IMPROVEMENTS IN CELLAR COVERS AND COAL PLATES to be as follows
Year: 1885

page_text: We WILLIAM HAYWARD and WILLIAM ECKSTEIN both of Union Street Borough
London S.E. Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CELLAR COVERS AND COAL PLATES to be as follows:-
"3
The object of our invention is to provide a simple automatic apparatus for
securing cellar covers or coal plates which will not be liable to be rendered
unserviceable by corrosion or ill usage.
We provide on the under side of the coal plate or cover a pair of sliding bolts-
they are placed side by side and are kept in place by four guides projecting
beneath the plate. These guides form two pairs diametrically opposite to each
other. Each pair of guides carries a pin or pivot on which a cranked lever is
able to turn. One arm of the lever is upright and the bolts rest upon it, the
other arm is horizontal and at the centre of the plate a weight is suspended from
it. One weight serves for both levers and it is kept in place between projections
on the ends of the levers.
The upright arms of the levers enter between lugs on the under side of the
bolts each lever in this way controls the bolt to which it appertains so that when
the weight with the arms on which it hangs descends it shoots out both the bolts
so that lugs upon them protrude beneath the frame into which the coal plate or
cover fits. On the other hand when the weight is lifted the bolts are drawn back
and release the plate. The heads of the bolts are inclined so that when the plate
or cover is placed upon the frame to which it fits the bolts automatically recade
and allow the plate or cover to descend to its place and when it is in place the
bolts immediately return and secure it.
The arrangement may be varied by applying the weight to an arm turning upon
an axis carried by lugs projecting centrally from the coal plate or cover on its
under side. The bolts slide through guide passages in lugs on the plate and by
connecting links they are attached to the boss of the lever on opposite sides. As
before when the weight falls both bolts are projected and when the weight is lifted
the bolts are drawn back. In either case the weight is easily lifted to allow of the
plate or cover being removed. Even when the cellar is full this may readily be
done by pushing the weight and the plate upwards with a stick or in any other
simple and convenient manner.
Or in place of sliding bolts latches turning on pivots may be employed and
which in like manner by a weight attached to them or it may be by their own
weight are caused to engage beneath the frame into which the coal plate or cover
fits.

page_text: We, WILLIAM HAYWARD and WILLIAM ECKSTEIN both of Union Street Borough
London, S.E. Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CELLAR COVERS AND COAL PLATES" 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 simple automatic apparatus for
securing cellar covers or coal plates which will not be liable to be rendered
unserviceable by corrosion or ill usage.
We provide on the under side of the coal plate or cover a pair of sliding bolts-
they are placed side by side and are kept in place by four guides projecting beneath
the plate. These guides form two pairs diametrically opposite to each other. Each
pair of guides carries a pin or pivot on which a cranked lever is able to turn. One
arm of. the lever is upright and the bolts rest upon it, the other arm is horizontal
and at the centre of the plate a weight is suspended from it. One weight serves
for both levers and it is kept in place between projections on the ends of the
levers.
The upright arms of the levers enter between lugs on the under side of the
bolts each lever in this way controls the bolt to which it appertains so that
when the weight with the arms on which it hangs descends it shoots out both
the bolts so that lugs upon them protrude beneath the frame into which the coal
plate or cover fits. On the other hand when the weight is lifted the bolts are
drawn back and release the plate. The heads of the bolts are inclined so that
when the plate of cover is placed upon the frame to which it fits the bolts
automatically recede and allow the plate or cover to descend to its place and when
it is in place the bolts immediately return and secure it.
As
The arrangement may be varied by applying the weight to an arm turning upon
an axis carried by lugs projecting centrally from the coal plate or cover on its
under side. The bolts slide through guide passages in lugs on the plate and by
connecting links they are attached to the boss of the lever on opposite sides.
before when the weight falls both bolts are projected and when the weight is
lifted the bolts are drawn back. In either case the weight is easily lifted to
allow of the plate or cover being removed. Even when the cellar is full this
may readily be done by pushing the weight and the plate upwards with a stick
or in any other simple and convenient manner.
Or in place of sliding bolts latches turning on pivots may be employed and
which in like manner by a weight attached to them or it may be by their own
weight are caused to engage beneath the frame into which the coal plate or cover
'fits.
Figure 1 shews an underside view, and Figure 2 a vertical section of a cellar
cover or coal plate formed in the manner herein before first described.
A is the plate or cover. B. B. a pair of sliding bolts below the plate. C. C. guides
projecting downwards from the plate and keeping the slide bolts in place. D. D. are
crank levers, one carried by each pair of guides C. The short arms of the levers D
stand upwards and enter between lugs on the under side of the bolts whilst the

page_text: longerarms of the levers D incline downwards and cross one another their ends
are turned upwards and a pin E carrying a weight F is made to rest upon the
ends of the two arms, as shewn in Figure 2. When the weight so rests upon
the arms the bolts will, as shown, be thrust outwards and will retain the plate in
place.
The lower ends of the longer arms of the levers D pass through a slot in the
weight; the bottom of this slot forms a flat wedge, the end of one arm comes
against one side of this wedge when the bolts are shot and the other comes against
the other side, when the weight is lifted both lever arms will be turned upwards
by the wedge, and the bolts B; will so be drawn back and the plate A being so
released can be pushed or lifted up.
The heads of the bolts B, are, as shewn, inclined on their under side, so that
when the plate or cover is to be put back into its place upon the frame to which
it fits the bolts will be automatically pushed back, and when the plate is in its
place the bolts will at once return and secure it.
Figure 3 shows a vertical section of the modification in which sliding bolts B
are connected by links to opposite sides of the boss of a weighted lever arm C-
this lever turns on a pin carried by lugs D which descend from the under side of
the plate or cover.
As will be seen both bolts will be drawn inwards when the weighted arm C is
raised and will be shot outwards when it is allowed to drop-the front ends of the
bolts B are also inclined as in the former case, so that the plate or cover may be
dropped into its place and then be automatically secured by the bolts.
The vertical section Figure 4 shows the modification in which latches B turn on
pin joints C carried by lugs which project from the underside of the plate or cover,
the latches have arms B₁ extending from them which by their own weight will
turn the latches outwards but preferably we hang on to them a weight E as
shewn. In this case each arm has a slot B forined in it through which a pin D
carrying the weight E is passed so that by lifting the weight both bolts can be
simultaneously withdrawn."
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
1. Mounting upon the underside of a cellar cover or coal plate a pair of bolts
or latches thrust outwards by the action of a weight or weights substantially as
described.
2. The construction of a cellar cover or coal plate substantially as herein
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
3. The construction of a cellar cover or coal plate substantially as herein
described with reference to Figure 3.
4. The construction of a cellar cover or coal plate substantially as herein
described with reference to Figure 4.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.