Patent Abstract:
A security device for barring the door of a doorway and, specifically, to a door barricade device for an outwardly swinging door to prevent unauthorized opening of the door.

Full Description:
RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/207,087 filed Aug. 19, 2015 entitled A BARRICADE DEVICE FOR SCHOOL CLASSROOM DOORS TO PREVENT UNWANTED PERSONS DURING CODE RED which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in the entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to security devices for barring the door of a doorway and, specifically, to a door barricade device for an outwardly swinging door to prevent unauthorized opening of the door. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The security of children within a classroom environment is the most important responsibility of any teacher or faculty member of a school. The present invention provides a useful and efficient device to barricade children safely within a classroom and prevent entry into a classroom by an armed intruder or other unwanted person during an emergency such as a code yellow or code red event. During an attack on a school seconds count and make the difference between survivors and casualties. Many of the security devices of the prior art are heavy and difficult to put into place on a door in the mere seconds it takes to place the door barricade of the present invention, that may be referred to herein as the Van Buren Barricade. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,770,420 to Carr a complicated device having a bar supporting a J-shaped clamping member and a clamping mechanism is disclosed. The door knob of a door is secured by extending the J-shaped clamping member around the door knob and then inserting the end of clamping member through the clamping mechanism and inserting a pad lock through the clamping member to secure the door and prevent the door knob from being turned. The number of parts and complexity of the Carr lockdown door bar device appears difficult to install in an emergency and may be much more expensive than the barricade of the present invention, making it unsuitable for most schools. Other devices such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,831 to Roden Jr. and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0376923 to Presutti require the permanent attachment of fixtures to the door and/or around the door jamb adding installation costs to the costs of the device that many school districts may be unable to afford. The present invention addresses issues of complexity, ease of use and costs providing for the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention to be suitable for any classroom. The Van Buren Barricade is light weight, easily stored, and easily retrieved. It renders the door immovable when put in place in seconds and secures the classroom from outside entry. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides a method and apparatus to barricade an outward swinging door in an emergency to prevent an unauthorized person from entering. In a preferred embodiment the Van Buren Barricade is made from wood, but metal or other composites such as square tube piping of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other similarly resilient materials may be used to manufacture the barricade device. The Van Buren Barricade is therefore lightweight, easy to manufacture and inexpensive enough to have even less affluent schools afford the barricade device for every one of their classrooms, or alternatively make the security devices within their own school wood, plastic, or metal fabrication facilities. Barricades of the prior art that are made of heavy components and that have complex components may be difficult for an older or less agile person to lift and manipulate particularly in a highly stressful emergency situation where people&#39;s lives may be at risk. The Van Buren Barricade may be installed on doors having door knobs or door handles and work equally as well to prevent the door from being opened. 
         [0005]    The Van Buren Barricade is easily installed by having a person such as a teacher or other faculty member simply pick up the barricade device from a storage location in the classroom and place it over the door handle to secure the door. The Van Buren Barricade renders the door immovable when put in place in seconds and secures the classroom from outside entry preventing an intruder or other unauthorized person outside of the room from opening the door thereby safely securing the occupants within the room. The present invention differs from the prior art in that there are no barricades that are as simple, as quick to install or as effective as the Van Buren Barricade. 
         [0006]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a barricade device that is suitable and affordable for any classroom or for other facilities such as hospitals, office buildings, departments of government, entertainment locals and other public buildings concerned with security in an emergency. 
         [0007]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a barricade device that is easily stored to make it readily accessible in an emergency. 
         [0008]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a barricade device having no complex parts to manipulate by twisting, inserting, or otherwise adjusting to secure an outward swinging door to prevent the door from being opened. 
         [0009]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a barricade device that is lightweight and easily handled to put into place on an outward swinging door to prevent the door from being opened. 
         [0010]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a barricade device that is secured over a door knob or door handle and aligns along the door jamb to prevent the door from being opened. 
         [0011]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a method of manufacture of a barricade device with limited complexity and using a minimal number of components. 
