Improvements in Road-service Boxes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Road-service Boxes.
WILLIAM WRIGHT 2 Saltash Street Plymouth Brass Finisher THOMAS HENRY
LIDSTONE 95 Union Street Plymouth Advertising Agent do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The box is similar to the old pattern but instead of the box having an hinge
attachment it has a round-bole in the top for the cover to drop into. The cover is
a circular piece to fit in the hole of the box. Fixed to the cover on the underside is
a projecting piece of metal in connection with which I have a sliding bolt made
of brass or other suitable material with a spring attached to govern the bolt so that
when the cover is placed in the service box the projecting piece passes under the
shoulder of the box. The bolt at the same time springs under the shoulder on the
opposite side, the spring keeping the cover firm in its place. When the cover is
required to be removed a suitable key releases the bolt and the cover can easily be
taken out.
Dated this Floventh day of January 1890
WILLIAM WRIGHT.
THOMAS HENRY LIDSTONE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Road-service Boxes.
We, WILLIAM WRIGHT, of 2 Saltash Street, Plymouth, Brass Finisher, and
THOMAS HENRY LIDSTONE, of 95 Union Street, Plymouth, Advertising Agent, 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:-
Our invention consists in providing a detachable cover for use with road service
boxes employed for water, gas and other purposes, and relates more particularly to
the means which we adopt for locking the said detachable cover in the mouth of
the service box so as to render unnecessary the hinged covers at present in use
which when damaged invariably necessitate the removal of the box for repairs.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Figure 2 an inverted plan of our improved cover
adapted to an ordinary road surface box.
Figure 3 is an elevational view of the key employed for unlocking the cover.
A is the surface box, a the flange on which rests the cover B.
C is a spring
catch connected by the stem b, which slides within the guide or casing D, to an
angle piece c formed in conjunction with a sliding bolt c. C₁ is a projecting catch
rigidly secured to the cover B and provided with a right angled termination d' through
which passes the end of the sliding bolt or stem c¹. A spiral spring d encircles the
bolt c¹ between the shoulders c, d, and tends to retain the sliding catch C in the
locking position. A rectangular mortice y is formed in the centre of the cover B
through which the hooked end f¹ of the key F is inserted, the flange f of the key
resting upon the top of the cover.
We prefer to secure the several parts to the underside of the cover with or
without a base plate E by means of the studs e, e¹, which respectively retain in
place the guide or casing D and fixed catch C.
When it is found necessary to remove the cover the end f' of the key F is
inserted within the opening g in the cover B and the key is turned in the

page_text: required direction whereupon the end f¹ presses against the shoulder c and so
withdraws the catch C,-against the pressure of the spring d-from beneath the
flange a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
In a road surface box the employment of a detachable cover having the
means herein described and shown for locking same in position substantially as
specified.
Dated this 11th day of October 1889.
JAMES STEVENSON,
Gray's Inn Chambers, 20, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicants.