AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING COAL PLATES, APPLICABLE TO THE SECURING OF GLAZED AREA GRATINGS, TRAP DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR COVERS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Hood, of the Firm of Hood and Son, of
King William Street, in the City of London, Iron Merchant, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING COAL PLATES, APPLICABLE
TO THE SECURING OF GLAZED AREA GRATINGS, TRAP DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
COVERS."
Sealed the 9th June 1865, and dated the 14th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Hood at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
December 1864.
I, SAMUEL HOOD, of the Firm of Hood and Son, of King William Street,
in the City of London, Iron Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING COAL PLATES APPLICABLE
TO THE SECURING OF GLAZED AREA GRATINGS, TRAP DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
COVERS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention, as far as it relates to coal plates, is to secure
them from the outside, and that in an easier and more effective manner than
is usually done by a chain and staple, or by a staple and cross bar applied
from the inside. These means of fastening from the inside are difficult to
effect when the cellar is full of coals.
My Invention consists in connecting to the under side of the plate, at two,
three, or more points, hooks or catches so formed and weighted that upon the

page_text: plate being placed on its seat the engaging part of the hooks shall be
forced outwards from the centre and take hold on the under face of the seat,
whereby the plate will be secured from being raised from the outside until the
catches are released from the inside of the cellar.
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is a
follows: I cast a coal plate with three or more flanges descending at equal
distances from the under side, at about half an inch from the outside edge,
about 2 inches wide by inch thick, more or less, and of a depth to be deter-
mined by the thickness of the stone or other seating for the plate. These
flanges are cast with two brackets to each, from which depend cast-iron
weighted catches, which are suspended to a wrought-iron pin passing through
the brackets and through the top of the catch. I make the catches heavy at
the back so that the force of gravitation causes the hook or angle piece of the
catches to project outwards, and under the stone or other seating in which
the opening to the cellar is formed. In order to prevent the plate being
turned round or rotated I cast one or more projections on the under side and
near the edge of the plate, which are made to enter apertures for their recep-
tion in the stone or seating.
The means above described of securing oval plates are applicable to all
similar plates or covers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Hood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
HOOD, of the Firm of Hood and Son, of King William Street, in the City of
London, Iron Merchants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Samuel Hood, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Hood,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Hood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD
OP SECURING COAL PLATES APPLICABLE TO THE SECURING OF GLAZED AREA GRATINGS,
TRAP DOORS, AND OTHER SIMILAR COVERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Samuel Hood, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Hood, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
The object of this Invention, as far as it relates to coal plates, is to secure
them from the outside, and that in an easier and more effective manner than
is usually done by a chain and staple, or by a staple and cross bar applied
from the inside. These means of fastening from the inside are difficult to
effect when the cellar is full of coals.
My Invention consists in connecting to the under side of the plate, at two,
three, or more points, hooks or catches so formed and weighted, that upon the
plate being placed on its seat the engaging part of the hooks shall be forced
outwards from the centre and take hold on the under face of the seat, whereby
the plate will be secured from being raised from the outside until the catches
are released from the inside of the cellar.
The manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into effect is as
follows: I cast a coal plate with three or more flanges descending at equal
distances from the under, side, at about half an inch from the outside edge,
about two and a half inches wide by one-quarter of an inch thick, more or
less, and of a depth to be determined by the thickness of the stone or other
seating for the plate. These flanges are cast with two brackets to each, from
which depend cast-iron weighted catches which are suspended to a wrought-
iron pin passing through the brackets and through the top of the catch. I
make the catches heavy at the back so that the force of gravitation causes
the hook or angle piece of the catches to project outwards, and the stone
or other seating in which the opening to the cellar is formed. In order to
prevent the plate being turned round or rotated I cast one or more projections
on the under side and near the edge of the plate which are made to enter
apertures for their reception in the stone or seating.

page_text: The means above described of securing coal plates are applicable to all
similar plates or covers..
covers.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section, and Figure 2
a view shewing my Invention applied to the under side of a coal plate. It is
the same when applied to glazed area gratings, trap doors, and other similar
A is the plate; B, B, B, are three flanges depending at equal
distances from the under side of the plate, each of these flanges is cast with
two brackets C from which depend weighted catches D suspended to pins E,
which pass through the brackets C and the top of the catch. The catches
are as before stated made heavy at back so that the force of gravitation
causes the hook of the catch to project outwards and under the seating, as
seen in Figure 1. F, F, are projections on the under side of the plate to
enter apertures made for their reception in the seating in order to prevent the
plate being turned round or rotated.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improved
Method of Securing Coal Plates applicable to the Securing of Glazed Area
Gratings, Trap Doors, and other similar Covers," connecting to the under
side of such plates, gratings, doors, and covers, two, three, or more points,
hooks, or catches arranged and acting substantially as herein-before described,
and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Hood, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-five.