Reply Patent Number: us-3,697,972
United States Patent (15) 3,697,972
Brown
(45) Oct. 10, 1972
|
[54] METAL DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEMS |
[ 72] Inventor: Yull Brown, 182
Auburn Road, Au.
burn, New South Wales, Australia |
|
[22] Filed:
June 22, 1970 |
[21 ]
Appl. No.: 47,974 |
|
[30] Foreign Application
Priority Data
June 26,1969
Australia……57077]69 July 11,1969 Australia…….. 57800/69 |
Aug. 6,1969 Australia…….. 59123/69 Dec. 22,1969 Australia……. 65563/69 Jan. 12,1970 Australia……..PA 0058 |
|
[52 ] U.S. CL…..340/258 R, 340/258 C, 340/258 D, 324/41 |
[51 ] inL CI ...................... G08b 13/14 |
|
[ 58 ] Field of Search…….. 340/258 R, 258 C, 258 D;324/41 |
[56] References Cited |
|
UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner--John W. Caldwell |
Assistant Examiner--Michael Slobasky Attornev--Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher |
[57]
metal detection alarm system 金探測警報系統
ABSTRACT
A metal detection alarm system detects the presence of
an article of a particular metal in a given region by measuring the disturbance
of two oscillating electromagnetic fields, one oscillating at from 5 to 20kHz.,
the other at from ! 6 Hz. to 5 kHz., and also of the disturbance of a magnetic
field established by D.C. pulses produced at a rate of 0 to 16 pulses per
second. Receivers tuned to respond to the electromagnetic and magnetic fields
established in the region produce a different response when a metal is present,
the change in responses depending upon different parameters of the metal
article. The outputs from the receivers are compared with the transmitted
signals or in a logic circuit with standard signals and if at least two of the
receiver outputs indicate the presence of the particular metal, an alarm is
actuated. Applied to revolving doors, apparatus to prevent a person carrying a
firearm into a bank or other building, or from entering an aircraft, is obtained.
The system can also be used in conjunction with conventional non-revolving
doors or with windows. A temperature controller utilizing the change of
resistance with temperature of a thermistor is also described. The thermistor
is located in the base circuit of a transistor which, in turn, is in a control
circuit which determines the length of pulses applied to the gates of two
thyristors or silicon controlled rectifiers. The time of switching the
thyristors or S.C.R.s and length of pulse controls the supply of power to a
heater.
金屬發現警報系統透過測量兩個電磁振動器，其一的振動頻率5 to 20kHz，其余在6
Hz. to 5 kHz., 並且被以對每秒0到16個脈衝的速度產生的D.C.脈衝建立運作。電磁的信號反饋和磁場的建立在作業的區域，使一金屬產生不同的反應，改變的回應依告不同的參數相對於該金屬物品。出及接收的比較來自傳送信號的邏輯電路，以及如果出及接收兩者差別表明特殊金屬存在產生出，警報被啟動。運用于旋轉門防止人把火器攜帶到銀行或者其它建築物中，或者帶入飛機，被檢獲得的探測儀器，。系統也能用視窗與常規的非旋轉的門一道被使用，利用電阻溫度的變化的控制卡的電熱溫度調節器也被描述。電熱調節器位於的電晶體的基礎電路確定運用的于兩電晶體的門脈衝的長度或者硅控制整流器。電熱調節器位於的電晶體的基礎電路確定運用的于兩電晶體的門脈衝的長度或者硅控制整流器。
電晶體的開關時間決定可控硅及脈衝的長度控制熱能的功率。
Reply By Zhen-man Lin
Brown,
( US Pat. No. 3,697,972 ) The metal detection alarm system does not
relate to Zhen-man Lin’s application for patent, because passengers must pass
the check of the security system of the airport before going on board. The
metal detection alarm system is the standard configuration of the security
system of the airport, therefore no defense is necessary for that system.
金探測警報系統與Zhen-man Lin專利應用申請無關，因為上飛機的旅客都經過機場保安系統的檢查，金探測警報系統是機場保安系統的標準手段，因此對此不再做任何答辯。
14 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures
METAL
DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEMS
This
invention relates to alarm systems and more particularly to alarm systems
actuated by a metal object, especially steel. The detection system utilizes the
effects on electromagnetic and magnetic fields of the surface, mass and quality
of a metal.
