US3218943A

US3218943A - Manhole cover support

Info

Publication number: US3218943A
Application number: US310049A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold M Bowman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-09-19
Filing date: 1963-09-19
Publication date: 1965-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-23

Description

Nov. 23, 1965 H. M. BOWMAN 3,218,943

MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT Filed Sept. 19. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HAROLD M. BOWMAN BY W pm 29% AT TORNEYS.

Nov. 23, 1965 H. M. BOWMAN 3,213,943

MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT Filed Sept. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HAROLD M. BOWMAN BY WI 00m ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Office 3,218,943 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 3,218,943 MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT Harold M. Bowman, 475 Humiston Drive, Bay Village, Ohio Filed Sept. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 310,049 16 Claims. (CI. 9434) This invention relates to manhole cover supports and more particularly to an adjustable support for varying the height of the cover.

In the repair and resurfacing of streets and highways, it is frequently found that the repaired or resurfaced roadway is substantially higher than the original roadway with the result that the upper edges of numerous manhole housings are disposed substantially below the new road surface. The upper end portions of the housings carry annular, inwardly projecting flanges just below the upper edges thereof for supporting manhole covers, and said covers are disposed below the resurfaced roadway, thereby creating hazardous driving conditions, unless some means is provided for raising the levels of said covers.

An important object of this invention is to provide a vertically adjustable manhole cover support whereby a manhole cover can be raised to the level of a newly resurfaced road.

Another object is to provide a manhole cover support of the above type having means for rigidly mounting it upon the flange of a conventional manhole housing.

Still another object is to provide a manhole cover support having the above referred to characteristics wherein there is provided a sectional, circumferentially expansible base which radially outwardly compressively engages the upper end portion of the manhole housing in use.

According to one modification of the invention, it is an object to provide a sectional manhole cover support for original installation which circumferentially engages a modified manhole housing in such manner as to be subsequently vertically adjustable when the street or highway is repaired.

Other objects of the invention and the invention itself will be readily understood from the following description of three embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a repaired or resurfaced road showing a conventional manhole housing and a support of this invention mounted thereto;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a sectional base of the support;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an elevating section of the support;

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modified form of the elevating section;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 7 showing a further modification of the invention adapted for original installation with a modified manhole housing;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the manhole cover support adjusted upwardly; and

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of a plurality of expansible elevating sections according to the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a manhole casting or housing 10 installed in an original roadbed 11. The surface of the original roadbed 11 is indicated at 12, and 13 represents resurfacing material which has raised the surface of the street or highway to a new surface level indicated at 14. The housing 10 has an upper edge 15 which is substantially coplanar with the surface 12 of the original roadbed 11. A vertically adjustable manhole cover support 16 is mounted within the upper, open end of the housing 10 adjacent to the upper edge 15, said support having an upper edge 17 which is substantially coplanar with the new surface level 14. The manhole cover support 16 is mounted upon a radially inwardly projecting flange 18 which projects from the inner peripheral surface of the manhole housing 10 a short distance below the upper edge 15 thereof. Said manhole cover support supports a manhole cover 19 which is adapted and is of such size as to seat upon the flange 18 and which was originally seated upon such flange before the level of the street or highway was raised by the addition of the resurfacing material 13.

FIGS. 2-6 illustrate the manhole cover support 16 in detail. Said support comprises a sectional base 20 which carries an elevating support 21. As well shown in FIG. 3, the sectional base 20 comprises four arcuate base sections 22 each of which describes slightly less than of arc and each of which is provided with an upwardly open channel 23 which follows the arc of the section. As well shown in FIG. 4, the inner side walls of each channel 23 are formed to provide inwardly projecting teeth 24, each tooth presenting a horizontal, flat upper surface 25 and an oblique lower surface 26. The upper surfaces 25 of each tooth is coplanar with a tooth directly opposite it on the other side of the channel, and each lower surface 26 is directed downwardly and laterally outwardly of the channel 23 directly opposite a lower surface 26 on the other side of the channel which is a mirror image thereof. As will be realized, the illustrated shape of the teeth 24 enables small increments of adjustment to be made to the elevating section 30 while also providing adequately strong supporting surfaces for the elevating sections 21 presently to be described.

