GB1588634A - Drain covers - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO DRAIN COVERS (71) We, BRICKHOUSE DUDLEY LIMITED, a British Company of Dudley Road West, Tipton, West Midlands, do hereby declare declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to drain covers of the type comprising an apertured grating is supported by a frame adapted to be embedded in a road or other surface.

In our British Patent 1313515 we have disclosed a manhole cover which comprises a frame and a lid of generally triangular shape as seen in plan, one or more separate downwardly depending support portions being provided on the undersurface of the lid adjacent each vertex of the triangular lid and within the triangular area thereof as seen in plan view, each support portion having at least one bearing surface on the underside of the support position which bearing surface slopes relatively to the general plane of the surface of the lid and is adapted to co-operate with a generally upwardly facing sloping bearing surface provided on the frame, the bearing surface on the lid and on the frame being so arranged as to tend to prevent relative movement between the frame and the lid in the general plane of the surface of the lid.

The present invention is based on the concept that the general construction of the manhole cover disclosed in our British Patent aforesaid can also be applied to a drain cover.

Thus, the present invention, which forms a modification of the invention described in our British Patent 1313515, provides a drain cover including a frame, and a grating of generally triangular shape as seen in plan, one or more separate downwardly depending support portions being provided on the undersurface of the grating adjacent each vertex of the triangular grating and within the triangular area thereof as seen in plan view, each support portion having at least one bearing surface on the underside of the support portion, which bearing surface slopes relatively to the general plane of the surface of the grating and is adapted to cm operate with a generally upwardly facing sloping bearing surface provided on the frame, the bearing surfaces on the grating and on the frame being so arranged as to tend to prevent relative movement between the frame and the grating in the general plane of the surface of the grating.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a frame of a drain cover according to the invention; Figure 2 is a view in the direction of arrow A of figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 are respective sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a plan view of a grating of the drain cover; Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged plan views of two of the corners of the grating; Figures 8 and 9 are respectively sections on lines 8-8 and 9-9 of Figures 6 and 7.

The illustrated drain cover comprises a frame 11 which is generally square in plan view and is formed as a casting in iron. The four sides of the frame each include an upstanding rim 12 which is intended to be flush with the surface of the roadway or other surface in which the frame is to be installed, and a strengthening web 13 which extends outwardly from the frame on two opposite sides thereof. Further webs 14 extend between the rim 12 and web 13 to brace these parts relative to each other.

At each of its corners, the frame is provided with a seat 1 5 for receiving and supporting a grating as depicted in Figures 5 to 9, the frame 11 receiving two such gratings. Each seat 15 is of prism shaped formation, Figure 2, and is of generally inverted V-shape having two relatively upwardly facing bearing surfaces 17 and a horizontal intervening surface 16.

Each of the gratings which is received by the frame 11 comprises an iron casting 18 of generally triangular shape in plan view, having elongate slot-like apertures 19 for the passage of drainage water therethrough. The casting 18 has a generally planar upper surface 1 8a, and its sides as viewed in plan have recesses 20 therein also to permit the passage of drainage water.

The plan shape of the grating casting 18 is a right-angled Isosceles triangle, the right angle vertex thereof, Figures 7 and 9, having a downwardly depending support portion 21 with relatively inclined bearing surface 22 engageable with the surfaces 17 provided on the frame. The surfaces 22 from an inverted Vshape but without an intervening flat portion such as is constituted by surface 16 on the frame, thereby ensuring that the bearing surfaces 22 will seat properly on the surfaces 17 of the frame.

At its non-rightangled vertices, Figures 6 and 8, the grating casting 18 is provided with a downwardly depending support portion 23 having a single inclined bearing surface 24 engageable with a surface 17 of the frame.

Thus, when two grating castings 18 are assembled with the frame 11, the support portion 21 at the rightangled vertex of each grating co-operates with both surfaces 17 of one of the seats 1 5 while the support portions 23 at the non-right angled vertices of each grating each co-operate with one surface 17 of a seat 15. Thus movement of the grating in a general plane of their upper surfaces 1 8a is reduced or eliminated.

If desired, the two grating castings 18 may be connected together.

Although the embodiment described above includes gratings which have elongate apertures for the passage of drainage water, the general construction of frame and gratings is also applicable to cases where the gratings have apertures of other forms, e.g. a plurality of circular apertures.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A drain cover, including a frame and a grating of generally triangular shape as seen in plan, one or more separate downwardly depending support portions being provided on the undersurface of the grating adjacent each vertex of the triangular grating and within the triangular area thereof as seen in plan view, each support portion having at least one bearing surface on the underside of the support portion, which bearing surface slopes relatively to the general plane of the surface of the grating and is adapted to co-operate with a generally upwardly facing sloping bearing surface provided on the frame, the bearing surfaces on the grating and on the frame being so arranged as to tend to prevent relative movement between the frame and the grating in the general plane of the surface of the grating.