The
present invention has been developed as a consequence of the need to provide,
in certain instances, a warning of a possible armed attack. Two particular uses
of the invention, in banks and at airports, spring immediately to mind. The
need for adequate alarm systems for banks is one well recognized at the present
time, when scarcely a day passes without an armed hold-up being reported.
Airport security has also featured prominently in the newspapers recently for
there is a clear need to provide a means whereby persons carrying firearms can
be prevented from entering an aircraft, for firearms, if carried aboard, arc
available for use in acts of piracy in the air. These acts of piracy are not
uncommon and are often referred to as "-hijackings.” The present invention
is not, however, limited to these two uses but can be incorporated into any
location where it would be advantageous to detect the presence of a person
carrying a firearm.
Another
need, namely the desirability of restraining a would-be armed robber or hijacker
with a view to his subsequent arrest, also prompted the development of aspects
of the present invention.
it is
an object of the present invention to provide an alarm system which will
respond to the presence of a metallic object, particularly steel.
According to the present invention, an alarm system
comprises a region through or over which a person carrying a metallic object
must pass; a first and second oscillator coupled, respectively, to a first and
second transmitting coil, each said coil being adapted to produce signals
within said region; a first and second receiving coil each responsive to
signals within said region and coupled to a first and second receiver,
respectively; said first oscillator being adapted to produce a low
audio-frequency signal, said second oscillator being adapted to produce a high
audio-frequency signal, said first and second receivers being tuned to the
frequency of the signals of said first and second oscillators, respectively; a
pulse generator adapted to supply D.C. pulses to a magnetic field producing
coil to produce a magnetic field within said region, and a third receiving coil
coupled to a magnetic flux detector, each of said receivers and said magnetic
flux detector being adapted to produce an output signal to be either fed into a
logic circuit capable of comparing each said output signal with a respective
reference signal or used to actuate a switching device; said logic circuit
producing a signal when there is a departure of at least two of said output
signals from their respective reference signals or said switching devices
providing an output signal on actuation of at least two of said switching
devices, said signal from said logic circuit or said switching devices causing
actuation of an alarm.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating, the general
inter-relationship of elements included m an alarm system,
FIGS. 2A and 2B
illustrate, in perspective and plan respectively, a revolving door arrangement
with which the alarm system of the present invention may be used,
FIG. 3 illustrates a use of the present invention in a
situation where a revolving door cannot be used,
FIG. 4 illustrates a typical arrangement (not to
scale) for an alarm system, constructed in accordance with the present
invention, at an airport,
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a constant temperature control
circuit that may be used with embodiments of the present invention, and
FIG..6 is a schematic representation of receiving
aerials m a case where two receiving aerials are used, on opposite sides of a
region under surveillance.
The present invention uses the fact that a metal
object disturbes electromagnetic and magnetic fields in a manner dependent
upon, inter alia, the actual metal of which the object is constructed. For
example, a ferromagnetic material has a magnetic permeability which is very
much greater than that of pure brass, consequently the effect of introducing a
ferromagnetic material into a magnetic field is
much more pronounced than the
effect of introducing a pure brass object into the same magnetic field. High
audio-frequency (in the range 5 kHz. to 20 kHz.) electromagnetic fields are
influenced primarily by the surface properties of a metal, low frequency (16
Hz. to 5 kHz.) fields by the mass of the metal involved, and, as already
indicated, the constituents of a metal as well as its mass govern the
disturbance of a magnetic field.
