Year: 1886

page_text: We HENRY JOHN CONOLLY of 53 Hampstead Road and STEPHEN SMITH
PHILLIPS and HENRY FREDERICK GREEN both of 10 Baker Street Portman
Square all in the county of Middlesex Sanitary Engineers do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide a door for closing the manholes leading
to drains sewers and other places which shall easily quickly and very tightly close
the same while it can just as quickly be opened and removed and this door is so
formed and fitted that there will be very little danger of the same being broken or
otherwise getting out of order.
To carry out this object the manhole door consists of a flat or other plate
preferably made of cast iron and formed of a suitable size and shape and one edge
of this plate is bent sharply downwards and then curved upwards so that in
transverse section a kind of hook is formed which may extend continuously and
entirely across this edge or only partly across the same or in certain places thereon.
A suitable frame preferably also made of cast iron is constructed for this door
across one side of which and along the inner edge of the upper surface thereof is
formed a recess corresponding in shape and in other respects to the aforesaid curved
hook like edge of the plate and extending in a similar manner along this side. On
the under side of the door and all round the same at a suitable distance from the
edge thereof is secured a strip of india rubber or other suitable packing which
projects a certain desired distance beyond the surface of this under side and a
suitable shoulder is formed in the frame all round the inner side thereof on the
upper face of which shoulder the aforesaid packing can rest when the door is in
position for closing the manhole. One or more pins pass through the plate near
the side or edge thereof opposite to that on which the curved edge is made and on
each pin is mounted or cut a worm screw thread which can engage corresponding
short threads formed therefor in the proper position on the inner side of the frame
and the head of the pin is preferably flush with the upper surface of the plate
and a recess is made therein for the reception of a key by which the pin can be
turned.
The frame is secured in the proper position over the passage to the drain sewer
or other place or otherwise and the curved hook like edge of the plate being

page_text: inserted into the recess in the frame a species of hinge is created on which the door
can turn and these corresponding parts are so formed that when the door is turned
down into position for closing the manhole the upper surface of the plate at this
edge is flush with and in close proximity to the upper surface of the frame. The
screw pin or pins is or are then turned until the packing on the door is firmly and
hardly pressed against the shoulder on the frame and the manhole is rendered
perfectly tight as is desired while as the upper surfaces of the door and of the
frame thereof are flush and on the same level with each other and there are no
projections or other sources of damage such as hinges or the like there is very little
danger of this door being broken or otherwise getting out of order. Any suitable
recessed handle can be fitted whereby to lift this door when required by hand or
otherwise.

page_text: Places.
We HENRY JOHN CONOLLY of 53 Hampstead Road and STEPHEN SMITH
PHILLIPS and HENRY FREDERICK GREEN both of 10 Baker Street Portman
Square all in the county of Middlesex Sanitary Engineers 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 :-
The object of our invention is to provide a door for closing the manholes leading
to drains sewers and other places which shall easily quickly and very tightly so
close the same while it can just as easily and quickly be opened and removed and
this door is so formed and fitted that there will be very little danger of the same
being damaged or broken or otherwise getting out of order.
In order the more clearly to explain this our invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed we refer to the accompanying drawing in which we have
shewn a vertical longitudinal section of the door and of the frame thereof.
The manhole door A consists of a flat or other plate preferably made of cast iron
and formed of a suitable size and shape and one edge of this plate A is bent sharply
downwards and then curved upwards so that in cross section a kind of hook is
formed as shewn at B and this hook like edge B may extend continuously and
entirely across this edge of the plate A or only partly across the same or in certain
places thereon.
A suitable frame D preferably also made of cast iron is constructed for the door A
across one side of which and along the inner edge of the upper surface thereof is
formed a recess E corresponding to the aforesaid curved hook like edge B of the.
plate A in shape and in other respects or suitable for the same and extending in a
similar manner along this side.
On the underside of the plate A and all round the same at a suitable distance
from the edge thereof is secured a strip or a ring of india rubber or other suitable
packing F preferably by being sprung into a V-shaped groove therein as shewn
which strip or ring F projects a certain desired distance beyond the surface of this
underside and a suitable shoulder H is formed on the frame D all round the inner
side thereof on the upper face of which shoulder H the aforesaid packing F can
rest when the door is in position for closing the manhole as shewn in the drawing.
One or more pins K pass through the plate A near the side or edge thereof
opposite to that on which the curved edge is made or elsewhere as may be
desired and on each pin is a worm screw thread which can engage corresponding
short threads or a rack formed therefor in the proper position on the inner side of
the frame. It is obviously desirable that each pin should also be airtight wherefor
we preferably fit the same in the following manner as shewn in the drawing.
When the pin K is passed through the aperture in the plate A a sleeve or short
cylinder L on the outside of which is formed the required worm screw thread is
passed over the end thereof and screwed up by a nut or otherwise until any
suitable packing is compressed by this sleeve L in a collar formed therefor round
the pin K on the underside of the plate A whereby a simple but effective stuffing

page_text: box is provided as is desired and a block M on which are the required short threads
is secured in the proper position on the inner side of the frame D with which the
worm screw can engage. The head of the pin K is preferably flush with the upper
surface of the plate A and the usual or other recess is made therein for the reception
of a key by which the pin can be turned.
Any usual or suitable recessed handle can also bé fitted if desired whereby to lift
this door when required by band or otherwise.
The frame D is secured in the proper position over the passage to the drain sewer
or other place or otherwise and the curved hook like edge B of the plate A. being
inserted into the recess E of the frame D a species of loose hinge is created on which
the door can turn and these corresponding parts are so formed that when the door
is turned down into position for closing the manhole the upper surface of the plate
at this edge is flush with and in close proximity to the upper surface of the frame.
The screw pin or pins K is or are then turned until the packing F on the door is
firmly and hardly pressed against the shoulder H on the frame D and the manhole
is tightly closed by the door as is desired while as the upper surfaces of the door
and of the frame thereof are now flush and on the same level with each other and
there are no projections or other sources of damage such as hinges or the like
there is very little danger of this door being broken or otherwise getting out of
order.
When the door is opened it can obviously at once be taken right off the frame
and disconnected therewith whereby another fruitful source of accident and
breakage is removed.
We have thus described and we have shewn in the drawing extremely suitable
details of constructing and fitting this our manhole door and the frame thereof
and also very suitable shapes and forms and proportions of the same and of the
several parts thereof but we do not limit ourselves thereto for this manhole door
and the several parts thereof may be constructed and fitted and made of such
shapes and forms and proportions as may be convenient and desirable in each
particular case and always and every where the frame would be made in accordance
therewith.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
The manhole door for drains sewers and other places substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn in the accompanying drawing.