JP4824094B2 - Locking devices and methods such as drainage mass and manhole covers - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a locking device and method, and more specifically to a device such as applied to a drainage mass or manhole cover introduced into a road to approach utilities such as water, gas, communications, electricity, etc. And the method.

Drainage mass and manhole covers are provided to prevent debris from entering and to provide support surfaces for pedestrians and vehicles on the surrounding roads. When the cover is removed, the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians becomes extremely dangerous due to the open drainage mass and manhole. The removal of these covers by vandals and scavengers has created an urgent need for some means of securing the covers in place. There are no locking devices introduced into existing drainage mass and manhole covers, and it is very valuable to provide a simple retrofit device for existing covers. Such devices must be rugged to withstand traffic and weather and the behavior of vandals or terrorists trying to remove it. Because of the high volume of interest, a simple introduction method that minimizes labor costs is required. The device must not be an obstacle on the road, especially a snowplow, and should not trip pedestrians.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking device and method that can be quickly introduced to provide a simple retrofit device to existing manholes and drainage mass covers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that is robust, can withstand misuse and traffic congestion, and securely secures such covers in place without obstructing the road.

  These goals and others will be understood by reading the following specification, and the claims are achieved by providing a locking device that can be introduced into the opening of the cover adjacent to the side wall of the cover frame. The device comprises an upper member and a lower member that are connected end to end to allow articulation of the lower member for introduction of the device, the members initially in a row. And is introduced into the opening of the cover. The members are held end-to-end in a row by a detent mechanism including interfit detent features, each member being held in place by one or more springs, the springs being engaged. In order to maintain the mutual mating detent structure, a force is applied to pull the members toward each other.

  The bolt has a tamper resistant head (anti-change head) that extends through a hole in the upper member and is received by the trunnion member by a left-hand thread. The trunnion member extends across the space defined by the spaced walls included in the lower member and is rotatably mounted on the lower member. The bolt head can be pushed down against the bottom wall of the top member so that the spring force can be counteracted thereby releasing the mating detent structure. A spring (one or more) then rotates the lower member over the trunnion relative to the upper member, so that the lower member is directed toward the side wall near the opening and the bottom end of the lower member is aligned with the side wall. Bend until engaged. Preferably, teeth are formed along the bottom edge of the lower member engaging the side wall.

At the same time, the notch profile at the upper end of the lower member moves to engage the end of the cover opening through the device during insertion.
Thereafter, in order to pull up the lower member, the bolt is advanced by screw connection with the trunnion using a special socket tool. To provide a working surface, the top member has a flange that covers the cover. Accordingly, the lower member is strongly wedged between the side wall and the opening edge to prevent the cover from being lifted. By introducing four locking devices, ie two locking devices on each side of the cover, the cover is firmly wedged in the opening to prevent it from being removed.

The bolt head is received in a recess in the upper end of the upper member. The bolt head also has a profile that requires a special tool for screwdriver to prevent removal of the locking device using standard tools.
A plastic cap is placed over the bolt head in the recess to prevent weathering of the screw threads of the bolt and to prevent intrusion of clogged debris and debris. A special feature of the cap is that it can provide a tamper indicator when the cap is removed.

  A special kind of device is used for manhole covers. In this case, the adapter sleeve fits into a circular hole formed in the manhole cover, and the device is fixed to the cover by a bolt received in a screw hole formed on the lower side of the manhole cover. The upper member is received within a central rectangular opening in the adapter sleeve, the upper member having a circular flange that smoothly covers the top surface near the rectangular opening of the adapter sleeve.

  The extension arm is secured to the bottom end of the lower member so that the bottom end of the toothed extension arm reaches the end of the side wall located further away from the opening of the manhole cover in which the device is inserted. The extension arm is attached using pivot bolts and shear pins. Therefore, in the event of an event such as a gas explosion, the cover can be opened and freely blown away, preventing structural damage. The adapter sleeve provides an opening wall that projects downward to provide an end that engages the notch profile of the lower member and builds a wedge like a locking device for the drainage mass.

