BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a barrier which can be erected at a barrier line i.e. at a perimeter of an area which is to be protected against unwanted crossing. [0002] A high security situation calls for a barrier which offers significant resistance to attack.

A barrier which is made from solid material such as concrete, brick or wood can be effective in this regard but frequently the time required to erect this barrier and the cost involved can be prohibitive particularly if the barrier is at a remote location. A solid barrier also suffers from a significant drawback in that it does not offer a see-through capability. [0003] A barrier which is formed from material such as wire, mesh, palisades and the like does offer a see-through capability but is vulnerable to attack by an intruder who makes use of an angle grinder, a reciprocating saw or a cutting torch. To some extent a resistance capability to this type of attack can be increased through the use of high grade or hardened material and deterrent components such as razor wire or barbed tape. Inevitably though an attack on a fence by an intruder who uses a power tool will succeed and the fence will then be penetrated within a relatively short period of time.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a barrier which at least in some embodiments offers increased resistance to attack and penetration. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The invention provides a barrier structure which comprises a parallelepiped body with a first side which is made from a first mesh material, a second side which is made from a second mesh material and which is spaced from and which opposes the first side, an interior between the first side and the second side, and a plurality of deterrent sections, wherein each deterrent section is made from a third mesh material and is positioned in the interior. Each deterrent section may extend between the first side and the second side.

[0006] It is preferred that the mesh apertures are defined by rigid wires or rods, e.g. as is the case with welded mesh or expanded mesh, compared to mesh apertures, for example in a chain link or diamond mesh panel, wherein lengths of wires or rods are linked to one another by means of interlocking formations.

[0007] The body may be made in any appropriate shape and size. A plurality of barrier structures, each of the kind described, can be used to construct a barrier and with this in mind each barrier structure should be of a shape and size which can be handled on site even though the use of lifting and transporting machinery may be required for this purpose.

[0008] Viewed in plan the body may be square or rectangular in outline. Viewed in elevation or from one end the body may be square or rectangular in outline. The body preferably has a parallelepiped shape.

[0009] The deterrent sections may be configured to form a plurality of tubular pathways in the volume, e.g. in the form of parallel passages, which extend between the first side and the second side and wherein each passage is bounded, at least partly, by said third mesh material of at least one of said deterrent sections.

[0010] The passages which are within the body may be of any appropriate shape and size.

[0011] In cross section each passage may be square, rectangular, triangular, circular or partly circular or have any other suitable tubular shape.

[0012] In one embodiment the plurality of deterrent sections comprises a first array of a first plurality of planar sheets of the third mesh material which planar sheets are parallel to and spaced apart from one another and a second array of a second plurality of planar sheets of the third mesh material which planar sheets are parallel to and spaced and apart from one another, and wherein the first array is transverse to and is engaged with the second array thereby to form a plurality of passages which extend between the first side and the second side.

[0013] Adjacent deterrent sections may be secured together e.g. by means of interlocking wires which protrude from the sections, by welding the sections together, by using fasteners, elongate rods, or in any other appropriate way. [0014] In one embodiment each of said deterrent sections respectively comprises an elongate sheet of the third mesh material which has a succession of valley formations with intervening peak formations, and wherein the deterrent sections are configured to form a plurality of passages between the first side and the second side and each of said passages is bounded at least partly by said third mesh material of two adjacent deterrent sections. [0015] In another embodiment of the invention the barrier structure includes first and second spaced apart mesh panels and, located between the panels, a plurality of mesh deterrent sections which are adjacent one another, wherein each deterrent section in cross section has a tubular shape e.g. is cylindrical, partly cylindrical, square, rectangular, circular, semi-circular or channel-shaped.

[0016] The barrier structure may be constructed under factory conditions or, depending on facilities which are available, the barrier structure may be constructed on site.

[0017] The barrier structure can have a substantial volume but nonetheless may have a relatively low mass. The problems associated with cost-effective transport of a plurality of barrier structures, each of the kind described, may be alleviated to some extent by adopting on-site fabrication facilities.

[0018] According to a different aspect of the invention there is provided a barrier structure which comprises a metallic body of parallelepiped form and, within the body, a plurality of deterrent mesh sections which are coupled to one another.

[0019] The parallelepiped body has six sides and, on two or more sides the parallelepiped body may include a respective planar mesh section.

