EP0084510A1 - Circular manhole frame with hinged half-covers - Google Patents

Abstract

This look comprises, articulated on a frame (2), two half-buffers (3a-3b) each having three radial studs, respectively lateral and posterior, provided, at their lower part, with corners (9-12) suitable for rest on V-shaped positioning faces (10-13) made in ears (7-8) of the frame (2). In order to control the opening and closing movement of the half-buffers by means of a mechanism insensitive to fouling by earth or other waste while giving the half-buffers good stability in the closed position, the horizontal axis (14) of articulation of each half-buffer passes through the posterior ear (7) of which it is integral, while the posterior radial post (4) is provided with an internal housing (15) with profile cam whose profile is determined so that, in the closed position, the horizontal axis (14) is not in contact with the housing (15), but that during opening, it controls the movement of this half-pad , first alone, then on the rest of the movement, in combination with the posterior edge of the tampon coming to bear against the wall (22) and on the bottom of the ear (7).

Description

The invention relates to a circular manhole cover with articulated half-buffers.

The manholes are, in general, composed of a frame fixed to the roadway and a removable buffer o To access the well closed by the manhole, it is necessary to remove the buffer. This operation is awkward, whatever the weight of the The same applies to the replacement of the buffer in the frame.

In addition, to avoid lifting the tampon, when passing over it a heavy vehicle generating a strong vertical suction, as well as to avoid any accident when opening the manhole, the buffers, heavy and massive , wedged by their only weight, are gradually replaced by articulated buffers of the type described in British patent 474,250 and in French patent application 79,06566. Usage shows that it would be desirable, on the one hand, to facilitate maneuvers opening and closing of the buffers by controlling the pivoting movements and, on the other hand, avoiding that the articulation means can be clogged with earth or other waste penetrating into the infractuosities of the gaze and hampering their operation .

We also know, in particular by American patent 2,997,932, manholes comprising two half-buffers which, each having the shape of an isosceles right triangle, are juxtaposed on the frame by their hypotenuse and are provided, in the extension of this one and in that of their right angle, of radial legs of trapezoidal section resting on spans of complementary section in V. By this arrangement, each half-pad only rests on the frame in three points, which gives it excellent stability and prevents it from generating noise when passing heavy vehicles.

The object of the present invention is to provide a manhole cover which, combining the advantages of articulated pads and half-pads resting on three spans in V, without presenting any constructive or use disadvantages, and does not risk generating noises consecutive to bad bearings on the frame.

This look is of the type comprising, articulated on a frame, two half-pads each having three radial studs, respectively lateral and posterior, provided at their lower part with corners capable of resting on V-shaped positioning faces made in the ears of the frame.

According to the invention, the horizontal axis of articulation of each half-buffer passes through the posterior ear to which it is integral, while the posterior radial post is provided with an internal housing with cam profile whose profile is determined so , that in the closed position, the horizontal axis is not in contact with the housing, but that during opening, it controls the movement of this half-pad, first alone, then on the rest of the movement, in combination with the rear edge of the tampon coming to rest on the wall and on the bottom of the ear.

The shape of the housing for the axis therefore makes it possible to give a stable position to the corresponding half-buffer, both when it is in the open position and when it is in the closed position at rest on the V-shaped bearings.

Advantageously, the angle formed by the faces of each of the V-shaped housings of the ears is a few degrees less than that of the angle formed by the complementary faces of the corresponding tenon.

Thanks to this arrangement, the contact faces of the different spans are adjusted to each other by matting, which improves the contact and the stability of the half-pad. In addition, when the half-pad is tilted from its position opening to its closed position without being retained, the energy communicated to it allows these studs to get caught in the V of the frame and thus ensure locking by jamming of this half-buffer.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the drawing diagram. attached tick representing, by way of nonlimiting example, an embodiment of this manhole cover.

• FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view thereof, one of the half-pads being in the open position, the other in the closed position,
• FIG. 2 is a partial side view showing, in section and on an enlarged scale, an embodiment of the housing provided in the frame for receiving the hinge pin,
• FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing, on an enlarged scale, the housing produced in the hinge pin,
• Figures 4 to 8 are partial side views in section showing, for different positions of an articulated half-pad, the contact zones of the housing of the hinge pin with the axis of the ear.

As shown in Figure 1, this circular manhole is composed of a frame (2) and two half-buffers (3a-3b) having, in plan view from above, a semi-circular shape. Each pad is provided with three radial studs, namely: a rear articulation stud (4) and two lateral positioning studs (5). The longitudinal axis of the articulation stud (4) is perpendicular to the straight edge (6 ) of the corresponding half-pad, while the longitudinal axes of the two positioning studs (5) are substantially parallel to this straight edge. The two positioning studs (4) are arranged in posterior radial lugs (7) of the frame (2 These two ears are diametrically opposed. As for the positioning studs (5), they penetrate into ears (8), also diametrically opposite and substantially offset by 90 ° with respect to those (7). Each ear (8) is arranged to receive simultaneously the positioning pins (5) of the two half-eyes

The positioning studs (5) are provided with contact and positioning faces capable of cooperating with complementary faces formed in the ear (8) corresponding In the embodiment shown, these contact and positioning faces (9a-9b) form a wedge (9) capable of penetrating into the V-shaped housing (10) formed in the corresponding ear (8). Similarly, the hinge pin (7) is provided, at its base, with two inclined lateral faces (12) giving it a truncated V shape. These faces are intended to cooperate with inclined faces (13) delimiting a V in the bottom of the corresponding ear (7).