         [0012]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide to provide a method of manufacture of a barricade device that uses a single board, square tube, or round pipe that is cut to adequate lengths to form the components of the barricade of the present invention. 
         [0013]    It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a method of manufacture of a barricade device that uses only bolts to assemble the barricade without any complex mechanisms to secure the barricade to the door. 
         [0014]    The present invention relates to a door barricade comprising a brace; at least one spacer affixed to the brace; a latch affixed to the at least one spacer, the latch having a slot; and wherein the slot of the latch is inserted over a door handle, and the brace is secured against a door jamb to secure a door in a closed position. No further adjustment of the brace, spacers or latch of the door barricade is needed to secure the door in a closed position. The brace, at least one spacer and the latch of the door barricade may be formed from a single piece of board, rod, or tube. The number of spacers used in the door barricade is determined by the offset distance from the surface of the door to the face of the interior casing. The door barricade may further comprise at least one bolt and at least one thumb screw to affix the latch to the spacer and the spacer to the brace. The thumb screw may secure the bolt by hand tightening. The door barricade may comprise two bolt holes aligned through each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch. The two bolt holes may be positioned on either side and above the slot of the latch. The two bolt holes may be at a distance closer to the top of the brace, the top of the at least one spacers and the top of the latch. The latch of the door barricade has tangs that form the slot and an outer surface of one of the tangs is in contact with the interior surface of the door jamb. The brace of the door barricade may have notches. 
         [0015]    The present invention further relates to a door barricade comprising a board that is cut to form a brace, at least one spacer, and a latch having a slot; and wherein the at least one spacer is affixed to the brace, the latch is affixed to the at least one spacer, and the slot of the latch is inserted over a door handle, and the brace is secured against a door jamb to secure a door in a closed position. No further adjustment of the brace, spacers or latch of the door barricade is needed to secure the door in a closed position. The number of spacers for the door barricade is determined by the offset distance from the surface of the door to the face of the interior casing. The door barricade may comprise at least one bolt and at least one thumb screw to affix the latch to the spacer and the spacer to the brace by hand tightening. The door barricade may comprise two bolt holes aligned through each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch; and wherein the two bolt holes are on either side and above the slot of the latch, and at a distance closer to the top of the brace, the top of the at least one spacers and the top of the latch. 
         [0016]    The present invention relates to a method of making a door barricade, comprising cutting a board to form a brace, at least one spacer and latch; forming a slot in the latch; affixing the brace to the at least one spacer, affixing the spacer to the latch, and inserting the door handle of a door into the slot and aligning the brace against a door jamb of the door to prevent the door from being opened. The method of making a door barricade may comprise forming the slot by drilling a hole in the latch; and cutting from a bottom edge of the latch to points on the circumference at the diameter of the hole. The method of making a door barricade may comprise drilling at least one bolt hole through each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch so that the bolt holes are an equal distance from the top and sides of each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch to insert a bolt through the bolt hole and affix the at least one spacer to the brace and the latch to the at least one spacer. The method of making a door barricade, comprising drilling a first bolt hole through each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch so that the bolt holes are an equal distance from the top and a side of each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch to insert a bolt through the bolt hole and affix the at least one spacer to the brace and the latch to the at least one spacer; drilling a second bolt hole through each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch so that the bolt holes are an equal distance from the top and the other side of each of the brace, at least one spacer and latch to insert a bolt through the bolt hole and affix the at least one spacer to the brace and the latch to the at least one spacer. The method of making a door barricade may comprise routing out notches in the brace. 