[0020] The deterrent mesh sections which are inside the parallelepiped body may be connected to one another in such a way that it is not possible for an intruder to penetrate the body, going from one side to an opposing side of the body, unless each of a plurality of the deterrent sections inside the body is cut, severed or destroyed. [0021] The barrier structure, irrespective of the type of mesh employed, may comprise a plurality of densely packed wires which may form a number of tubular components e.g. passages. The passages may be parallel to one another and extend between two opposed sides, preferably vertical sides, of the parallelepiped body. The cross sectional dimensions of the passages are chosen according to the type of attack which is to be resisted. For example to hinder an attack by an angle grinder the passage size is such that the angle grinder cannot be pushed into a passage. The passage size would be made smaller to counter the use of an oxy-acetylene torch.

[0022] The cross sectional arrangement of the barrier structure is such that there are multiple wires which impede easy movement of a cutting tool deeper into the barrier structure. Additional cutting at different angles of a plurality of the wires is called for in order to advance the cutting tool into the barrier structure. The time needed to penetrate the barrier structure is thus considerably lengthened.

[0023] The invention also extends to a barrier which comprises a plurality of barrier structures, each of which is of parallelepiped form and which is filled internally with a number of deterrent components. The structures are positioned side-by-side in a plurality of horizontal rows which successively overlie one another thereby to form an arrangement of a required length and a required height. The deterrent sections may be of the kind described hereinbefore, or of any other suitable nature. The deterrent components which are preferably made from a mesh material impede transverse breaching of the barrier, from one vertical side to an opposing vertical side for a number of the components, which present a plurality of differently oriented mesh wires or rods, must be cut or severed in order to form a hole or passage which is large enough to allow a human to pass through.

[0024] Vertical posts or supports which have lower ends embedded in the ground, are engaged with the rows of barrier structures to provide stability to the barrier in a direction which is transverse to a direction in which the barrier extends.

[0025] The barrier structures may be anchored to the ground by means of a plurality of supports which are spaced from one another along a barrier line and which have lower ends embedded in the ground. Portions of the supports which are above ground are fixed to respective barrier structures as appropriate e.g. by being passed through or by being attached to several of the barrier structures which are in a vertical configuration

[0026] In one method of construction the supports are erected, as described, along a barrier line and thereafter barrier structures are successively elevated and positioned so that upper ends of the supports can pass through the barrier structures which are then lowered into position in a close fitting horizontally and vertically extending array.

[0027] An important aspect of the invention lies in the fact that a barrier of significant proportions can be constructed from pre-formed barrier structures, which are made from mesh material with parallelepiped shapes and which have internally located deterrent mesh sections, by arranging the barrier structures abutting one another in a row along a barrier line and in a succession of overlying rows. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The invention is further described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :

Figure 1 is a side view of a first deterrent mesh section which is used in a barrier structure according to the invention,

Figure 2 depicts on an enlarged scale a portion of the first deterrent mesh section shown in

Figure 1 ,

Figure 3 is similar to Figure 1 and is a side view of a second deterrent mesh section which is used in a barrier structure according to the invention,

Figure 4 illustrates in perspective the formation of a matrix assembly comprising a plurality of the first deterrent mesh sections which are to be engaged with a plurality of the second deterrent mesh sections,

Figure 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of a matrix assembly which is formed in the manner depicted in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the matrix assembly and six planar mesh sections prior to connecting these components to one another,

Figure 7 shows in perspective a barrier structure according to the invention produced by connecting the components shown in Figure 6 to one another,

Figures 8 and 9 are views in elevation respectively illustrating two ways in which a barrier can be erected using barrier structures of the kind shown in Figure 7,

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a deterrent mesh section which is used in a different embodiment of the invention, Figure 11 shows how a number of deterrent mesh sections, each of the kind shown in Figure 10, are assembled,

Figure 12 illustrates a barrier structure which is made from deterrent mesh sections which have the configuration shown in Figure 10,

Figure 13 illustrates a deterrent mesh section which is similar to that illustrated in Figure 10 but wherein the mesh comprises expanded mesh and not welded mesh,

Figure 14 depicts an elongate cylinder made from mesh material,

Figure 15 shows a number of deterrent sections which are cut from the cylinder in Figure 14, and

Figure 16 shows how deterrent sections of the type shown in Figure 15 can be used to make a different barrier structure.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view of a first deterrent mesh section 10 which is one of a number of similar first deterrent mesh sections used in the construction of a barrier structure 12 of the kind shown in Figure 8.

[0030] The first deterrent mesh section 10 is of elongate rectangular form and includes a longitudinally extending first edge 14, an opposed longitudinally extending second edge 16 and third and fourth end edges 20 and 22 respectively.

