Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
  • E02D29/00—Independent underground or underwater structures; Retaining walls
  • E02D29/12—Manhole shafts; Other inspection or access chambers; Accessories therefor
  • E02D29/14—Covers for manholes or the like; Frames for covers
  • E02D29/1427—Locking devices
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03F—SEWERS; CESSPOOLS
  • E03F5/00—Sewerage structures
  • E03F5/04—Gullies inlets, road sinks, floor drains with or without odour seals or sediment traps
  • E03F5/06—Gully gratings
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03F—SEWERS; CESSPOOLS
  • E03F5/00—Sewerage structures
  • E03F5/04—Gullies inlets, road sinks, floor drains with or without odour seals or sediment traps
  • E03F5/06—Gully gratings
  • E03F2005/063—Gully gratings with slidable or rotatable locking elements
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03F—SEWERS; CESSPOOLS
  • E03F5/00—Sewerage structures
  • E03F5/04—Gullies inlets, road sinks, floor drains with or without odour seals or sediment traps
  • E03F5/06—Gully gratings
  • E03F2005/065—Gully gratings with elastic locking elements
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03F—SEWERS; CESSPOOLS
  • E03F5/00—Sewerage structures
  • E03F5/04—Gullies inlets, road sinks, floor drains with or without odour seals or sediment traps
  • E03F5/06—Gully gratings
  • E03F2005/066—Gully gratings with means for protecting against vandalism