  A special wireless signal device can also be introduced into the cap and can provide a remote alarm to the central station through a repeater amplifier if a tamper is detected. This can also be used to locate the drainage mass or manhole when the cover is removed or tampered with.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a locking device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a locking device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the locking device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 4 is a side view of the locking device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 inserted into the drainage mass cover and shown with a part of an adjacent side wall. FIG. 5 is a side view of a state in which the upper member and the lower member of the locking device shown in FIG. 4 are articulated.

It is a top view of the upper member which shows the shape of a tamper-proof bolt. It is a side view of an upper member using an imaginary line, and is a figure showing a tamper-evident prevention bolt installed with a cap located on a bolt head that covers a recess of the upper member. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cap having a plastic flange introduced and shown in FIG. 7.

It is a top view of the drainage mass cover which introduced four locking devices by the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a cap introduced with a wireless transmitter monitor. FIG. 4 is a side view of an improved locking device introduced into and having a shape to fit the illustrated manhole cover, shown with a cross-section of a portion of the side wall of the manhole cover frame.

It is a front view of the lower member of the manhole cover locking device shown in FIG. 11, and is a figure shown with a part of the extension arm introduced therein. It is a top view of the manhole cover in which the locking device was introduced. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an adapter sleeve showing a portion of a manhole cover and one of mounting ears and bolts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following detailed description, certain terminology is used for the sake of clarity, and specific aspects will be described in accordance with the requirements of 35 US 112, although the present invention may be embodied in many forms within the scope of the appended claims. It should be understood that no limitation is intended and should not be construed as such, since variations and variations are possible.

  Referring to the drawings, firstly a locking device 10 according to the present invention is designed to be introduced by being inserted into an opening 12 of a drainage mass cover 14 covering an opening delimited by a side wall 16. The

  The locking device 10 includes a generally rectangular, moderately elongated upper member 18 and a lower member 20, which are preferably constructed of high strength steel and end to end with each other in a manner that permits articulation therebetween. Link. Prior to introduction, members 18, 20 are brought together in a row as shown in FIGS. The upper member 18 has a flange 22 at its upper end that covers the cover structure adjacent to the opening 12 to hang a locking device that passes through the opening 12 and hangs in the space below the cover 14. The edges of the flange 22 are rounded to give a smooth profile.

  The upper member 18 is generally rectangular and is sized to fit between a set of upstanding walls 24 at intervals in the lower member 20. The top member 18 has a hanging rectangular tab 26 on one side of a rounded bottom wall 28, which is a rectangular recess in the transverse web 30 at the rear of the bottom member 20 between the walls 24. 30 with each other. In order to prevent the lower member 20 from rotating about the trunnion 40 and to releasably hold the upper member 18 and the lower member 20 in their initially set row position, the tabs 26 and b recesses 30 are Includes detent structure for detent mechanism. The detent mechanism also includes one or more coil springs 34 that connect to either the end of the upper member 18 and the lower member 20, respectively.

  For this purpose, a slotted ear 36 is formed at the bottom of one side of the upper member 18 and a grooved ear 38 is spaced on the other side of the lower member 20 and spaced apart. 24 is formed inside. Thus, the spring 34 extends below and around the trunnion 40, over the lower tab 38, and exerts a traction force to maintain the engagement of the tab 26 and the recess 30.

  Since the spring 34 is wound around the trunnion 40, it attempts to rotate the upper member 18 and the lower member 20 relative to each other, but this is a tab that prevents rotation of the upper member 18 and the lower member 20 around the trunnion 40. It is stopped by the mutual mating engagement between 26 and the recess 30.

  The top member 18 has a recess at its top end that includes a cylindrical hole 42 extending downwardly from its top end to the bottom wall 44. A straight, smaller diameter hole 46 extends through the bottom wall 44 and slidably receives a bolt 48 in the hole 46. The bolt 48 includes a tamper-resistant head 50 (see FIG. 6) and a body 52 having a left-hand thread threadingly engaged with a transverse hole 54 penetrating the trunnion 40. The trunnions 40 are rotatably mounted in a row of holes 56 in the spaced wall 24. Initially, the bolt 48 is introduced with the bottom wall 44 not engaged.