It is possible, for a given metal to determine the
effect of introducing the metal into electromagnetic fields oscillating at
particular high and low frequencies. A different metal will influence the
electromagnetic fields in a different manner. In the present invention the
frequencies of the high and low audio-frequency oscillators HFO and LFO (see
FIG. 1), and the frequency to which the high and low audio-frequency receivers
HFR and LFR are tuned, arc chosen so that there will be a strong, predictable
disturbance when a gun is brought within the region under surveillance. This
region is within the influence of transmitting coils 1, 2 and receiving coils
3, 4. Coils 1, 2 are driven by the
oscillators HFO and LFO, through amplifiers A1 and A2 respectively. A pulse
generator PG provides D.C. pulses which arc amplified by amplifier A3 and
applied to coil 5 to provide a magnetic field within the region under
surveillance. Another coil 6, coupled to a magnetic flux meter 7, is used to
monitor the magnetic field within the region. The output signals from receivers
HFR and LFR, shown here also used to actuate switches S1 and S2, together with
the output signal from magnetic flux meter 7 (which may also include a
switching device), are fed into logic circuit 8. Here the signals are compared
with standard signals. The result of the comparison is the production of an
output signal from the logic circuit if at least two of its input signals are
found to correspond to the presence of metal of the type the apparatus is
designed to detect. This output signal from the logic circuit actuates an alarm
9. Switch S3 switches coil 6 out of the circuit when a D.C. pulse is applied to
coil 5, and upon removal of the pulse from coil 5 switches coil 6 into the
circuit. In this way a signal is obtained in flux meter 7 only if there is a
residual field in the region investigated, which will only be the case when the
region contains a material exhibiting remanence -- which includes steel --which
has been subjected to a magnetic field.
All firearms are constructed of a particular metal --
a high carbon content steel. However, the range of metals over which the system
will operate will be determinable by adjusting the sensitivity of the receivers
and the logic circuit.
Since the invention is suitable for use in a bank, the
embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 will be assumed to be installations in a bank,
although it is stressed that this is not to be regarded as a limitation of the
applicability of the invention.
In its preferred form, the alarm system of the present invention is
incorporated into a revolving door which permits a single person only to enter
the bank. The door of FIGS. 2A and 2B, which will be assumed to rotate clockwise,
comprises four panels 10 constructed of a bullet proof person or plastics
material, such as "-Plexiglass” or "Oroglass" (trade marks)
produced by Rohm & Haas Company, or other polycarbonate transparent
plastics materials.
A bullet-proof glass could be used in the construction of the door but
such doors would suffer from certain disadvantages, among which are:
i.
protective glass doors are very heavy, weighing typically 200 Kg. per section,
i.e., 800 Kg. for a revolving unit;
ii. the glass required to make such doors, being about 2 to 3 cms.
thick, is not readily available in all countries and has, in such countries, to
be imported, thus increasing the cost of such a door;
iii. the protective glass has to be cut carefully to prevent cracking which
would give rise to a loss in the protective feature of the glass;
iv. replacement of a panel Of glass in the event of damage is a
difficult and costly process for the reasons given above; and
v. if
a metal frame surrounds each glass panel, this interferes with the detection
coils of the alarm system.
The bullet-proof panels are mounted on a central member 12 which, in
this specification, will be termed a spindle. Typically, the panels I will be
slotted into grooves in spindle 12 although, of course, other methods of
joining the panels 10 to spindle 12 can be used. The lower and upper ends of
spindle 12 are located rotatively by non metallic bearings (not shown) of any
suitable known form.
The panels 10, which, it will be presumed, are of perspex, will
typically be 2 to 3 cms. thick. This is a sufficient thickness to prevent
penetration of a bullet fired from a 9 mm Luger pistol. Being of perspex, the
panels are much lighter than glass, are less expensive than glass, and there is
no problem in cutting the panels to size. Furthermore, such panels need no
metal frame, indeed, they need no frame at all though one may be provided for
aesthetic appeal, in which case it will be nonmetallic.
At least one of the side walls IIA, lib of the door (the left hand one
in FIGS. 2A and 2B) is constructed of a bullet-proof material but it need not
be transparent. Within this side wall an opening 13 is formed which may have a
shute 14 leading away from it. Another preferred feature is to have wall 11B --
on the exit side of the revolving door shortened compared to the corresponding wall of a
conventional revolving door by an mount (typically one-third meter) sufficient
to allow a person leaving the bank at the same time as a would-be robber is
entering the building to step out into the street and not be trapped alongside
the armed entrant. No modification of the wall of the building will normally be
required to incorporate this feature of the wall 11B.
The wall 11A, however, should be lengthened, com-pared
with the corresponding wall on a conventional revolving door arrangement on the
interior side of the doorway to prevent an armed intruder, duly trapped,
shooting into the bank through the gap between the wall 11A and the innermost
panel 10 stopped with its edge adjacent the wall 11A. Walls 11A and 11b are
typically of shot-proof fibert4ass or are made of other suitable non-metallic
material.
One or more loudspeakers 15 may be located above or
within side wall 1 IA so that a suitable message may be relayed to a person
trapped in the door in the manner to be described below.
