US1032503A - Street-service box for water and gas. - Google Patents

Description

W. M. RAPP. STREET SERVICE BOX FOR WATER AND GAS.

I APPLIOATIO N FILED OUT. 4,1910.

Patented July 16, 1912.

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WILLIAM M. RAPE, OF ATLAN'TA, GEORGIA.

STREET-SERVICE BOX FOR WATER AND GAS.

i, Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom-it may concern: Be itknown that I, rimmer M! R'AIP, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of Atlanta, county of Fulton, State of Georgia, have invented an Improvement in Street-Service Boxes for \Vater'and Gas, of which the following is a specification.

' My invention has reference to street service boxes for water and and consists of to certain improvements which are fully set forth. in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a partthercot.

lileretott'ore it has been customary to pro to vide street curb water and gas service boxes,

' being held in its place by a screw.

with removable top or lid with tap number on it, to designate the particular cock, for the convemence of the department, this top Much inconvenience has resulted from the fact that the screw rusts in position, and also requires a special tool for removing it. i It is often broken in being removed. The top or lid, with tap number, becomes lost, causing a great inconvenience in locating the proper tap; and the box also becomes full of dirt, the obstructions thus caused necessitating the digging up of same.

The object of my invention is to provide a. construction of water and gas service box for curb cocks which shall be devoid of the cally defined in the claim.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a water service box for street curbcocks embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a. plan View of the same with the plug removed; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the plug; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the plug inverted; and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showing a modification or the curb box.

A-is the curb cock and as ordinarily made, is pr'fivided with the threaded portion D. The service or curb box is provided with a pipe B extending down from the pavement and may be'provided on the lower end with a sleeve which is screwed upon it, the other end of the sleeve being screwed upon the threaded portion D of the body of the curb cock A. Secured lo the top of this tubular portion B is the top casting E of the service box, thcunion being made by fitting the cylindrical socket F, on the under portion of the top casting, over the upper end of the tube and screwing it in place by a set screw (l. The socket portion F is made ofa very loose lit upon the tube and is also of a depth to allow of vertical adjustment so as to compensate for any variation in the level of the street pawment relatively to the position of the curb cock. A set screw G may be arranged close to the bottom of the upper or socket portion F so as to be always in posi- Patented July 1c, 1912.

tion to clampthe top casting of the box upon the tube for all positions of adjustment. This construction permits the box to bc extensible.

.lleterring moi-c specifically to the top casting l and plug therct'or, said. casting is provided at the upper end of its socket portion l with an annular flange ll having an apcrl urc K in its center, said aperture being above the opening in the upper end of the tube li 't'orlning the lower part of? the box. The aperture K is of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the, socket portion F soas to provide an internal flange TJ which is provided with an annular depressed upper surface and with a plurality of notched portions M (Fig. 2). The top outer flange ll of the top casting has the letters spelling the word \Vater or Gas, according to the particular use, and the tap nun'ibei' of curb cock corresponding to the record number on the-departments records. The word \Vatcr or Gas is indicated at l and the number at J, said designations being preterably in relief, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The plug l is cylindrical and provided with a flange Q at the top which fits the recesscd flange portion L of the top casting E so as to have its upper surface preferably substantially flush with the upper surface. of said casting. The body part of the plug loosely fits the cylindrical aperture K in the top casting E and the lugs P of the plug pass downward through the notched port-ions M ,,and, upon turning the plug, pass under the flange L and thereby lock the plug from being withdrawn. The plug is made to form a snug fit into the seat on the top casting E but so as to be easily rotated and withdraun when requirtd.

The upper-portion of the plug is recessed too.

expensive .only part which can become as at Q and provided with a cross bar R l which acts as a handle to lift itand also to turn it, whether by hand or by the ordinar key which is used to turn the curb cock A. These parts Q and R of the plug are below the upper surface so as not to project above the normal level ot the pavement. The parts Q. and R may be made in other ways, if so desired, so long as they provide a recess and a part ther in to receive a key.

In practice, the dirt or rust will-be amply sutlicient to retain the plug in locked position as long as may ,be required; and when it is desired to remove the plug, this may be easily done by using the regular key required for the curb plug A and without the necessity of any special tools. Under no conditions can the plug become so tightly held in the top 'casting but that it may be easily removed; and to remove it only requires a quarter turn instead of many turns. It is also evident that by placing the number of the curb cock on the flange .l;l instead of on the top or lid as heretofore the-loss of the plug will not remove the tap record number. This is a matter of much in'iportance, first, because of the impossibility of the key-mans locating the curb cock readily and, secondly, because to cast a new top or lid with the special tap number, is both and troublesome. The plug. is the lost and this frequently occurs; but, as all of the plugs are alike,.the replacing of the plug is a matter of only nominal expense.

In place the cock A. to the pipe B, this maybe dis pensed with by expanding the lower cud of the tube ill as indicated at C in Fig. 5, the saidpart lit't ing over the cock A withoutall necessary is tirmly held in the ground and sup ported by the wide flanged top casting. 3ecause of the chcapness of this construction, I prefer to employ it in connection with my of usin the, sleeve G for unitin I3 I! being screwed upon it, which is not at' because of the fact. that the I service box. In some cases the lower constructlon would have to be changed to suit I the shape and form of the curb cock eml'ployed and hence I do not restrict myseli in this respect. The lower part- B of the box may be made of cast iron instead of wrought tubing if 'so desired.

I have shown my invention in the form which I have found excellently adapted to its commercial use and while I prefer the details shown, they may be modified within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, wharv I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a curbbox for valves of water or pipes, the combination of a pipe leading down to the curb cock, with a top casting having a deep socket portion loosely fitting over the upper end of the pipe and adjustably clamped thereon and also having an extended outer flange portion of large radius provided with the oflicial record marking of the box to designate itslocation said top casting further having a. central opening of small diameter bounded with an inwardly extending annular flange arranged below the upper surface of the extended flange portion said annular flange having notchcs opening laterally into the central aperture on opposite sides thereof, and a renmvablc tlanged plug loosely fit ing the central aperture so as to be below the nppersurfacc of the top casting and also h a ring two oppositely ar ranged lugs integral with its lower part to pass through the notches in the. 'tlange ot' the top casting and engage the under side of the unifotched portions thercol when the plug is t'urned.

ln tcstimony of which invent-ion, I here unto set my hand.

WILLIAM M. llLQPIl Witnesses A. B. Fnorn, R. B. SIMMS.

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