US20080025792A1

US20080025792A1 - Security barrier

Info

Publication number: US20080025792A1
Application number: US11/495,402
Authority: US
Inventors: Merl K. Jessop
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-07-27
Filing date: 2006-07-27
Publication date: 2008-01-31

Abstract

A security barrier apparatus that includes a ground sleeve that is concreted into the ground at finish grade height and a uniquely configured jam member that is movable within the ground sleeve from a first free position to a second jammed position in engagement with the inner wall of the tubular sleeve. Connected to the jam member and extending upwardly therefrom is an elongated tension bar having an upper, internally threaded portion that is receivable within the hollow body portion of the apparatus. The jam member includes a tapered wall portion that is mateable with a tapered wall portion provided on the lower portion of the apparatus. A draw bolt extends through the cover of the ground sleeve and is adapted to threadably engage the upper threaded portion of the tension bar. Rotation of the draw bolt will cause the jam member to move upwardly within the ground sleeve in a manner to cause the tapered surface of the jam member to move into jamming engagement with the tapered surface of the ground sleeve securely locking the apparatus in place.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to security barriers. More particularly, the invention concerns a barrier having a removable bollard body portion for selectively preventing ingress and egress to a controlled space.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A number of different types of devices for controlling parking space access have been suggested in the past. In its simplest form, a cement post is often used as a bollard to protect an exterior wall of a building or some other structure. Removal of this type of bollard is only achievable with great difficulty and typically such bollards are not removed until the entire unit is replaced. However, in many instances it is highly desirable that the bollard be temporarily removed to reconfigure the controlled space or to allow free access to the controlled space for selected periods of time.
Accordingly, various types of removable barrier devices have been designed and can be operated in various ways. As a general rule, the prior art removable type barriers are of a complex construction and in many instances include elaborate and expensive mechanisms for operating the bollard.
As will be better appreciated from the discussion which follows, the thrust of the present invention is to provide an improved bollard-type barrier that is of simple construction, is easy to install and is highly reliable in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By way of brief summary, the security barrier apparatus of the present invention is of a simple, easy-to-use construction that comprises a ground sleeve that is concreted into the ground at finish grade height. Disposed within the lower portion of the ground sleeve is a uniquely configured jam member that is movable within the ground sleeve from a first free position to a second jammed position in engagement with the inner wall of the tubular sleeve.
Connected to the jam member and extending upwardly therefrom is an elongated tension bar having an upper, internally threaded portion that is receivable within the hollow body portion of the bollard. The jam member uniquely includes a tapered wall portion that is mateable with a tapered wall portion provided on the lower portion of the bollard body.
In one form of the invention, a draw bolt extends through the cover of the ground sleeve and is adapted to threadably engage the upper threaded portion of the tension bar. With this construction, with the jam member positioned within the ground sleeve, rotation of the draw bolt will cause the jam member to move upwardly within the ground sleeve in a manner to cause the tapered surface of the jam member to move into engagement with the tapered surface of the ground sleeve. Continued upward movement of the jam member through continued rotation of the draw bolt will cause the jam member to move into jamming engagement with the inner wall of the ground sleeve thereby securely locking the bollard in position.
With the forgoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel, bollard-type security barrier apparatus which is of a simple design, is easy to install and remove by unskilled workman and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which can be securely locked in its erected configuration in a manner to prevent unauthorized removal of the device.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus as described in the preceding paragraphs which includes a minimum number of moving parts, is easy and inexpensive to install, but yet is highly reliable in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a generally perspective view of one form of the bollard apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side-elevational, exploded view of the bollard apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side-elevational view, partly broken away to show internal construction, illustrating the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in a raised, locked configuration.

FIG. 6 is a side-elevational view of an alternate form of the bollard apparatus of the invention partly broken away to show internal construction.

FIG. 6A is a greatly enlarged view of the area designated in FIG. 6 as 6A-6A.