The transmitting and receiving coils (not shown) of
the invention are arranged to produce signals and be responsive to signals
within the region being monitored, in this instance the way in to the bank. One
location for these coils is around the entrance as a whole, but a more
preferred arrangement is to have the coils formed in a substantially vertical
plane, passing behind the wall 11A, across the top of half of the entrance,
down the center of spindle 12 and underneath the floor of the entrance. The
coils are preferably located in tubing of plastics material. The receiving
coils may be contained in the same tubing or be similarly mounted alongside the
transmitting coils. An alternative, and also practical, arrangement is to have
the receiving coils for the high and low audio-frequency signals located at
right angles to the transmitting coils, which case they will preferably be
housed in tubing which has vertical .portions behind wall I IA and horizontal
portions across the top and bottom thereof.
The oscillators, tuned receivers, logic circuit and
alarm components may be located remote from the door itself. There will
generally be included in the door arrangement microswitches, photo-electric
cell arrangements, proximity switches 16 or the like located atop the door
panels or walls. These components are used in a conventional manner to indicate
the. position of the door, which information is used to ensure that the door is
locked in a required position when the alarm is actuated.
The
complete alarm system will preferably be DC operated, using a transformer and
rectifier arrangement to obtain the power from the mains. A battery source,
however, will usually be included, with automatic switching to the battery
power should the mains source be interrupted. Such no-break power supply
systems are already known and do not constitute an essential feature of the
present invention, so will not be described here.
When a person carrying a revolver or other
object constructed of high carbon content steel passes into the revolving door,
he enters the region monitored by the alarm system. The carried object disturbs
the signals being received by the three receiving coils, which results in a
change of their output signals to the logic circuit. The altered output signals
do not correlate with the normal "safe" comparison result in the
logic circuit and if two of the three outputs has changed by a degree
corresponding to the presence of gun material, the alarm is actuated by an
output signal generated by the logic circuit.
Introduction of other metals into the monitored region
will usually cause some change in the outputs of the receivers but the
disturbance of the signal will not correspond to the disturbance expected from
gun metal and consequently the logic circuit will produce no alarm signal. If
required, a signal can be derived from the logic circuit to indicate the
presence of another metal in the monitored region by including additional
comparison circuits in the logic circuit. Comparison circuits and logic
components are known to those skilled in the electronics field and therefore do
not need to be described here.
The
high audio-frequency signal can be varied between 5 kHz. and 20 kHz. A low audio-frequency
signal of 1.75 kHz. has been found satisfactory in practice, but this signal
can be varied from 16 Hz. to 5 kHz. DC pulses may be produced at a rate of from
one to 16 pulses per second by the pulse generator. The high audio-frequency
signal should not be a simple low harmonic of the low frequency signal.
Various circuits can be used to ensure that the alarm
is triggered. Two such circuits will be briefly discussed here.
An audio-frequency signal from one of the receiving
coils 3, 4 is fed into one arm of a differential amplifier, while a sample of
the transmitted signal is fed into the other arm. The difference signal
obtained from the differential amplifier, further amplified if necessary, is
integrated and applied to the base of a transistor. If the integrated signal is
sufficiently large, it renders the transistor conducting. The act of going
conducting causes a voltage increase in the collector or emitter circuit of the
transistor, which voltage increase is applied to the gate of a thyristor or
silicon controlled rectifier to switch it on. Power through the thyristor or
S.C.R. is used to actuate a relay or other switching device. A similar circuit
is provided for the other receiving coil.
The circuit responsive to the magnetic field perturbation
comprises an amplifier to amplify any signal produced by the flux meter 7 upon
detection of a residual magnetic field when the DC pulses to coil 5 have been
removed. This amplified signal is integrated and applied to the base of a
transistor in the same way as in the circuit described in the preceding
paragraph. The rest of the circuit is the same as that described for receiving
coils 3 and 4.
If at least two of the three relays or other switching
devices are actuated, the alarm is given.
A suitable logic circuit comprises three AND-gates,
into each of which is fed two signals derived in the same way as the power
which is applied to the relays in the circuits described above, except that in
the case of receiving coils 3 and 4 the received signal is compared with a
standard signal in the differential amplifiers. The first AND-gate will have
signals derived from coils 3 and 4, the second from coils 4 and 6, while the
third AND-gate will be responsive to signals derived from coils 3 and 6.
