GB2102864A

GB2102864A - Road man-hole cover or gully grid and supporting frame

Info

Publication number: GB2102864A
Application number: GB08216978A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean-Claude Hauer; Jacques Oger
Original assignee: Pont a Mousson SA
Current assignee: Pont a Mousson SA
Priority date: 1981-06-22
Filing date: 1982-06-11
Publication date: 1983-02-09
Also published as: FR2508191A1; DE3223110C2; IT1205375B; DE3223110A1; IT8267774A0; BE893588A; CH649594A5; IT8253416V0; GB2102864B; ES265746U; FR2508191B1; ES265746Y

Abstract

A removably-hinged self-locking manhole cover or gully grid 3 rests on inclined rear support surfaces 13A, 13B in its frame 1 so that as it settles under load it moves forwardly to engage a fixed locking projection 23 thereon under a fixed frame projection (not shown). As shown. the frame has two downwardly inclined slots 15 receiving short and long lateral lugs 27 at the rear of the grid so the latter can pivot in the frame and be removable. The downwardly sloping support surfaces 13A, 13B at the rear of the frame direct the grid forwards therein as it settles, while the front of the grid rests on two horizontal support projections at the front of the frame and on two inclined corner projections for lateral centering. The locking projection 23 (on the grid front) has a sloping upper face to engage under the sloping face of an overhanging projection on the skirt 4 to lock the grid to the frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Road man-hole or gully cover and supporting frame This invention relates to a road man-hole or gully cover, which is removable, in combination with a supporting frame, the combination comprising said frame intended to be embedded in the ground and said cover comprising at its rear end two side lugs and, at its front end, first support surfaces intended to cooperate with second support surfaces of the frame and the cover further comprising, on its front edge, a locking member intended to cooperate with an overhang of the corresponding edge of the frame.

The cover may be perforated to form a grid.

French Patent No. 1 249 110 describes a combination of grid and supporting frame of the type referred to above. This combination has the drawback of the member for locking the grid comprising a pin which is mounted to rotate on the grid, which complicates the manufacture and use.

An object of the invention is to provide a combination of road man-hole or gully cover and supporting frame in which the cover is self-locking when put in position in the frame, According to the invention a road man-hole or gully cover, which is removable and tiltable, in combination with a supporting frame, the combination comprising said frame intended to be embedded in the ground and said cover comprising at its rear end two lateral lugs and, at its front end, first support surfaces intended to cooperate with second support surfaces of the frame and the cover further comprising, on its front edge, a locking member intended to cooperate with an overhang of the corresponding edge of the frame, and the frame comprising at its rear end, lateral engagement ramps inclined towards the front and a retaining surface overhanging each lug when the cover is in position in the frame.

The member for locking the grid, which may be simply a fixed projection on the front edge of the grid, is automatically inserted below the overhang of the frame when the rear end of the cover descends the engagement ramps of the frame.

In one advantageous embodiment from the point of view of casting the frame, the retaining surfaces of the frame comprise the upper edge of each of two inclined slots provided in the side walls of the frame and intended to receive the lugs of the grid.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cover forming a grid for a gully and a supporting frame of a combination formed according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the frame in Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken respectively on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the grid in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The gully-hole illustrated in Fig. 1 has a frame 1 embedded in the ground, for example in a road surface, at the upper end of a shaft 2 and a removable grid 3 which is hinged or can be tilted back forming the cover. The frame and the grid both have a general rectangular shape in plan view.

The frame 1 (Figs. 2 to 4) comprises an approximately vertical skirt 4 provided on three sides with a peripheral support flange 5, with vertical strengthening ribs 6.

Each side face 7, 8 of the skirt 4 comprises in its central region two inner projections 9A having an upper horizontal face and at its front end an inner centering projection 9B, whereof the upper face is inclined downwards from the skirt. In its central part, the front side 10 of this skirt comprises two inner projections 11 with an upper horizontal face. The rear side 12 of the skirt 4 comprises four inner projections, whereof two 1 3A are in its central region and one 1 3B is in each corner. The upper faces of the projections 1 3A are coplanar and inclined downwards from the skirt and those of the projections 1 3B, which define two engagement ramps 14, are coplanar with respect to each other, inclined in the same manner as the upper faces of the projections 1 3A and offset slightly upwards with respect to the latter.

The upper faces of the projections 9B, 1 3A and 1 3B may have a common inclination of the order of 300 with respect to the horizontal.