Each base section 22 is provided with a pair of bosses 27 projecting from its concave, lateral side surface adjacent to its circumferentially directed ends. The bosses 27 are adapted to each receive one end of an adjusting bolt 28. The base sections 22 are assembled as shown in FIG. 3 with each adjacent pair of said sections being connected by an adjusting bolt 28. Each said adjusting bolt has a central hexagonal gripping portion 29 and portions extending in either direction from said gripping portion having rightand left-hand threads. The bosses 27 of each base section 22 are similarly provided with internal rightand left-hand threads whereby the sections may be drawn together to contract the entire base 20 by turning the adjusting bolts in one direction or whereby said base may be circumferentially expanded by turning said bolts in the opposite direction to thereby enable said base to accommodate a plurality of diameters of manhole openmgs.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an elevating section 30 of the elevating support 21 which said section is arcuately formed about the same radius and extends substantially the same circumferential distance as the channels 23 of the arcuate base sections 22. In section, as detailed in FIG. 6, an elevating section 30 comprises a dovetail base 31, a vertical wall 32 projecting upwardly from said base, a horizontally disposed ledge portion 33 at the top of said vertical wall, and an obliquely upwardly and laterally outwardly directed flange 34. The dovetail base 30 is adapted to slidably interfit between vertically adjacent pairs of teeth 24 in a base section 22, and the vertical wall 32 is adapted to be disposed between the inwardly directed ends of said teeth in a channel 23.

In use of the manhole cover support 16, an elevating section 30 is first assembled to each arcuate base section 22 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. This is done by inserting the dovetail base 31 endwise into the channel 23 with the lateral edges of said base disposed upon a selected pair of opposite upper flat surfaces 25. The plurality of teeth 24 afford different levels at which the base 31 can be positioned, and each elevating section 30 is positioned at the same height in each arcuate base section 22. Said base sections are then assembled in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3 with each adjacent pair of sections being connected by an adjusting bolt 28 and drawn circumferentially together until the outer circumference of the sectional base 20 will fit easily within the upper open end of the manhole housing 10. The sectional base 20 is then positioned within the manhole housing with the arcuate base section-s 22 resting upon the flange 18 of the housing 10. Each adjusting bolt 28 is then turned the same amount in such manner as to cause the sectional base 20 to circumferentially expand to the point where it is pressed tightly outwardly against the inner periphery of the housing above the flange 18.

By properly selecting the teeth 24 upon which the bases 31 of the elevating support 21 rest, the upper edge of the flange 34 can be disposed at substantially the anticipated level of the new surface 14 of the street. Resurfacing material 13 is then added to the original roadbed 11 to bring the level of the street to the new level of the manhole cover support. Part of the resurfacing material 13 will flow or be pressed beneath the outer portions of the ledge portions 33, between the arcuate base sections 22, and between the arcuate elevating sections 30. The resurfacing material 13 can be easily formed or cut away between the elevating sections 30 to complement the flanges 34 and the ledge portions 33 whereby a new circumferentially continuous seat is formed to receive the annular edge portions of the manhole cover 19 in the same manner in which it was originally mounted upon the flange 18. The new seat formed by the ledge portions 33 and the flanges 34 is disposed vertically directly above the old seat provided by the flange 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing whereby the same manhole cover 19 or one identical therewith in size and dimension may be used in the manhole cover support 16.

FIG. 7 shows a modified form of the manhole cover support which utilizes a circumferentially expansible sectional base 20 of the type used in the first embodiment of the invention, said base being made up of the arcuate base sections 22 as previously described. Said base is similarly adapted to be positioned upon the flange 18 f the manhole housing and expanded outwardly against the inner peripheral surface of said housing.

The difference between the first described embodiment and the present embodiment lies in the elimination of the flange 34. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, each elevating section indicated at 40 comprises a dovetail base 41, a vertical wall 42 projecting upwardly therefrom, and a horizontally disposed ledge portion 43 surmounting the upper edge of said wall. As in the first embodiment of the invention, the base 41 is adapted to be slidably inserted upon selected opposite pairs of teeth 24 projecting inwardly of the channel 23 of each base section 22.

In the second form of the invention, the resurfacing material 13 is placed upon the old road bed 11 to a thickness which extends substantially above the ledge portion 43, and said resurfacing material is formed adjacent to said ledge portion in such manner as to, in effect, provide a peripheral flange around the outer edges of the ledge portion. If desired, the annular edge or flange formed by the resurfacing material 13 may be reinforced by an annular wear ring 44 which is shown in broken line in FIG. 7 and which may comprise a ring of metal, plastic, or the like having a substantially L-shaped section with one flange thereof disposed at the new surface level 14 and the other flange thereof lining the inner peripheral surface of the flange formed by the resurfacing material. As in the first embodiment of the invention, the elevating section 40 is vertically adjustable to correspond to the anticipated new surface level 14 and the thickness of the annular edge portion of the manhole cover 19.

The third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 8-10 and is an adaptation of the invention for use in original installations of manhole housings and covers therefor. In this embodiment, the manhole housing is shown at in fragmentary form, and it will be noted that no flange of the type shown at 18 in the first two embodiments of the invention is provided. The manhole housing 50 is modified adjacent to its upper end to provide a plurality of vertically spaced, circumferentially continuous teeth 51 which are identical in cross section with the individual teeth 24 hereinabove described. Each tooth provides a flat upper surface 52 and an oblique lower surface 53. The upper edge of the modified manhole housing, indicated at 54, is disposed slightly below the original surface of the street or highway indicated at 55.