[0031] The first deterrent mesh section 10 is planar and includes spaced apart and longitudinally extending rods 26 and transversely extending spaced apart relatively short rods 28. The rods 26 and 28 are welded to one another at respective points of contact 30. [0032] The first edge 14 is spaced from the second edge 16 by a distance 34.

[0033] The first deterrent mesh section 10 has a length 36 between the edges 20 and 22.

[0034] Referring in addition to Figure 2 the first deterrent mesh section 10 is formed with a plurality of slots 40 at regularly spaced apart intervals 42. Each slot 40 has a width 44 which is slightly greater than the thickness of the deterrent mesh section - such thickness is effectively equal to the sum of the thickness of one rod 26 and the thickness of one rod 28.

[0035] Each slot 40 extends from the first edge 14 towards the second edge 16 and has a depth 46 which is greater than one half of the dimension 34.

[0036] Figure 3 illustrates a second deterrent mesh section 50 which conceptually is the same as the first deterrent mesh section 10. The second deterrent mesh section 50 includes a third longitudinal edge 52, an opposing fourth longitudinally extending edge 54, opposed end edges 56 and 58 and slots 60 which are at spaced intervals 62 in the longitudinal direction of the second mesh section. Each slot 60 extends from the third edge 52 towards the fourth edge 54 and has a depth 66 which is greater than 50% of the spacing 68 between the third and fourth edges 52 and 54.

[0037] The dimension 68 is substantially identical to the dimension 34 shown in Figure 1 .

[0038] The second deterrent mesh section 50 has a length 70 which can be the same as or shorter than the length 36 shown in Figure 1 but which, in this instance, is greater than the dimension 36.

[0039] Referring to Figure 4, a number of the deterrent mesh sections 50, numbered 50A...

50N, are placed on a supporting base (not shown) at spaced apart intervals 42. [0040] The respective fourth edge 54 of each deterrent mesh section 50 is on the base and the third edge 52 is uppermost i.e. the slots 60 face upwardly.

[0041] A number of the first deterrent mesh sections 10, numbered 10A to 10N, are positioned extending transversely to the second deterrent mesh sections 50A to 50N. The first deterrent mesh sections 10 are oriented with the respective slots 40 facing downwardly and are spaced apart from one another by the dimension 62. Each first deterrent mesh section 10 is moved downwardly, relative to the second deterrent mesh sections, with its slots 40 engaging with respective upwardly facing slots 60 in the various second deterrent mesh sections 50A to 50N. This process produces a matrix assembly 76 which is shown in plan in Figure 5 and in perspective in Figure 6.

[0042] The matrix assembly 76 includes a number of tubular formations in the form of passages 80 each of which is bounded by opposing portions 50P, 50Q of two adjacent second deterrent mesh sections 50 and opposing portions 10S, 10T of two adjacent first deterrent mesh sections 10. Each passage 80 is square or rectangular in cross section with one side of the passage having a dimension 62 and an adjacent transverse side of the passage having a dimension 42.

[0043] Thereafter (see Figure 6) the matrix assembly 76 is enclosed in planar mesh sections. Use is made of six planar mesh panels one for each side of the matrix assembly 76. Opposing planar mesh panels 84 and 86 are positioned on longitudinal sides 84A, 86A of the matrix assembly and opposing end mesh panels 90 and 92 are located at ends 90A and 92A of the matrix assembly. Opposing panels 96 and 98 respectively are positioned adjacent lower and upper surfaces 96A and 98A of the matrix assembly 76. [0044] The panels 84, 86,90,92,96, 98 are tack-welded to one another at abutting edges 100 to 122. Additionally, ends of the deterrent mesh sections 10 and 50 in the matrix assembly 76 are welded to the various planar panels at respective selected points of contact. This process produces the barrier structure 12, shown in Figure 7, which is of parallelepiped form, and which has a length 70, a width 36 and a depth 34. The six sides of the parallelepiped body enclose a volume which is occupied by the matrix assembly which is made up of the deterrent mesh sections. The matrix assembly 76 which forms the plurality of passages 80 is enclosed in the six panels 84, 86, 90, 92, 96 and 98. The passage density (number of passages per unit area) is variable by adjusting the dimensions 62 and 42. For a given passage density the number of passages in the barrier structure 12 is adjustable by varying the dimensions 36 and 70.

