Patent ID: 8956096
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: E02D,F16B

Abstract:
1. A fastening post for a utility vault cover comprising: an oblong mass of metal material with a lower end; an upper end; a side; a height dimension; an overall width dimension; a tapped hole; a drainage port, and a frame attachment means, wherein, said tapped hole is a cylindrical hole with an upper end, a lower end, an inner diameter, and a set of female threads on said inner diameter sized to accept a male threaded member used to fasten down a hatch on a utility vault cover, said height dimension is 1-25 inches, said overall width dimension is 3-30 times that of said male threaded member, said tapped hole is located on said upper end of said oblong mass with its longitudinal axis coincident with that of said oblong mass, said drainage port is a cylindrical flow channel with an upper end, a lower end, and an inner diameter that matches that of said tapped hole, said lower end of said drainage port is located on said side of said oblong mass, said upper end of said drainage port junctions or intersects with said lower end of said tapped hole to create a smooth junction between said tapped hole and said drainage port located in the interior of said oblong mass, said tapped hole and said drainage port form a junction angle that is 90-180 degrees at said smooth junction, said frame attachment means functions to rigidly attach said fastening post to a base frame of said utility vault cover with the longitudinal axis of said oblong mass pointing directly upwards, and said frame attachment means is one closed-loop continuous full-perimeter weld around said lower end of said fastening post thereby welding said fastening post to said base frame of said utility vault cover.