Actuation
of the alarm can have a multitude of consequences. One of these will almost
certainly be the locking of the revolving door in a position to trap the armed
person in the quadrant of the door bounded by wall 11A and two panels of the
door itself. As indicated above, a message can be transmitted to the entrapped
person to ad vise him of the situation and that if he passes the alarm
initiating metal object through the opening 13 and away from the alarm
detection area he may, in the absence of the maintenance of the alarm by other
metal objects in his possession, be released at the discretion of an officer
inside the bank.
Other known effects of raising an alarm, for example,
taking photographs, flashing lights, sounding bells or sirens, closing doors and
the like, either nearby or in a remote place, can be incorporated into the
system as required.
An alternative arrangement of side walls of a
revolving door is with each wall extended at both ends in the same way as the
innermost part of wall I IA is extended. With this arrangement the revolving
door can rotate in both directions, though the monitored region must cover both
sides of the doorway. To avoid the possibility of a bank customer being trapped
in the opposite quadrant to one containing an armed entrant, a small sliding
doorway can be incorporated into each side wall. The sliding doorway in the
wall opposite the side where an armed person is entering can be arranged to
open automatically when the revolving door stops to permit any innocent person
to escape to (for example) the street
Another advantage of this alternative arrangement is
that in the event a person enters the bank and uses a bomb device constructed
of a material not detectable by the present invention to successfully rob the
bank, an officer inside the bank can operate a manual control to trap the thief
in the revolving door as he leaves.
Some places, however, are unable, by reasons of their
size or otherwise, to have a revolving door included in their entrance. FIG. 3
shows how the present invention is applied to a common door arrangement. The
transmitting and receiving coils are suitably located in, for example, the
ceiling and floor in front of the door, or in a wall or two walls extending in
front of but beside the door (see FIG. 3), or both sets of coils are located in
the ceiling or the floor. When a person enters the mutually sensitive region of
the coils, if that person carries a gun, an alarm is actuated and the door is
locked so that it cannot be opened by the person setting off the alarm. Appropriate action can then be taken by
a person alerted by the alarm.
It will be appreciated that the invention is
applicable to sliding doors, swing doors, double doors, and conventional hinged
doors, it is also applicable to windows and gates t in fact, to any form of
entrance which can be closed.
Where one or
more of the receiving coils is located in the ceiling above, or the floor
beneath, a region being monitored, two receiving coils and receivers can be used,
the second receiver coil being located in the alternative location to the first
coil. Such an arrangement is schematically illustrated in FIG. 6, where
receiving coils 21 and 22 are located on either side of a region under
surveillance. While this corresponds directly to the situation where a door in
a corridor or hall is contolled by an alarm system according to the present
invention, a parallel set of circumstances pertains to floor and ceiling
receiver coil arrangements. The advantage of such double coil arrangements is
that the sensitivity of the alarm system can be more directly controlled to
respond only to articles of a particular metal having a metal mass greater than
a predetermined minimum value. Referring now to FIG. 6, and taking as an example
the detection of a gun weighing 500 grams, receiving coils 21 and 22 are
connected to relays RI and R2 respectively. Since a firearm usually weighs at
least 500 gms a metal mass of 500 grams is placed at point H and the
sensitivity of the coil 21 is adjusted so that it produces a signal just
sufficient to trigger relay RI. The same procedure is repeated for coil 22 and
relay R2 with the metal mass at point F. It now follows that any metal mass of
500 gms or heavier brought between coils 21 and 22 will trigger both relay RI
and relay R2. In fact, metal masses less than 16 ounces will be detected at
various points other than points F and H, for example, a metal mass of 125
grams will be detected at the midpoint G of a line joining points F and H.
Metal masses between 4 ounces and ! 6 ounces will be detectable in various
regions extending outwards from point C towards points A and B, the size of the
region depending on the mass of metal. This is a consequence of the square law
detection phenomenum, the relevant quantity being
mass of metal
(distance
form coil)
To provide the required detection level, only when relays RI and R2 are both activated will the alarm system be activated. As a consequence, however, any metal mass less than 125 grams will not cause activation of the alarm at all.
