Improvements in and connected with Testing and Junction Boxes, Manholes, and Culverts for Electric Light Mains and other purposes, and in the Covers therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1895- lccepted, 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Testing and Junction Boxes,
Manholes, and Culverts for Electric Light Mains and other
purposes, and in the Covers therefor.
D
I WILLIAM MACPHERSON of Cluny House Marquis Road Stroud Green in
the County of Middlesex Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an efficient method of ventilating
electric testing and junction boxes manholes culverts and the like so as to allow of
the escape of any gas which may leak into or be generated in the box or other
receptacle and also to prevent any condensed moisture or surface water from
accumulating therein.
Now according to this invention I provide a frame of metal or other suitable
material having a flange round the top thereof which flange rests on the top of the
brickwork, pit or other receptacle in the usual way.
Inside the frame is a channel of any suitable size and shape extending all round
the frame and may be cast in one therewith or be attached thereto by any suitable
means.
Although the channel may be of any convenient size and shape yet I prefer to
make it either or U shaped in section the inner side of the channel being
parallel to the frame. The top of the inner side of the channel is undulating or
formed with a number of depressions therein.
Or instead of the channel being or U shaped in section it may approximate
to either of these shapes having the inner side parallel to the frame and also a
turned over portion springing from any convenient part of the inner side the
turned over portion leaning towards the frame.
The inner side of the channel above the springing of the turned over portion is
perforated with slots or holes for the purpose hereinafter stated.
1 make the cover of the box or other receptacle slightly concave on the
underside to allow any moisture which may condense thereon to draw off into the
channel and if necessary a rib or flange may be formed on the underside of
the cover to cause the moisture or water to fall into the channel at any desired
point.
The cover may rest either on a recessed portion of the frame on lugs or corner
pieces cast therein or on the top of the inside of the channel.
I form a lug on one side of the cover which engages with a slot in the frame and
at the opposite side of the cover I attach to the bottom thereof a suitable bolt or
bolts normally pressed outwards by a suitable spring or springs or otherwise the
bolt or bolts also engages with a slot or slots in the frame.
1 form in the bolt or in a lug secured thereto a hole to receive a key in the form
of a tongs one prong of the tongs being placed in the hole in the bolt and the
other in the a hole in the cover. By pressing the handles of the tongs together
the bolt will be drawn back.
The cover is automatically locked as soon as it is in position in the frame.
Or as an alternative I prefer to attach to the cover two bolts at right angles to
the lug which bolts are drawn inwards by a tongs having shaped prongs as the
bolts are drawn back the prongs move in a slot in the cover and the projection on
the prongs passes under the cover or some portion thereof in such a manner that

page_text: the tongs cannot be removed from the bolts until the said bolts are shot outwards
thus ensuring the cover being locked when in position in the frame as the said
cover can only be removed from the frame and replaced therein by means of
the tongs.
The channel in the frame is preferably made to slope in all directions towards a
given point and at this point I attach one or more pipes tubes or other suitable
conduits by means of which the surface water or moisture in the channel may run
off into the street gulleys or gutters.
Any gas that may leak into or be generated in the box will pass through the
perforations or depressions on the inside of the channel and through the pipes or
conduits attached to the channel into the atmosphere thus preventing accumulations
of gas in the receptacles and the frequent dangerous explosions arising from this
cause.
Or the gas may be conveyed through suitable conduits to a reservoir or other
convenient place.
T. E. HALFORD,
11, Furnival Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Testing and Junction Boxes,
Manholes, and Culverts for Electric Light Mains and other
purposes, and in the Covers therefor.
I WILLIAM MACPHERSON of Cluny House Marquis Road Stroud Green in
the County of Middlesex Electrical 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide an efficient method of ventilating
electric testing and junction boxes manholes culverts and the like so as to allow of
the escape of any gas which may leak into or be generated in the box or other
receptacle and also to prevent surface water from accumulating therein.
Now according to this invention I provide a frame of metal or other suitable
material having a flange round the top or bottom thereof which flange rests on the
top of the brickwork pit or other receptacle in the usual way.
Inside the frame is a channel of any suitable size and shape extending all round
the frame and may be cast in one therewith or be attached thereto by any suitable
means. Although the channel may be of any convenient size and shape yet I
prefer to make it either rectangular or U shaped in section the inner side of the
channel being parallel to the frame.
The top of the inner side of the channel is undulating or formed with a number
of depressions therein. Or instead of the channel being rectangular or U shaped
in section it may approximate to either of these shapes having the inner side
parallel to the frame and also a turned over portion springing from any convenient
part of the inner side the turned over portion leaning towards the frame.
The inner side of the channel above the springing of the turned over portion is
perforated with holes or slots for the purpose hereinafter stated.
I make the cover of the box or other receptacle slightly concave on the
underside to allow moisture which may condense thereon to drain off into the
channel and if necessary a rib or flange may be formed in the underside of
the cover to cause the moisture or water to fall into the channel at any desired
point.
The cover may rest either on a recessed portion of the frame on lugs or corner
pieces cast therein or on the top of the inside of the channel.

