IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCKETS FOR BOLTS, STUDS, VALVE BOX COVERS, AND COVERS FOR POST SOCKETS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Dowland, of No. 5, Weymouth
Street, New Kent Road, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCKETS FOR BOLTS, STUDS, VALVE BOX COVERS, AND
COVERS FOR POST SOCKETS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry
Dowland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th November 1874.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DOWLAND, of No. 5, Weymouth Street, New
Kent Road, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCKETS FOR BOLTS, STUDS, VALVE
Box COVERS, AND COVERS FOR POST SOCKETS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements in sockets for bolts, studs,
valve box covers, and covers for post sockets.
And in order that this my Invention may be readily understood
reference is made to the annexed Drawings.

page_text: A plate A of suitable size, of either cast or wrought iron, steel, brass,
gun metal, or other material, with a hole G for bolt or stud to shoot into,
and suitable projection or projections on the under side E to receive a
pin, bolt, or rivet C. A casting or forging of suitable shape and
material B is secured to A by the pin, bolt, or rivet C, and by the
counterbalance D closes the hole G. A similar arrangement of the
Invention to be applied to valve box covers in connection with gas or
water mains, also for sockets for moveable parts.
The advantages of this Invention are, simplicity of parts and not
liable to get out of order; that when the bolt, stud, key, or part are
withdrawn the hole is closed by a stop A secured to or cast with.B
coming through the hole G in plate A, thereby preventing stones, dirt,
dust, or mud getting in and stopping them up.
This Invention may be carried out in steel, iron, brass, or gun metal,
or by a combination of either, and made to screws to wood or to let
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Dowland in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY DOWLAND, of No. 5, Weymouth Street, New Kent Road, in the
County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Henry Dowland,
Her special licence that I, the said William Henry Dowland, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Henry Dowland, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of

page_text: Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCKETS FOR BOLTS, STUDS, VALVE
Box COVERS, AND COVERS FOR POST SOCKETS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Henry Dowland, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Dowland, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 consists of improvements in sockets for bolts, studs,
valve box covers, and covers for post sockets, and its advantages are
simplicity of construction of the various parts, and non-liability of
getting out of order.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
reference is made to the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 shews in section the application of my Invention to a syphon
box, and Fig. 2 a socket for bolt or stud, and Fig. 3 shews plan view
of Fig. 1.
In carrying out my Invention I make a casting or forging A, with
projections, lugs, or cars B on the under side. K is the cover, with
which is cast or forged the arm G, shewn in dotted lines, which is
attached to the projection B by a bolt or rivet C, and connected with a
counterbalance weight W at the joint D by the bolt or rivet C. O is a
spring catch to hold the cover K down when open; P, spring catch to
keep it closed.
The annexed Drawings shew the Invention full size, but it can be
made to any size and shape, according to the purpose for which it is
used.
The action is as follows:-When the bolt, stud, key, or post is with-
drawn, the hole in the plate A is closed by means of the counterbalance
weight acting on the cover K, thereby preventing stones, dirt, dust, or
mud getting in and stopping it up.

page_text: This Invention may be carried out in steel, iron, brass, or gun metal,
or by a combination of either, and made to screw to wood or to let into
stone.
This Invention may be used to cover all street boxes, such as, for
example, fire-plugs, stand pipes, and syphon boxes, and can be applied
to valve box covers in connection with gas or water mains, also for
sockets for moveable posts.
Having thus described my said Invention and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I declare that what I claim and desire to be secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improve-
ments in sockets for bolts, studs, valve box covers, and covers for post
sockets, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated on the
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Dowland, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, 1
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
fivc.
WILLIAM HY. DOWLAND. (L.S.)