to a point adjacent to the opposite longitudinal edge thereof. The bar 5 of each associated pair oi angle bars. 5 and il is secured by welding or otherwise to the plate l, while the bar B of each of said associated pair of bars is secured by welding or otherwise 'to the plate As is shown clearly in Fig. 2, one pair of angle bars Fi and t is located at the upper edge of the door, and a similar pair of bars 5 and t is located at the lower edge oi the door, the intermediate pairs of bars being spaced equidistant longitudinally of the door between said upper and lower pairs o1" bars.

Disposed within the box-like structure pro vided by each associated pair of bars 5 and S is a bar i of steel or other suitable material. These bars "i are of substantially the same length as the box-like structures in which they are located, and each bar is provided with a plurality oi openings 8 formed therethrough. The horizontal portions of all ci the bars E and E with the exception of the bar 5 at the top edge or the door are provided with like openings 9, and all of the openings or" the horizontal portions of the bars 5 and 5 and of the bars l are arranged in vertically alined rows. The horizontal portion of the bar 5 located at the top edge of the door, as already suggested, is imperiorate, this being shown in Fig. 2. The bar l located adjacent to the top edge of the door is preferably welded or otherwise secured to the associated angie bar 5, while the bar l located adjacent to the lower edge of the door is preferably secured by welding or otherwise to the associated angle bar ii.

Supported in the vertically alined rows of openings 8 and 9 formed in the angle bars and 6 and in the bars i are vertically extended bars lf3. These bars are spaced transversely of the door and extend from the bottom to the top of the door. The uppermost end portions of vthe vertical bars i@ are disposed in the openings B formed through the uppermost transverse bar E, while the iowermost end portions of said vertical bars are located within the openings 8 formed through the lowermost transverse bar 'L In order to secure the vertical bars in place, welds are produced at the lower edges of the vertical bars which secure the lower portions of said vertical bars, the lowermost transverse bar l, and the angle bar t at the lower edge of the door together. One of these welds is illustrated in Fig. 2, where it is designated by the reference character ll.

In producing the improved door, the plates l and 2 with the angle bars 5 and 6 already fixed thereto, preferably by welding, are assembled with the bars l and the bars 3 and arranged in place. The vertical bars E@ are then threaded through the alined openings S and 9 formed through the angle bars 5 and d and the bars l from the bottom of the door, the vertical bars being welded in place at the lower edge of the door as already explained when said vertical bars have been extended from the bottom to the top oi the door. To assist in assembling the door structure, the bars 3 and l are secured prior to the assembling operation, by spot welding, for instance, to the angular portions l of the plate l, and after the vertical bars lil have been arranged in place in the openings 3 and t and have been welded in place at their lower ends, the angular portions 2 of the plate 2 are secured to the bars 3 and d, preferably by arc Welding.

In order to deaden a hollow sound that would otherwise be given oli by the door when struck and to insulate the door, I pack the interior of the door with suitable insulating material l2. This material is oi such nature that the vertical bars lil may be passed through it when the door is being assembled in the manner already explained, and to facilitate such passage of the vertical bars it through said insulating material I tape the upper ends of said bars.

It is important to note that the vertical bars lil serve to tie the opposed side plates i and 2 of the door together and in this manner produce a very solid, strong, and durable door. This is so because the angle bars 5 and 6 are secured respectively to said plates i and 2, and said vertical bars pass through openings formed through overlapped, horizontal portions of said angle bars 5 and i. Because the opposed plates i and 2 are tied together at each point where a vertical bar extends through vertically alined openings oi' an associated pair of the bars 5 and 8, a very rigid structure results and the plates i and 2 are prevented from bowing or being otherwise distorted. Ii desired, the hori- Zontal bars l and the vertical bars iii may be formed of tool-resisting steel so as to render more diiicult the tast: or" sawing or cutting through said bars. In this connection it is to be noted that the bars l, with the exception oi the top and bottom bars "i, are held in place solely by the vertical bars i6 passing through the openings formed therethrough. This renders it unnecessary to subject said bars to heat incident to welding, which might aiect the temper of the bars.

