US1580541A - Locking manhole frame and cover - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1926. 1,580,541

W. S. SHERMAN LOCKING MANHOLE FRAME AND COVER Filed June 29, 1925 wmmllll Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PAT V wAnR'EcN s. SHERMAN, or OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA.

LOCKING MANHOLE FRAME AN oovma Application filed June 29, 1925. Serial No. 40,392.

1 To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WARREN S. SHERMAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma City, in the county of Oklahoma.

, and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Locking Manhole Frame and Cover, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for locking manhole covers upon their supporting frames. I

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a novel type of locking manhole frame and cover, embodying a relatively simple arrangement by means of which the same may be quickly locked against liability of accidental detachment.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a manhole cover and frame therefor, and a novel locking key for turning the cover in the frame for the purpose of looking or unlocking the same with respect thereto.

Other objects-and advantages of this in-' vention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective vew'showing the relative arrangement of details of the cover and its frame, with the cover lifted from the frame to show the cooperative locking features of the cover and frame; I

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the key structure and adjacentthe cooperating locking features of the cover and frame. Y

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the foundation upon which the manhole cover and frame are mounted, looking upwardly toward the cover ofthe manhole, to show the cooperative locking features of the cover and its frame.

V Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken through the manhole frame and its cover, showing the same in" locked relation;

Figure '5 is a fragmentary'cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, showing more particularly the direction of rotation of the key for locking the cover on its frame.

'Fi re '6 is a perspective view of the key by which the cover'is connected tov the frame ing- 31- of so that upon operation of the key the cover may be locked or unlocked with respect to the frame. y

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the manhole cover,

adapted to be supported upon the frame B; I

the cover and frame includin novel cooperating locking features rigid therewith,

which may be moved into or out of locking relation by means of a key deviceC, with which a handle D may be operably associated.

The cover A, of course, preferably in cludes the flat, preferably circular, disc shaped body portion 10, preferably having" ribs, lugs. or analogous locking parts 11, 12, 13 and 14, integral and rigid with the disc 10, preferably extending below the bottom surface .of the di-sc10. These ribs 1114 inclusive preferably radiate inv shaped manner from-the center of the'disc 10, and at their outer ends the ribs or lugs 10-14 are each notched, to provide a recess, or opening 15, which opens at the end edge 16 of each of said ribs or lugs 1114 inclusive; the recesses or openings 15, being, arranged flush with the bottom surface of the disc 10, The ribs 1114, thus, not only provide the means by which the cover may be locked to the frame B, but are so arranged as to reinforce the manhole cover.

The frame B is preferably of cast iron or analogous metal, and the same is ring shaped in formation, providing the ring shaped body portion 20, outwardly from which the upper supportingflange 21 annularly extends, which is adapted to rest upon the ground of suitable foundation E, as is illustrated in Figure 4, for supporting the frame B in a manhole 25. The frame B provides an annular shoulder 27, countersunk inwardly of. the teip surface of the supporting frame 21 an marginalportions of the cover disc 10 is adapted to be received, so that the cover may be supported'upon the frame B, with the to surface of the cover preferably flush witht etop surface'of the supporting frame upon which the r 21, in the-relation illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing. p i p Frame locking lugs 29and 30am interally formed: upon the body 20 oflthe frame B radially extending into the openthe body 20;=these loekinglugs being of any approved shape, and providing lower cam surfaces 35, sloping at profcrably an acute angle to the horizontal, or to the plane, in which the cover is disposed when mounted upon the frame B. These locking lugs 29 and 30 only project sufficiently into the opening of the frame B, to be received in the pockets or recesses 15 provided by the cover A, when the cover is mounted upon the frame B and slightly rotated thru a proper degree of movement.

The frame B is preferably provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 40, arranged integral with the body 20, in an inwardly extending relation from. the opening 31 through the frame B, as illustrated in. Figure 1 of the drawing, for the purpose of cooperating with the key C in order to effect the rotation of the cover A. Below the teeth 40, av key supporting flange 42 radially extends into the opening 31, the same being integral or rigid with the body 20, and pro viding an arcuate slot 43, which is arranged beyond the outer edges of the teeth 40, for receiving a guide shank 45 of the key C, in order to guide the l'l'lOVGlnOllt of the key C.

