US537182A

US537182A - Street gate-box

Info

Publication number: US537182A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 1912-04-09

Description

(No Model.) I

J. L. BROWN. STREET GATE BOX.

No. 537,182. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

n: nonms PETERS co. mofo-|.|mo., WASHINGTON UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN L. BROWN, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET GATE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,182, dated April 9, 1 895.

Application filed October 12, 1894:- Serial No. 525,692- (No model.)

.TO all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. BROWN, a resident of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inStreet Gatelxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to street gate boxes,- that is, to the large gate boxes employed in streets over main valves of water or gas pipes. These boxes have generally been built of wood with an iron cover resting on an iron ring supported on a wooden gate box, the cover and ring being even with the surface of the street and being subjected to the Weight and jar of passing wagons and like vehicles. The principal difficulties found in such boxes have been that they were liable to decay, as any wooden body, and were especially liable to such decay on account of the entrance of water from the surface of the street and percolatin g down through the pavement; the fact being that the life of such boxes is generally not more than a year or two, and it then becoming necessary to tear up the street and dig out the box and replace it. Where asphalt and like pavements are employed this is a very great ob ection as it requires the subsequent patching of the pavement which always leads to the rapid wear of the same, and with any form of pavement, it is an objection because of the disturbance of the street, which necessarily leads to the settling of the earth around the box and to irregularity in the surface itself. The difficulty experienced with the iron gate boxes heretofore in use has been the varying distances from the main under the street to 1 the street surface, as the mains are buried according to the fixed grades which may not always be the same distance from the street surface, and such distance also varies where the gate box is in the center or on one side of the street. This rendered it almost impracticable to use iron gate boxes, and for that reason the general use of the old wooden gate boxes has continued.

. The object of my invention is to provide an iron gate box suitable for use with large main valves located under the roadway; which will provide free access to the gate box; which is practically indestructible; and also provide a box which could be so built up as to properly fit the main and extend even with the street 3 surface. I

To enable others skilled in the art to make and usemy invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the gate boxinvolved in my invention. Fig. 2 is a like section at right angles thereto ofa box of a different height. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the sections. v

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The gate box embodying the invention is formed of a series of rings suchas the rings a, b, c, d, and e which may be circular, oblong or of other shape. The lower ring a is provided with a broad base a to rest upon the ground, and has also semi-circular recesses f formed therein to fit the main, the valve extending up within thebody of the gate box.

It is not considered necessary to illustrate the valve as it will be understood that the gate box is to be employed with any large gate or like valve which extends up within the box, and to which access is obtained through the mouth or upper end it of the ring d, by the removal of the cover g.

It will be noticed that the bodies of the rings except at the top ring eare made tapering in cross section as at j, and are tapered upwardly, so giving a thicker body in the lower part of each ring than at the upper end thereof. They are so constructed, first, to form a wedge surface on the outside to resist the action of the frost in tending to raise the box, the earth being packed around the outer faces of the rings which increase gradually in circumference from the top to the bottom, so that the rings are all wedged within the ground by the packing of the same around them and upward movement by the frost is prevented, and, second, so that neat joints may be formed between the rings, the upper edge of one of the rings as at i forming an annular tongue which fits into an annular groove is in the base of the ring above the same. The rings are made of different heights, or as it might possibly be termed lengths, several different heights or lengths of such ringsbeing provided so that when the distance from the ground to the top surface is accurately determined, a box of the exact length required can be built up from the different lengths or heights of rings. The variation necessary between them need not be less than an inch, as the box is not required to fit tightly around the main and can generally be adjusted to that extent; and by having rings of different heights, say from three (3) to seven (7) or eight (8) inches respectively, any length of gate box desired can be easily built up. The upper ring e is,as shown,formed with a mouth 7i somewhat contracted, and has at its upper end the seat Z to receive the cover g. The mouth 7!. may however be made considerably larger than those employed with the wooden gate box, as the cast metal box is rigid and strong, and gives a more substantial support to the cover. As this upper section or ring 6 is directly subjected to thejars, it can be made heavier than the lower rings, and it is preferred to brace it at suitable points, such as the ribs e on its upper inner face which impart strength to the ring. These ribs are generally formed only on the lower part of the ring ewhere itis contracted from the general diameter of the box to the diameter of the mouth 72, the upper part of the ring a being made of full thickness to withstand the jars to which it is directly subjected.