It is an advantage to have all the electronic circuits and the coils at a constant temperature, for as the ternperature of a coil or semiconductor component changes, so does its electrical characteristics. It is possible for a temperature change to Cause the high frequency resonance become a harmonic of the low frequency signal. Maintenance of a constant temperature is one of the reasons why the coils have been described as enclosed in non-metallic tubes in the above embodiments of the invention. Air at a constant temperature is circulated around the various circuit components and through the tubes.
For use in the invention, a constant temperature controller has been developed. A circuit diagram of this constant temperature controller is given in FIG. 5.
This temperature controller regulates the supply of power to a heater in such a manner that, as the temperature of the air being controlled rises to its required value, the power supplied is reduced, and at the moment the required temperature of the air is reached, the power to the heater is removed. If the temperature of the air falls below its required value, then heat is applied in an amount dependent upon the difference between the air and the required temperatures. If the temperature of the air falls considerably then a relatively large amount of power is applied to the heater, and as the temperature of the air approaches its required value again, the heat is reduced, gradually, as already indicated, until there is zero heating at the moment the required temperature is attained.
Thus the temperature controller regulates the heat supplied to maintain a body at a steady, required temperature. It comprises a heater, means for sampling the temperature of the air, the sampling means varying a parameter thereof in response to changes in the air temperature, and means dependent upon the variation of said parameter to increase the supply of heat to the air as the difference between the actual temperature of the air and a required temperature thereof increases, and to decrease the supply of energy to the air as said difference decreases, and to supply no energy to the air when the air is at the required temperature.
In the temperature controller illustrated, the sampling means is a thermistor, the parameter which varies being the resistance of the thermistor, the means dependent upon the variations of the parameter is an amplifier and trigger generator, and the heater is controlled by power supplied through silicon controlled rectifiers or thyristors.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the D.C. power for the controller is derived, in the absence of a D.C. power supply, from the A.C. mains Supply by transformer TFI and the rectifier bridge comprising diodes D I, D2, D3 and D4. Zener diode I)5 provides a voltage regulating element. The A.C. mains supply is also fed, via thyristors or silicon controlled rectifiers Ql and Q2 to a load, in this case a heater.
A thermistor TH is suitably located to detect the temperature of the air and is included in the base circuit of transistor TR4 so that variation of the resistance of the thermistor TH causes a variation of the voltage applied to the base of transistor TR4. Also in the base circuit of transistor TR4 is variable resistor RI4, the adjustment of which also has an effect on the voltage applied to the base of transistor TR4. The pre-set value of variable resistor RI4 is chosen according to the required temperature of the air.
The unit A, shown within dashed lines, is a trigger unit, typically trigger module No. MYS001 produced by Mullard Limited, the details of which are well known to those skilled in the art. A brief description, however, is not out of place here. A potential divider comprising resistors R2 and R3 provides a reference voltage to the base of transistor TRI. Capacitor C2, being initially uncharged, holds transistor TR1 cut off. When the voltage across capacitor C2 exceeds that on the base of transistor TRI, due to a change in the external voltage at point P, transistor TRI starts to conduct. Positive feedback is supplied through transformer T2 and transistor TR1 bottoms, capacitor C2 discharging through the primary of the transformer T2. As a result of this action, pulses appear between terminals J and K and terminals L and M of the trigger module.
The voltage at P is dependent upon the state of transistor TR2, which is controlled by the base voltage applied to it as a result of current through resistors R12 and R11 and transistor TR3. Transistor TR3, however, is controlled by transistor TR4, which in turn is, as already indicated, governed by the values of resistance of thermistor TH and variable resistor R14. Consequently the resistance of thermistor TH governs the voltage at P, which determines when pulses are generated at terminals J and K and terminals L and M of the trigger circuit.
These pulses are applied to the gates of silicon controlled rectifiers (S.C.R.s) or thyristors Ql and Q2. Power is only passed by S.C.R.s Ol and Q2 when a voltage is applied to the gates, so the quantity of power passed will depend, in the case of an A.C. power supply, upon the phase of the pulses applied to the gates relative to the A.C. mains supply. When the pulses are applied at or near the beginning of a mains cycle, or at or near a point where the mains voltage passes through a zero point, very little power will be passed by S.C.R.s Ql and Q2. The length of the pulse governs the time QI and Q2 are conducting. If the pulse is applied at or near the peak value of the mains voltage, then a maximum quantity of power is passed by S.C.R.s Ql and Q2 for the duration of the pulse. If the apparatus is powered by a D.C. supply, only the duration of the pulses can be used to control the heat applied by the heater.