         [0017]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention. To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of this application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
         [0018]    Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view showing the assembly of parts of an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2A  is a side view of an embodiment of a brace in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2B  is a front view of an embodiment of a brace in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2C  is a rear view of an embodiment of a brace in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of an embodiment of a spacer in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3B  is a top view of an embodiment of a spacer in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3C  is a front view of an embodiment of a spacer in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3D  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a spacer in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4A  is a side view of an embodiment of a latch in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 4B  is a top view of an embodiment of a latch in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 4C  is a front view of an embodiment of a latch in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 4D  is a bottom view of an embodiment of a latch in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 4E  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a latch in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention prepared for installation on a door; 
           [0033]      FIG. 6  is a detailed view of an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention installed over a door handle; 
           [0034]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention installed on a door; 
           [0035]      FIG. 8  is a detailed view of an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention installed over a door handle; and 
           [0036]      FIG. 9  is a detailed cross-sectional view along section A-A of  FIG. 8  in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade of the present invention installed over a door handle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the Van Buren Barricade  10  comprises a brace  12 , one or more spacers  14 , and a latch  16 . Two carriage bolts  18  or other attachment fixtures, or adhesives secure the latch  16  with one or more spacers  14  to the brace  12  using two butterfly nuts  20  commonly referred to as thumb screws or other fasteners. The Van Buren Barricade  10  is different from the prior art in that the components may be formed from a single board, rod or pipe that is long enough to cut to form the brace  12 , spacers  14  and latch  16 , making the Van Buren Barricade very inexpensive to manufacture. For example, an 8-foot length of a 2″×4″ or 2″×6″ wooden board, or of a ½″ to 1¼″ square metal rod or ¾″ to 1½″ of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) square tube or of any other rigid material with sufficient tensile strength to not deform or break could be used to manufacture the barricade device  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 2A-2C , in an embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade  10 , a 2×4 wooden board of a standard size of 8-feet (96″) in length, 2″ in depth D and 4″ in width W could be cut to a length L of approximately 48″ which is 12″ longer than the width of 36″ of a standard door  70 , thereby extending the brace  12  beyond the width of the door  70  at either end. If desired, notches  22  may be formed in the brace  12 . The sidewalls  26  of the notches  22  may be routed to a depth of approximately ¼″ and a width of 2¼″ to be slightly wider than the interior casing  78  of a door jamb  74  as described herein. The outer sidewall  26  of a first notch  22   a  is routed at distance of 4″ from the right end  28  of the brace  12 . The outer sidewall  26  of a second notch  22   b  is routed at distance of 4″ from the left end  30  of the brace  12 . Two bolt holes  36  each having a ⅝″ diameter are drilled through the brace  12  for attachment of the spacers  14  and latch  16  using carriage bolts  18 . A first bolt hole  36   a  is drilled at a distance of ¾″ from a center point of the first bolt hole  36   a  to the sidewall  26  of one of the notches  22 , 1¼″ from the top  38  of the brace  12 , and 2¾″ from the bottom  40  of the brace  12 . As shown in a rear view of the brace  12  in FIG. C, the center of the first bolt hole  36   a  is therefore 7″ from the right end  28  of the brace  12 . A second bolt hole  36   b  is drilled 2½″ from the center of the first bolt hole  36   a  at a similar distance of 1¼″ from the top  38  and 2¾″ from the bottom  40  of the brace  12 . 
         [0038]    One or more spacers  14  are cut to a length Ls of 4½″ from the remaining portion of the wooden board. The spacer  14  therefore has the same depth Ds of 2″ and width Ws of 4″ as shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C . Two bolt holes  42 , each having a ⅝″ diameter, are drilled through the spacer  14 . A first bolt hole  42   a  is drilled at a distance of 1¼″ from the top  44  of the spacer  14  and ¾″ from the right side  46  to a center point of the bolt hole  42   a  leaving a distance of 3¼″ from the bottom  48  of the spacer  14  to the center point of the first bolt hole  42   a . A second bolt hole  42   b  is drilled at a distance of 1¼″ from the top  44  of the spacer  14  and ¾″ from the left side  50  to a center point of the bolt hole  42   b  also leaving a distance of 3¼″ from the bottom  48  of the spacer  14 . The distance between the center points of the bolt holes  42  is therefore 2½″. A perspective view of the spacer  14  is shown in  FIG. 3D . 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIGS. 4A-4D , the latch  16  is cut from the remainder of the wooden board to a length L L  of 11″. The latch  16  therefore has the same depth D L  of 2″ and width W L  of 4″. Two bolt holes  52 , each having a ⅝″ diameter, are drilled through the latch  16 . A first bolt hole  52   a  is drilled at a distance of 1¼″ from the top  54  of the latch  16  and ¾″ from the right side  56  to a center point of the bolt hole  52   a  leaving a distance of 9¾″ from the bottom  58  of the latch  16  to the center point of the first bolt hole  52   a . A second bolt hole  52   b  is drilled at a distance of 1¼″ from the top  54  of the latch  16  and ¾″ from the left side  60  to a center point of the bolt hole  52   b  also leaving a distance of 9¾″ from the bottom  58  of the latch  16 . 
