Vehicle access control system

Claim 1

A failsafe system for protecting a facility from unauthorized entry by a road vehicle, the system including: an enclosing vehicle-impervious barrier for surrounding the perimeter of the facility, at least one controlled entry and exit vehicle lane for road vehicles extending through the barrier at a predetermined location, the lane including: plural spaced apart fixed lane delineation means for defining the right and left boundaries of the lane through the barricade, the lane delineation means being reinforced, slightly wider than the widest of road vehicles authorized access to the facility and of a height above a road surface of the lane for effectively blocking and preventing travel of a road vehicle except over the surface of the lane between the right and left boundaries thereof, the delineation means including physical obstructions for constraining vehicular traffic to a predetermined passageway adjacent said facility, a series of operably releasable reinforced barricades placed in the lane, each barricade having an obstruction position effective to block vehicle movement therebeyond, the barricades being arranged successively in the lane, so that if a first barricade in its obstruction position is passed by an unauthorized vehicle, a second barricade in its obstruction position remains in its path, and if the second barricade in its obstruction position is passed, a third barricade in its obstruction position remains in its path, a series of prime movers, each prime mover being connected to operate a said barricade so that it may be released and withdrawn under positive control from its obstruction position; the system further including integrated controller means for controlling the operations of the prime movers so that the barricades may be emplaced in their obstruction positions and may be released from their obstruction positions to enable a single authorized vehicle at a time to pass said barricades, the integrated controller means being adapted to emplace and maintain the barricades in their respective obstruction positions in a failsafe mode in the absence of a control signal generated to permit passage over the lane by an authorized vehicle; and, a bullet-proof observation booth that houses the primary controls for the entire security system and from which an operator may see all vehicular traffic approaching and entering said lane and from which said single controller means may be controlled.