IMPROVEMENTS WHICH MAKE GRIDS FOR COVERING OPENINGS, THROUGH WHICH FUEL IS DEPOSITED IN VAULTS OR CELLARS, SELF-SECURING
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Bushell, Engineer, and Thomas Wright, Tin
Plate Worker, both of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS WHICH MAKE GRIDS FOR
COVERING OPENINGS, THROUGH WHICH FUEL IS DEPOSITED IN VAULTS OR CELLARS,
SELF-SECURING."
Sealed the 25th September 1858, and dated the 27th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Bushell and Thomas
Wright at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 27th March 1858.
We, JOSEPH BUSHELL, Engineer, and THOMAS WRIGHT, Tin Plate Worker,
both of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS WHICH MAKE GRIDS FOR
COVERING OPENINGS, THROUGH WHICH FUEL 18 DEPOSITED IN VAULTS OR CELLARS,
SELF-SECURING," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in making grids or covers for covering or closing
openings or passages through which fuel is deposited in vaults or cellars with
mechanism that takes' hold of the under side of the flagstone or frame in
which the grid is sunk or embedded when in its correct position, rendering
it impossible to remove the grid till the mechanism is released from the
interior of the vault or cellar.
Various arrangements of mechanism may be employed to carry out our
Invention, but that which up to the present time we have found the simplest

page_text: and best consists of a part projecting from the under side of the grid, having
a hole formed in it in a direction parallel to the face of the grid to receive
two sliding bolts and a spiral spring acting to force both bolts outwards; the
bolts are pressed inwards when the grid is put in its place, and when fully
down, so that the bolts can pass the under side of the flag, the spring forces
them out again, so that the grid cannot be lifted till the bolts are forced back
from the interior of the vault or cellar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of. the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Bushell and Thomas Wright in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH
'BUSHELL, Engineer, and THOMAS WRIGHT, Tin Plate Worker, both of the
City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Joseph Bushell and Thomas Wright, Her especial licence that we, the
said Joseph Bushell and Thomas Wright, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Joseph Bushell and Thomas Wright, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS WHICH MAKE GRIDS FOR
COVERING OPENINGS, THROUGH WHICH FUEL IS DEPOSITED IN VAULTS OR CELLARS, SELF-
SECURING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Joseph
Bushell and Thomas Wright, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Joseph Bushell and Thomas Wright,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-

page_text: Our Invention consists in making grids or covers for covering or closing
openings or passages through which fuel is deposited in vaults or cellars with
mechanism that takes hold of the under side of the flagstone or frame in
which the grid is sunk or embedded when in its correct position, rendering
it impossible to remove the grid till the mechanism is released from the
interior of the vault or cellar.
Various arrangements of mechanism may be employed to carry out our
Invention, but that we have found hitherto the simplest and best consists of a
part projecting from the under side of the grid, having a hole in it in a
direction parallel to the face of the grid to receive one or two sliding bolts
and a spiral spring acting to force one or both bolts outwards; the bolt or
bolts are pressed inwards when the grid is put in its place, and when fully
down, so that the bolt or bolts can pass the under side of the frame or flag,
the spring forces them out again, so that the grid cannot be lifted till the bolt
or bolts are forced back from the interior of the vault or cellar.
The preceding description will be better understood by reference to the
accompanying Drawings, exhibiting several modifications of our Invention.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan view, of one modification;
and Figs. 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 9 and 10, are respectively corresponding
views to Figs. 1 and 2 of other modifications.
In each modification a represents the stone or flag in which the grid or grid
frame is embedded or secured; b, the grid frame where employed; c, the
grid or covering; d, the projection under the grid; c, the bolt or bolts placed
in the projection; f, the spring acting to force them outwards; g, a projection
from the bolt by which it can be drawn back. In Figs. 1 and 2 the grid or
moveable cover c is fitted in a metal frame (b), secured and embedded in the
flag or stone (a), and in this modification two bolts (e) are employed.
Fig. 3 and 4 is a modification in which the grid (e) is fixed in a metal
frame (b), and is intended for vaults and cellars in which the grid (c) is
difficult to get at. This grid or moveable cover (c) is square and has a
projection (h) at each side, forming pivots on which the grid (c) can swivel.
One side of the grid (c) rests when down on a ledge (i) in the metal frame (b),
and the opposite side of the grid (c) has a ledge (j) which comes against the
under side of the metal frame (b). It will be seen that when the grid (c)
and bolt (e) is in the position shewn in Fig. 3 it is secured, but when tho
bolt (e) is drawn back by a rope or chain (k) (which may pass through a hole
or over a pulley, as shewn in dotted line in Fig. 3) connected with the pro-
jection (9) from the bolt (e) one side of the grid (c) will be depressed and
the other elevated, the grid turning on the pivots (h) as the chain or rope (k)

page_text: will be pulled in a downward direction; when the grid is thus turned it can
be readily removed or again secured by being forced down till the bolt (e)
passes the under side of the metal frame (b).
The modifications shown by Figs. 5 and 6 and Figs. 7 and 8 aro respectively.
the same as those shown by Figs. 1 and 2 and Figs. 3 and 4, except that the
metal frames are not used; and in the modification shown by Figs. 5 and 6 one
bolt (e) only is employed in place of two, as shown; in Fig. 1 and 2 a
projection is used, which answers the purpose of the bolt dispensed with, and
it is only necessary when one bolt is employed to introduce that side of the
grid without bolt first into the opening.
Fig. 9 and 10 shows another modification, applicable to such situations as
those for which the modifications Figs. 3 and 4 and Figs. 7 and 8 are intended.
In this modification the grid (c) is placed in a metal frame (b) sunk and
secured in the flag or stone (a), and the under side of the grid (c) has a
projection (1) which carries the fulcrum of a lever (m), one end of which is
'connected with the projection (g) from the bolt (e) by a link or chain; the
other end of the lever has a rope or chain (k) attached to it; by pulling at
this rope the bolt (e) is withdrawn and the grid is lifted and drawn to one
side so that it can be removed.
We have now particularly described our Invention, and the modes by
which it may be carried into effect, and wish it to be understood that we do
not confine ourselves to details, but claim as our Invention the application
of mechanism to grids or covers for closing or covering openings or passages
through which fuel is deposited in vaults or cellars by which the grid or cover
will be secured by the act of placing in its correct position, and which will
require unfastening from the interior of the vault or cellar, substantially as
herein-before explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Bushell and Thomas Wright,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Twenty-second day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-eight.
JOSEPH BUSHELL. (L.S.)
THOMAS WRIGHT. (L.S.)