GB2205601A

GB2205601A - Grating and frame assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2205601A
Application number: GB08713406A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lord Lighthorne
Original assignee: Von Roll AG
Current assignee: Von Roll AG
Priority date: 1987-06-09
Filing date: 1987-06-09
Publication date: 1988-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-09
Also published as: GB8713406D0; GB2205601B; CH677243A5

Description

2 2 (it "Improvements relating to Roadway Furniture" This invention

relates to an article of road- way furniture such as a grating, gully, manhole or inspection cover, but the invention is mainly applicable to gratings and continuous drain channels but can be applied to many such articles of roadway furniture. It is to be understood that the invention is not only applicable to conventional roads and highways but can be applied to any generally ho.-izontal surfaces such as ae-rodromes, factories, forecourts, play grounds, sports grounds, driveways or the like, where water or liquids flow or can be spilled.

1-t is well known that gratings an.' covers of this general type are often displaced accidentally by traffic impact or other causes or may be removed deliberately by vandals or not correctly replaced after maintenance. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved grating assembly for a roadway which will at least partly overcome the existing disadvant ages.

Accordingly, this invention provides an article of roadway furniture compri5ing an access grating and a surrounding frame, the grating being formed as a series of ba--s extending between the sides 2 of the frame and interconnected partially by webs at or near the ends of the bars, mutually interactive locating formations at the sides of the frame and the sides of the grating, the grating being flexibly resilient whereby compression forces applied between the ends of the grating cause the grating length to be reduced, by shortening of gaps between ends of the bars, to enable the locating formations to be interengaged, with subsequent release of the compression forces, to allow thb grating to return to an unstressed tate.

achieving interlocking of the locating formations.

The locating formations will ideally comprise pegs projecting inwardly from the sides of the frame and corre5ponding recesses in side portions of the grating in regions where there care gaps between adjacent pairs of bars.When the grating is put under stress the bars can drop down beyond the edges of the pegs and release of the stress will cause the recess portion to slide below the pegs and hold the grating in place.

As an alternative, pegs could be provided to project outwardly from the sides of the grating so an to locate within L-shaped slots in the siae walls of the frame.

if desired, additional locking formations could be provided at the ends of the side portions of the grating (defined as extensions of the webs) to interengage with complementary formations on inwardly extending portions of the ends of the sides of the frame. It is also possible to provide pivot pins between the frame and the grating so' that the grating can be raised and lowered about the pivot at one end.

The particular construction of this invention is ideally suited for employment as an elongated grating extending over some substantial distance to act, for example, as a continuous gulley to accept drainage water at the edge of a large tarmaced area or on a drainage line of an airport runway. Such an elongated drainage gulley would ideally be formed from a series of units constructed in accordance with this invention laid end to end.

The frame in this instance would comprise continuous side sections with inturned ends leaving a complete gap between the ends of the two side members so that there will he no barrier to the passage of water continuously along the gulley. The side members would be fixed in place by any suitable means(such as by bolting to a base channel portion or by holding them in the desired positions by spacer rods).

The grating itself is advantageously formed from malleable spheroid graphite cast iron which has sufficient inherent resilience to allow for t1he 4 necessary flexing of the grating. However, other materials such as a resilient but robust plastics material may be utilised. 1 The invention may be performed in various ways and preferred embodiments thereof will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one desired form of grating of this Invention, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative form of grating of this invention, and Figure 3 is an enlarged partial view of a portion of the grating Illustrated in Figure 2.

An access grating for a rainwater gulley is shown in Figure 1 comprises the grating 1 itself located within a side frame 2 defined by two side frame members 3. The side frame members 3 carry, at their ends, inturned portions 4 which define the location position for the grating 1. Inwardly projecting tabs 5 are also provided at central positions of the side frame members 3 and these interengage with recesses 6 defined in portions of the grating 1. The grating itself i.

constructed from a series of bars 7 interconnected by webs 8 but leaving a number of gaps 9 which allows thc whole grating to be compressed by applying a force to one end such as by means of a lever locating within a slot 10 defined in one of the end bars 7. By this means the grating can be located and fixed within the side frame 2 by placing the one end 11 of the grating against the projections 4 of the side frame 2 and then compressing the grating so that the tabs 5 can be located wholly within gaps between adjacent bars 8 to enable the grating to be 16wered fully i.nto position.

Release of the compression force causes the grating to move to a relaxed state whereupon the tabs 5 will enter the recesses 6 to prevent upward release of the grating.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 2 and 3 a modified design of grating 1A is illustrated which incorporates many of the design features of the structure shown in Figure 1. In particular, gaps 9 are provided and suitably positioned recesses 6 are also formed in portions defining the;icle walls 12 of the grating, which will interengage with projecting tabs (not shown) on the side frame members 3.

It will be noted also that the lower portions of the side frame members 3 incorporate steps 13 on which the base of the grating 1A will rest. In addition,extending end portions of the side members 12 of the grating incorporate locking pegs 14 which will locate beneath corresponding projections 15 on the parts 4 of the side frame 2.

22056011

Claims

Means for covering a surface opening, which comprises a cover constructed at least partly as a grating with parallel bars, and a frame at least paitlY bordering the cover and serving as a support, the cover being at least partly formed by bars, which are provided with spacing webs arranged on facing bar ends or bar end areas, whereof in each case one spacing web is connected at one or other end or end area only of a bar to the end or end area of an adjacent bar, the bars alternately interconnected by a spacing web being arranged in the central region of the cover located between the marginal areas, and on the web free sides the bars are provided with locking means, by which the cover can be engaged with locking means on the frame whilst using the elastic deformability of the bars, whereby the cover is insertable and lockable by the elastic compression of the bars in the frame.
2. Means according to claim 1, wherein a substantially elastically non-deformable grating or covering part is provided in the two marginal regions of the cover.
3. Means according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the locking means are constructed as an Mi/MIO -6- inwardly directed stop cam shaped onto the frame and a holding member, cooperating with the stop cam and arranged on the cover.
4. Means according to claim 3, wherein the stop cam and the holding member are constructed as forward and backward projections.
5. Means according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the locking means are arranged in the vicinity of the lateral parts of the frame at right angles to the bars.
6. Means according to any one of claims 1 or 5, wherein at least one locking means is arranged on each side of the frame.
7. Means according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a recess is formed on the terminal edges of the cover parallel to the bars and serves for the attachment of a tool for producing the deformation of the cover at right angles to the bars necessary for inserting said cover in the locking position.
8. Means according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein end cams are provided at the ends of the lateral parts of the frame which extend under offset holding cams located at the corners of the cover.
9. Means for covering a surface opening according to claim 1 and incorporating any additional features as described herein.

Mi/MIO -7-
10. Means for covering a surface opening substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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