FIG. 7 is a side-elevational, exploded view of the alternate form of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side-elevational view, partly broken away to show internal construction, illustrating the apparatus in a raised, locked configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, one form of the barrier apparatus of the present invention for controlling access to a controlled space is there shown and generally identified by the numeral 12. This form of the apparatus comprises a subterranean tubular sleeve 14 having an upper end 14 a and a lower end 14 b. As best seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings, sleeve 14 is concreted into the ground “G” in a manner such that upper end 14 a is located at finished grade height.
Receivable within tubular sleeve 14 is a uniquely configured jam assembly 16 (FIG. 4) which is movable within the sleeve from a first, free position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 to a second jammed position shown in FIG. 5 wherein the generally cylindrically shaped jam member component 16 a of the jam assembly 16 is in locked engagement with the inner surface 14 c of the tubular sleeve. As illustrated in the drawings, jam member 16 a is provided with a tapered, upper surface 18, the purpose of which will presently be described. Also forming a part of the jam assembly 16 is an elongated tension bar 20. As best seen in FIG. 4, the lower portion 20 a of the tension bar is interconnected with member 16 a by any suitable means such as welding and the threaded upper portion 20 b thereof is adapted to be received within the important bollard assemblage 22 of the invention.
Bollard assemblage 22 here comprises a generally cylindrically shaped bollard body 24 having an upper portion 24 a and a lower portion 24 b. Disposed between the upper and lower portions of the bollard body is a ground engaging flange of 26 for engagement with the ground when the bollard assemblage is mated with the ground sleeve in the manner shown in FIG. 5. Upper portion 24 a of the bollard body is suitably closed by a generally dome-shaped cover 30 that is provided with a central aperture 30 a. For a purpose presently to be described, lower portion 24 b of the bollard body, which is telescopically receivable within the upper portion of the sleeve 14, includes a tapered surface 33 that is mateable with the tapered surface 18 of the jam member 16 a. In the present form of the invention the tapered surfaces 18 and 33 respectively of the jam member and the bollard body extend at an angle “α” of approximately 30° with respect to the longitudinal axis “A” of the bollard body (see FIG. 5).
Forming a part of the actuating means of the invention for moving the jam assembly 16 into a jammed position, is an elongated draw bolt 32. Draw bolt 32 has an externally threaded shank portion 32 a and an interconnected head portion 32 b. As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 5, the threaded shank portion 32 a of the draw bolt is adapted to extend through central aperture 30 a of the cover 30 for threadable engagement with the internally threaded upper portion 20 b of the tension bar and the head portion 32 b is adapted to engage the upper surface of the dome-shaped cover 30. Head portion 32 b can be of a conventional hexagonal construction, which will accept a standard wrench, or alternatively can be specially configured, as for example, in the shape of a paragon or other selected configuration which will accept only a wrench of special configuration.
With the construction described in the preceding paragraphs, rotation of the draw bolt using a suitable wrench, will cause the jam assembly 16 to move upwardly so as to cause the tapered surface 18 of the jam member 16 a to move into engagement with the tapered surface 33 of the bollard assemblage 22. Continued upward movement of the jam assembly 16 through continued rotation of the draw bolt 32 will cause the jam member 16 a to move into jamming engagement with the inner wall of the ground sleeve thereby securely locking the bollard assemblage in position (see FIG. 5).
Disposed within body portion 24 are upper and lower guide members, or washers 36 and 38. Washers 36 and 38 each have central apertures which are adapted to closely receive and guide the travel of the tension bar 20 within the bollard assemblage.
Turning next to FIGS. 6 and 7, an alternate form of the security barrier apparatus of the present invention is there shown and generally designated by the numeral 40. This alternate form of the apparatus is similar in many respects to that shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 and like numerals are used in FIGS. 6 and 7 to identify like complements. The primary difference between this latest form of the invention and the form previously described resides in the fact that locking means are provided to prevent unauthorized removal of the bollard.
As before, the apparatus comprises a subterranean tubular sleeve 14 having an upper portion 14 a and a lower portion 14 b. Sleeve 14, which is concreted into the ground 37 G”, is of identical construction to that previously described. Disposed within tubular sleeve 14 is a generally cylindrically shaped, uniquely configured jam member 16 a, which is also identical in construction and operation to that previously described, is movable within the sleeve from a first free position to a second jammed position shown in FIG. 8 wherein the jam member is in locked engagement with the inner surface 14 c of the tubular sleeve.
Also forming a part of the barrier apparatus of this latest form of the invention is a generally cylindrically shaped bollard body 42 which is of a slightly different construction. Body 42 has an open-ended upper portion 42 a and a lower portion 42 b. Upper portion 42 a is here closed by a removable, generally dome-shaped cover 44 that defines an interior space 44 a. As before, lower portion 42 b of the bollard body includes a tapered surface 46 that is mateable with the tapered surface 18 of the jam member. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the lower portion 42 b of the bollard body is telescopically receivable within upper portion of sleeve 14. When so mated, the flange portion 48 of the bollard assembly is disposed at ground level.
An elongated tension bar 50, which is of slightly different construction, has a threaded upper portion 50 a and a lower portion 50 b that is interconnected with jam member 16 a by any suitable means such as welding. Affixed, as by fillet welding, within the upper portion 42 a of the generally cylindrically shaped bollard body 42 are first and second spaced-apart, apertured plates 52 and 54 the purpose of which will presently be described.
In this latest embodiment of the invention, the threaded shank portion 56 a of a draw bolt 56 extends through aperture 54 a of apertured plate 54 (see FIGS. 6A and 7) and is adapted to threadably engage the upper portion 50 a of the elongated tension bar 50 in the manner shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings. As illustrated in FIG. 6, draw bolt 56, which forms apart of the actuating means of this latest form of the invention, has a head portion 56 b that is disposed in engagement with the upper surface of the apertured plate 54.
As best seen in FIG. 6A, upper plate 52 is provided with a through hole 52 a which provides access to bolt head 56 b. With this construction, and with the draw bolt 56 in threadable engagement with the upper portion 50 a of the elongated tension bar 50, rotation of the draw bolt using a wrench of correct configuration, will cause the jam member 16 a to move into engagement with the tapered surface 46 of the bollard assemblage 42. Continued upward movement of the jam assembly through continued rotation of the draw bolt 56 will cause the jam member 16 a to move into jamming engagement with the inner wall of the ground sleeve thereby securely locking the bollard assemblage in position.
As before, upper and lower guide members or washers 36 and 38 are disposed within body portion 42 for guiding the travel of the tension bar 50 within the bollard assemblage.
As previously mentioned, the apparatus of this latest form of the invention uniquely includes locking means for preventing unauthorized access to the actuating means of the invention. This novel locking means here includes an upstanding staple 58 that is affixed to upper plate 52. Staple 58 is adapted to receive the locking bolt 60 a of a conventional lock 60 that resides within the interior space 44 a of the cover 44.
With the construction described in the preceding paragraphs, it is apparent that access to the draw bolt 56 of the actuating means of the invention cannot be achieved without the removal of the lock 60 by an authorized person. However, when an authorized person removes the lock, the draw bolt can be accessed via the through hole 52 a and can be rotated by a correctly configured wrench in a manner to disconnect the draw bolt from the tension bar and thereby enable separation of the bollard assembly from the ground sleeve so as to permit unrestrained access to the control area.
Having now described the invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in making changes and modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A barrier apparatus comprising:

