AN IMPROVED COMBINED SEWER VENTILATOR AND MANHOLE COVER, WITH DIRT INTERCEPTING TROUGH
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALFRED BARTON BRADY of 16 Spital Road Maldon in the County of Essex
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN
IMPROVED COMBINED SEWER VENTILATOR AND MANHOLE COVER, WITH DIRT
INTERCEPTING TROUGH, to be as follows:-
I make the apparatus of cast iron of an octagonal figure in plan and the section
of the body of the apparatus in the form of a trough with vertical sides; the said
trough is continuous on all sides of the octagonal figure and is wholly formed of
cast iron, thus being complete in itself without the necessity for a stone seat or
other false bottom.
The bottom of the said dirt trough is furnished with a flange projecting beyond
its outer side, so as to give a wider base for the support of the apparatus on the
brick walls of the manhole of the sewer. There are sixteen external brackets cast
on the side of the trough and bottom flange, to give additional strength and stiffness
to the apparatus.
The apparatus has an octagonal opening through the middle, the said opening
serving for a manhole, and is provided with a cover as hereinafter described, the
said cover being made to rest on a projecting flange or ledge on the inside of the
frame of the apparatus.
I make the cover of an octagonal figure of cast iron framing and diagonal ribs,
dividing the same into eight compartments, the bottom of each of the said
compartments being perforated in order to secure lightness.
The cover is inlaid with sections of strong creosoted elm, to prevent the slipping
of men or horses and the rattling of the wheels of vehicles passing over; the blocks
of elm having chamfered arrisses on their upper surface.
The cover is made so as to fit into the frame of the apparatus, in such a manner
as when in place, to be secure, free from vibration, and yet to be easily removable.
The said cover is also provided with eight openings for ventilation, each opening
being one and a half inch in width, and of the length of one side of the octagonal
cover, serving for the escape of sewer air and the admission of atmospheric air.
The said ventilating openings in the cover being directly over the dirt intercepting
trough, all dirt, stones, or detritus of any kind falling through, is intercepted by,
and deposited in, the said dirt intercepting trough.
Small perforations are provided on the inside of the dirt trough, at the bottom
thereof, so as to permit any water that may find its way from the roadway into
the dirt trough, to percolate into the manhole, and pass into the sewers.

page_text: The upper edges of the frame of the apparatus and of the cover, have studs cast
upon them so as to roughen the surface.
The cover may be put in its place, or when in its place, may be removed by
inserting through the keyhole in the centre of the cover, an ordinary lifting key,
formed of a rod of iron, tee shaped at its lower end, and shaped at its upper end in
the form of an eye or loop, through which to insert the hand.
The weight of the cover will be sufficient to keep it in its place, without any
bolt, chain or other fastening.
By the removal of the cover, free access is afforded to the manhole for the
inspection or cleansing of the sewer, for flushing or any other purpose.
Access at the same time is obtained to the dirt intercepting trough in the frame
of the apparatus, when by the use of a small scoop, the contents of the dirt trough
may be readily removed.
Dated this Fourteenth day of May 1884.

