AU2009101231A4

AU2009101231A4 - Side Pit Entry Cover

Info

Publication number: AU2009101231A4
Application number: AU2009101231A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Harley Cooke
Original assignee: COOKE PRE CAST CONCRETE Pty LT
Current assignee: COOKE PRE-CAST CONCRETE Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-11-30
Filing date: 2009-11-30
Publication date: 2010-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 2017-11-30

Description

Our Ref: 47401nno P/00/009 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED Invention title: Side Entry Pit Cover Name of Applicant: Cooke Pre-cast Concrete Pty Ltd Address for Service A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys PO Box 222 Mitcham, S.A. 5062 The invention is described in the following statement 2 Side entry pit cover FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of covers for side entry pits. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5 Typical side entry pit covers include a removable plate forming a lid over the opening of a stormwater drain on the side of a road. The cover helps prevent pedestrians and vehicles from accidentally falling into the drain and acts to inhibit unauthorized persons from accessing the drain. The lid is typically rectangular or square shaped, being supported on three 10 sides by a frame or alternatively the sides of the pit. The front edge of the lid extends outwardly towards the road surface and defines the top of the drain opening. The opening of the drain allows the passage of water and material carried thereby, while preventing inadvertent or unauthorised access. The stormwater drain may at times become blocked and requires authorised 15 personnel to access the drain by lifting the cover to remove the blockage. Furthermore some drains include screen or cages that are configured to capture pollutants such as litter and debris. The lid must therefore be lifted to allow for the periodic cleaning and maintenance of the screens when required. Side entry pit covers are often located on the side of roads in an area that 20 receives pedestrian traffic. It is therefore important that the lid is maintained in position to prevent a person or vehicle from falling into the drain opening. It is also important that the upper surface of the lid is slip resistant to thereby inhibit a person from slipping that may cause injury. Typically conventional lids include a galvanised pressed steel frame with 25 reinforced bars that includes upwardly facing recesses, into which a concrete mixture is poured. The surface of the concrete is finished with a brush to provide a slip resistant surface.

3 Concrete is however brittle and has a tendency to crack when the wheels of large vehicles come into contact with or pass over the lid. This creates a risk to pedestrians and means that the cover must be replaced or repaired. Furthermore currently available lids are cumbersome and are difficult to handle. 5 It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application. 10 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with an aspect of the invention, but not necessarily the broadest or only aspect, there is proposed a side entry pit cover including a lid supportable on a support frame, the lid having a rear edge, front edge and first and second sides extending therebetween, at least one aperture located adjacent said front edge and 15 extending through said lid, the at least one aperture engagable with a lifting means, the front edge of the lid being tiltable upwardly by way of the lifting means wherein said rear edge being pivotably supported on said support frame. In one form the cover may include first and second elongate apertures extending, in a spaced apart configuration parallel and adjacent the front edge of the 20 lid. The aperture or apertures may be engagable with a hook of a lifting means such as a winch device. A user or users may also use the apertures as handles that may be grasped to tilt the front edge of the lid upwardly. The lid may include an upper surface having a surface treatment to provide a 25 slip resistant surface that may comprise a plurality of raised elements configured. The raised elements may be arranged in various configurations including diamond elements, chequer plate or any other type of suitable configuration.