         [0040]    A slot S is formed in the latch  16  by drilling a 1″ diameter hole  62  at a distance to the center point of the hole  62  of 6½″ from the bottom  58  and 2″ from the right side  56  and the left side  60  of the latch  16 . The slot S is cut out by cutting from the bottom  58  at a distance of 1½″ from the right side  56  to a point  64  along the circumference of the drilled hole  62  and from a distance of 1½″ from the left side  60  to a point  66  to form a uniform 1″ diameter slot S having a semicircular upper portion formed from the 1″ diameter hole  62 . As shown in  FIG. 4E , the slot S is formed between two extensions or tangs  68  that will latch around a door knob or door handle. The inner surfaces  70  of the tangs  68  may be sanded or painted to have the latch  16  easily slide around the stem or shank of a door knob or door handle. The outer surface  61  of the left side  56  or right side  60  of the tangs  68  may be sufficiently smooth to align with and make contact along an interior surface  82  of the door jamb  74  as described herein. 
         [0041]    In this embodiment, the bolt holes  28  can accommodate the carriage bolts  18  that are 8″ in length and have a diameter of ⅜″. To assemble the Van Buren Barricade  10 , a carriage bolt  18  is inserted through the first bolt hole  52   a  in the latch  16 , through the first bolt hole  42   a  in the spacer and the first bolt hole  36   a  in the brace  12 . A butterfly nut  20  or other fastener is tightened onto the carriage bolt  18 . By using a butterfly nut  20 , the wings  21  may be hand tightened making the Van Buren Barricade  10  easy to assembly. A second carriage bolt  18  is inserted through the second bolt hole  52   b  in the latch  16 , through the second bolt hole  42   b  in the spacer and through the second bolt hole  36   b  in the brace  12 . By using two carriage bolts  18  and having a distance of 2½″ between the bolt holes, stresses are distributed across the face of the latch  16  and spacers  14  preventing splintering of a Van Buren Barricade  10  made of wood or deformation if a plastic or other composite material is used. 
         [0042]    Once assembled as shown in  FIG. 5 , the Van Buren Barricade  10  may be installed to a door  70  by aligning the latch  16  over a door handle  72  with the notches  22  of the brace  12  mating with the door jamb  74 . The Van Buren Barricade  10  when installed may partially cover a door lock  76  and prevent the insertion of a key or any other item through a key hole. The door jamb  74  has an interior casing  78 , two side jambs  80  and a head jamb (not shown). Each side jamb  80  has an interior surface  82  that the right side  56  of the latch  16  may come in contact with and be slid along as the slot S of the latch  16  is inserted over and around the door handle  72 , as shown in  FIG. 6 . In other embodiments of the Van Buren Barricade  10 , the spacers  14  and latch  16  may be installed on the opposite end of the brace  12  to accommodate doors  70  that have the door handle  72  on the right side of the door instead of the left. 