It will be clear to those persons skilled in the art that a variation of the resistance of thermistor TH, by con-trolling the voltage at P, causes a variation of the time of applying pulses, and their length and hence the quantity of power passed by S.C.R.s Q I and Q2. Resistance RI4 can be set so that when the air is at the required temperature, no pulses are generated by the trigger module, but the resistance of thermistor TH becomes influential and pulses are generated immediately the temperature of the air drops below the required temperature.
The arrangement of resistors R8 and R9, with capacitor C3, is for suppression purposes. The control of temperature by this means represents a substantial improvement on the prior art.
The controller is, in fact, applicable to other situations than merely the present application. To illustrate its usefulness, in a 0°-50°C range, using an E208AEP/22K thermistor, a circuit sensitive to 0.0001°C can be constructed, so the body temperature of a liquid can be controlled to ±0.05°C quite easily. In a practical circuit constructed to test the invention, a pulse rise time (to a value of 0.25 to 0.3 volt) of 4 microseconds was obtained, the pulse duration was 10 microseconds and the conduction angle range was between 20~ and 150~. This represents a control range of power into the heater of from 3 to 87 percent of the maximum possible power.
It was indicated early in this specification that the invention can be used in airport security systems. FIG. 4 illustrates one way in which the invention an be so used.
The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a first corridor having a first revolving door located therein, a second revolving door adjacent said first revolving door and located in or at the end of a second corridor, under normal circumstances said second revolving door being locked in a position preventing entry to said second corridor and said first revolving door being rotatable to permit a person to travel along said first corridor, an alarm system according to the present invention located in or near the swept region of said first revolving door at or near the entry point thereof, said system being operative, upon detection of a gun-metal object, to allow said first revolving door to rotate to a position where the person carrying the metal object cannot proceed in either direction along said first corridor and to lock said first revolving door in that position while rendering said second revolving door rotatable, whereby access to said second corridor is available to said person.
Passengers about to board an aircraft leave the passenger lounge 210 and proceed along a first corridor 31 to their aircraft_ A ticket checking point 33 may be included in or near the corridor 31, but this is not an essential feature of the invention. A revolving door 34 is located in corridor 31, and alongside it is a second revolving door 35. Revolving door 35 is at the end of a second corridor 36 and under normal circumstances is held locked in the position shown in the drawing, thus preventing access to corridor 36 from corridor 31 through revolving door 35. Revolving door 34 is rotatable and as long as the alarm system is not actuated, passengers can pass through revolving door 34 and continue along corridor 31. Corridor 36 need not be parallel to corridor 31.
In the dashed-outline region D is located, in the ceiling and floor of the corridor, sets of transmitting and receiving coils of the type referred to earlier in this specification. A person carrying a gun or metal object made out of gun metal who walks between the sets of coils will influence the coupling between the transmitting and receiving coils and will trigger an alarm. In the present invention, along with any conventional alarm response (such as flashing a light, taking a photograph, recording events photographed by a T.V. camera), the triggering of the alarm causes the lock to be removed from revolving door 35 and causes revolving door 3d to become locked to prevent the person triggering the alarm from continuing along corridor 31, i.e., to become locked in the position shown in the drawing with the person (a potential hijacker) required to use revolving door 35 and enter corridor 36 to leave the revolving door region. Once the revolving door 36 has rotated a quarter turn and the potential hijacker has left the region swept by revolving door 34, revolving door 36 is again locked, revolving door 34 is released and travel along corridor 31 can be resumed.
It is preferable, to minimize the disturbance to the flow of passengers along corridor 31, to have revolving door 34 slow down to its locking position rather than stop abruptly. To facilitate this, wall 37 projects intocorridor 31. The slowing down of revolving door 34 when the alarm is triggered begins when the potential hijacker is effectively held in revolving door 34 by wall 37. At this point, or shortly thereafter, suitable messages can be relayed, for example by loud-speakers, to passengers in corridor 31 approaching revolving door 34.
A portable version of this embodiment of the invention can also be constructed for use with individual aircraft, with corridors 31 and 36 becoming entry and non-entry paths for the aircraft.