4 In another form a slip resistant material may be applied to the upper surface of the lid. This slip resistant material may be a curable or settable material that is applied to the lid or a sheet of material that is affixed to the lid using an appropriate epoxy. The upper surface of the lid may include a recessed face with an upwardly 5 projecting lip extending circumferentially around the outer edge of the lid into which a rubberised or plastic insert can be installed. The lid may be generally planar in shape with the underside of the lid preferably including supporting members for increasing rigidity. The supporting members may be a plurality of interlinking struts or ribs that extend across the 10 underside of the lid. In one form the struts are positioned in a square crisscross configuration. The first and second sides may include respective recesses for engagement with corresponding projections on the support frame. The recess being shaped such that when the lid is supported on the support frame it is prevented from sliding 15 forwardly along a generally horizontal plane. This inhibits access between the rear edge of the lid and the support frame. The projections may be an integral part of the support frame or alternatively they may be affixed to the support frame with a suitable fastener. The support frame may be constructed from concrete or metal material and be 20 positioned over a side entry pit. Alternatively the support frame may be defined by the edge of a side entry pit or a corresponding pit increment member. The side entry pit may be located adjoining a road surface and corresponding gutter for receiving storm water runoff. The side entry pit may also be located on an industrial or sporting venue. 25 In a further form the lid may include a plurality of secondary engagement means for engagement with a correspondingly shaped lifting device. The secondary engagement means may be keyholes that are engagable with a lifting key. The 5 secondary engagement means can be used when the lid is being initially installed or if the lid needs to be completely removed from the top of the drain. In still another form the lid may include a locking means for preventing unauthorised lifting thereof. The locking means may be attached to the underside 5 surface of the lid such that the locking means is engagable with the frame. The locking means may include a respective key member to facilitate authorised access. In another form the apertures may include inserts that are lockable in position and releasable by an access key. In yet another form the lid may be attached to the frame using a fastening means, such as but not limited to, a self-tapping screw or bolt. 10 In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is proposed a side entry pit cover including a lid supportable on a support frame, the lid, of a generally unitary construction, having a rear edge, front edge and first and second sides extending therebetween, at least one engagement member located adjacent said front edge, the at least one engagement member engagable with a lifting means, the front 15 edge of the lid being tiltable upwardly by way of the lifting means wherein said rear edge being pivotably supported on said support frame. The lid may be constructed from cast iron or any other suitable metallic material. In one form the engagement member may be an aperture that traverse the lid. 20 In another form the engagement member may be a handle or key slot that may be attached to, or moulded into, the lid. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of the invention and, together with 25 the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: 6 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a side entry pit cover of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the side entry pit cover of figure 1 being tilted by a lifting means; Figure 3 is a top view of a second embodiment of the side entry pit cover; 5 Figure 4 is an underside view of the side entry pit cover of figure 3; and Figure 5 is cross-sectional view of the side entry pit cover of figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS There are numerous specific details set forth in the following description. 10 However, from the disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and/or substitutions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In some circumstance specific details may have been omitted so as not to obscure the invention. Generally similar reference characters indicate corresponding features throughout the drawings. 15 Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, a side entry pit cover 10 is illustrated, demonstrating by way of examples arrangements in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. As illustrated in figure 1 there is provided a side entry pit cover 10 including a lid 12 supportable on a support frame 14, the lid 12 having a rear edge 16, front edge 18 and first and second sides 20, 22 20 extending therein between. Apertures 24, 26 are located adjacent the front edge 18 and extend through the lid 12. The apertures 24, 26 are engagable with a lifting means 28, for instance the apertures can be used as handles for grasping by a user or are engagable with the chains 28 and hooks 30 of a winch or the like as illustrated in figure 2. In use the front edge 18 of the lid 12 can be tilted upwardly by way of a 25 lifting means 28 wherein the rear edge 16 is pivotably supported on said support frame 14.