page_text: affix to the ventilating shaft a cowl the mouth of which is presented to the wind so
as to cause a current of fresh air to pass down the ventilating shaft which may be
in communication with the channel b or with the interior of the chamber k as
shewn in dotted lines Fig. 6. Or an Archimedian screw or other ventilating
apparatus may be affixed to the shaft by means of which either an up or down
draft may be caused in the said shaft as found most suitable. As shewn at
Figs. 3 and 4 the outlet f may be provided with a lid m to prevent mud and other
substances entering the channel 6 the lid being capable of being opened for the
purpose of cleansing the channel when necessary.
If desired an inner cover n of
sheet iron may be used as shewn at Figs. 7 and 8 in which case the cover c may be
perforated with holes c¹ to allow any gas to escape. The underside of the cover c
being provided with short ribs c" to rest on the inner cover the spaces between the
ribs forming a free passage for air or gas.
To prevent accidental ignition of any gas which may accumulate in the chamber k
or culvert encase the inner side of the channel b with wire gauze o (or other
suitable material) so that the gas has to pass through two thicknesses of gauze
before reaching the channel. This gauze is clearly shewn in Fig. 7.
The bolts for securing the cover c to the frame a are shewn in Figs. 4 and 5
where pp are the bolts 9 the lug. These bolts pass through slots in the rib e and
are supported at their inner ends by brackets r cast with or secured to the
cover c. Keyhole slots ss are provided in the cover through which are passed
the prongs of a pair of tongs the said prongs having round heads which heads
engage with holes in the bolts. When the bolts are drawn back the cover is lifted
by means of the tongs t is a slot hole in which may be inserted a lifting hook or
other instrument to enable the cover to be raised. The tongs are also used to
replace the cover and it is obvious that as the heads of the prongs cannot be removed
from the slots s unless the bolts are shot the cover cannot be left unlocked. If the
manholes are placed in such a position that the drain pipe 9 cannot deliver its
contents into the street gutters or gullies, as for example if the manholes are in
the roadway, I may connect the drain pipes to special gullies or reservoirs from
which the water may be periodically removed such reservoirs or gullies being
provided with grid or perforated covers to allow of free escape of gas. These
reservoirs may be deep enough to allow of the water or moisture from the bottoms
of the inspection chambers or culverts being drained into them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In testing and junction boxes manholes and culverts for electric light mains
and other purposes a frame having a channel all round the interior thereof and an
outlet pipe nozzle or other conduit communicating with the said channel substantially
as hereinbefore specified and for the purpose stated.
2. In testing and junction boxes manholes and culverts for electric light mains
and other purposes the combination of a frame having a channel all round the
interior thereof and an outlet pipe nozzle or other conduit communicating therewith
with a cover having a rib or flange at or near the edges thereof substantially as
herein before specified and for the purposes stated.
3. In testing and junction boxes manholes and culverts for electric light mains
and other purposes the combination of a cover such as c having a flange or rib e at
cr near the edges thereof with a frame a having a channel b all round the inside
thereof the portion a' of the frame forming the channel being so shaped as to leave
orifices d between the frame and the cover substantially as herein before specified
and for the purposes stated.
4. In testing and junction boxes manholes and culverts for electric light mains
and other purposes a frame having a channel on the inside thereof in communication
with one or more ventilating shafts and drain pipes substantially as herein before
specified.

page_text: 5. In testing and junction boxes manholes and culverts for electric light mains
and other purposes the method of and means for securing the cover e to the frame a
substantially as hereinbefore specified.
6. The construction of frames and covers for junction and testing boxes manholes
and culverts for electric light mains and other purposes substantially as hereinbefore
specified and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of April 1895.
T. E. HALFORD,
11, Furnival Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.