Improvements in the Covers or Lids of Sewer, Gas, Electric, and Telephone Supply Shafts, Holes, Gullies, and the like, and in their Supporting Frameworks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
Improvements in the Covers or Lids of Sewer, Gas, Electric, and
Telephone Supply Shafts, Holes, Gullies, and the like, and in
their Supporting Frameworks.
We, JOHN PRICE, Civil Engineer and Surveyor, residing at "Court Hey," Chantry
Road, Moseley, in the City of Birmingham, and JOSEPH JOHNSON, Brassfounder,
residing at 32, Wellington Road, Bilston, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the covers or lids of sewer, gas, electric, and telephone
supply shafts, and general ground holes, gullies, and the like, and has distinct
reference to that class of cover or lid which works upon a hinge or a pair of trunnions
within its supporting framework.
The invention is designed to prevent the sticking or jamming of such covers or
lids in their supporting frame work, the automatic locking of the same when in both
an open and closed position, and a means for cushioning the fall of the said covers
or lids when being replaced upon their framings, and also to give the same a yielding
movement or vertical play upon a body or load coming in contact with their outer
surfaces.
As regards the first part of this invention the cover or lid is so mounted in its
supporting framework that the trunnions upon which it moves have a forward
travelling movement within two slots cast in the sides of the framework, upon the
said cover or lid being opened. This movement is effected by means of a semi-
circular face on the underside of the trunnion-mounted end of the cover or lid
engaging with a slightly inclined forward face on the back end of the supporting
framing; a horizontally disposed projecting ledge, supported by brackets fixed to the
bottom part of the framing, upon the said framing's end supporting the travelling end
of the said cover or lid. The lid is either mounted upon trunnions or pins, or it may
be mounted upon rollers, through which a pin runs, so as to constitute a roller bearing,
the cover or lid's end however in all cases being given a forward travelling movement,
upon the cover or lid being opened, by means of its inclined convex surface engaging
with an inclined surface or surfaces upon the inside face of the back of the framing;
the top of the cover or lid when in its closed position lying flush with and against
the back of its framing.
To automatically lock the cover or lid in its open or vertical position a sliding bolt
having an enlarged end works in a slot cast in the under face of the said cover or lid
and at its rear end, the lower end of the said sliding bolt taking against the horizontal
projecting ledge in the back end of the framing and preventing the said cover or lid
roin falling. When the cover or lid is being closed this sliding bolt is pushed
upwards by hand into a recessed cutaway part on the underside of the cover or lid
and lies horizontally within the same, but upon the cover or lid being opened this bolt
lides vertically downwards through its slot or casing, its travel being arrested therein
by means of its enlarged and projecting head engaging with the said slot or casing's top

page_text: 2
wall, its other end, as aforesaid, engaging with the projecting horizontal ledge on the
back of the framing and locking the cover or lid in its open or vertical position.
Situated within the front of the framing is a horizontal supporting ledge for the cover.
or lid, in which are situated at either end let in portions for the reception of rubber or
similar material. Two projecting studs on either side of the inside face of the cover
or lid take into these rubber portions or seatings upon the cover or lid being
closed, preventing, with the studs upon the cover or lid, any injury to the latter when
falling back in its closing position, and also allowing the cover or lid a certain vertical
yield or movement when any heavy load is passing over it; all noise and rattle by this
means being also done away with.
The means for locking the cover or lid in its closed position consists of an arm, lever, or
latch, mounted freely on a pin carried by two bracket lugs on the front inside face of
the cover or lid and so as to depend therefrom. This latch is formed with a right
angled extension on its top part and a curved shoulder carrying a hooked part upon
its lower end; recesses being formed at suitable intervals on its bottom side for the
reception of a hook-shaped opening instrument carried by the workman or attendant
and by which the cover or lid is opened. When the cover or lid is being lowered into
its closed position the curved shoulder of the lever or latch slides over a seating upon
which the right angled extension of the latch subsequently takes, and finally engages,
by means of its hooked part, with a slot cut in the inside face of the front of the
framing and so locks the cover or lid in its closed position. Upon the lower end of the
lever or latch being raised, by means of a hooked shaped instrument being inserted
through the grating and engaging one of the recessed parts therein, it lifts the
projecting hook-like part out of its slot and, at the same time, the curved head of the
lever above its right angled part, gives the cover or lid an initial lift out of its
seating, so that the same may be easily raised into a vertical and open position.
This invention can be applied equally as well to round as well as square covers or
dids, and in the case of covers without gratings a central and vertically disposed hole
would have to be formed in the same for the reception of an opening instrument.
Dated this 8th day of Sontember 1808
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Covers or Lids of Sewer, Gas, Electric, and 3
Telephone Supply Shafts, Holes, Gullies, and the like, and in
their Supporting Frameworks.
We, JOHN PRICE, Civil Engineer and Surveyor, residing at "Court Hey," Chantry
Road, Moseley, in the City of Birmingham, and JOSEPH JOHNSON, Brassfounder,
residing at 32, Wellington Road, Bilston, in the County of Stafford, 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 :—
This invention relates to covers or lids of sewer, gas, electric and telephone supply
shafts and general ground holes, gulleys and such like, and to their supporting
framework, and has distinct reference to that class in which the cover or lid opens
upon an hinge or its equivalent. The objects of the invention are, firstly, to construct
such covers o lids and so mount them in their framings that the joint at the back
or hinged side of the cover shall make a close joint with the back side of the framing
when closed, and that the said lid shall when opened move forward so as to leave a

