Security Gates: Old And New

Since the days of our ancient ancestors riding galloping steeds and carrying daggers for personal protection, the idea of a physical barrier between you and the outside world has been a constant. Old days towns often surrounded themselves with enormous, ten foot high walls to protect against potential invaders, these days similar precautions are taken. After all, what can make us feel safe if a nice, solid steel gate cannot?
 
Modern security gates come in many shapes, sizes, and with varying technological bells and whistles. From sliding, expanding steel contraptions to slam lock, dead bolt wonders. You may think that a security gate is much the same as the next security gate, and how very wrong you would be for thinking so.
 
You may be familiar with the old fashioned, hinged gate that simply swings into place and locks with a key. It looks solid, seems solid and is certainly made of seemingly solid metal. What you don’t know is that your average burglar could get through such a gate in about two minutes flat (depending on design.) A crow bar would be sufficient, and a bit of elbow grease.
 
 You see, the problem with security gates featuring this kind of design is that such a solid, inflexible gate is just begging to have its own structure used against it. Any long, solid device (IE; a crow bar) can easily find all the leverage it needs to simply force the dead bolt against its frame. Should the dead bolt not be capable of withstanding the force exerted, it will bend or simply snap. It’s basic physics.  
In modern times, however, there are alternatives to this dilemma. The design of the expandable, or folding, security gate was aimed at combining strength with durability.
 
A structure that is strong, but also flexible, is perfectly suited for avoiding any attempt at using the structures own strength against it. Force exerted is simple absorbed.
 
That’s not to say that this design is completely impenetrable, just that the burglar getting through it is going to be a great deal more motivated and well equipped.