The key C preferably includes the pinion portion 46 provided with teeth adapted to intermesh with the teeth 40 of the rack on the frame B, and upwardly of the pinion 40 is a substantially cylindrical shaped bearing portion 47 which is adapted to seat in an opening 48 provided through the disc body 10 of the cover A; the portion 47 preferably having a polygonal shaped socket 49 inwardly from the top surface 50 thereof, adapted to receive the handle D, which is preferably polygonal at its portion to be inserted in the socket 49, to key the handle D to the key member 0, can readily be understood. The handle D, of course, may be of any approved length, and may include the hand grasped portion 51 at the upper end thereof, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

Referring to the manner of operation of the invention, with the frame B mounted upon a foundation E, the cover A may be placed'upon the frame B, so that the shoulder 9.7 supports the cover as above mentioned. In order to place the cover A in this position upon the frame B, thelocking ribs or lugs of the cover A will of course have to be placed substantially in a position illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 3, prior to the locking operation, in order to properly place the cover on its frame. When the cover A has been thus placed upon the frame B, the key C may be inserted in the opening 48, if the same has not already been inserted, and it can readily be understood that the key will be supported by the flange 42 of the frame B, and guided for proper movement by reason of its shank connection in the arcuate slot 43. The teeth of the'pinion 46 of the key C, of course, mesh with the teeth 40 of the frame B, and the top surface 50 of the key C preferably lies flush with the topv surface of the cover disc 10. Merely by the insertion of the han dle D into the socket 49, placing the device in a position to be operated, and upon turning of the handle in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 5, the cover will be rotated through a slight are by reason of the intermeshing of the key and frame teeth, so that the recesses 15 will be moved to receive the locking lugs 29 and 30 of the frame B, and the cam surfaces 35 of the locking lugs will bind against the recess of pocket edges of the locking lugs or ribs of the cover A, as is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing, to effectively lock the cover upon the frame B, in the posit-ion illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. To unlock, it is merely necessary to reverse the operation, as can readily be understood.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim: 1. In a locking manhole cover and frame construction the combination of a manhole frame and a cover therefor, means to wedge lock the frame and cover together upon slight relative arcuate movement of the same, and means to cause such relative arcuate movement of the cover and frame including teeth rigid with one of the same and a rotatable pinion carried by the other including teeth intermeshing with said first mentioned teeth.

2. In a device of the class described a manhole frame, a manhole cover, means by which to lock the cover on the frame upon slight arcuate movement of the cover on the frame, a series of teeth rigid with the frame, and a key rotatably carried by the cover including teeth for meshing with the teethiof. the frame. r

3. In a device of the class, described a manhole frame, a manhole cover, teeth rigid with the frame, a key rotatably carried by the manhole cover having a pinion with teeth meshing with the teeth of the frame, wherebyupon rotation of the key the cover may be rotated on said frame, and locking means constructed with the framerand cover for movement into or out of locking relation upon movement of the cover and the frame.

4. In a device of the class described a manhole cover, a manhole frame adapted to receive the cover, ratchet teeth rigid with the frame. said cover having an opening therein. a key adapted to be rotatably positioned in the manhole cover opening, means to so support the key in said opening, said key having a plurality of teeth adapted to Hit? mesh with the ratchet teeth of the frame when the cover is upon the-frame, whereby frame.

5. In a device of the class described a manhole cover, a manhole frame of substantially ring shaped formation providing an opening therein, ratchet teeth rigid with the frame extending into its opening, a flange carried rigidly by the frame extending into. its opening below said teeth and in inwardly projecting relation beyond the edges of said teeth, a key rotatable in said cover adapted to rest upon the frame flange when the cover is assembled on the frame, said key having teeth intermeshing with the teeth of the frame, and locking means constructed with the frame and cover.

6. In a device of the class described a substantially ring shaped manhole frame providing an opening therethrough, a series of ratchet teeth rigid with the frame extending into said opening thereof, a supporting flange rigid with the frame extending into the opening thereof below the teeth and in inwardly projecting relation beyond the inner end edges of said teeth, said flange beyond said edges of the teeth having an arcuate slot therein substantially concentric with the opening through said frame, a manhole cover for said frame having an opening therein, a key rotatably mounted in said opening having a guide shank adapted to project into the slot of the flange of said frame, said key having a pinion portion adapted to rest upon the flange of said frame to support the key in the opening of saidcover, said key pinion portion having teeth inter-meshing with the teeth of said frame," and locking details carried by the cover and frame adapted to be moved into or out of meshing relation incident to rotation of the cover on said frame.

7. In a locking manhole frame and cover the combination of a manhole frame havin an opening therein with a series of racl r teeth formed on the inner periphery of said opening projecting into the opening, a manhole cover for said opening, interlocking means on the cover and frame to lock the cover on the frame when the cover is rotated slightly within the opening of said frame, and a rotatable pinion carried by the cover in meshing relation with the teeth of said frame adapted .upon rotation to effect the rotational movement of the cover in the frame.

8. In a locking manhole frame and cover the combination of a frame having an opening therein, a manhole cover for the opening of the frame, interlocking means on the frame and cover to effect locking of the frame and cover upon slight arcuate movement of the latter in the former, intermeshing rack and pinion means carried by the frame and cover, the same being located entirely below the upper surfaces of the frame and cover, the pinion having an n wardly facing open socket, and a detachab e handle for said socket.

WARREN S. SHERMAN.

Images