page_text: I, ALFRED BARTON BRADY, of 16 Spital Road, Maldon, Essex; Civil Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVED COMBINED
SEWER VENTILATOR AND MANHOLE COVER, WITH DIRT INTERCEPTING TROUGH
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
I make the apparatus of cast iron of an octagonal figure in plan, and the section
of the body of the apparatus in the form of a trough with vertical sides; the said
trough is continuous on all sides of the octagonal figure, and is wholly formed of
cast iron, being complete in itself, without the aid of a stone seat or other false
bottom.
The bottom of the said dirt trough is furnished with a flange projecting beyond
its outer side, so as to give a wider base for the support of the apparatus on the
brick walls of the manhole of the sewer.
There are sixteen external brackets cast on the side of the trough and bottom
flange to give additional strength and stiffness to the apparatus.
The apparatus has an octagonal opening through the middle, the said opening
serving for a manhole, and is provided with a cover as hereinafter described, the
said cover being made to rest upon a projecting flange or ledge on the inside of the
frame of the apparatus.
I make the cover of an octagonal figure, of cast iron framing, and diagonal ribs,
dividing the same into eight compartments, the bottom of each of the said
compartments being perforated, in order to secure lightness.
The cover is inlaid with sections of strong creosoted elm, to prevent the slipping
of men or horses, and the rattling of the wheels of vehicles passing over; the blocks
of elm having chamfered arrises on their upper surface. The cover is made so as
to fit into the frame of the apparatus in such a manner, as when in place to be
secure, free from vibration, and yet to be easily removable. The said cover is
provided with eight openings for ventilation, each opening being one and a half
inch in width, and of the length of one side of the octagonal cover, serving for the
escape of sewer air and the admission of atmospheric air.
The said ventilating openings in the cover, being directly over the dirt
intercepting trough, all dirt, stones, or detritus of any kind falling through is
intercepted by and deposited in the said dirt intercepting trough.
Small perforations are provided on the inside of the dirt trough at the bottom
thereof, so as to permit any water that may find its way from the roadway into
the dirt trough, to percolate into the manhole and pass into the sewers.
The upper edges of the frame of the apparatus and of the cover have studs cast
upon them so as to roughen the surface.
The cover may be put in its place, or when in its place may be removed by
inserting through the keyhole in the centre of the cover, an ordinary lifting key,
formed of a rod of iron, tee-shaped at its lower end, and shaped at its upper end in
the form of an eye or loop, through which to insert the hand
The weight of the cover will be sufficient to keep it in its place, without any
bolt, chain or other fastening.
By the removal of the cover, free access is afforded to the manhole for the
inspection or cleansing of the sewer, for flushing or any other purpose. Access at
the same time is obtained to the dirt intercepting trough in the frame of the
apparatus, when by the use of a small scoop, the contents of the dirt trough may
be readily removed.
Figure 1, in the accompanying Drawing represents in plan, a combined sewer
ventilator and manhole cover, constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2,
represents a vertical section of the same taken on the line A. B, of Figure 1,

page_text: shewing the dirt intercepting trough, together with a portion of the brickwork of
a manhole, upon the top of which the apparatus is supported. Figure 3, represents
a half vertical section of the same taken on the same line, but with the manhole
cover removed; Figure 4, represents a half external elevation of the side of the
same; Figure 5, represents a half plan of the same with the manhole cover
removed, shewing the dirt intercepting trough; Figure 6 represents a half plan
shewing the underside of the apparatus.
The same letters of reference upon the accompanying Drawing indicate the same
parts in the Figures 1 to 6.
a, is the octagonal opening through the middle of the apparatus, serving for a
manhole; b, is the dirt intercepting trough in the frame of the apparatus. e, is
the cover of the said manhole opening a, divided into eight compartments, with
perforations f, f, in the bottom thereof, and inlaid with elm blocks g, g; as and
for the purposes set forth; c, c, are the perforations on the inside of the dirt
intercepting trough b; d, is the outer frame of the apparatus; h, h, are ventilating
openings through the said cover e, on all sides thereof, and directly over the said
dirt intercepting trough b; serving for the escape of sewer air, as shewn by the
arrows in Figure 2, and for the admission of atmospheric air; j is the flange
projecting beyond the outer face of the apparatus for the better support thereof,
being a continuation of the bottom of the said dirt intercepting trough b; h, k, are.
stiffening brackets, connecting the sides and bottom flange j; l, is the keyhole in
the centre of the cover e, for the insertion of a lifting key in order to remove the
said cover e.
Instead of making the apparatus of the octagonal form as shown in Figure 2, it
may be made of other Figures with the same effect, and the details may be slightly
varied, without departing from the nature of my Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what
I claim is :-
-
1. An improved combined sewer ventilator and manhole cover, with dirt
intercepting trough, hereinbefore described, and shewn in the accom-
panying Drawing; that is to say; a sewer ventilator and manhole cover
in combination with a dirt intercepting trough, the parts of which are
constructed and combined substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and shewn on the accompanying Drawing.
2. A dirt intercepting trough in combination with and formed in the frame of a
sewer ventilator and manhole cover, continuous on all sides thereof, the said
dirt intercepting trough having small perforations in the inside near the
bottom of the same, to permit water to percolate into the manhole and pass
into the sewers, constructed and combined substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described, and shewn on the accompanying Drawing.
3. A sewer ventilator and manhole cover having openings for ventilation, through
the cover, on all sides thereof, the said openings through the movable cover,
being directly over the dirt intercepting trough, thereby affording ample
means for the ventilation of the sewer, and at the same time intercepting
all dirt, stones, or detritus of any kind falling through the said ventilating
openings, in the cover; the whole constructed and combined substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn on the accompanying
Drawing.
Datad this 25th dove o" June 1884.