Abstract:
A speed barrier includes a heavy lower barrier and a lighter upper gate. The barrier and gate may normally be positioned to allow or to restrict passing of vehicles. The barrier is configured to receive and survive the main impact of a vehicle attempting to ram through the speed barrier. The gate and barrier are coupled to allow an extension or a retraction of the gate and barrier in unison. The barrier and gate are supported by left and right columns, and an upper end of the gate is supported by the columns when the gate and barrier are extended.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to security gates and in particular to gates resisting passing of a vehicle. 
   Access to a secure location is often accomplished by ramming a vehicle through a gate. In some instances, a gate may be manned by armed guards, but if the vehicle contains bombs, the guards may be severely injured or killed in the process of preventing entry of the vehicle. In other instances, the gate may be difficult to open and close, and therefore cause delays in the entry of visitors. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a speed barrier which includes a heavy lower barrier and a lighter upper gate. The barrier and gate may normally be positioned to allow or to restrict passing of vehicles. The barrier is configured to receive and survive the main impact of a vehicle attempting to ram through the speed barrier. The gate and barrier are coupled to allow an extension or a retraction of the gate and barrier in unison. The barrier and gate are supported by left and right columns, and an upper end of the gate is supported by the columns when the gate and barrier are extended. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a speed barrier comprising a left column, a right column, a gate, and a barrier. The gate is movable between a stowed gate position and a deployed gate position, wherein in the deployed gate position the gate resides vertically at an upper column position and is supported by the columns, and wherein the gate resides substantially horizontally when the gate is in the stowed gate position. Mid rollers attached to the gate between an upper end of the gate and a lower end of the gate. Vertical tracks attached to the columns, wherein the mid rollers translate along the vertical tracks when the gate moves between the stowed gate position and the deployed gate position. A linear actuator attached to the gate proximal to the mid rollers for moving the gate from the stowed gate position to the deployed gate position. A barrier is movable between a stowed barrier position and a deployed barrier position, wherein in the deployed position, the barrier resides vertically at a lower column position and is supported by the columns, and wherein the gate pulls the barrier from the stowed barrier position to the deployed barrier position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a speed barrier according to the present invention with a gate and a barrier deployed. 
       FIG. 2  depicts columns of the speed barrier. 
       FIG. 3  is the gate of the speed barrier according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is the barrier of the speed barrier according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 5A  depicts the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in stowed positions. 
       FIG. 5B  depicts the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in intermediate positions. 
       FIG. 5C  depicts the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in deployed positions. 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the speed barrier. 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the speed barrier. 
       FIG. 8A  is a cross-sectional view of the speed barrier taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8B  is a second cross-sectional view of the speed barrier taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6  with the gate and barrier shown as dashed lines to expose a cable an pulley. 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the speed barrier taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 10A  shown details of a second embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in stowed positions. 
       FIG. 10B  shown details of the second embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in deployed positions. 
       FIG. 11A  depicts a third embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in stowed positions. 
       FIG. 11B  depicts the third embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in intermediate positions. 
       FIG. 11C  depicts the third embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in deployed positions. 
       FIG. 12A  depicts a fourth embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in stowed positions. 
       FIG. 12B  depicts the fourth embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in intermediate positions. 
       FIG. 12C  depicts the fourth embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in deployed positions. 
       FIG. 13A  shown details of the third embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate in the stowed position. 
       FIG. 13B  shown details of a third embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate in the deployed position. 
       FIG. 14A  shown details of a fourth embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in stowed positions. 
       FIG. 14B  shown details of the fourth embodiment of the speed barrier with the gate and barrier in deployed positions. 
   

   Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
   A perspective view of a speed barrier  10  according to the present invention is shown residing on a driving surface  11  in  FIG. 1 . The speed barrier  10  includes a gate  14  and a barrier  16  which are shown deployed to resist the entry of vehicles. Mouths  13  cooperate with engaging bars  26  (see  FIG. 3 ) to resist motion of the gate  14  when a vehicle rams the gate  14 . The gate  14  and barrier  16  are supported by left column  12   a  and right column  12 . Posts  18  protect the columns  12   a  and  12   b . A grid  20  cooperates with the gate  14  to provide a substantially flat surface for vehicles when the gate  14  is in a stowed gate position (see  FIG. 5A ). Spikes  15  along the top of the gate  14  resist climbing over the gate  14 , and form a ramp for vehicles when the gate  14  is in the stowed gate position. 
   The columns  12   a  and  12   b  are shown in  FIG. 2  with the gate  14  and barrier  16  removed. The columns  12   a  and  12   b  include vertical openings  24  and diagonal openings  22 . Elements of the gate  14  extend through the openings  22  and  24  to cooperate with tracks in the columns. 
   The gate  14  is shown in detail in  FIG. 3 . The gate  14  includes engaging bars  26  with cooperate with mouths  13  (see  FIG. 1 ), mid rollers  28  which cooperate with vertical tracks  44  (see  FIGS. 8B and 9 ), and the bottom rollers  30  which cooperate with diagonal tracks  42  (see  FIGS. 8B and 9 ) or with “L” tracks (see  FIGS. 10A and 10B ). 
   The barrier  16  is shown in detail in  FIG. 4 . The barrier  16  includes barrier pulleys  32  on top outside corners, and barrier edges  34  which cooperate with the columns  12   a  and  12   b  to guide the barrier  16  when the barrier  16  is raised or lowered. 
   The speed barrier  10  is shown with the gate  14  and barrier  16  in stowed positions in  FIG. 5A , in intermediate positions in  FIG. 5B , and in deployed positions in  FIG. 5C . 
   A front view of the speed barrier  10  is shown in  FIG. 6  and a side view of the speed barrier  10  is shown in  FIG. 7 . A first cross-sectional view of the speed barrier  10  taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6  is shown in  FIG. 8A . A second cross-sectional view of the speed barrier  10  taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 6  with the gate  14  and barrier  16  shown as dashed lines to expose a cable  36  and the barrier pulley  32  is shown in  FIG. 8B . The gate  14  and the barrier  16  are in the deployed positions with the gate  14  in an upper column position  12 ′ and the barrier  16  in a lower column position  12 ″, and a portion of the barrier  16  is seen to extend below the columns  12   a  and  12   b  (and thus below the driving surface  11 ) to add stability to the barrier  16 . The cable  36  is attached to the gate  14  proximal to the mid rollers  28 , and is fixed to the columns  12   a  and  12   b  at fixed cable attachment  37 . A linear actuator  38  connects to the gate  14  proximal to the mid roller  28 . The gate  14  is thus raised and lowered by the linear actuator  38 . The connection of the barrier  16  to the gate  14  via the pulley  32  results in the barrier  16  raising as half the rate of the gate  14 . 
   A cross-sectional view of the speed barrier  10  taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 6  is shown in  FIG. 9 . When the gate  16  is in the deployed position, the mid roller  28  is proximal to an upper end of the vertical guide  44  and the bottom roller  30  is proximal to the upper end of the diagonal roller  42 . 
   A second embodiment  10   b  of the speed barrier with a second gate  14   a  and second barrier  16   a  in stowed positions in  FIG. 10A , and with the gate  16   a  and barrier  14   a  in deployed positions in  FIG. 10B . An “L” track  42   a  replaced the diagonal track  42  and a hook  54  and barrier bar  52  replace the cable  36  and pulley  32  of the first embodiment. The bottom roller  30  initially travels horizontally along the “L” track  42   a  for about half the travel of the gate  14   a . When the bottom roller  30  reaches the bend in the “L” track  42   a , the hook  54  engages the barrier bar  52 . The remaining motion of the gate  14   a  lifts the barrier  16   a . The apparent motion of the gate  14   a  and barrier  16   a  is similar to the motion shown if  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B, and  5 C, with the exception that the barrier  16   a  does not begin to raise until the gate  14   a  is raised about half way. 
   A third embodiment  10   c  of the speed barrier with a third gate  14   c  (see  FIGS. 13A and 13B ) and no barrier, is shown in the stowed position in  FIG. 11A , in intermediate position in  FIG. 11B , and in the deployed position in  FIG. 11C . The gate  14   c  replaces the combination of a gate and barrier in other embodiments. 
   A fourth embodiment  10   d  of the speed barrier with a fourth gate  14   d  and fourth barrier  16   d  is shown in stowed positions is shown in  FIG. 12A , in intermediate positions in  FIG. 12B , and in deployed positions in  FIG. 12C . The fourth speed barrier  10   d  comprises a telescoping gate versus a tilting gate as in other embodiments. 
   Details of the third embodiment  10   c  of the speed barrier are shown in  FIG. 13A  with the gate  14   c  stowed, and in  FIG. 13B  with the gate  14   c  deployed. The gate  14   c  replaces the combination of gate and barrier in other embodiments. A third column  60  includes a vertical track  44   c  extending from the base of the column  60  to approximately the midpoint of the column  60  and the mid roller  28  resides approximately at a mid point of the gate  14   c . The horizontal track  42   c  guides the bottom roller  30 . The gate  14   c  is preferably raised using a linear actuator  38  as describes in  FIGS. 8B and 9 . 
   Details of the fourth embodiment  10   d  of the speed barrier with a fourth gate  14   d  and a fourth barrier  16   d  in stowed positions are shown in  FIG. 14A  and with the gate  14   d  and barrier  16   d  in deployed positions in  FIG. 14B . Unlike other embodiments, the gate  14   d  moves vertically between the stowed and deployed positions with substantially no rotation. A fourth column  70  includes a fourth vertical guide  44   d  extending for near the top of the column  70  downward to a point below the driving surface  11  approximately the height of the gate  14   d . The gate  14   d  includes top rollers  66  and the bottom rollers  30  which both travel in the guide  44   d . The barrier  16   d  preferably includes rollers or guides which travel in a barrier track  64 , or the barrier edges  34  (see  FIG. 4 ) may slide in guides. The cable  36  is attached at a fixed point  37 , loops around the barrier pulley  32  (see  FIG. 4  also) and attaches to a fixed point on the gate  14   d . A linear actuator  38  pushes the barrier  16   d  up, and the cable  36  pulls the gate  14   d  up. 
   While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.