2. A drain cover according to claim 1, wherein the bearing surfaces on the frame are provided on seats of prism shape each prism shaped seat being of inverted 'V' shape as seen in elevation and having two relatively inclined bearing surfaces, instersecting along a line directed generally towards the centre of the frame.

3. A drain cover according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the frame is rectangular in plan view and two triangular gratings are provided.

4. A drain cover according to any proceeding claim, wherein the or each drain cover is of right angled triangular formation, as seen in plan view.

5. A drain cover according to claim 3 wherein the frame is square and two gratings of right angle isosceles triangular formation are provided.

6. A drain cover according to claim 4, or claim 5 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the support portion provided adjacent to the right angled vertex of the grating has an underside of inverted 'V' shape, as seen in elevation, to provide two bearing surfaces relatively inclined to each other, so to operate with the two bearing surfaces of a prism seat of the frame.

7. A drain cover according to Claim 4, dependent on claim 2, or clam 6, wherein each support portion provided adjacent a non-right angled vertex has a single, generally downwardly facing, sloping bearing surface to co-operate with one bearing surface of a prism shaped seat of the frame.

8. A drain cover according to any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the gratings are connected together.

9. A drain cover according to anyone of the preceeding claims wherein the or each grating is apertured by a virtue of elongated parallel slots.

10. A drain cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. with relatively inclined bearing surface 22 engageable with the surfaces 17 provided on the frame. The surfaces 22 from an inverted Vshape but without an intervening flat portion such as is constituted by surface 16 on the frame, thereby ensuring that the bearing surfaces 22 will seat properly on the surfaces 17 of the frame. At its non-rightangled vertices, Figures 6 and 8, the grating casting 18 is provided with a downwardly depending support portion 23 having a single inclined bearing surface 24 engageable with a surface 17 of the frame. Thus, when two grating castings 18 are assembled with the frame 11, the support portion 21 at the rightangled vertex of each grating co-operates with both surfaces 17 of one of the seats 1 5 while the support portions 23 at the non-right angled vertices of each grating each co-operate with one surface 17 of a seat 15. Thus movement of the grating in a general plane of their upper surfaces 1 8a is reduced or eliminated. If desired, the two grating castings 18 may be connected together. Although the embodiment described above includes gratings which have elongate apertures for the passage of drainage water, the general construction of frame and gratings is also applicable to cases where the gratings have apertures of other forms, e.g. a plurality of circular apertures. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A drain cover, including a frame and a grating of generally triangular shape as seen in plan, one or more separate downwardly depending support portions being provided on the undersurface of the grating adjacent each vertex of the triangular grating and within the triangular area thereof as seen in plan view, each support portion having at least one bearing surface on the underside of the support portion, which bearing surface slopes relatively to the general plane of the surface of the grating and is adapted to co-operate with a generally upwardly facing sloping bearing surface provided on the frame, the bearing surfaces on the grating and on the frame being so arranged as to tend to prevent relative movement between the frame and the grating in the general plane of the surface of the grating.

2. A drain cover according to claim 1, wherein the bearing surfaces on the frame are provided on seats of prism shape each prism shaped seat being of inverted 'V' shape as seen in elevation and having two relatively inclined bearing surfaces, instersecting along a line directed generally towards the centre of the frame.

3. A drain cover according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the frame is rectangular in plan view and two triangular gratings are provided.

4. A drain cover according to any proceeding claim, wherein the or each drain cover is of right angled triangular formation, as seen in plan view.

5. A drain cover according to claim 3 wherein the frame is square and two gratings of right angle isosceles triangular formation are provided.

6. A drain cover according to claim 4, or claim 5 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the support portion provided adjacent to the right angled vertex of the grating has an underside of inverted 'V' shape, as seen in elevation, to provide two bearing surfaces relatively inclined to each other, so to operate with the two bearing surfaces of a prism seat of the frame.

7. A drain cover according to Claim 4, dependent on claim 2, or clam 6, wherein each support portion provided adjacent a non-right angled vertex has a single, generally downwardly facing, sloping bearing surface to co-operate with one bearing surface of a prism shaped seat of the frame.

8. A drain cover according to any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the gratings are connected together.

9. A drain cover according to anyone of the preceeding claims wherein the or each grating is apertured by a virtue of elongated parallel slots.

10. A drain cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.