GB2288620A - A kit of parts for assembly into an inlet and/or junction chamber for use in drainage systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A kit of parts for assembly into an inlet and/or junction chamber for a drainage system consists of a parallelepiped-shaped chamber body (2) and several different adapters (3), a chosen one of which is inserted in an aperture (21) in an end wall (12) of the chamber body (2) so that it is flush therewith and leakproof. Each of the adapters (3) is provided with a bearing surface (36) for supporting an extension on the end of a drainage channel section. The bearing surfaces (36) on the respective adapters (3) have different heights (45), depths (37) and/or widths, so that drainage channel sections of different depths and widths can be connected to the same chamber body (2), either with or optionally without creation of a slot, for filling with sealing material, between the end of the extension on the channel section and a plate (34) of the adapter (3). <IMAGE>

Description

"A kit of parts for assembly into an inlet and/or junction chamber for use in drainage systems" This invention relates to a kit of parts for assembly into an inlet and/or junction chamber for use in drainage systems.

Inlet and/or junction chambers for drainage systems are of course in themselves known. Broadly-speaking such chambers are relatively thin-walled, parallelepiped-shaped constructions, open at the top but provided with a longitudinally-extending step running along inside the upper part of the side walls for supporting a grating, or the frame of a grating. The end walls are provided with apertures into which the end of a drainage channel section can be inserted. It will however be appreciated that in a drainage system it is necessary for successive drainage channel sections to be of progressively greater depth, so as to accommodate the greater and greater volumes of water & . that are collected by the drainage system. Thus it has hitherto been necessary to construct inlet/junction chambers of different dimensions according to their intended location in the drainage system.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a kit of parts for assembly into an inlet and/or junction chamber for use in a drainage system, which will permit standard components to be used for interconnecting drainage channel sections in a fluid-tight manner, and thus simplify and rationalize the construction and use of inlet and/or junction chambers in drainage systems.

According to this invention there is provided a kit of parts (in assembled or disassembled state) for assembly into an inlet and/or junction chamber for use in a drainage system comprising a succession of two or more drainage channel sections of progressively greater depths, said kit comprising a chamber body having two parallel opposed side walls, two opposed end walls and a base, at least one of the end walls having an aperture formed therein which will accommodate any one of several adapters, each of which adapters can be sealably inserted into the aperture, each such adapter being provided with a bearing surface for supporting an extension on the end of a drainage channel section, the height of the bearing surface measured from the lower edge of the adapter and/or the width and/or the depth of the bearing surface being different on each of the adapters in the kit of parts, so that drainage channel sections of different depth and/or different width can be inserted in and flush with the same chamber body.

As the kit of parts contains adapters of different height, a drainage channel section of any chosen depth can be connected flush with the same chamber body.

Consequently correspondingly lower channel elements can be used with short channel strands which reduces the construction and material costs. Only one type of box body requires to be manufactured and held in storage which reduces the cost of manufacture and storage.

In order that the invention may be well understood it will now be desicrbed in more detail, though only by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the individual components of an inlet and junction chamber in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 shows a similar perspective view of the same components after assembly into the completed inlet and junction chamber; Figure 3 shows a vertical cross-sectional view through the inlet and junction chamber, with a drainage channel section connected thereto; and Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view (e.g.

horizontal) through an integrally-cast connection piece.

The inlet and junction chamber, generally indicated 1, consists of a chamber body generally indicated 2 and made of e.g. polyester concrete, as well as an adapter 3, preferably also made of polyester concrete, which is so constructed as to enable a drainage channel section 4 of a drainage system to be connected thereto. As will be seen, the chamber body 2 is parallelepiped-shaped, open in the upward direction, and has two side walls 11, two end walls 12 and a base 13.

The side walls 11 and/or the end walls 12 can be provided at predetermined points with weakening grooves 14, of varying diameter or varying shape, so that an opening for inserting a connection piece can be knocked out in any of the available positions as required.

Alternatively, as can be seen in Figure 4, a connection piece 15 can be integrally cast into one or both of the side walls 11 and/or end walls 12.

This connection piece 15 is provided, adjacent but at a distance from its inner front end 16, with a flange 17 which is cast into the concrete of the body 2 in a formclosed manner. An O-ring 18 which abuts on the flange 17 and which ensures a leakproof connection is cast in at the same time.

The end walls 12 are each provided with a rectangular aperture 21, open at its upper end. The internal width 22 of this aperture 21 corresponds to the external width of a tapered extension 23 on the end of the drainage channel section 4 and is greater than the internal dimensions of the chamber 2 between the side walls 11. The depth 25 of the aperture 21 corresponds to the thickness of the adapter 3. The aperture 21 at its bottom end is provided with a step 24.

