Improvements in and relating to Man-holes and Man-hole Covers for Underground Conduits and Culverts, Transformer Chambers, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 14th Dec., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Man-holes and Man-hole Covers
for Underground Conduits and Culverts, Transformer Chambers,
and the like.
"
"..
GEORGE HENRY COTTAM of the Electricity Works, Westwood, Hanley Park
Hanley, Staffordshire, Electrical Engineer do hereby..declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
: 1:
This invention relates to improvements in and 'connected with man-holes," and
covers and seatings for man-holes, junction boxes, draw boxes, test boxes, ventilating
pipes, or the like, communicating with any system of underground conduits or
culverts employed as recepticles for electric conductors, or for transforlifer
chambers, and other purposes: and consists in so constructing and arranging, such
man-holes and their covers that while ingress of water to the conduits or culverts
is prevented, free egress is allowed to the gases collecting in the said conduits or
culverts.
:
According to one method of carrying out my invention a man-hole cover or lid
provided with a series of holes passing through it at or near its edge has formed on
its under side one or more rows of inclined super-posed and overlapping gills or
deflecting plates, or lattice vanes, constructed and arranged in such a manner
relatively to the holes in the cover that water passing through the said holes falls
on the inclined gills or plates and is deflected by them into a channel or gutter
formed on and around the inner surface of either the cast metal frame upon which
the cover or lid rests, or its sustaining walls said channel or gutter leading to ind
Leing in communication with the drain. Thus it is that while water is prevented
by the said deflecting plates from reaching the culvert, the gases collecting therein
are allowed a free passage for escape hetween the said overlapping plates and
thence through the holes in the cover or lid to the outer atmosphere.
In another class of man-hole ventilating cover made in accordance with this
invention, the ventilator may take the shape preferably of a circular grid placed
at or about the centre of the man-hole cover and having on its under side the
deflecting plates, which in such case take the form of a series of superposed funnel
shaped vessels or tubes tapering downward and passing one within the other but
with air spaces between them. Water passing through the grid in the man-hole
cover falls into and within these funnel shaped vessels and is conducted thereby to
a drain situated at or about the centre of the man-hole.
Dated this 18th day of December 1894..

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Man-holes and Man-hole Covers
for Underground Conduits and Culverts, Transformer Chambers,
and the like.
GEORGE HENRY COTTAM, of Hampstead Vestry Electric Works, Lithos
Road, Finchley Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained-in-and-by the following statement :-..
"This invention relates to improvements in and connected with manhòles aud
covers and seatings for manholes, junction boxes, draw boxes, test boxes, ventilating
pipes, or the like communicating with any system of underground conduits or
culvents employed as receptacles for electric conductors or for transformer
chambers and other purposes, and has for its object to prevent ingress of water to
the conduits or culverts whilst allowing free egress to the gases collecting in the
.said. conduits.on culverts,.and.consists of a ventilated cover or fitting for closing a
manhole or underground dry chamber comprising a perforated cover, a water
.collecting chamber for conduit supported within.the.manhole or dry chamber sand
adapted to receive all water passing through the perforations and a waste,pipe
adapted to drain. the water collecting chamber or conduit.
According to one method of currying out my invention,a manhole cover or lid
provided with a series of holes. passing through it.ator.near its edge has .formed
on its under side one or more rows of inclined superposed and overlapping gills.or.
deflecting plates.or lattice vanes constructed and arranged in such manner
relatively to the holes in the cover that water passing through the said holes falls
on the inclined gills or plates and is deflected by them into a chanuel or gutter
formed on and around the inner surface of either the cast metal frame upon which
the cover or lid rests or its sustaining walls said channel or gutter leading to and
being in communication with the drain. Thus it is that while water is prevented
by the said deflecting plates from reaching the culvert, the gases collecting therein
are allowed a free passage for escape between the said overlapping plates and thence
through the holes in the cover or lid to the outer atmosphere.
In another class of manhole ventilating cover made in accordance with this
invention the ventilator may take the shape preferably of a circular grid placed at
or about the centre of the manhole cover and having on its under side the
deflecting plates which in such case take the form of a series of superposed funnel
shaped vessels or tubes tapering downwards and passing one within the other but
with air spaces between them. Water passing through the grid in the manhole
cover falls into and within these funnel shaped vessels.and is conducted thereby to
a drain situated at.or about the centre of the manhole.
The accompanying sheets of drawings show various ways of carrying this
invention into practical effect.
Fig. 1 shows in vertical section. a. manhole frame and lid. The water collecting
conduit a is cast on the inner face of the manhole frame b and is vertically under-
neath the holes o in the cover d. Deflecting vanese are cast in one piece with the
cover d and ensure that none of the water passing through the holes c goes to
the manhole M. A drain pipe f leads from the conduit a and serves to drain the
same.
In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the water collecting conduit a is cast on the
inner face of the manhole frame b. The cover d is provided with air holes c and
suspended from the cover immediately under the said holes is a deflecting vano /
that guides all water dropping through the holes to the collecting conduit a.
The
vanes e ensure that no water passes into the manhole M and are made of sheet
'

page_text: metal and supported by projections: cast on the rinner tedge of the "collecting
conduit a. The drain pipe fisreast in one with the frame.b.
In the modification-shown in Fig. 3 the water collecting conduita isma separate
casting fixed in the manhole. The holes in the cover dare formed of small
tubes passing through asphalte or the like filling up the dished or recessed
cover d. The deflecting vanes and e are stamped from sheet metal..the upper
vane h being left a complete dish whilst the lower onere has the centre cut out.
The lower vane e is supported by means of projections from the conduita and is
provided with an inner channel m to-collect any water splashed or blown over the
vanes, the collected water passing to the conduit a through the holes n. The
uppervane has secured to it an inner vane ' that enters the splash channel m.
The upper vane is supported by cross-pieces o connecting the vanes h h¹ and resting
on the upper edge of the lower vane e.
In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the lower vane e is cast with lugs.p
that rest
on the inner edge of the conduit a. The upper vaue has attached to it distance
pieces that rest on the lower vane e.
•
In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the collecting couduit a is formed as a
separate removable casting so that a clear way can be obtained down the manhole.
The spout or mouths is cast in one with the conduit a and opens into the bell
mouth of the drain pipe f. The air holes c are cast as shown in the cover d.
In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the vanes &¹ are built together to form a
self contained ventilator having internal splash vanes previously referred to
adapted to rest on the edge of the water conduit around the manholes such as
shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and which may be bodily removed from the said
manhole.
In the modification shown in section in Fig. 6, and plan in Fig. 7 the collecting
chamber a is shown surrounding the manhole so that the manhole is free without
removing any part except the cover d. It is formed by making the frame 6 of
☐-section covered by removable gratings c held down in place by the cover d.
The collecting chamber a is also shallow and the pipe fmay in some instances be
arranged to discharge into the gutter instead of into the sewer and so avoid
considerable expense.
The deflecting vane e is shown cast in one piece with the frame.
In the modification shown in Fig. 8 the water collecting conduit a is cast on the
manhole frame b and the vanese made of sheet metal in the form of frustrums of
cones are supported on three or more brackets v bolted to the cover d. The
holes c are cast in the cover and are directly over the conduit a. Fig. 9 shows a
slight modification of Fig. 8 in which the holes c are larger and an upper vane h
guides the water to the conduit a. The vanes and e are supported centrally from
the cover d.
Fig. 10 shows a modification in which the water collecting conduit a is arranged
centrally. The upper vane is funnel shaped and rests on the edge of the manhole
frame & and is retained in place by the cover d. The lower vane e is supported
from a central bolt as clearly shown and the upper vane is provided with projectious
resting on the lower vane.
The modification shown in Fig. 11 is similar to that shown in Fig. 10 the upper
vane being in this modification cast in one with the cover d.
Having now particularly described aud ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tiou and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what. I
claim is:
1. A ventilated cover or fitting for closing a manhole or underground dry
chamber, consisting of a perforated cover, a water collecting chamber supported
within the manhole or underground chamber and adapted to receive all water
passing through the perforations and a waste pipe adapted to drain the water
collecting chamber or conduit substantially as described.
2. A ventilated cover or fitting for closing a manhole or underground dry

page_text: chamber consisting of a perforated cover, a water collecting chamber or conduit
supported within the manhole or underground chamber, deflecting plates or channels
within the manhole above the water chamber or conduit and adapted to lead all
water passing through the perforations towards the water chamber or conduit, and
a waste pipe adapted to drain the water chamber or conduit, substantially as
described.
3. The ventilated cover or fittings for manholes or underground dry chambers
substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 20th day of September 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.