         [0043]    The Van Buren Barricade  10  is light weight and easy to maneuver with the spacers  14  providing the proper offset distance from the surface of the door  70  and the face  84  of the interior casing  78 . Any number of spacers  14  or no spacers may be used. Preferably by stacking the spacers  14 , the spacers  14  may be formed from the same board, rod, or pipe that the brace  12  and latch  16  are formed from, thereby keeping the costs to manufacture the Van Buren Barricade  10  at a minimum. The notches  22 , while not necessary, prevent lateral movement of the Van Buren Barricade  10  by having the sidewalls  26  of each notch  22  wrap around the edges  86  of the interior casing  78 . Once in place, the tangs  68  of the latch  16  extend a sufficient distance beyond stem  88  of the door handle  72  so that no additional adjustments or tightening of fasteners such as the thumb screws or butterfly nuts  20  of the Van Buren Barricade  10  are needed to secure the door  70  and prevent the door  70  from being pulled from the outside and opened. The extended length of the inner tang  68   a  and outer tang  68   b  and narrow slot S is dimensioned for a close-fit around the stem  88  to prevent the door handle  72  or door knob from being turned and pulled or aligned with and pulled through the slot S. Embodiments of the Van Buren Barricade  10  are also formed from adequate dimensions to provide for the inner tang  68   a  to be wedged between the stem  88  and the side jamb  80  providing a tight fit and bracing the latch  16  against interior surface  82  of the side jamb  80  for more support and providing an indication to the teacher, faculty member or other installer that the Van Buren Barricade  10  is securely in place. 
         [0044]    The ends  28  and  30  of the brace  12  of the Van Buren Barricade  10  once installed, extend out beyond the width of a door jamb  74  and in this embodiment, three spacers  14  provide the offset distance O from the surface of the door  70  to secure each end  28  and  30  of the brace  12  against the interior casing  70 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . The offset distance O set by the width of the side jamb  80  and the depth of the interior casing  78  may not be of a standard size, so any number of spacers  14  may be cut and used to accommodate various door jamb sizes. The dimensions given in this embodiment are all approximate dimensions suitable for a standard door having a width of 36″. However, while not all doors may be of a standard size, the backset or distance from the edge  90  of the door  70  that aligns along the exterior casing of the door jamb  74  to the center C of the bore hole for the door handle  72 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , has standard sizes of 2⅜″ or 2¼″ for residential doors in the United States. The depth D of the side jamb  80  or door stop is also commonly in standard sizes of ⅜″ or ⅝″ therefore the latch  16  of the Van Buren Barricade  10  will fit securely around and over most door knobs or door handles and align along the interior surface  82  of the side jamb  80 . In preferred embodiments, the outer surface  61  of the right side  56  or left side  60  in alternative embodiments will abut the interior surface  82  of the side jamb  80  creating a somewhat frictional fit and locking the Van Buren Barricade  10  in place. The contacting of the side  56  or  60  of the latch  16  with the side jamb  80  may provide some additional structural support, however even if a small space is provided between the latch  16  and side jamb  80 , the Van Buren Barricade  10  will securely hold and prevent the door  70  from being opened even when the exterior door handle is strongly pulled. 
         [0045]    As shown in cross-section in  FIG. 9  along section A-A of  FIG. 8 , the door jamb  74  has an exterior casing  92  that the edge  90  of the door aligns against when the door  70  is closed. The interior surface  94  of the door  70  abuts against the exterior surface  96  of the side jamb  80  which with the outer casing  78  may, particularly in metal door jambs, have the door jamb  74  be formed in a single piece of material. In this cross-sectional view, the latch  16  abuts along the interior surface  82  of the side jamb  80  and the spacers  14  set the offset distance O so that the latch  16  extends over the stem  88  and behind the door handle  72 . The carriage bolts  18  extend through the latch  16 , spacers  14  and brace  12  and are tightened using the wings  21  of the butterfly nuts  20  to provide for hand-tightening of the Van Buren Barricade assembly  10 . Once tightened, the Van Buren Barricade  10  unlike the barricades of the prior art requires no further adjustment, but instead is simply installed over the door handle  72  and will hold the door securely shut. While an embodiment with specific dimensions has been described, other suitable dimensions for the brace  12 , spacers  14 , latch  16  and bolts or other attachment fixtures for doors and door jambs of different sizes are within the scope of the present invention. In other embodiments, the Van Buren Barricade  10  may be formed by cutting a square or rectangular shaped metal rod, PVC tube or other sufficiently resilient material to form the brace  12 , one or more spacers  14  and the latch  16  and by cutting a slot S in the latch  16 . The number of spacers  14  needed is determined by the dimensions of the board, rod or tube chosen and the offset distance O from the surface of the door  70  to the face  84  of the interior casing  78 . In some embodiments, a spacer  14  may not be needed and the Van Buren Barricade  10  is formed from only the brace  12  and latch  16 . 