The angle formed by the faces of each of the V-shaped housings (10) of the ears (8), as well as that formed by the faces (13) of the ears (7), has a value which is a few degrees lower than that of the angle formed by the complementary faces, respectively (9a-9b) and (12), of the corresponding studs. This arrangement allows the contact faces to form by themselves by matting and thus improves the stability of the gaze. Furthermore, it makes it possible to obtain a wedging effect contributing to keeping the half-buffers in the closed position, even when a heavy vehicle passes over the manhole.

The articulation of each articulation pin (4) on the frame (2) is ensured by an axis (14), horizontal, and passing through said ear to which it is integral. This axis can be attached or come from molding with the frame .This axis crosses transversely a housing (15) of the tenon (4), housing whose internal wall has a cam-shaped profile the usefulness of which will be specified below. The housing (15) communicates with the outside by a groove transverse (16) formed in its posterior part and whose opposite faces are separated by a distance (D) at least equal to that (d) separating two flat (14a), parallel and vertical, made on the axis (14). This arrangement makes it possible to remove the half-pads if necessary, but also to easily replace them if they are damaged or partially broken.

As shown in more detail in Figure 4 and in order not to disturb the stability of each half-pad ensured by its three V-shaped surfaces and, above all, not to disturb the V-shaped range of the hinge pin (4) in the bottom of the ear (7), the wall of the housing (15) is arranged so as to do not come into contact with the axis (14).

When one of the half-buffers is operated in the opening direction, it is simultaneously subjected to a translation in the direction of the arrow (20) in FIG. 5 until the axis (14) comes into contact with the rear part of the cam profile of the housing (15), as shown in this figure. From this moment, the pivoting takes place around the lower part of the axis (14) until the posterior edge (21) of the post (4) meets the posterior wall (22) of the ear (7), as shown in FIG. 5. At this stage, the pivoting is guided by the contact of the edge (21) on the wall ( 22) until, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper part of the axis (14) comes into contact with the upper profile of the housing (15), then with the anterior profile (FIG. 7) to control the pivoting. As soon as the gaze exceeds the vertical position, it takes an inclined position beyond this, of the order of 18 to 15 °. In this position, as shown in FIG. 8, the tenon (4) is in contr support e the upper posterior edge (23) of the ear (7) and, by the face of its housing (15), against the posterior flat (14a) of the axis (14). Thanks to these two contacts, the half-buffer occupies a perfectly stable opening position which prevents it from accidentally closing.

It is obvious that, in the closing movement, the different parts of the housing (15) cooperate in reverse with the axis (14). It should however be noted that at the end of the closing movement, the introduction of the positioning lugs (5) in the V (10), causes the half-buffer to move transversely so that the housing (15) occupies the position in which, as shown in FIG. 4, its wall is in contact with the axis (14 ) so as not to disturb the range of the inclined faces (12) on those (13) of the ear (7).

As shown in Figure 1, the half-pad (3a) has an opening (25) for the passage of a pointed tool such as the pick of a pickaxe, while the half-pad (3b) is provided with a handle (26) facilitating its lifting.

It should be noted that, thanks to the correct guiding of the tilting ensured by the cooperation of the different parts of the axis (14) with the profile of the housing (15), the closing operation does not require retaining the half-pad, so that it can be carried out very quickly by simple pushing of this half-pad, which, moreover, facilitates the wedging of the positioning pins (5) in the V (10) and the locking of this half-pad .

It follows from the above that, thanks to its structure and, in particular, to the use of two positioning pins and to an articulation pin provided with a cam profile cooperating with the axis of rotation, this manhole cover is very easy to maneuver, both for opening and for closing, ensures the safety of personnel when they are in the open position, without the need for other accessories, and has, in the closed position, excellent stability preventing them to tip over when passing vehicles and, therefore, to generate noise.

In addition, thanks to the total closure of the ears (7) by the corresponding 5 pins (4), the articulation of each half-pad is protected and does not risk being clogged with earth or other waste, such as c is the case in the other buffers, which guarantees the good functioning of the buffer in tempso

Claims (3)

1-Circular manhole cover of the type comprising, articulated on a frame (2), two half-buffers (3a-3b) each having three radial studs, lateral and rear respectively, provided with corners (9 -12) able to rest on V-shaped positioning faces (10-13) produced in ears (7-8) of the frame (2), characterized in that the horizontal axis (14) of articulation of each half -tampon crosses the posterior ear (7) of which it is integral, while the posterior radial post (4) is provided with an internal housing (15) with cam profile whose profile is determined so that in the position of closing, the horizontal axis (14) is without contact with the housing (15), but that during opening, it controls the movement of this half-pad, first alone, then on the rest of the movement, in combination with the rear edge of the tampon bearing against the wall (22) and on the bottom of the ear (7). 2-manhole according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (15), formed in the hinge pin (4) of each half-pad (3a-3b) communicates with the outside by a transverse groove ( 16) formed in its posterior part and having opposite faces separated by a distance (D), at least equal to that (d) separating two flat (14a), parallel and vertical, produced on the axis d hinge (14). 3-manhole according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the angle formed by the faces of each of the V-shaped housings of the ears (7-8) is a few degrees less than that of the angle formed by the complementary faces (12) and (9a-9b) of the corresponding post (4-5).

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