7 The apertures 24, 26 are elongate oval shaped and extend parallel the front edge. It should however be appreciated that the other shaped apertures could be used. The apertures may be analogously shaped to fit a corresponding key member. The lid 12 includes an upper surface having a plurality of raised elements 34 5 configured to provide a slip resistant surface. The raised elements 34 as illustrated in the figures 1 and 2 may be diamond shaped elements or the raised elements 34 may be of a chequer plate type configuration as illustrated in figures 3 to 5. It should however be appreciated that other types of suitable configuration could be used. The upper surface may further include a trade mark or other raised indicia that form part of the 10 slip resistant surface. Furthermore, although not illustrated, the slip resistant surface may be a layer of paint or rubberised material that is applied to the upper surface of the lid 12. The lid 12 includes a plurality of secondary engagement means 36 for engagement with corresponding shaped lifting devices. For instance the secondary 15 engagement means 36 may be keyholes that are engagable with a lifting key sold under the GATIC® trade mark. The secondary engagement means 36 can be used to lift the lid 12 when it needs to be completely removed from the support frame 14 or when the lid 12 is being initially installed. The underside of the first and second sides 20, 22 include respective recesses 20 38 for engagement with corresponding projections 40 on the support frame 14. The recesses 38 are shaped such that when the lid 12 is supported on the support frame 14 the lid 12 is prevented from sliding forwardly along a horizontal plane. This inhibits unauthorised access between the rear edge 16 of the lid 12 and the support frame 14. As illustrated in figures 4 and 5 the underside of the lid 12 includes supporting 25 members in the form of a plurality of interlinking struts 42, 44 that extend crossways across the underside of the lid 12. This provides additional strength and rigidity to the lid 12 while reducing the overall weight of the lid 12. In one form the struts 42, 44 8 are positioned in a square crisscross configuration however other configuration could be used without departing from the scope of the invention. It is envisaged that the support frame 14 will be constructed from concrete that is precast and positioned over a side entry pit located adjoining a road surface, 5 industrial site or sporting venue. In one embodiment the lid 12 is of a generally unitary construction and made primarily of cast iron. Other suitable metallic materials could be used or the lid 12 may be made of reinforced plastic. The lid 12 may also include a plastic or rubberised insert (not shown) for providing a slip resistant surface. 10 Although it is shown in the illustrated embodiment that the apertures pass through the lid, other types of engagement members positioned adjacent to, or along, the front edge 18 could be used. For instance the engagement members could be handles or key slots that are attached to, or moulded into, the lid 12. The skilled addressee will now appreciate the many advantages of the 15 illustrated invention. In one form the invention provides a lid of a side entry pit cover that can be tilted by use of apertures 24, 26 to allow access to the pit. The configuration of the apertures means that they can be used as handles by a user or be used for engagement with a lifting hoist or the like. In another form the lid is of a unitary metallic construction and provides a cover that is resistant to the type of 20 damage that occurs to existing cover constructed partially of concrete when the wheels of a large vehicles pass thereover. Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however, it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate and that the invention 25 is not limited thereto. Accordingly the invention can include various modifications, which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. It should be further understood that for the purpose of the specification the word "comprise" or "comprising" means "including but not limited to".

Claims

1. A side entry pit cover including a lid supportable on a support frame, the lid having a rear edge, front edge and first and second sides extending therebetween, at least one aperture located adjacent said front edge and 5 extending through said lid, the at least one aperture engagable with a lifting means, the front edge of the lid being tiltable upwardly by way of the lifting means wherein said rear edge being pivotably supported on said support frame.

2. The side entry pit cover in accordance with claim 1 wherein first and second 10 elongate apertures, extend, in a spaced apart configuration, parallel and adjacent the front edge of the lid.

3. The side entry pit cover in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein an aperture is engagable with a hook of a lifting means, such as a winch device.

4. The side entry pit cover in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein 15 the lid includes an upper surface having a surface treatment to provide a slip resistant surface.

5. The side entry pit cover in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the underside of the lid includes a plurality of interlinking struts or ribs extending there across. 20

6. The side entry pit cover in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the first and second sides of the lid include a respective recess for engagement with corresponding projections on said support frame.

7. The side entry pit cover in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the lid further includes a plurality of secondary engagement means for 25 engagement with a correspondingly shaped lifting key. 10

8. The side entry pit cover in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the lid further includes a locking means for inhibit unauthorised access to the side entry pit.

9. A side entry pit cover including a lid supportable on a support frame, the lid, 5 of a generally unitary construction, having a rear edge, front edge and first and second sides extending therebetween, at least one engagement member located adjacent said front edge, the at least one engagement member engagable with a lifting means, the front edge of the lid being tiltable upwardly by way of the lifting means wherein said rear edge being pivotably 10 supported on said support frame.

10. The side entry pit cover in accordance with claim 9 wherein the lid is constructed substantially from cast iron or any other suitable metallic material.

11. The side entry pit cover in accordance with claim 9 or 10 wherein the 15 engagement members are apertures that traverse the lid.

12. The side entry pit cover in accordance with claim 9 or 10 wherein the engagement member is a handle or key slot attached to, or moulded into, said lid.

13. A side entry pit substantially as herein before described with reference to 20 any one of the figures.