Definitions

• manhole in position including two elongate members pivotally connected together end to end
• the members are held aligned while being inserted through a
• the bolt head is recessed into the flange
• a protective plastic cap covers the bolt head and has protrusions sheared off when the cap is removed to provide a tamper indication.
• a miniature radio transmitter can be installed
• the locking device is used with a modified manhole cover by installing an adaptor sleeve defining a rectangular
• This invention concerns locking devices and methods, more particularly such devices and methods as applied to covers used for catch basins and manholes installed in
• a locking device insertable into an opening in the cover adjacent a sidewall ofthe cover frame.
• the device is comprised of an upper and a lower member which are connected to each other end-to-end so as to allow articulation ofthe lower member to install the device, the members are initially set in an end- to-end alignment and are inserted into the cover opening.
• the members are held in end to end alignment with a detent mechanism including interfit detent features and the respective members held in that position by one or more springs so as to connected exert a force pulling the members together to maintain the interfit detent features in engagement.
• a bolt having a tamper resistant head extends through a hole in the upper member and is left hand threadably received in a trunnion member rotatably mounted to the lower member extending across a space defined by space sidewalls included in the lower member.
• the bolt can be pushed down against a bottom wall ofthe upper member to counter the spring force and thereby allowing disengagement ofthe interfit detent features.
• the spring or springs then cause the lower member to be pivoted on the trunnion with respect to the upper member and thereby angled towards the sidewall adjacent the opening until the bottom end ofthe lower member engages the same. Teeth are preferably formed along the bottom end edge of the lower member engaged with the sidewall.
• Notch contours on the upper end ofthe lower member at the same time are moved to engage an edge ofthe cover opening through which the device is inserted.
• the bolt is then driven on its threaded connection to the trunnion by a special tool socket to draw the lower member up, the upper member having a flange overlying the cover to provide a reaction surface.
• the bolt head is received within a recess in the top ofthe upper member and has driving contour requiring a special tool to prevent removal ofthe locking device by the use of standard tools.
• a plastic cap is placed over the bolt head and in the recess to prevent weathering ofthe bolt threads and the entrance of plugging dirt and debris. Special features on the cap provide a tamper indication if the cap is removed.
• a special version ofthe device is used for manhole covers, in which an adapter sleeve is fitted into a round hole bored into the manhole cover and secured to the cover with bolts received in threaded holes formed into the underside ofthe manhole cover.
• the upper member is received in a central rectangular opening in the adapter sleeve, the upper member having a round flange smoothly overlying the adapter sleeve top surface adj acent the rectangular opening.
• An extension arm is secured to the bottom end ofthe lower member to enable the toothed bottom edge ofthe extension arm to reach a sidewall edge located further from the manhole cover opening in which the locking device is inserted.
• the extension arm is attached using a pivot bolt and a shear pin so that the cover can be released and blown free in the event of a gas explosion to prevent structural damage.
• the adapter sleeve presents an opening wall which projects downwardly to present an edge engageable with the lower member notched contours to establish a wedging lock as in the catch basin version ofthe locking device.
• a special radio signaling device can also be built into the cap, able to provide
• a remote alarm via a repeater amplification to a central station if tampering is detected, which can also be used to locate a catch basin or manhole when a cover has been removed or
• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a locking device according to the
• Figure 2 is a front view of a locking device according to the present invention.
• Figure 3 is a rear view ofthe locking device shown in Figures 1 and 2.
• Figure 4 is a side view ofthe locking device shown in Figures 1-3 inserted in a
• FIG. 5 is a side view ofthe inserted locking device of Figure 4 in the
• Figure 6 is a top view ofthe upper member showing the tamper resistant bolt
• Figure 7 is a side view of the upper member in phantom lines, showing the
• Figure 8 is a perspective view ofthe plastic flanged cap shown installed in Figure 7.
• Figure 9 is a top view of a catch basin cover with four locking devices according to the invention installed therein.
• Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of an installed cap with a radio transmitter monitor.
• Figure 11 is a side view of an installed modified locking device having a
• Figure 12 is a plan view of a manhole cover with the locking device installed.
• Figure 13 is a front view ofthe lower member ofthe manhole cover locking
• Figure 14 is a sectional view of fragmentary portion ofthe manhole cover and
• invention is designed to be installed by being first inserted into an opening 12 in a catch basin
• the locking device 10 includes a generally rectangular upper and lower moderately elongated members 18, 20, which are preferably constructed of high strength steel and connected together end-to-end in a manner allowing articulation therebetween. Prior to installation, the members 18, 20 are set in an end-to-end aligned position as shown in Figures 2 and 4.
• the upper member 18 has a flange 22 at the top which overlies the cover structure adjacent the opening 12 to suspend the locking device hanging through the opening 12 and into the space below the cover 14.
• the edges ofthe flange 22 are is rounded to present a smooth contour.
• the upper member 18 is generally rectangular and is sized to be received between a pair of spaced upstanding walls 24 included in the lower member 20.
• the upper member 18 has a depending rectangular tab 26 on one side of a radiused bottom wall 28 which is interfit to a rectangular recess 30 in a cross web 32 at the rear ofthe bottom member 20 extending between the walls 24.
• the tab 26 and recess 30 comprise detent features of a detent mechanism for releasably holding the upper and lower members 18, 20 in their initially set aligned position by preventing rotation of the lower member 20 about a trunnion 40.
• the detent mechanism also includes one or more coil springs 34 which are each connected at either end to the upper and lower members 18, 20.
• slotted ears 36 are formed on the bottom of one side ofthe upper member 18 and slotted ears 38 are formed on the inside ofthe spaced walls 24 on the opposite side of bottom member 20.
• the springs 34 thus extend down and around trunnion 40 and over to the lower tabs 38, exerting an end to end pulling force on the members 18, 20 tending to maintain engagement ofthe tab 26 and recess 30.
• the springs 34 since they are wrapped around the trunnions 40 also urge relative rotation of the upper and lower members 18, 20, but this is resisted by the interfitting engagement between the tabs 26 and recess 30 preventing rotation of the upper and lower members 18, 20 about the trunnion 40.
• the upper member 18 has a recess in its upper end comprised of cylindrical bore 42 extending into the top thereof down to a bottom wall 44.
• An aligned smaller diameter through hole 46 extends through the bottom wall 44 and slidably receives a bolt 48 therein.
• Bolt 48 has a tamper resistant shaped head 50 (seen in Figure 6) and a left hand threaded body 52 which is threadably engaged with a through cross bore 54 extending through the trunnion 40. Trunnion 40 is rotatable in aligned bores 56 in the spaced walls 24.
• the bolt 48 is initially installed so as to not engage the bottom wall 44. After insertion ofthe locking device 10 in the opening 12, the bolt head 50 is pushed down against the bottom wall 44 to push the lower member 18 down and away from the upper member 18 against the resistance ofthe springs 34.
• Advance ofthe bolt 48 causes its left hand thread engagement to lift the now articulated lower member 18 to securely wedge the same tightly between the sidewall 16 and edge 62.
• a plastic cap 66 ( Figures 7, 8) is provided to be fit over the bolt head 50 to prevent debris to enter the space around the bolt head 50.
• the cap 66 has protrusions 68 on portions 69 defined by slots 67 snap fit into drain openings 70 provided in the bottom ofthe bore 42 the upper member 18.
• the bore 42 is formed with shallow grooves 65 to aid in aligning the protrusions 66 and a shallow counterbore 61 to accommodate a cap flange 63'.
• FIG. 10 shows a miniature radio transmitter-battery unit 78 installed beneath the cap 66, which can transmit a signal via a repeater amplifier system to a remote location. Upon removal ofthe cap 66, the radio signal is interrupted so that an intrusion alarm can be triggered at the remote location. This signal can also be varied to locate a catch basin without a cover.
• the device 10 can be adapted for use with a modified manhole cover 80, as shown in Figure 11 , in which a hole 82 bored into the under side of the manhole cover 80 to be able to receive an adapter sleeve 84 fixed in the hole 82 by ears 85 and bolts 87 threaded into holes 89 machined into the underside ofthe cover 80 ( Figure 14).
• a rectangular opening 86 is formed in the adapter sleeve 84, extending completely through the sleeve 84.
• An edge 88 is created on a lower side ofthe sleeve 84 positioned to be engaged by the notch contours 60 as described above.
• the lower end ofthe adapter sleeve 84 is cut off at an angle as shown in Figure 11 to provide clearance for proper articulation ofthe lower member 20.
• the lower member 20 has an extension arm 90 secured thereto with a pivot bolt 91 an a shear pin 92 and has a toothed end engageable with manhole sidewall 94. If an explosion occurs, the shear pin 92 is severed, the extension arm 90 swings free about the axis
• a second bolt 96 is installed on the underside ofthe manhole cover 80, closely

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Paleontology (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Underground Structures, Protecting, Testing And Restoring Foundations (AREA)
• Sewage (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=31720256

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (19)

• 2003
  • 2003-08-12 CN CNB038194570A patent/CN100422573C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-08-12 AU AU2003264055A patent/AU2003264055A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-08-12 WO PCT/US2003/025210 patent/WO2004015212A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-08-12 JP JP2004528070A patent/JP4321775B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-08-12 CA CA2495662A patent/CA2495662C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-08-12 EP EP03785223.3A patent/EP1534965B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-08-12 AP AP2005003254A patent/AP1971A/xx active
• 2005
  • 2005-03-14 ZA ZA2005/02135A patent/ZA200502135B/en unknown
• 2009
  • 2009-02-16 JP JP2009032471A patent/JP4824094B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events