IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STOP- TAP BOXES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Caleb Thomas Hill, of Heywood, in the County of Lan-
caster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STOP-
TAP BOXES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 17th January 1879, and dated the 23rd July 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Caleb Thomas Hill at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd July 1878.
CALEB THOMAS HILL, of Heywood, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STOP-TAP BOXES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
This Invention relates to the construction of the boxes or cases and covers used to
protect stop-taps or fire-plugs, and to well covers and other similar articles, the
object of the said Invention being to prevent any unauthorized person from
removing the cover, and thus gaining access to the stop-tap, fire-plug, or well.
I provide the inside of the box or case with two notches or recesses, and beneath
the cover I fit two catches (or a double catch), so formed that on turning them in
one direction they are projected into the said notches or recesses so as to lock or
fix the cover or lid in the box or case, and on turning them in the other direction
they are withdrawn from the notches or recesses and do not project beyond the
edges of the cover or lid, which can then be lifted.
In the centre of the cover or lid I form a keyhole, and I provide a key with
two bits or projections, which, when inserted in the keyhole and partially turned,
releases the catches, and the bits turning under the cover or lid, the latter can be
lifted up out of its place by the key. When the cover or lid is lifted into its place
again, the key cannot be withdrawn till it is partially turned and the bolts shot
into their recesses, so that the removal of the key is a guarantee that the cover is
properly locked.
I may here remark that one catch only may be used, if preferred, or for large
well covers three, four, or more catches may be employed; but for ordinary
stop-tap or fire-plug boxes I find a double catch answer the purpose best.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Caleb Thomas Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
January 1879.
CALEB THOMAS HILL, of Heywood, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STOP-TAP BOXES AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
This Invention relates to the construction of the boxes or cases (and the covers
thereof) used to protect stop-taps or fire-plugs, and of other similar articles, such
for instance as hydrant boxes, valve boxes, sough grids, cellar, street, or sewer man-
holes, cisterns, well covers, and so forth, the object of the Invention being to prevent
any unauthorized person from removing the cover, and thus gaining access to the
stop-tap, fire-plug, valve, cellar, well, or other place protected by the said cover.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly under-
stood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and
have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof:-
"In the annexed Drawing I have for the sake of illustration shown my Invention
as applied to an ordinary stop-tap box, the slight modifications requisite to adapt
the same to any other form of cover being so evident as to requiré no further
illustration or description.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the stop-tap box with the cover removed.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the cover in its place and locked.
Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view of the cover; and Fig. 4 is a section of the
latter with the key in its place.
I provide the inside of the box or case a, a, with two notches or recesses b, b,
and beneath the cover c, c, I fit two catches (or a double catch as at d) so formed
that on turning the same in one direction the ends thereof are projected into the
said notches or recesses b, b, so as to lock or fix the cover or lid c, c, in the box or
case a, a, and on turning the same in the other direction they are withdrawn from
the notches or recesses b, b, and do not project beyond the edges of the cover or
lid c, c, which can then be lifted.
In the centre of the cover or lid I form a keyhole e, e, and I provide a key f, f,
with one, two, or more bits or projections g, g, which, when inserted in the keyhole
c, c, and partially turned releases the catches d, d, and the bits g, g, turning the
cover or lid c, c, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, the latter can be lifted up
out of its place by the key ff. When the cover or lid c, c, is lifted into its place
again, the key ff, cannot be withdrawn till it is partially turned and the bolts d, d,
shot into the recesses b, b, so that the removal of the key f, f, is a guarantee that
the cover c, c, is properly locked.
I may here remark that one catch only may be used if preferred, or for large
well covers three, four, or more catches may be employed; but for ordinary stop-
tap or fire-plug boxes I find a double catch, as shown in the Drawing, answer the
purpose best.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,—
The application to such covers of a catch or catches operated by a key, substan-
stantially as above described and illustrated by the annexed Drawings.
\And; Secondly. I claim so arranging and constructing the catches and the key

page_text: that the cover may be lifted by means of the latter when the catches are unlocked,
but the key cannot be withdrawn from the cover until the catches are shot or locked
into their recesses.
In witness whereof, I; the said Caleb Thomas Hill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
m
TTIT T
C. T. HILL. (L.S.)