page_text: space between it and the back side of the frame through which any dirt or dust
tipped by the action of opening the lid can fall through and be removed so as not to
present any obstacle adjacent to the hinged part to prevent the lid again closing,
secondly, to provide a simple means for automatically locking the said lids in their.
opened position, and, thirdly, the provision of a means for cushioning the fall of the
said lids in closing, and for ensuring them yielding slightly within their framings if
a weight is placed upon them, such, for example, as when the wheel of a vehicle
passes over.
A manhole cover constructed with improvements according to this invention is
shown in transverse vertical section in Fig. 1 with its lid closed, and in Fig. 2 with.
its lid opened, the last named fig. showing the automatic locking device in dotted
lines only. This said locking device is however shown in detail in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is
a top side plan, partly in section, of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical
section of a portion of Fig. 1 upon the dotted line, viz., through one of the
trunnions.
In these figs. a represents the lid, and c the frame within the confines of which
it is mounted, and to which said frame it forms a closure. The said frame is an
ordinary rectangular cast iron structure fitted with seatings, represented by blocks, c²,
for the lid a to rest upon, but within its ends c³, near its back side ct, are formed
opposite slots or recesses d, d, open at top d². The bottom ledge d³ of each recess is
in line with the seatings c², and the back edge d' in line with the inner face of the
side c', whilst the forward edge 5 is preferably slightly inclined in the direction
shown clearly in Fig. 1.
With these slots or recesses opposite trunnions a², a², upon the lid a engage, the
said trunnions working within the said recesses as bearings and being introduced
thereinto through their open tops. The trunnions so fit the recesses as to enable
the lid when being opened to have a forward movement bodily within the frame
immediately the front side 3 of the said lid (which is close fitting to the frame.
only for a short distance down) clears the front side of the said frame, and when
being closed to exert a forcing back action bodily upon the lid against the
forward edges of the recesses to ensure the lid closing properly within the confines
of the frame. It will be noticed from Fig. 2 of the drawings that a considerable
space e is left between the lid and the back side of the frame c owing to the hinge
having, as it were, travelled forward, and the length of each of the recesses & must
to admit of this be greater than the thickness of the lid, especially across the
hottom ledges d³ d; hence the inclination of the forward edge d, which is, pre-
ferably, more decided. The inner portions at, et, of the trunnions a² a² are curved,
but the outer portions are angular as shown; but instead of the inner portions being
free of the ledges d³ when the lid is closed as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, they may just
rest upon them in the manner indicated by the chain line g Fig. 1, although as
shown in full in the drawings they are preferred, in order that the lid may have as
much forward travelling movement when opened as possible.
The curved parts at, at, of the trunnions when closing the lid act upon the forward
edges d', d, of the recesses d, d, cam-like to gradually force back the back portion of
the lid onto its proper seating as the lid closes. In opening, the lid is forced forward by
the top edge riding down the inner face of the frame, the curved portions at of the
trunnions leaving the forward edges do, do, at the same time to admit of the said
lid travelling. Hence the trunnions act in their bearings as cams, and the hinge
becomes a travelling one.
°
When open the lid is held by a sliding bolt i working within a cut-away part 12 in
the back side of the lid, and which automatically projects and abuts against a lump m
on the frame, which forms a stop. A peg is connected to this bolt from the under-
side of the lid to draw it back by hand, in order to close or shut down the said lid.
A spring may be used in connection with this bolt if necessary.
The front corner blocks c² of the frame c have let into their tops blocks of rubber n
upon which the underside of the front of the lid rests. These blocks cushion the fall
of the lid and allow it to slightly yield if a load passes over it,

page_text: Standing out from the back face a7 of the lid a are a number of horns or projections
such as o, which engage cut-away parts o² in the back-side ct of the frame c when the
lid is down, to prevent that part of the said lid being lifted without first hinging the
said lid open.
It is to be understood that the trunnions of the lid and their bearings are always
so formed that on the said lid opening its back side always have a forward travelling
movement automatically imparted to it by inclined or curved surfaces or their
equivalents, which have a cam action upon each other.
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 :-
First. In covers and frames of the kind described, mounting the lid hingedly within
the frame carrying it so that on its opening it shall be capable of a forward movement
bodily within the frame, for the purposes substantially as described.
Second. In covers and frames of the kind described, mounting the lid hingedly
within the frame carrying it by trunnions such as a² a² and seatings dd, so formed
that on the lid being opened a forward movement shall be automatically given to it
bodily, and upon its closing a rearward automatic movement, for the purposes
described.
Third. In covers and frames of the kind described, providing the front of the frame
with yielding blocks n for cushioning the closing of the hinged lid a, as set
forth.
Fourth. In covers and frames of the kind described, fitting to the hinged lid a
sliding bolt which antomatically comes into action against the framing on the
opening of the lid to hold it in its opened position, substantially as set forth.
.
Fifth. A cover and frame of the kind described hinged to each other for the pur-
pose, and in the manner, set forth, and shown in Figs. 1 2 and 4.
Dated this 8th day of
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London, and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.