An Improvement in the Ventilation of Sewer Entrance Covers, and other Covers for Drainage or other Works.
Year: 1895

page_text: An Improvement in the Ventilation of Sewer Entrance Covers, and
other Covers for Drainage or other Works.
I, WILLIAM HOWARD MORGAN, Civil Engineer of Shiere, near Guildford, Surrey,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in the method of using manhole covers,
lamphole covers, side entrance covers, and other covers, as ventilating, or non-
ventilating covers.
The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the cover can be
utilized as a ventilator to allow accumulated sewer gas egress, or as a non-
ventilator, should such escape of gas from any cause be objectionable.
I effect this in the following manner, and in order that the invention may be
fully understood, I do now describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which Figs. 1. 2. & 3. are views of one form of my improved
construction in the matter of ventilation of sewer entrance covers. Fig. 1. is a
section of a galvanized wrought iron plate A. A. made of a suitable diameter to fit
in the frame of the manhole cover, and rest upon the flange of same.
The centre of the plate A A is cut out to a diameter to suit the dirt box underneath
and four bars or arms B. B. B. B. projecting from the inner rim, and slightly depressed
below the plane of A A are rivetted to a centre plate C.
Through the centre of this plate passes a bolt E screwed at both ends, and at the
upper end prolonged on a smaller diameter at F. terminating in an ordinary
rounded end with a hole in it through which passes the ring G; on the upper
screw thread is a fly nut D constructed of gun metal or other suitable material,
whilst the lower thread has on it the lock nuts H and K which gripping the
bottom plate of the dirt box, help to support it centrally by the bolt E.
The lock nut H is of peculiar construction and is more closely shewn in Fig. 3
in this figure it will be seen the nut is square on plan and has four small
holes L. L. L. L. at the corners through which rivets are passed whereby the bottom
of the box is securely rivetted to the cast iron boss. The centre of the boss
extends beyond the thickness of the plate and the outside locknut K screws up
tight against this leaving an annular space of about "between its face and
the bottom of the box, in addition to this channel ways are cast in the boss H as
shewn by the dotted lines on plan and by these means four continuous channel
ways are formed from the interior of the box to the exterior by the reason of the
hole in the dirt box being round and that part of the boss that projects through
being square by these means any accumulations of water in the dirt boxes are able
to soak away through these outlets. When the dirt box is in the open position it
rests on the four bracket arms N. N.
Having now described the construction, the method of action will be as follows :-

page_text: upper edge of the dirt box X and the underside of the plate A. A. and thence
up through the grating in cover to the air.
2ND. WHEN COVER IS TO ACT AS A NON-VENTILATOR.
To accomplish this it is necessary to first take off the cover and then take hold
of the ring G. by one hand and lift up bodily the fly nut D. will remain on the
plate C. until it comes in contact with the screw thread on E. when it will be
lifted then with the free hand screw D. down until it touches plate C. when the
whole apparatus can then be let go of, the feather edge of the dirt box will now he
very close to the underside of the plate A. A. and by giving D. a few turns the
aforesaid feather edge can be brought to bear with a considerable amount of
pressure against A. A. thereby hermetically sealing the cover against any escape of
sewer gas.
The accompanying drawings and above description are merely intended as being
descriptive of the method I intend to employ, but at the same time I may vary the
form, shape, size and materials of the said apparatus as it seems necessary and
advisable, keeping only the general principle the same.
In actual practice it may seem advisable to have some cap arrangement or other
protection to prevent the screw thread and gun metal nut D. from becoming clogged
with dirt.
Dated this 5th day of December 1895.
An Improvement in the Ventilation of Sewer Entrance Covers, and
other Covers for Drainage or other Works.
I, WILLIAM HOWARD MORGAN Civil Engineer of Shiere, near Guildford in the
County of Surrey 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 :-
My invention relates to an improvement in the method of using manhole covers,
lamphole covers, side entrance covers, and other covers as ventilating or non-
ventilating covers.
The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the cover can be
utilized as a ventilator to allow accumulated sewer gas egress, or as a non-
ventilator should such escape of gas from any cause be objectionable.
I effect this in the following manner and in order that the invention may be
thoroughly understood 1 do now describe same with reference to the drawings left
with the Provisional Specification of which Figs. 1. 2. 3. 4 are views of one
form of my improved construction in the matter of ventilation of sewer entrance
covers.
Fig. 1. is a section of a galvanized wrought iron plate A A made of suitable
diameter to fit in the frame of the manhole cover and rest upon the flange
of same.
The centre of the plate is cut out to a diameter to suit the dirt box underneath
vide Fig. 2. and four bars or arms B. B. B. B. projecting from the inner rim, and
slightly depressed below the plane A A. are rivetted to a centre plate C.
Through the centre of this plate passes a bolt E (Fig. 2) screwed at both ends,
and at the upper end prolonged on a smaller diameter at G terminating in an
ordinary rounded end with a hole in it through which passes the ring G ; on the

page_text: upper screw thread is a fly nut D constructed of gun metal or other suitable
material, whilst the lower thread has on it the lock nuts H & K which gripping
the bottom plate of the dirt box help to support it centrally by the bolt E.
The lock nut H is of peculiar construction and is more closely shewn in Fig. 3.
In this figure it will be seen the nut is square on plan and has four small
holes L. L. L. L. at the corners through which rivets are passed whereby the bottom
of the box is securely rivetted to the cast iron boss.
The centre of the boss extends beyond the thickness of the plate and the outside
lock nut K screws np tight against this, leaving an annular space of about inch
between its face and the bottom of the box, in addition to this channel ways are
cast in the boss H. as shewn by the dotted lines on plan and by these means four
continuous channel ways are formed from the interior of the box to the exterior
by reason of the hole in the dirt box being round, and that part of the boss which
projects through being square, by these means any accumulations of water in the
dirt box are able to soak away through these outlets. When the dirt box is in the
open position it rests on the four bracket arms N. N. N. N.
Having now described the construction the method of action will be as follows :—
Having now described the construction the method of action will be as follows :—
1ST. WHEN COVER IS TO ACT AS A VENTILATOR.
Then the position of the dirt box will be resting on the bracket arms N. N. N. N.
and there will be a free passage for the accumulated gases to pass away between the
upper edge of the dirt box and the underside of the plate A A. & thence up through
the grating in cover to the air.
2ND. WHEN THE COVER IS TO ACT AS A NON-VENTILATOR.
To accomplish this it is necessary to first take off the cover and then take hold
of the ring G by one hand and lift up bodily, the fly nut D will remain on the
plate C until it comes in contact with the screw thread E, when it will be
lifted. Then with the free hand screw D down until it touches plate C when the
whole apparatus can be let go of, the feather edge of the dirt box will now be
very close to the underside of the plate A A, and by giving D a few turns the
aforesaid feather edge can be brought to bear with a considerable amount of
force against A A thereby hermetically sealing the cover against any escape of
sewer gas.
The screw thread E and gunmetal nut D can be protected from clogging by dirt by
means of a simple cap or thimble arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. An improved method of ventilating of sewer entrance and other covers, or
sealing them by the utilizing of the dirt pan virtually as set forth.
2. That whether the dirt box is placed for ventilating or non ventilating there is
always a receptacle for the dirt below the grating of the cover.
3. The whole apparatus being self-contained is adaptable to existing covers.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1896.
WILLIAM HOWARD MORGAN.