Improvements in or relating to the Means of Connecting or Fixing Lids or Covers over Manholes and Analogous Openings in Metal Cisterns and Tanks and like Receptacles or Holders.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left. 13th May, 1889-Accepted, 29th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Means of Connecting or Fixing
Lids or Covers over Manholes and Analogous Openings in Metal
Cisterns and Tanks and like Receptacles or Holders.
I. WALTER JONES, trading as Jones and Attwood, of Enville Street, Stourbridge in
the County of Worcester, engineer and ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object means whereby a face joint may be made between
the lid or cover and a cast metal mounting fixed to the sheet or plate metal of a cistern,
tank, or like receptacle or holder around the manhole or corresponding hole formed
through such sheet or plate metal, the means adopted for the purpose avoiding the
need for any projection of the mounting beyond the outer face of the sheet or plate
metal to which it is fixed and avoiding also the employment of stud pins which are
liable to be broken and troublesome to replace and which when employed form
prominent projections from the cistern, tank, or like receptacle or holder even when
the lid or cover is removed.
According to this invention a mounting, preferably of cast iron, has an opening
therethrough of the size of the intended manhole or analogous opening and has a
flange by which it is riveted against the inner surface of the sheet or plate metal of
the cistern, tank, or like receptacle or holder. The opening through the mounting is
of a less size than the corresponding opening through the sheet or plate metal so that
a margin of the mounting projects inwards around the opening through the sheet or
plate metal; and upon this margin is formed a face which may project outwards if
desired to be flush, or approximately so, with the face of the sheet or plate metal to
which the mounting is fixed or may project slightly beyond such face. The lid or
cover has a face which bears against the face of the mounting, and if the face of the
mounting is not formed to project forwards as described the face of the lid or cover
projects inwards sufficiently to bear against the face of the mounting when the lid is
closed in. The lid is held to the mounting by means of T-headed pins or pins formed
with heads which have a projection on one side of the pin only or with heads which
have otherwise a greater and less diameter. Each hole in the mounting to receive a
pin is formed of an outer part of the shape of a plan view of the head of a pin, and
of an inner part shaped so that when the head has entered therein the pin may be
turned a certain distance so as to bring the projecting part or parts of the head into a
widened out or enlarged part of the hole and against a stop which prevents the pin
being further turned and which therefore holds it against the twisting action
occasioned in screwing up the nut, while the head is securely held, within the enlarged
part of the hole, from being drawn out. The pin holes are not carried through to
the inner face of the mounting but are formed as blind holes so that no leakage can
take place therethrough. Upon the removal of the lid or cover the pins also may be
readily removed, if desired, or may remain in place. The part of the mounting into
which the pin holes are formed may be brought out flush, or approximately so, with
the outer face of the sheet or plate metal aforesaid, for which purpose the opening
through the sheet or plate metal is made large enough to admit such part,.or the holes
may be formed in from the face of the mounting which is against the inner face of the
sheet or plate metal aforesaid, in which case, of course, holes or notches are formed
through such sheet or plate metal to allow of the passage of the pins.
Dated this 10th dex of Anaust 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Means of Connecting or Fixing
Lids or Covers over Manholes and Analogous Openings in Metal
Cisterns and Tanks and like Receptacles or Holders.
I, WALTER JONES, trading as Jones and Attwood, of Enville Street Stourbridge
in the County of Worcester, engineer and ironfounder, 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 :-
This invention has for its object means whereby a faced joint may be made between
the lid or cover and a cast metal mounting fixed to the sheet or plate metal of a
cistern, tank, or like receptacle or holder, around the manhole or corresponding hole
formed through such sheet or plate metal, the means adopted for the purpose avoiding
the need for any projection of the mounting beyond the outer face of the sheet or
plate metal to which it is fixed, and avoiding also the employment of stud pins
which are liable to be broken and troublesome to replace, and which when employed
form prominent projections from the cistern, tank, or like receptacle or holder,
even when the lid or cover is removed.
According to this invention, a mounting, preferably of cast iron, has an opening
therethrough of the size of the intended manhole, or analogous opening, and has a
flange by which it is rivetted against the inner surface of the sheet or plate metal
of the cistern, tank, or like receptacle or holder. The opening through the mounting
is of a less size than the corresponding opening through the sheet or plate metal, so
that a margin of the mounting projects inwards around the opening through the sheet
or plate metal; and upon the margin is formed a face which may project outwards if
desired to be flush, or approximately so, with the outer face of the sheet or plate
metal to which the mounting is fixed, or may project slightly beyond such face.
The lid or cover has a face which bears against the face of the mounting, and if the face of
the mounting does not project forwards as described the face of the lid or cover projects
inwards sufficiently to bear against the face of the mounting when the lid is closed
in. The lid is held to the mounting by means of T-headed bolts, or bolts formed
with heads which have a projection on one side of the bolt only or with heads which
have otherwise a greater and less diameter. Each hole in the mounting to receive a
bolt is formed of an outer part of the shape of a plan view of the head, and of an
inner part shaped so that when the head has entered therein the bolt may be turned
a certain distance so as to bring the projecting part or parts of the head into a
widened-out or enlarged part of the hole, and against a stop or stops which prevent
the bolt being further turned and which therefore held it against the twisting action
occasioned in screwing up the nut, while the head is securely held, within the enlarged
part of the hole, from being drawn out. The bolt holes are not carried through to
the inner face of the mounting, but are formed as blind holes so that no leakage can
take place therethrough. Upon the removal of the lid or cover the bolts also may be
readily removed, if desired, or may remain in place.
This invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which figure 1 illustrates a transverse section through the centre of a
manlid fixed upon a metal cistern or tank or like receptacle or holder, and of which
figure 2 is a plan of the upper side of the mounting to which the lid is directly fixed
and shews also a portion of the sheet or plate metal of the cistern to which the
mounting is itself fixed. Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, a transverse section
through the centre of a smaller nanlid fixed to a cylindrical cistern or tank or like
receptacle, and a plan thereof; figure 5 is a corresponding view to figure 1, and
illustrates a modified form of the invention; figure 6 is an enlarged sectional plan
taken through the inner end (for example on line a x of figure 1) of one of the bolt
holes for receiving the bolts for fixing the lid.
Corresponding parts, wherever repeated throughout the views, are indicated by
the same letters of reference.

page_text: Referring first to the modification shewn by figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that
the mounting A, having an opening therethrough which forms the manhole, is fixed
to the inner side of the sheet or plate metal a, of the cistern or like receptacle, by
means of rivets or bolts b. This mounting has an upwardly projecting part c which
is faced upon the top, and such part projects through the manhole opening formed in
the sheet or plate metal. The lid B is faced to bear upon the part c, and is fixed to
the mounting A by means of bolts d (omitted in figure 2). These bolts are T-headed,
and the holes in the mounting for receiving them are formed down, for a certain
depth, of the same shape in plan as the plan of the T-head on a bolt, that is of an
oblong shape, as shewn at e; but the inrer or lower end of each hole is formed of
the shape on plan shewn by sectional view figure 6, so that the T-head f (shewn also
in section by figure 6) after being passed down the oblong portion of the hole, may
be turned axially (together, of course, with the bolt) so as to pass into a widened-out
part formed at the bottom of the oblong portion of the hole, and against stops g
which prevent it being turned further in the same direction. Bosses or lugs h are
formed on the lower side of the mounting A to admit of the bolt holes being carried
down sufficiently within the metal of the mounting. _ As will be seen by the drawings,
the bolt holes are open only at their. upper ends and do not communicate at all with
the interior of the cistern or like receptacle to which the mounting is fixed. In
figure 2 a portion only of the sheet or plate metal a is shewn, in order that the
remaining portion of the mounting (that is the portion which, in the illustration, is
not covered thereby) may be shewn by full lines. The manhole through the sheet or
plate metal is cut to such a size as will just receive the upwardly projecting part c of
the mounting. When a circular lid is employed, as shewn, the mounting cannot of
course, be inserted within the tank or like receptacle after the same has been riveted
up; it must therefore be placed within such tank or receptacle previously to the same
being completed, and it may sometimes be convenient to rivet it to the sheet or plate
to which it is to be fixed, before the latter is riveted in place. As the T-heads of
the bolts are to be turned after insertion within the holes, they are, preferably,
formed curved on their ends, as shewn by figure 6, and the holes are correspondingly
shaped.
Referring now to figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that the flange by which the
mounting A is fixed to the sheet or plate metal is formed of a curved shape to fit the
cylindrical surface to which it is fixed. This lid is shewn of a small size, and is fixed
to the mounting by two bolts only, instead of by four as in the case of the larger lid.
The number of bolts will, of course, be varied according to the size of the lid.
In the modification shewn by figure 5 the outer face of the part c is shewn to
stand down somewhat below the outer face of the sheet or plate metal of the tank or
like receptacle, and the corresponding face of the lid is consequently projected
downwards somewhat. A rebate or sinking i is also formed around the outer face of
the mounting to receive the edge of the sheet or plate metal, and it is not necessary
therefore to cut holes for the passage of the bolts & through the sheet or plate metal,
as is shewn to be the case in the modification shewn by figures 1 and 2. This latter
modification, however, may be made in this respect to correspond with the modification
shewn by figure 5.
While it is much preferred to form a faced joint between the lid and mounting (for
which the invention affords special facility) it will be obvious that other joints may
be adopted, such for instance as a rubber ring which may, if desired, be let into a
groove in the mounting or lid, or both.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, with a lid or cover for a manhole or analogous opening in a
metal cistern or tank or like receptacle or holder, of a mounting fixed inside such
cistern, tank or like receptacle or holder, and having a face projecting beyond the edge
of the hole through the sheet or plate metal of which such cistern, tank, or like

page_text: receptacle or holder, is constructed, substantially as described, for the purpose
set forth.
2. The combination, with a lid or cover for a manhole or analogous opening in a
metal cistern or tank or like receptacle or holder, of a mounting fixed inside such
cistern, tank or like receptacle or holder, and having a face projecting beyond the
edge of the hole through the sheet or plate metal of which such cistern, tank, or like
receptacle or holder, is constructed, and of bolts having T or corresponding heads as
described held within blind holes sunk into the metal of the mounting, substantially
as described, for the purpose set forth.
3. The several modifications described and shewn, of the means by which a lid or
cover is fixed over a manhole or analogous opening in a metal cistern, or tank, or
like receptacle or holder.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall, Agent for the Applicant.
•CORT COTIT TO C
OTT
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall, Agent for the Applicant.