After inserting the locking device 10 into the opening 12, the bolt head 50 is lowered relative to the bottom wall 44 in order to push the lower member 20 downward and away from the upper member 18 against the resistance of the spring 34. Pushed to.
This causes the recess 30 to be displaced downward so that it detaches from the tab 26, so that the spring 34, as shown in FIG. 5, causes the lower member 20 to trunnion until the toothed bottom end 58 engages the drainage mass sidewall 16. It can be rotated around 40.

At the same time, the notch profile 60 at the top of the wall 24 spaced apart from each other pivots to engage the bottom end 62 of the opening 12 of the cover 14 (FIGS. 4 and 5).
The bolt 48 is then rotated using a dedicated socket tool (not shown) shaped to engage the curved, non-uniform plane 64 (FIG. 6 ) of the bolt head 50. The size of the hole 70 allows the tool to engage the bolt head, but because of its tamper resistance, it leaves insufficient clearance for the non-dedicated adjustable tool to engage.

Advancement of the bolt 48 lifts the articulated lower member 20 with its left screw (reverse screw) so that it is wedged as tightly as between the side wall 16 and end 62. If four devices 10 are introduced, ie two on each side of the drainage mass cover, the cover 14 will be prevented from being removed.
A plastic cap 66 (FIGS. 7 and 8) is provided to cover the bolt head 50 tightly and prevent debris from entering around the bolt head 50.

The cap 66 has a protrusion 68 at a portion 69 defined by a slot 67 that snaps into a drain 70 provided at the bottom of the hole 42 in the top member 18. The hole 42 is formed with a shallow groove 65 for assisting in attaching the protrusion 68 and a shallow counterbore 61 for receiving the flange 63 of the cap. To provide tamper evidence, the protrusion 68 is cut off when the cap 66 is removed using a tool having a pawl that engages the pocket 72 of the cap.

  FIG. 10 shows a miniature wireless transmitter power supply unit 78 installed under the cap 66, which can transmit signals to remote locations through a repeater amplifier system. When the cap 66 is removed, the radio signal is interrupted and a false interference alarm can be triggered at a remote location. The signal can also be varied depending on the location of the drainage mass without the cover.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the device 10 can be adapted for use with an improved manhole cover 80. In this case, the hole 82 is received so that it can receive the ear sleeve 85 and an adapter sleeve 84 secured in the hole 82 by a bolt 87 screwed into a hole 89 (FIG. 14) machined under the cover 80. Is opened below the manhole cover 80. A rectangular opening 86 is formed in the adapter sleeve 84 and passes through the sleeve 84. The end 88 is made on the underside of the sleeve 84 that is positioned to be engaged by the notch profile 60 as described above. As shown in FIG. 11, the lower end of the adapter sleeve 84 is cut at an angle to provide a gap for proper articulation of the lower member 20.

  The lower member 20 has an extension arm 90 which is secured thereto by a pivot bolt 91 and a shear pin 92 and has a toothed end engageable with a side wall 94 of the manhole. In the event of an explosion, the shear pin 92 is cut, the extension arm 90 is free to rotate about the axis of the pivot bolt 91, and the cover 80 can be freely blown away.

  A second bolt 96 is introduced substantially on the opposite side of the manhole cover flange 100 and below the manhole cover 80. Optionally, instead of the bolt 96, a second sleeve and locking assembly may be introduced 180 ° away from each other.

Claims (2)

Manhole cover:
A locking device to secure the manhole cover in place; and
A transmitter in the locking device to locate the manhole where the cover was removed;
Including the manhole cover. Manhole cover:
Locking device to secure the manhole cover in place;
Bolts to prevent removal of the locking device;
Caps on bolts;
A transmitter in the locking device indicating that the cap has been removed;
Including the manhole cover.

Images