Abstract: A data cabinet door has a plurality of latch bolts connected by cables to a central actuating plate. When the plate is depressed by a handle to release the bolts it is itself retained in the released position by a lever acting under the bias of a spring, to keep the bolts withdrawn. This lever is connected by a cable to a release plate associated with one of the latches so that when the door is slam-closed the release plate engages an abutment on the cabinet body and pulls the lever to release the plate, which latter springs up once more and permits all the latches to engage.

Abstract: An "arrest" handcuff has the usual ratchet and pawl mechanism for closing the wrist aperture. In order to deadlock the pawl a runner is shifted by means of a manual push-button so that a stump on the runner then overlies a nose portion of the pawl. To release the deadlocking and pivot the pawl clear of the ratchet the runner must be shifted in the reverse direction, which movement is normally blocked by a lever pack operating on a stump extending from the runner. A correct key, however, can lift the levers and turn the runner back so that a further stump carried by the runner engages a tail portion of the pawl to lift it from the rathet. If the option to deadlock the pawl is not taken up in any particular arrest situation the pawl still remains engaged with the ratchet under a spring bias and the correct key is still needed to perform a reverse movement of the runner to lift the pawl from the ratchet.

Abstract: The body of a cabinet for storing temperature-sensitive articles such as magnetic discs and tapes is built by a process which involves the successive steps of (i) fabricating an internal skin; (ii) attaching so-called "phase-change" material to the skin; (iii) applying insulative polyurethane foam in-situ to the structure of step (ii); (iv) casting concrete or the like water-bearing material around the structure of step (iii); and (v) completing the outer finishing skin. Thus the conventional "double-box" structure is avoided. The door for the cabinet can be built by a similar sequence in which "phase-change" material, insulative form and water-bearing layers are applied successively to a pan forming the internal face of the door.

Abstract: In a security door lock a pivoted detent deadlocks the bolt by engagement of a stump in pockets provided in the bolt. The detent is normally held in its locking position by a cam surface on the thrower and by a pack of detainers. Rotation of the correct key aligns notches in the detainers with a probe on the detent and also positions a second cam surface of the thrower adjacent to the detent, so the detent can pivot to its unlocking position under the action of a spring, and thereby free the bolt. After the bolt is shifted the final rotation of the key re-engages the cam surface against the detent to drive the detent positively back to its locking position. If required, the bolt can be double-thrown by a second ("master") key which lifts the detainers to higher positions so that second notches in the detainers now align with the detent probe. This higher lifting of the detainers also lifts a dogging slide so that the stump of the latter can pass over a projection on the bolt tail.

Abstract: The door of a security enclosure has boltwork and a primary lock for locking the boltwork in its thrown condition. A drill-resistant disc is rotatably mounted between the lock and the exterior of the door, and the restraining wire of a relocker passes over the circumference of the disc. If a drilling attack is made on the lock the disc will be encountered and will be rotated by the drill tip to frustrate penetration of the disc by the drill. Furthermore, if the drill is aimed at the circumferential portion of the disc which guides the relocker wire any success in penetrating the disc will sever or dislodge the wire to allow the relocker to move under the action of a spring into a position in which it provides an additional locking action in the boltwork.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for a vault door having a plurality of independently negatable locks, each one coupled through its bolt to a respective pivoted locking arm. In the locking condition the arms are pivoted to block withdrawal of bars carried by the main boltstraps. Each lock bolt is connected to its arm by a rotatable control member having a lobe and an eccentric peg which engages in a slot in the respective arm. To negate a lock its bolt is thrown and a lever turned to rotate the respective control member. This places the lobe next to the lock case and pivots the locking arm into its unblocking position. If the door is left open with the boltwork withdrawn and unlocked unauthorized negation of a lock cannot take place because there is insufficient space to rotate the respective control member without the latter abutting the lock case.

Abstract: A vault constructed by assembling together, in demountable fashion, a plurality of separate, pre-fabricated panels. Each perpendicular corner of the assembled vault is provided in a panel which extends integrally from the respective corner to define significant portions of both of the adjacent sides of the vault, thereby avoiding the security weakness of separate orthogonally-jointed panels at those corners. In addition each panel comprises a steel plate upon which is cast a barrier material of high penetration resistance but relatively low weight, consisting of fibre-reinforced concrete.

Abstract: A vault or strongroom includes unitary and self-contained equipment for providing life-support within the sealed vault-enclosure. The carbon-dioxide content of the atmosphere within the enclosure is monitored and a pump is operated if the monitored value exceeds a predetermined value, typically 1% or 2%. Operation of the pump pumps air of the atmosphere through material that absorbs carbon dioxide and this, together with operation of a fan to circulate air in the enclosure is continued until the monitored content has been reduced, typically to 0.5%. Oxygen (or air) is released from cylinders for replacing the absorbed carbon dioxide and maintaining an oxygen level of about 18% or 19% in the enclosure. Release of oxygen is regulated by a valve device to maintain a variable--pressure (or oyxgen level)--of the atmosphere within the enclosure substantially constant or within predetermined limits. The pump is operated concurrently with release of the oxygen.

Abstract: A door security system includes a lock that is released by an electronic control unit carried on the door and activated by radiation from an r.f. oscillator in a user's key unit. The key unit, provided on a finger ring, includes one or more photovoltaic devices that convert light energy received from a lamp on the door to electrical power for the r.f. oscillator. The r.f. emission may be binary-code modulated and the control unit then includes an appropriate modulation-code detector. The door unit may also include a light-source that emits coded pulses of infra-red light and then the key unit includes a circuit to detect whether the infra-red light received is of the appropriate code-format as a condition for activation of the r.f. oscillator.

Abstract: A keyless combination lock is protected against manipulation by the inclusion of a rotary member turned by rotation of the dial of the lock and which, after excessive rotation from a datum position, such as is likely to occur under conditions of manipulation, serves to move a protective member into an operative position such that operation of the lock is impossible, e.g. by isolating the probe of the lock from the combination wheels. The rotary member is also connected to mechanism for returning it to its datum position after a time delay and arrival at the datum position serves to return the protective member back to an inoperative position if it has previously been moved to its operative position. The return mechanism may start to operate as soon as the rotary member is turned from its datum position and may include a spring which is progressively stressed as the rotary member is turned.