Improvements in and connected with Hand- and Man-hole Doors or Plates for Boilers and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Hand- and Man-hole Doors or
Plates for Boilers and the like.
We, EDWARD DANIEL MEIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 421, Olive
Street, City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, U.S.A., and EDWARD CLARENCE MEIER,
a citizen of the United States, residing at 658, The Bourse, City of Philadelphia,
County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Boiler Manufacturers, 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, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein :-
.
Figure 1 is a sectional view, illustrating our improved hand- or man-hole
plate in position and ready to be clamped;
Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the same in its clamped position;
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the same in its clamped position;
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a slight modification;
Figure 5 is a similar view, showing another method of clamping the plate home;
Figure 6 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figure 5; and
Figures to 11 illustrate modified forms of yoke.
This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in hand- and man-
hole plates for boilers tanks and the like, or, more properly speaking, devices for
securing hand- and man-hole plates in position in boilers tanks and the like.
The objects of this present invention are to construct a simple, cheap, and
effective land- and man-hole plate provided with apparatus for locking the same
in position in a boiler, without the use of screws, nuts or other complicated
apparatus now most generally employed in connection with hand and man-hole
plates; another object of the invention resides in the employment of means attached
to the hand- or man-hole plate for suspending the same away from the hand-hole
when the plate is removed from the opening, hooks, rods, chains, or other devices
being employed in this connection.
With these objects in view, the invention consists, first, in the novel construc-
tion of the plate proper with its attached parts; second, in the novel construction
and arrangement of a removable yoke in connection with the plate, which yoke
co-operates with, means for locking said plate in position; third, in the novel
means employed for supporting or suspending the plate within the boiler or vessel
when the same is not in position in the opening; and, finally, the invention con-
sists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts,
all as will hereinafter be fully described, and afterwards pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings, A indicates a portion of a boiler plate formed with a hand-hole,
or opening, a, for well known purposes.
B indicates the hand-hole plate which is preferably stamped or pressed to assume
the shape shown in the drawings.
i
C-indicates-a-gasket-which-is-interposed-between-a-flange-on-the-plate-B-and-
the boiler plate A. By dishing the plate B as shown, the gasket is prevented
from being crowded inwardly and pressing into the opening a. Furthermore, the

page_text: dished portion of the center plate acts practically as a support and centering device
for said gasket, said dished portion fitting in the opening a, as shown. Again,
by dishing the center plate so that its bulge projects through the opening a,
securing devices for the center plate are located in a pocket out of the path of the
circulating water.
D indicates a shank preferably formed with a collar d which is adapted to im-
pinge against the outer face of the bulged portion of the hand- or man-hole
plate, the inner end of said shank being upset, to form a rivet-liead d, which
firmly secures the shank D in position on the hand- or man-hole plate. As shown
in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the outer end of shank 1) is formed with an eye which
"supports a locking device E pivoted thereto, said locking device being formed with
cam faces e adapted to impinge upon and co-operate with a flat face f of a yoke F,
said yoke straddling the hand-hole opening, and partially embracing shank D.
In certain makes of boilers, where the hand-hole openings are arranged close.
together, it may be found necessary to cut away the sides of the yoke as shown
in Figures 2 and 3, and it may, also, be found desirable to lighten the same, by
cutting away, or reducing, other portions of the yoke, as shown. In order to make
the yoke removable, we slot the same, as at f¹, for the lateral introduction of the
yoke around the shank D.
In operation, the device illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, is as follows; When
it is desired to effect a closure, the handle E is pressed downwardly so that its
cam faces will impinge against the yoke, and draw the hand-hole plate outwardly
to clamp the gasket C there-between and the boiler plate. If it is desired to gain
access to the vessel through the hand-hole, handle E is raised, to release the hand-
hole plate, when the yoke may be removed and the hand-hole plate dropped in-
side the vessel, where it is suspended by a hook G, engaging the lower wall of
opening a. This obviates the necessity of affecting more than one opening to
replace the hand-hole plate. As shown in dotted lines in Figures 2 and 3, a bar H
may be arranged in the end of handle E whose length is greater than the diameter
of opening a, whereby the hand-hole plate will be suspended in the vessel when
the same is not acting as a closure for the hand-hole. As chain can be used to
secure the handle E in the same manner, if desired, said chain being connected
to two of said handles, acting as a support for both.