In Fig. l I illustrate the improved door A in association with a door frame F and show conventional hinges I-I and locking means L. It is to be understood, however, that these parts form no part of the present invention.

From the foregoing it is plain that a door is provided which is capable oi very effectively performing its intended function. This door possesses all the required security against escape through the door, but this security is so completely concealed that its presence may not be detected by external examination of the door.

Also, because of the concealed arrangement of its barred structure, the improved door answers the demands frequently encountered by prison builders ior more humane prison equipment. Another advantage of the improved door disclosed herein is that many parts of the door may be formed of relatively inexpensive material which is not tool-resisting, because the concealed barred structure within the door, certain elements of which may be formed of tool-resisting material, will effectively prevent escape through the door by sawing or cutting. This greatly reduces the cost of manufacturing the door without sacrificing the security of the door.

I claim:

l. A jail or prison door comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom in overlapping relation, said elements being provided with alined openings formed therein, and bars extended through said openings for connecting said spaced apart plates together, said bars being so arranged within the door as to provide an obstructing structure adapted to prevent passage oi a person through the door structure.

vWith said. angle elements and having openings 2. A jail or prison door comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom in overlapping relation, said elements being provided With alined openings formed therein, bars extended through said openings for connecting said spaced apart plates together, and bars arranged between said plates which are extended at an angle relative to the first-mentioned bars, said bars being so arranged Within the door as to provide an obstructing structure adapted to prevent passage of a person through the door structure.

3. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom in overlapping relation, said elements being provided with alined openings formed therein, bars extended through said openings for connecting said spaced apart plates together, and bars arranged between said plates which are extended at an angle relative to the first-mentioned bars, the rst-mentioned bars being extended through openings formed through the second-mentioned bars.

4. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom in overlapping relation, said elements being provided with alined openings formed therein, bars extended through said openings for connecting said spaced apart plates together, and bars arranged between said plates which are extended at an angle relative to the first-mentioned bars, the first-mentioned bars being extended through openings formed through the second-mentioned bars, and said second-mentioned bars being supported by certain of said elements.

5. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided with openings formed therethrough, transverse bars associated with said angle elements and having openlings formed therethrough which are alined with the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, and longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars.

6. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, pairs of angle elements spaced longitudinally of said door and extended transversely thereof, the angle elements of each pair of angle elements being secured respectively to the opposed plates and having extended portions thereof arranged in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided with openings formed therethrough, transverse bars associated with said angle elements and having openings forrned therethrough which are alined with the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, and longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars.

'7. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, pairs of angle elements spaced longitudinally of said door and extended transversely thereof, the angle elements of each pair of angle elements being secured respectively to the opposed plates and having extended portions thereof arranged in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided with openings formed therethrough, transverse bars associated formed therethrough which are alined with the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, and longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars, the uppermost angle element of a pair of angle elements located at the top of the door being imperforate.

8. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, pairs of angle elements spaced longitudinally of said door and extended transversely thereof, the angle elements of each pair of angle elements being secured respectively to the opposed plates and having extended portions thereof arranged in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided With openings formed therethrough, transverse bars associated with said angle elements and having openings formed therethrough which are alined with the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, and longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars, the uppermost angle element of a pair of angle elements located at the top of the door being imperforate, and said longitudinal bars being secured in place at their lower ends.

9. A door of the class described comprising' a pair of spaced apart plates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided with openings forrned therethrough, transverse bars associated with said angle elements and having openings formed therethrough which are alined With the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars, and marginal bars at the opposed longitudinal edges of the door.

10. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided with openings formed therethrough, transverse bars associated With said angle elements and having openings formed therethrough Which are alined with the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars, marginal bars at the opposed longitudinal edges of the door, and offset portions formed on said plates which are secured to said marginal bars.

11. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apart plates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation, said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided With openings formed therethrough, transverse bars asso-- ciated with said angle elements and having openings formed therethrough Which are alined With the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars,

CTI

sociated with said angle elements and having openings formed therethrough which are alined with the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements, longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars, marginal bars at the opposed longitudinal edges of said door, offset portions formed on said plates which are secured to said marginal plates, and insulating material arranged between l0 said plates.

MICHAEL J. TRACY.

Images