(a) a sleeve having an upper portion and a lower portion;

(b) a jam member disposed within said lower portion of said sleeve, said jam member being movable within said sleeve from a first free position to a second jammed position in engagement with said tubular sleeve;

(c) a bollard body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion of said bollard body being receivable within said. upper portion of said sleeve;

(d) an elongated tension bar disposed within said bollard body and extending from said upper portion thereof to said lower portion thereof, said tension bar having an upper portion and a lower portion interconnected with said jam member; and

(e) actuating means operably interconnected with said tension bar for moving said jam member from said first free position to said second jammed position.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said upper portion of said elongated tension bar is threaded and in which said actuating means comprises a draw bolt threadably engageable with said upper portion of said elongated tension bar sleeve.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said bollard body and said jam member are generally cylindrical in shape.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said bollard body has a radially outwardly extending flange disposed between said upper and lower portions thereof.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which said jam member includes a lower tapered wall portion and in which said lower portion of said bollard body includes a tapered surface mateable with said tapered wall portion of said jam member.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which said sleeve has a longitudinal axis and in which said tapered surfaces of said jam member and said bollard body extend at an angle of approximately 30° with respect to said longitudinal axis.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, further including a plurality of apertured washers disposed within said bollard body for guiding travel of said tension bar therewithin.

8. A barrier apparatus for controlling access to a controlled space comprising:

(a) a subterranean tubular sleeve having an upper and lower portion;

(b) a generally cylindrically shaped jam member disposed within said lower portion of said sleeve, said jam member being movable within said sleeve from a first free position to a second jammed position in engagement with said tubular sleeve;

(c) a generally cylindrically shaped bollard body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion of said bollard body being receivable within said upper portion of said sleeve;

(d) an elongated tension bar disposed within said bollard body and extending from said upper portion thereof to said lower portion thereof, said tension bar having a threaded upper portion and a lower portion interconnected with said jam member; and

(e) actuating means interconnected with said tension bar for moving said jam member from said first free position to said second jammed position, said actuating means comprising a draw bolt threadably engageable with said upper portion of said elongated tension bar.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, in which said bollard body further includes a ground engaging flange disposed intermediate said upper portion and said lower portion.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said upper portion of said bollard body is open and in which said apparatus further includes a cover for closing said open end of said bollard body.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 in which, said cover has an upper surface and is provided with an aperture and in which said draw bolt includes a threaded shank portion and an interconnected head portion, said threaded shank portion extending through said aperture in said cover and said head portion engaging said upper surface of said cover.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 in which said jam member includes a lower tapered wall portion and in which said lower portion of said bollard body includes a tapered surface mateable with said tapered wall portion of said jam member, whereby rotation of said draw bolt will urge said tapered wall portion of said jam member into engagement with said tapered surface of said lower body of said bollard and will move said jam member into jamming engagement with said subterranean tubular sleeve.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 in which said sleeve has a longitudinal axis and in which said tapered surfaces of said jam member and said bollard body extend at an acute angle with respect to said longitudinal axis.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 in which said acute angle is approximately 30°.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, further including a plurality of alignment washers disposed within said bollard body for guiding the travel of said tension bar therewithin.

16. A barrier apparatus for controlling access to a controlled space comprising:

(a) a subterranean tubular sleeve having an upper portion and a lower portion;

(d) a first apertured plate disposed within said bollard body;

(e) an elongated tension bar disposed within said bollard body and extending from said upper portion thereof to said lower portion thereof, said tension bar having a threaded upper portion and a lower portion interconnected with said jam member; and

(f) a draw bolt threadably engageable with said upper portion of said elongated tension bar sleeve, said draw bolt having a threaded shank portion extending through said first apertured plate and a head portion in engagement with said aperture plate.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 further including a second apertured plate disposed within said bollard body at a spaced-apart location from said first apertured plate and a cover member removably connected to said bollard body.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, further including locking means carried by said second apertured plate for preventing unauthorized access to said draw bolt.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 in which said locking means comprises a staple connected to said second apertured plate.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19 in which said locking means further comprises a lock releasably interconnected with said staple.