In Figure 4, we have shown a modified form of lock, in which the shank D is
provided with transverse openings to receive a wedge, bearing against the cam
face f of the yoke F.
In Figures 5 and 6, we have shown a lug on the outer end of shank D which
passes through a locking nut I formed with a cam face, whereby, when said lock-
ing nut is turned by its handle I', the hand-hole plate will be forced outwardly to
effect a closure.
In Figures 7 to 11, we have shown several forms of yokes, all of which are
adapted to co-operate with suitable locking devices attached to the hand-hole plate,
the yoke in Figure 11 being expressly designed for use in large openings, such as
man-holes, where two or more locking cams are used to effect a closure. These
various forms of yokes may be either cast, or pressed, from a solid plate of metal,
which latter operation can be effected by first punching a skeleton frame out of
a large plate of metal, and then flanging and dishing the frame. This stamping,
dishing and punching may be effected in one operation in several of the forms.
It will be noted, by reference to Figure 3, that, should the handle E not assume
a vertical position when operated to seat the hand-hole plate, but occupy a position
such as shown by dotted lines, said handle will automatically drop to its proper
position by gravity when the pressure inside the boiler compresses the gasket.
This is advantageous, in that manual pressure is largely relied upon to properly
seat the hand-hole plate, but is frequently not sufficient to seat it home. Should
the gasket be compressed, the handle will drop by gravity, and take up such com
pression, holding the hand-hole plate firmly to its seat when the pressure is removed

page_text: from the boiler. Of course, it is understood that this handle may be driven home,
but this is not desirable for obvious reasons. .
We would, also, like to state that, while the dished portion of the hand-hole plate
is shown as quite deep in the drawing, we do not wish to be understood as limiting
ourselves thereto, as a shallower depression would answer equally as well, and
would, perhaps, be preferred by some, in that yoke F could thereby be more readily
removed.
We are aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and
combination of the several parts of our hand-hole plate, can be made and sub-
stituted for those herein shown and described, without in the least departing
from the nature and principle of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is;-
1. The combination with a hand-hole plate, of a shank extending outwardly
therefrom, a yoke straddling the opening closed by said plate, said yoke being
formed with an open-ended slot to receive the shank, and a locking cam having
a pivoted connection with the outer end of the shank and engaging the outer face
of the yoke, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a hand-hole plate, of a shank riveted therein, a
removable yoke formed with a slot for receiving said shank, a locking cam pivot-
ally mounted on said shank for engaging the yoke, and a handle on said cam
which is in alignment with the slot in the yoke, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a hand-hole plate, of a shank riveted therein, a
removable yoke formed with a slot for receiving said shank, a locking cam pivotally
mounted on said shank for engaging the yoke, a handle on said cam which is in
alignment with the slot in the yoke, and means on said handle for supporting the
plate in the absence of the yoke, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a hand-hole plate, of a shank, a removable yoke, a cam
pivoted to the outer end of the yoke for clamping the hand-hole plate in position,
and means on the shank for suspending the plate in the vessel in the absence of
the yoke, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a hand-hole plate, of a yoke, a shank attached to the
plate and extending beyond the yoke, a cam for co-operating with the yoke to
clamp the plate in position, and means on said cam to engage the edge of the
hand-hole opening in the boiler or vessel to suspend the plate in the vessel, sub-
stantially as described.
6. The combination with a boiler plate formed with an opening, of a hand, or
man-hole plate for closing said opening, a shank 1) connected to said plate, a
yoke F, a cam lock E pivotally connected to the shank, a handle for said cam,
and a hook G on said handle, substantially as described.
.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London, for the Applicants.