It will be noticed that the outer face n of the upper part of the ring e is perpendicular, the inclined portion on of the ring forming the connection between the same and the rings below it. Such perpendicular face 77. is made to form a surface against which the blocks of the ordinary block pavement can rest directly, so that said blocks can be built up close to the body of the gate box and a stronger support both to the pavement and to the gate box itself be obtained.

In order to secure the several sections or rings of the gate box together, I employ tie rods 19, the lower ends of which extend through lugs g on the lower section a, while the upper ends extend through the holes 1' in the top section e the ends of the rods being bentover as shown at Fig. 2,so as to rest upon the outer face of the inclined portion m of the top ring. Nuts q can be employed on the lower ends of the rods after they are so placed in position and the several rings by this means clamped firmly together.

In the use of the gate box when the distance between the main and the street sur face is ascertained, the gate box is built up of sections of the proper height or length, such sections fitting the one upon the other and being held in line by tongued and grooved connections iand k, abovedescribed, and one, two, or more, rings being employed between the bottom section a and the top section c, it being possible in this way to build up a gate box which will be the proper height between the main and the top surface of the street. Variations inch by inch of a foot or more,

and, indeed, several feet may thus be provided, and the gate box is made applicable for use in different parts of the country Where on account of the different depths of the frost line, the mains must be sunk to different depths in the ground. As soon as the proper height of box is built up, the tic-rods p are secured in place extending from the lugs q to the top ring 6 being then bent over on the outer surface of the top ring, or held in other suitable way, and then the sections of the box clamped firmly together by means of the nuts q. When the boxes are placed over the gas mains they are accurately adjusted so as to bring their top surfaces even with the streetlevel. The earth is then filled around them and firmly packed around the outer surface of the several rings and as such rings have downwardly flared (or upwardly tapering) faces, it will be evident that the packing of the earth around the same acts to firmly wedge the gate box within the ground. In case of the action of the frost upon the gate box, it will simply act upon the different inclined surfaces and will practically have no bearing power to raise the box unless the whole mass of earth should rise, and in case of such unusualdisturbance when the ground settles down again, the gate box will settle with it. I am thus enabled to provide a gate box which is practically indestructible; not liable to movement from frost or like action in the ground; overcomes the necessity of frequent tearing up of the street to replace the box; and gives a freer space to enable the workmen to repair the valve, because the walls of the box itself are comparatively thin and the necessity of interior bracing is entirely overcome. At the same time, as the mouth can be made larger, practically any part of the valve contained within the gate box, such as the stem, cap, and disks, can be removed through the same, and there is no necessity of disturbing the box except where the valve body itself is required to be removed. It also provides means for the laying of granite, or asphalt block or sheet, pavement close to the body of the gate box so insuring a much smoother street surface, which, in the improved manner of laying roadways, is of great importance.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a gate box, the combination of a bottom ring having a broad flange and a recess in the base thereof to fit over the pipe, and horizontal rings or sections of different heights built on said base ring, a top ring having at the lower portion a part inclined from the base toward the axis and above the same a vertical portion extending to the surface of the ground, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gate box, the combination of a bot tom ring havinga broad flange and a recess in the base thereof to fit over the pipe, and horizontal rings or sections of different heights built on said base ring, a top ring having at In testimony whereof I, the said JOHN L.

BROWN, have hereunto set my hand.

' JOHN L. BROWN.

Witnesses:

ROBERT C. TOITEN, L. DE B. LITTLE.