In all embodiments of the invention, it is preferred to have oscillators HFO and LFO in the form of oscillators having their frequencies controlled by tuning forks. Another preferred feature is the continuous checking that the power supply, oscillators, pulse generator, coils, receivers and flux meter are all functioning, if one integer of the invention should fail, then a different type of alarm will be given to advise the malfunction to an operator. An indication of the mass of steel detected by the alarm system may also be included, such indication typically including a meter approximately calibrated for small pistols, large pistols, small rifles and larger firearms.
It is to be understood that embodiments of the invention have been described in this specification and variations can be made and. still be within the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims. For example, use of microelectronic techniques may, in the future, permit an alarm system incorporating the present invention to be made of a size sufficient to be carried by one person.
I claim:
1. A metal detection and alarm systcm comprising a region through or over which a person currying a metallic object must pass; a first and second oscillator coupled, respectively, to a first and second transmitting I coil, each said coil being adapted to produce signals within mid region; a first and second receiving coil each responsive to signals within said region and coupled to a first and second receiver, respectively; said first oscillator being adapted to produce a iow audio- 2 frequency signal, said second oscillator being adapted to produce a high audio-frequency signal, said first and
second receivers being toned to the frequency of the signals of said first and second oscillators, respectively; a pulse generator adapted to supply D.C. pulses to a 2 magnetic field producing coil to produce a magnetic field within said region, and a third receiving coil coupled to a magnetic flux detector;, each of said receivers and said magnetic flux detector being adapted to produce an output signal to be either fed into a logic 3 circuit capable of comparing each said output signal with a respective reference signal or used to actuate a switching device; said logic circuit producing a signal
when there is a departure of at least two of said output signals from their respective reference signals or said switching devices providing an output signal on actuation of at least two of said switching devices, said signal from said logic circuit or said switching devices causing actuation of an alarm.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which said Iowaudio-frequency is a frequency in the range 16 Hz. To 5,0OO Hz., said high audio-frequency is in the range 5,000 Hz. to 20,000 Hz., and said D.C. pulses are generated at a rate of from one to 16 pulses per second.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2, in which said third receiving coil is disconnected from said magnetic flux detector while one of said D.C. pulses is applied to said magnetic field producing coil and is re-connected to said magnetic flux detector on the termination of the poise.
4. A system as claimed in claim 3, in which said region comprises a doorway.
5. A system as claimed in claim 4 in which said doorway comprises an entrance including a revolving door having transparent, bullet-proof panels, said revolving door being located between curved side walls, actuation of said alarm being effective to lock said revolving door in a position where a person carrying said metallic object is trapped between two of said panels and one of said side walls.
6. A system as claimed in claim S, in which said revolving door can rotate in ~ single direction and the side wall alongside which a person must pass on caving through side doorway is terminated short of its normal said alarm to leave the proximity of said doorway.
7. A system as claimed in chaimed 5, in which said side 5 walls each extend around more than one quarter the circumference of the area swept out by said revolving door and each contain a snudl door therein which is openable when a person is trapped in the quadrant including said other side wall.
8. A system as claimed in claim 6, in which the side wall alongside which a person entering through said doorway must pass has therein a small openable rngion through which a person trapped by actuation of saki alarm can pass the metal object which has actuated saki alarm.
9. A system as claimed in claim 7, in which said side walls each have a small openable region through which a person trapped by actuation of said alarm can pass the metal object which has actuated the alarm.
10. 10. A system as claimed in claim S, in which said revolving door and said side walls are non-metallic.
11. A system as claimed in claim S, in which at least one of said coils is formed in a vertical plane and has one side located in the center of a spindle upon which 5 the panels of said revolving door arc mounted.
12. A system as claimed in claim I in which said coils, said Oscillators, said pulse generator and said magnetic flux detector arc all located within a constant temperature enclosure.
13. A system as claimed in claim I, in which said region includes a first revolving door located in a first passageway, a second revolving door being located adjacent said first revolving door in or at the end of a second passageway, said second revolving door being 5 normally locked, actuation of said Mann causing said first revolving door to be locked and said Second revolving door to be unlocked no that a person carrying said metal object is forced to enter said second passageway.
14. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which said metallic object comprises an object made of high carbon content steel of the type of which firearms are made.