[0045] Figure 8 illustrates the use of a plurality of barrier structures 12A, 12B ... 12N which are assembled abutting and overlying one another to form a barrier 162 along a barrier line. The barrier has a length L which is determined according to requirement and a height H which is fixed by the number of layers 168 of the barrier structures 12A to 12N. Initially a succession of elongate barrier supports 180 are erected, horizontally spaced apart, along the barrier line 162 with lower ends 182 embedded in the ground 184. Subsequently the barrier structures 12A to 12N are hoisted one after the other to elevated positions at which they can be moved downwardly, with the barrier supports 180 passing through apertures in the barrier structures. In this way the structures 12A to 12N are firmly fixed to the various supports 180. As necessary adjacent barrier structures can be fixed to one another, once they have been engaged with the barrier supports, to enhance the security of the installation. The supports could also directly be secured using suitable fasteners to a group of barrier structures which overlie one another in a vertical sense. [0046] Figure 9 illustrates a modified barrier 190 wherein barrier structures 12A to 12N are positioned in successive layers in a brick-bond pattern so that an upper barrier structure 12X overlies a junction 194 between two adjacent and lower barrier structures 12Y, 12Z.

[0047] The barriers 162, 190 of the invention have a high density of the rods 26 and 28 in the deterrent mesh sections 10 and 50, per unit area of the barrier. The passages 80 have dimensions which, according to requirement, can be made relatively small. The depth of the barrier is given by the dimension 34. An intruder attempting to breach the barrier using, say, an angle grinder, a reciprocating saw or an acetylene torch must sever a large number of the rods 26, 28 which are disposed in different angular relationships in a number of the deterrent mesh sections to form an opening which is sufficiently large to allow access through the barrier. The time which is taken to breach the barrier of the invention is significantly increased relative to the time taken to breach a barrier made from one or two mesh panels, or which is reinforced by means of flat bars and palisades, or which uses coils of barbed tape or razor wire to provide an enhanced deterrent effect.

[0048] Figure 10 relates to a different embodiment of the invention and illustrates in perspective an elongate deterrent mesh section 200 which is formed from welded mesh and which is of zig-zag shape in that the section has a succession of valley formations 202 with intervening peak formations 204. Figure 11 shows a support frame 206, which acts as a positioning jig wherein a number of the deterrent mesh sections 200A, 200B, 200C ... 200N are positioned so that adjacent deterrent mesh sections form a succession of passages 208A, 208B ... 208N with each passage having four sides. Two walls of each passage are formed by respective adjacent portions of a valley formation in one deterrent mesh section and an opposing two walls of the passage are formed by respective adjacent portions of a valley formation of an adjacent deterrent mesh section. These deterrent mesh sections are tack- welded to each other at points of contact 210 to form an assembly 212 of the deterrent sections which are connected to one another.

[0049] As shown in Figure 12 a welded mesh panel 216 is then positioned on top of the assembly 212 and is welded to the assembly 212 at different contact points in order to form an integral arrangement 218. Thereafter a welded mesh panel 220, which is similar to the panel 216, is engaged with and welded to a lower side of the arrangement 218 to complete the construction of a barrier structure 222.

[0050] A plurality of the structures 222 can be erected along a barrier line in a manner which is similar to what has been described in connection with Figure 8 or Figure 9 to form a barrier which has significant resistance to attack. In this arrangement the panels 216 and 220 form parts of outer sides of the barrier and the tubular or four-sided passages 208 extend horizontally, parallel to one another, between the panels 216 and 220.

[0051] In the preceding technique use is made of deterrent mesh sections 200 formed from welded wires. Figure 13 shows a deterrent mesh section 200X which is made from expanded mesh and which is one of a plurality of similar deterrent sections which are used in place of the welded deterrent mesh sections 200 described herein to make a barrier structure (not shown) which is similar to the barrier structure 222. The deterrent sections of expanded mesh may be enclosed in a parallelepiped form by welded mesh panels, or by panels of expanded mesh .

[0052] Figures 14 to 16 illustrate a different technique for manufacturing a different barrier structure 240 according to the invention. A suitably sized piece of welded or expanded mesh is rolled or is otherwise shaped into an elongate cylinder 242 which is cut into a number of short sections 244 each of which has the same length 246. The sections 244 are circular cylindrical or partly circular cylindrical. The deterrent sections 244 are then positioned adjacent and overlying one another between mesh panels 250 and 252 to form the barrier structure 240. The panels 250 and 252 are spaced apart by a distance which is slightly greater than the length 246. In order for the deterrent sections 244 to interlock with one another and to be held in place, the deterrent sections can be tack welded at different locations to the panels 250 and 252. Also edges of the deterrent sections 244 can be formed with protruding wires 258 which extend into apertures of adjacent deterrent mesh sections 244, and elongate rods 260 can be passed through the sections 244.