IMPROVEMENTS IN ROAD SURFACE BOXES be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: I, OSWALD BROWN, of 27 Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROAD SURFACE BOXES to be as follows:-
"
With a view to enabling access to be had to valves and hydrants connected with
gas and water mains laid beneath streets, it is customary to provide and fix above
such apparatus a box furnished with a movable cover, the surface of the latter
being level with that of the road or path in which the box is placed. Such a box
is usually open at the bottom and is surrounded with a laterally extending flange
whereby the box is supported on brickwork or concrete or other firm foundation.
The movable lid of the box requires to be secured in such a manner as to prevent,
or at any rate check, attempts on the part of mischievious or malicious persons to
tamper with the apparatus, locking devices of various kinds being employed for
this purpose. Such locks materially increase the total cost of the surface boxes;
and, under the influence of grit and moisture, are very liable to derangement.
My Invention relates more particularly to an improved mode of mounting and
locking the lids or covers of such boxes; the means I employ being simple and
economical in construction and effective in operation.
Assuming, for the purpose of example, that my Invention be applied to the
rectangular pattern of surface box commonly in use ;-the lid when closed is
horizontal and rests at one end on a stop or stops, whilst its other end is mounted
on a horizontal pin passing through the two sides of the box or carried in lugs
formed on their inner faces. The hole in the lid or in lugs formed thereon-
through which the pin passes and whereby the lid is pivotted, is slotted; the
direction of the slot being vertical when the lid is closed or horizontal. There is also
formed within the box one or more projections against which notched lugs on the
under side of the lid engage when the latter is closed; these projections and
notched lugs preventing the lid turning on its pivot so long as the pin whereon
the said lid is mounted remains in the upper end of the slotted hole. When
however the pivotted end of the lid is lifted, the notched lug or lugs on the lid
pass clear of the projection or projections on the box, and the lid may then be
thrown open; the pin being during this operation in the lower end of the slot.
Upon the lid being again closed, the prominent portion or portions of the notched
lug or lugs pass clear of the projection or projections; whereupon the pivotted end

page_text: of the lid falls till the pin arrives in the upper end of the slot, the said prominent
portions of the notched lugs passing at the same time behind the projections and
preventing the lid being again opened otherwise than in the manner previously
described. For lifting the lid, I provide therein a hole through which a key or
T-ended bar may be passed; and I prefer to place this hole towards the opposite
end of the lid to that whereby it is pivotted. Thus, a person unacquainted with
the nature of the internal construction applying a direct pulling effort to the key-
hole end of the lid would fail to open the box. To attain a successful result, it is
necessary for the key to be so formed and to be used in such a manner that the
opposite or pivotted end of the lid is first lifted sufficiently to enable the notched
lugs to clear the projections; the lid is then free to partake of a vibratory motion.
Although I have described the lid or cover as being mounted on a pin carried in
the two sides of the box and passing through a slotted lug or lugs formed on the
under side of the said lid, it is obvious that the pin might be secured to the cover,
or equivalent lateral projections might be formed thereon; the extremities of the
pin or the lateral projections, as the case may be, being received in slotted holes
provided in the sides of the box.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
Agent for the Applicant,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C.

page_text: | I, OSWALD BROWN, of 27 Great George Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, 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 :-
With a view to enabling access to be had to valves and hydrants connected with
gas and water mains laid beneath streets, it is customary to provide and fix above
such apparatus a box furnished with a moveable cover the surface of the latter
being level with that of the road or path in which the box is placed: Such a box
is usually open at the bottom and is surrounded with a laterally extending flange
whereby the box is supported on brickwork or concrete or other firm foundation.
The moveable lid of the box requires to be secured in such a manner as to prevent
or at any rate check attempts on the part of mischievous or malicious persons to
tamper with the apparatus, locking devices of various kinds being employed for
this purpose. Such locks materially increase the total cost of the surface boxes;
and, under the influence of grit and moisture, are very liable to derangement.
My Invention relates more particularly to an improved mode of mounting and
locking the lids or covers of such boxes; the means I employ being simple and
economical in construction and effective in operation.
Assuming for the purpose of example that my Invention be applied to the
rectangular pattern of surface box commonly in use the lid when closed is
horizontal and rests at one end on a stop or stops whilst its other end is mounted
on a horizontal pin passing through the two sides of the box or carried in lugs
formed on their inner faces. Such a surface box is represented in the accom-
panying drawings of which Figure 1 is a plan with a portion of the cover removed,
Figure 2 a longitudinal section and Figure 3 a transverse section on the line xx
(Figure 1). Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
Figures. a is the box open at the bottom and furnished with a laterally extending
flange a' for the purpose of support. 6 is the moveable lid or cover resting at one
end on the stops c and mounted at the opposite end on a pin d carried in the sides
of the box a. The under side of the cover b is provided with lugs b¹ b¹ in which
slotted holes b² 62 are formed and through these holes the pin d passes; the
direction of the slots being vertical when the cover is closed or horizontal. There
are also formed within the box a projections e e against which notched lugs 63 63
engage. In the present design these notched lugs are obtained by continuing the
lugs bb downwards but independent lugs may be employed if preferred. Whilst
the nibs or projecting extremities of the notched lugs 68 63 are engaged behind the
projections e e and the pin d whereon the said cover is mounted remains in the
upper ends of the slotted holes 61 62, as shewn in the drawings, the cover bis
prevented turning on its pivot. When however the pivotted end of the cover b
is lifted, the nibs or projecting extremities of the notched lugs b³ ³ pass clear of
the fixed projections e e and the lid may then be thrown open; the pin d being
during this operation in the lower or opposite end of the slotted holes b² 62. Upon
the lid being again closed, the nibs or prominences on the lugs b¹ b¹ pass clear of

page_text: and behind the fixed projections e e the pivoted end of the cover b falls, the pin d
again arrives in the upper ends of the slotted holes b b and the cover is thereupon
prevented from being opened otherwise than by repeating the lifting operation
previously described. For lifting and opening the cover b, I provide therein a
hole b through which a key or T-ended-bar may be passed; and I prefer to place
this hole towards the opposite end of the cover to that whereby it is pivotted.
Thus, a person unacquainted with the nature of the internal construction, applying
a direct pulling effort at the key hole end of the cover would fail to open the box.
To attain a successful result it is necessary for the key to be so formed and to be
used in such a manner that the opposite or pivotted end of the cover is first lifted
sufficiently to enable the extremities of the notched lugs b³ ³ formed on the cover
to clear the fixed projections e e formed on the box, whereupon the lid is free to
partake of a vibratory motion.
Although I have described the cover or lid as being mounted on a pin carried
in the two sides of the box and passing through slotted lugs formed on the under-
Bide of the said cover, it is obvious that the pin might be secured to the cover or
equivalent lateral projections might be formed thereon; the extremities of the pin,
or the lateral projections, as the case may be, being received in slotted holes formed
in the sides of the box.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim
First. Constructing road surface boxes with pivotted covers in such a manner
that the cover locks itself automatically on being closed and requires to be lifted
at its pivotted end as a preliminary to being reopened.
Second. In a road surface box, the use of a cover pivotted in slotted bearings
and provided with a notched lug or lugs engaging when the cover is closed with a
projection or projections formed on the box, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 7th day of November 1885.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
Agent for the Applicant,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C.