At its rear end, each side 7, 8 comprises an inclined slot 1 5 whereof the lower edge 16, seen in lateral elevation (Fig. 3), coincides substantially with the ramps 14. The frame provides an empty space 1 7 adjacent to each slot 1 5. The space 1 7 located on the side 8 where the frame comprises no flange, is shallower than the other.

At its centre, between its two projections 11, the front side 10 of the skirt 4 comprises a locking projection 18, whereof the lower face 19 overhangs, thus forming an angle of the order of 300 with respect to the vertical.

The grid 3 (Figs. 5 and 6) is constituted essentially by a rectangular plate whereof the dimensions are slightly smaller than the inner dimensions of the skirt 4, provided with several rows of slots 20 and provided on its lower face with strengthening ribs 21.

On each side edge, the grid comprises two intermediate projections 22A with a lower horizontal face and a centering projection 22B with an inclined lower face paired with the upper face of the corresponding projection 9B of the side 7 or 8 of the frame.

At its centre, the front edge of the grid comprises a locking projection 23 whereof the upper face 24 is paired with the face 1 9 of the frame and, on either side of the projection 23, a projection 25 with a lower horizontal face.

The rear edge of the grid is constituted by a bar whereof the lower face 26 is paired with ramps 14 of the frame. This bar is extended at each end by a cylindrical lug 27, one of which is longer than the other. These lugs are almost tangential to the face 26, seen in side elevation (Fig. 6), but are slightly offset upwards with respect to the latter.

In order to position the grid, the long lug 27 is introduced fully into the slot 1 5 on the side 8 of the frame, then the opposite short lug 27 is introduced into the other slot 15, the grid thus being located in the approximately vertical position of Figure 1. When the two lugs 27 are located in the upper part of the slots 1 5, the grid is tilted forwards about their common axis, until its projections 22B bear on the projections 9B of the frame.

A pushing action towards the front exerted on the grid thus causes a downwards movement of the lugs 27 along the lower edge of the slots 1 5 with a slight clearance and sliding of the face 26 on the ramps 14.

This movement continues until the locking face 24 bears against the overhang 1 9 of the frame.

The front edge of the grid is thus located very close to the side 10 of the skirt 4. Additional projections 30 extend between various points of the side and rear edges of the grid and the skirt 4 for reasons of safety.

In practice, the position of the grid only becomes correct after the passage of travelling loads, by virtue of the centering effect ensured by the inclination of the projections 9B and 22B. All the pairs of projections other than the pairs 9B-22B and 26-1 3B, namely the pairs 22A-9A and 25-11, are respectively located in facing relationship, but without contact, and constitute safety devices in the case of considerable stresses causing bending of the grid.

Lifting of the grid is prevented at the front by the locking arrangement 24-1 9, at the rear by the abutment of the lugs 27 on the upper edges 31 of the slots 1 5, which form retaining surfaces.

However, it is possible to tilt the grid, beginning by pulling it rearwards: its rear edge thus ascends along the ramps 14, the lugs ascend along the slots 15, the projection 23 becomes disengaged from the overhang 19 and it is thus possible to lift the front edge of the grid. The grid may remain in the open position with the lugs 27 in their slots, or equally well it is possible to remove it completely firstly by disengaging the short lug 27.

The insertion and extraction of the lugs is facilitated by their difference in length.

Claims

1. A road man-hole or gully cover, which is removable and tiltable, in combination with a supporting frame, the combination comprising said frame intended to be enbedded in the ground and said cover comprising at its rear end two lateral lugs and, at its front end, first support surfaces intended to cooperate with second support surfaces of the frame and the cover further comprising, on its front edge, a locking member intended to cooperate with an overhang of the corresponding edge of the frame, and the frame comprising at its rear end, lateral engagement ramps inclined towards the front and a retaining surface overhanging each lug when the cover is in position in the frame.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, in which the slope of the ramps is of the order of 300 with respect to the horizontal.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the retaining surfaces of the frame comprise the upper edge of each of two inclined slots provided in the side walls of the frame and intended to receive the lugs of the cover.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, in which one said lug of the cover is shorter than the other.

5. The combination as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the locking member is a fixed projection on the front edge of the cover.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5, in which the locking projection comprises a first active face inclined towards the front and downwards, and the overhang of the frame comprises an inclined second active face paired with said first active face.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, in which the said first and second active faces each have a slope of the order of 600 with respect to the horizontssl.

8. A road man-hole or gully cover, which is removable and tiltable, in combination with a supporting frame, the combination being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.