         [0046]    An embodiment of the Van Buren Barricade as described herein includes: 
         [0047]    1. Two—8 inches long by ⅜-inch carriage bolts 
         [0048]    2. Two—⅜-inch butterfly nuts 
         [0049]    3. One—48 inches long, 2 inches deep and 4 inches wide brace with notches formed by routing sections of 2¼″ inches wide×¼″ inch deep 
         [0050]    4. Three—4½″ inches long 2 inches deep and 4 inches wide spacers 
         [0051]    5. One—11 inches long 2 inches deep and 4 inches wide latch with a 1-inch slot cut 6.5 inches from the end terminating in a 1-inch diameter hole 
         [0052]    Relationship Between the Components: 
         [0053]    All of the components come together to form one structure which is held together by the 8 inches long carriage bolts  18 . The Van Buren Barricade  10  is light weight (approximately 5 pounds) and easily carried by any adult or child. It takes about 2 to 3 seconds to slip over the door handle and secure the door. It is designed for doors which open outward for example into a corridor from a classroom. 
         [0054]    How the Invention Works: 
         [0055]    In a panic situation for example as has happened in schools around the United States there is little time to respond. The Van Buren Barricade  10  would be stored in a location inside the classroom which the teacher has quick access to, and upon need, would be easily retrieved. The Van Buren Barricade  10  would then be carried to the door  70  and slipped over the door handle  72  with both ends  28  and  30  locked on to the interior casing  78  of the door jamb  74 . The tangs  68  of the latch  16  extend over and around the door handle  72  and the notches  22  wrap around the interior casing  78 , taking only seconds to fully install the Van Buren Barricade  10  and secure the door  70 . The Van Buren Barricade  10  requires no further adjustment to secure the door  70  in a closed position, however if necessary the thumb screws or butterfly nuts  20  could be tightened but once assembled retightening of the Van Buren Barricade  10  would in most cases not be necessary. The teacher and students could then take cover away from the door until police arrive. During an exercise at Hudson High School an early prototype of this device was demonstrated to the Hudson Police department who favorably noted its use. 
         [0056]    How to Make the Invention: 
         [0057]    The device was built by the inventor using only a table saw &amp; electric drill. Since all elements necessary to build the device are available at any lumber yard such as a 2×4 board, bolts, and nuts, anyone can build this device easily and inexpensively, an important concern in less affluent school districts having many classrooms that each would require the Van Buren Barricade  10 . The Van Buren Barricade  10  may optionally be painted or otherwise treated to provide smooth surfaces and an appropriate appearance. The components for this very simple device when assembled as shown operate as planned and perform the function of securing an outward swinging door. 
         [0058]    How to Use the Invention: 
         [0059]    As an example, when a code red is announced at a school, or other similar emergency, the teacher would immediately respond by retrieving the Van Buren Barricade  10  from its stored location. He or she would then slide the Van Buren Barricade  10  over the door handle  72  and align the notches  22  of the brace  12  to interlock with the interior casing  78  of the door jamb  74 . If necessary, the two butterfly nuts  20  could be tightened. Once that is done the door  70  is secure. Students and teacher would then take cover until police arrive. An important feature of this device is speed. Most horrible casualties happen within minutes of the beginning of a code red at schools. The installation of this device in seconds protects students and teachers quickly from a perpetrator entering their classroom. Additionally, the Van Buren Barricade  10  need not only be used in school classrooms. It could be used in any setting where security is needed to prevent access by unwanted persons. 
         [0060]    Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that this is for purposes of illustration. This disclosure is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, since the described embodiments may be changed in details as will become apparent to those skilled in the art in order to adapt the barricade to particular applications, without departing from the scope of the following claims and equivalents of the claimed elements.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4