Improvements in or relating to Manholes or Covers therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Manholes or Covers therefor.
I, JOHN JONES, of 40, Sydney Street, in the County of Middlesex, Sanitary
Specialist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide manholes or covers therefor, which
will afford ventilation and also carry off the water whether of condensation or
otherwise, the invention being particularly applicable to the inspection of cham-
bers of telephone or other wires, though it may be used for other purposes.
In carrying out the invention I form the frame or box of any suitable shape,
and with a cover provided with ventilation holes. Inside this cover, and either
secured to it or separate, I have an inner cover slanting downwards towards the
edges which rest in a channel or gutter, formed preferably upon the inside of the
walls or box: the second cover is also provided with apertures through it for ven-
tilation purposes. One or more holes or equivalent are provided. so as to drain
the before-mentioned channel or gutter, the drainage being either carried by one
or more suitable pipes or channels to the drainage system of the road or other
place, or being allowed to escape into the surrounding earth. In the latter case
a projecting flange may be employed to protect the brickwork or masonry upon
which the whole cover is placed.
The gutter may be so shaped as to carry the water to one corner or part so that
a single pipe or opening may be employed to remove the wliole of it.
The removable cover may be recessed upon its upper surface so as to receive
cement, indiarubber, asphalte or other suitable material.
The part or parts where the cover rests upon the frame may be provided fitted
with lead, rubber or other relatively soft or noiseless surface, so that the shaking
or chattering which frequently occurs with manhole covers as at present con-
structed, may be avoided.
Dated this 15th dow of Avon 1808
Improvements in or relating to Manholes or Covers therefor.
I, JOHN JONES, of 40, Sydney Street, in the County of Middlesex, Sanitary
Specialist, 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 anl
by the following statement;-
-
In the specification of prior Letters Patent No. 16455 of 1889 granted to me

page_text: '
I have described improvements in or relating to the covers of man-hole ani
similar openings, whereby the liquid formed by condensation on the man-hole
cover is utilized for automatically making a gas-tight seal around its edges; the
object of the present invention may be regarded as the converse of the object
of the said prior invention for it is the provision of man-holes or covers therefor
which are such as to prevent the possibility of any seal being formed, and to
afford ventilation and also carry off the water whether of condensation or other-
wise; this invention is particularly applicable to the inspection chambers of tele-
phone or other wires, though it may be used for other purposes.
any suitable
In carrying out the present invention I form the frame or box of
shape, and with a cover provided with ventilation holes. Inside this cover, and
either secured to it or separate, I have an inner cover, domed or slanting down-
wards, preferably on its upper as well as its under surface, towards the edges
which rest in a channel or gutter, formed preferably upon the inside of the walls
or box the second cover is also provided with apertures through it for ventilation
purposes. One or more holes or equivalent are provided so as to drain the before-
mentioned channel or gutter, the drainage being either carried by one or more
suitable pipes or channels to the drainage system of the road or other place, or
being allowed to escape into the surrounding earth. In the latter case a pro-
jecting flange may be employed to protect the brickwork or masonry upon which
the whole cover or mounting is placed.
The gutter may be so shaped as to carry the water to one corner or part so that
a single pipe or opening may be employed to remove the whole of it.
The removable upper cover may be recessed upon its upper surface so as to
receive cement, indiarubber, asphalte or other suitable material.
The part or parts where the cover rests upon the frame may be provided with
lead, rubber or other studs or supports having a relatively soft or noiseless sur-
face so that the shaking or chattering which frequently occurs with manhole
covers as at present constructed, may be avoided.
The accompanying drawings illustrate one construction of a complete man-
hole mounting according to this invention,
Figure 1 being a plan thereof,
Figure 2 a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and
Figure 3 a view similar to Figure 1 except that the upper cover is removed
and that a portion of the slanting inner cover is broken away.
The frame A is provided with a gutter A', bounded on one side by the outer
wall of the frame and on the opposite side by the flange A2, which surrounds the
central opening A³ (Figure 3). A pipe connection A constitutes a drain
which conducts away any water which may get into the gutter A'.
The upper cover B is received into a rebate A5 formed in the frame A and has
ventilation holes B₁ in it; it is recessed, as shown in Figure 2, to receive a fill-
ing C of cement, indiarubber, asphalte or the like, and the ventilation openings
are provided with flanges B2 extended upward through the filling.
Below the upper cover B is an inner cover D with its upper surface sloped as
indicated in Figure 2; it has ventilation apertures D' in it and extends to the
gutter A, in which its flanges D³ rest.
In the frame A are sockets As each containing a stud A' of say lead, the
cover B being supported at its underside upon the upper ends of these studs,
which have a relatively soft or noiseless surface on which it beds itself so that
the shaking or chattering above referred to is obviated.
The projecting flange referred to in the earlier portion of this specification is
indicated by chain lines As in Figures 1 and 2, it might however extend later-
ally instead of vertically.
From the drawing it will be clearly seen that ample ventilation is provided
for by the holes B' ', which are arranged out of alignment with each, other, and
that any moisture which gets through the cover B by the openings B will not
be able to have access to the holes. D' but will be received in the gutter A and

page_text: drained off by the drain A4, together with any moisture which collects on the top
of the inner cover ) and gravitates down along its slanting surface into the
gutter: thus there is no risk of rain or surface water getting, by one of the open-
ings B or otherwise, past the flange A² of the mounting and into the central
aperture A3, whilst at the same time free ventilation of the interior by way of
the opening A is preserved. As an alternative the studs or supports such as A
forming a relatively soft buffer between the cover B and the frame A might be
held in that cover A instead of, as shown, in the frame.
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. In a manhole mounting or the like the combination of an upper cover such
as B having ventilation holes in it a frame such as A provided with a gutter and
drain and an inner cover such as 1) which has ventilation-apertures in it and
extends to the gutter substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a ventilated manhole-mounting the combination with a gutter and drain
of a ventilating domed cover for the purpose of carrying off the condensation
and leakage water in the manner described, while allowing free ventilation.
3. In a ventilated manhole-mounting the employment of a ventilating domed
cover for the purpose of carrying off the condensation and leakage water while
allowing free ventilation.
4. In a manhole-mounting or the like studs or supports with the aid of which
the cover B can bed itself in the frame substantially as and for the purpose
described.
5. The complete ventilated manhole-mounting substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.