At its bottom end the adapter 3 is provided with an approximately parallelepiped-shaped body 31, the lower side 32 of which has a step 33, complementary to the step 24. A narrow plate 34, with a U-shaped cutout section 35 open in the upwards direction, is disposed to one side of the body 31; and the cross-section of the U-shaped cutout 35 corresponds to the internal cross-section of the drainage channel section 4. Between the plate 34 and the end side of the adapter 3 the body 31 is provided with a bearing surface 36, having (as seen from the front) a trapezoidal shape, which serves to support the extension 23 on the end of the drainage channel section 4.

The depth 37 of the bearing surface 36 is greater than the width 38 of the extension 23, so that when channel section 4 is inserted a slot 40 is formed between the end surface 39 of the extension 23 and the facing surface of the plate 34. This slot 40 is U-shaped when seen from the front, but rectangular in cross-section, and is sealed with a sealing material 41. In this way the drainage channel section 4 is connected to the chamber 1 in a fluid-tight manner. Equally the adapter 3 is also cast into the aperture 21 during assembly, by means of a sealing medium e.g. polyester. Very effective sealing can be achieved in this way.

The kit of parts provided by this invention, for the construction of the inlet and junction chamber 1, includes not only the chamber body 2 but also two or more adapters 3, each of them with a different height 45 of the bearing surface 36 above the lower side 32, corresponding to the different depths of various drainage channel sections 4.

The appropriate adapter 3 is always chosen and fitted so that the upper edge 46 of the drainage channel section 4 is in alignment with the upper edge 47 of the chamber body 2.

Since a variety of different adapters are available the same inlet and junction chamber body 2 can be used for interconnecting drainage channel sections 4 of different depths, and thus the cost of manufacturing and storing a number of different inlet and junction chambers 1 is reduced or even eliminated.

The invention is capable of further modifications.

Thus for instance, as an alternative or additionally, the kit of parts may also include adapters 3 with a bearing surface 36 of different width and/or different depth.

Supposing that for example sealing with the sealing material 41 is not required, then the depth 37 can be chosen equal to the width 38 of the extension 23. Or again, if narrower drainage channel sections 4 are to be connected, then the adapater 3 can be constructed so as to take up the correspondingly narrower extension 23. As will be appreciated, these variations in each case affect only the adapter 3, which is economic and easy to manufacture, so that the more costly inlet and junction body 2 can be used for a multiplicity of applications, and can thus be manufactured rationally in large quantities.

Claims (10)

1. A kit of parts (in assembled or disassembled state) for assembly into an inlet and/or junction chamber for use in a drainage system comprising a succession of two or more drainage channel sections (4) of progressively greater depths, said kit comprising a chamber body (2) having two parallel side walls (11), two end walls (12) and a base (13), at least one of the end walls (12) having an aperture (21) formed therein which will accommodate any one of several adapters (3) each of which can be sealably inserted into the aperture, each such adapter (3) being provided with a bearing surface (36) for supporting an extension (23) on the end of the drainage channel section (4), the height (45) of the bearing surface (36) measured from the lower edge (32) of the adapters (3) and/or the width and/or the depth of the bearing surface (36) being different on each of the adapters (3) in the kit of parts, so that drainage channel sections (4) of different depth and/or different width can be inserted in and flush with the same chamber body (2).

2.A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1, in which each adapter (3) has a substantially parallelepiped body (31) associated with a narrow plate (34) with a U-shaped cutout section (35) which is open in the upward direction.

3. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 2, in which the bearing surface (36) of at least one of the adapters (3) is wider that the extension (23) on the drainage channel sections (4) so that (as seen from the front) an U-shaped slot (40) is defined between the end surface (39) of an extension (23) on an inserted drainage channel section (4) and the facing surface of the plate (34), which slot is adapted for filling with a sealing material (41).

4. A kit of parts as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the bearing surface (36) has a trapezoidal shape.

5. A kit of parts as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which each adapter (3) on its underside (32) and the aperture (21) in the chamber body end-wall are all provided with cooperating steps (24, 33).

6. A kit of parts as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which a connection piece (15) with an outer flange (17) disposed at a distance from the inner front end (16) thereof is cast into the chamber body (2).

7. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 6, in which an elastomeric sealing ring (18) is cast in on at least one side of the flange (17) and abutting thereagainst.

8. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, in which the connection piece (15) is made of plastic.

9. A kit of parts as claimed in any of the preceding claims and substantially as herein described.

10. A kit of parts substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.