Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Structural member making
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-14
2004-08-31
Bryant, David P. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Structural member making
C029S469000, C029S525010, C029S530000, C256S013100, C256S011000, C256S028000, C404S006000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06782624
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
A requirement for a security barrier was announced by the US Border Patrol. They needed a barrier able to be built from readily available materials. Further, it must be easy to build (not requiring skilled labor) and modular to adapt to varying local conditions and changing scenarios. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is designed for use under various applications. Thus, initial design criteria were based upon the needs of the U.S. Border Patrol for a barrier to use under a variety of conditions to control border access. Criteria included:
It must be solid to hamper the passing of drugs across it and prevent penetration of bullets to the other side.
It must be robust against degradation of its function while maintaining its structural integrity. Degradation sources include scaling, burrowing under, ramming by vehicles, cutting, and repeated hammering and chipping.
It must inhibit immediate traversal to facilitate apprehension of the transgressor.
It must be maintained at relatively low cost with maintenance easy to perform quickly in order to minimize exposure of maintenance personnel.
It must be usable in all types of geography, including hilly and rough terrain.
It must “work well and last a long time” irrespective of the type and frequency of repairs.
It must minimize the danger to the Border Patrol and other personnel working at the border.
Because the Border Patrol cannot control what is done on the “foreign side” of the barrier, design criteria must account for this limitation. Of course, such a barrier might be adapted for other uses, especially those for which less stringent requirements may exist.
Previous barrier designs used to aid the Border Patrol have failed to control access across the border. Various designs of wire mesh fences, commonly used in prisons and schools, have been easily destroyed by transgressors. A barrier constructed from surplus temporary airfield landing mat is currently installed between San Diego, Calif. and Tijuana, Mexico. On the southern border with Mexico, fencing is installed only near population centers. Hence, only as many as 98 Km (60 miles) of the more than 3100 Km (1900 miles) is fenced. The excess steel landing mat will be exhausted long before any significant amount of border is fenced. The steel landing mat barrier is difficult to maintain and is easily circumvented by scaling or digging under the fence, sawing, use of a cutting torch, ramming, etc.
A bollard fence design has been installed as both a primary and secondary barrier (a second barrier located north of the primary barrier) at the same location. This bollard fence is a staggered line of vertically oriented concrete posts spaced at 10-12.7 cm (4-5 inches) and embedded in concrete. The posts are vulnerable to chipping, require concrete forms that must be installed by skilled contractors, and may be vandalized easily while curing. Transgressors can both see through and reach through the bollards, allowing them to pass drugs and even shoot through them. Proposals to enclose the bollards in steel tubes may make them less vulnerable to attack. This still allows transgressors to reach through the fence and still requires skilled contractors to construct and repair them.
In selected areas there are also impediments at low heights for deterring vehicle traffic. A fence has been installed between El Paso, Tex. and Mexico that is aesthetically appealing, but not resistant to vandalism. The fence is constructed of lightweight panels a few inches thick, mounted on support poles a few inches in diameter. Attacks by blunt instruments can easily create gaping holes in the fence. Ramming by a vehicle can severely damage the fence. In addition, resultant openings allow transgressors to transfer illicit items.
Existing designs fail to meet needs of the Border Patrol at a reasonable cost over their life cycle. A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a cost effective solid barrier to human and vehicular intrusion that meets all the requirements of the Border Patrol and similarly situated agencies and organizations and may be adapted for commercial or consumer use.
SUMMARY
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of deployment for an economical multi-purpose barrier in applications such as a primary barrier at an international border, security for military installations, and general security, safety or privacy applications in police, industrial, recreational, commercial, environmental, or residential applications. In one embodiment, the method provides a barrier that is solid and highly resistant to damage. In an embodiment of the present invention the method provides a barrier that combines the properties of a high strength panel, such as steel or a high strength polymer, and a masonry wall, such as concrete or pumice-crete. The exterior of this barrier is comprised of interlocking panels that serve as:
armor against attack (both above and below grade);
enclosures for in-fill material, such as fill dirt, sand, or concrete; and
a mechanism for transferring an external force applied against any individual section to neighboring sections.
In this barrier, the exterior panels have interlocking joints that resist physical intrusion without the addition of in-fill material. The addition of in-fill material provides additional support for the connections, thus providing additional protection against attack. Besides providing additional mass against ramming, solid in-fill also provides a formidable barrier against intrusion should exterior panels be removed or damaged. The external panels may be embedded in the ground, providing significant resistance to ramming, tipping, or burrowing beneath the barrier. Additionally, the barrier may be anchored internally to resist tipping; forces applied near its top.
A barrier deployed via a method of the present invention is installed quickly and easily. Further, should the need arise, it may be repaired without the need of special tools, heavy equipment, or concrete forms. In one embodiment of the present invention, a trench of suitable dimensions, such as approximately 0.9 m (3 ft) deep by 1.6 m (5 ft) wide, is dug the length of the section to be installed or the length of a reasonable portion of the entire boundary desired to be protected. After emplacing and connecting panel sections in the trench, a suitable in-fill material, such as concrete, is placed between the panels. To hold a cementitious mixture until setup, a temporary removable form may be used at one or both ends of a suitable length comprising one or more sections of the barrier. This form may be used with suitable soft material and left in place to comprise an expansion joint for the concrete. Deterrents may be affixed to the top of a completed section and secured on the “protected” side of the barrier by suitable means, such as welding, epoxy, mechanical fasteners, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, pre-connected (“protected” side and “transgressor” side) sections can be dropped into place in a trench as needed, the trench backfilled quickly, and the resultant barrier serve the same purpose as an “in-filled” section, at least temporarily.
Advantages of a preferred embodiment of the present invention that provides maximum resistance to an aggressive transgressor include:
prevents ready ingress by surface or sub-surface based transgressor;
requires greater effort and more time to breach than conventional designs;
makes penetration by a welding torch, chipping, cutting, or other mechanical means difficult and time-consuming;
provides no purchase for a person to breach the top from either direction because of its smooth barrier walls extending high above the ground at a steep angle since there are no external connections needed to be made when installing the panels;
prevents transgressors from using it to survey an area because of the narrow width at its top together with optional detectors and deterrents that may be placed at its top;
optional deterrents may be used based on specific needs, locations, times and expected transgress
Lozar Charles C.
Marsh Charles P.
Temple Brian
Baugher Jr. Earl H.
Bryant David P.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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