The manhole cover 19 is directly supported by a sectional elevating support 56 which comprises four arcuate elevating sections 57, shown assembled in FIG. 10. Each section 57 comprises a vertically disposed, arcuate wall 58 the upper edge of which is provided with a radially outwardly projecting flange 59. Adjacent to the lower edge of the wall 58, the outer convex surface of said wall is provided with a plurality of teeth 60 adapted to complementarily interfit the teeth 51 of the modified manhole housing 50. Said teeth 60 have upper oblique surfaces 61 and lower, flat, horizontal surfaces 62 which are complementary to the lower surfaces 53 and the upper surface 52 respectively of the teeth 51.

A radially inwardly projecting flange 64 is provided on the inner concave surface on each wall 58 a short distance below the upper surface of the flange 59. Adjacent to the lower edge of said wall 58, inwardly projecting bosses 65 are provided at the circumferentially directed ends of each said elevating section 57.

As shown in FIG. 10, the sections 57 are assembled in a manner similar to the manner in which the base sections 22 are assembled in FIG. 3. Adjusting bolts 66 having hexagonal gripping portions 67 are thread fitted to bosses 65 of circumferentially adjacent elevating sections to connect them together. As before, the adjusting bolts 66 have rightand left-hand threaded portions projecting in either direction from the gripping portion 67 whereby the sectional elevating support may be circumferentially expanded or contracted to accommodate a plurality of diameters of manhole openings.

FIG. 8 shows an original installation of the modified form of the third embodiment of the invention. The sectional elevating support 56, having first been assembled as shown in FIG. 10, is circumferentially contracted to the point whereby it can be dropped downwardly within the upper open mouth of the modified manhole housing 50, the outwardly projecting flanges S9 resting upon the upper edge 54 of said modified manhole housing. The elevating support 56 is then expanded by means of the adjusting bolts 66 whereby the teeth of the elevating sections 57 interfit the lowermost teeth 51 of the manhole housing 50. The original street surface 55 is then brought to the level of the upper surfaces of the flanges 59, and the manhole cover 19 is disposed upon the flanges 64.

Referring now to FIG. 9, if the street is subsequently resurfaced and therefore raised to a new surface level as indicated at 68', it will be readily understood that the sectional elevating support 56 may be readily and easily raised to the new surface level by contracting said support, raising it upwardly a distance of one or more of the teeth 51, and then expanding it to interfit tightly with higher of said teeth 51. Thus, the manhole cover support and housing as originally installed are vertically adjustable relative to each other without the use of additional parts or apparatus.

It will be understood that many changes in the details of the invention as herein described and illustrated may be made without, however, departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sectional manhole cover support for vertically adjusting the level of a manhole cover in the opening of a manhole housing, each section of said support comprising a base member adapted to be fixed within said opening against vertical movement downwardly in use thereof and a vertically adjustable elevating member for supporting a manhole cover; each said members having means defining laterally directed support surfaces which complementarily interfit each other in different relative positions for adjustment of said adjustable elevating member in a vertical direction in said opening; said members each comprising a plurality of arcuate sections collectively substantially forming a ring; and means for moving the sections of said base member circumferentially apart to expand said base member within said opening of said manhole housing to tightly engage said housing.

2. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 1; and wherein the upper edge of each section of the elevating member defines an arcuate, horizontal ledge; said ledges collectively defining a substantially annular seat for receiving the peripheral edge portion of a manhole cover.

3. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 1; and wherein the upper edge of each section of the elevating member has a horizontal, arcuate ledge and an upstanding, arcuate flange at the outer edge of said horizontal ledge; said horizontal ledges collectively defining a substantially annular recess for receiving the peripheral edge portion of a manhole cover and said upstanding flanges collectively defining an annular flange for retaining the manhole cover in place.

4. Manhole cover support means for mounting on the inwardly directed flange of a manhole housing, said support means comprising a ringlike base made up of a plurality of arcuate base sections disposed upon the manhole flange in use; said sections being channel shaped in cross section with the open sides of the channels directed upwardly; adjusting means connecting said base sections for circumferentially adjusting the spacing between adjacent sections whcreby said sections can accommodate a plurality of diameters of manhole housings, means providing teeth projecting inwardly from the inner side walls of said channels; said teeth disposed in horizontally aligned pairs on opposite inner walls of each channel at different levels and extending continuously throughout the arcuate length of each said section; a plurality of arcuate, elevating sections arcuately slidably interfitting said base sections and having complementary laterally projecting teeth interfitting a selected number of the teeth of said base section at a selected level; said elevating sections having vertical arcuate walls projecting upwardly out of said channel shaped base sections; said walls having horizontal ledge portions at their upper edges collectively forming a seat for receiving the annular edge portions of a manhole cover.

5. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 4; and wherein said adjusting means comprises bosses at the ends of said base sections which project inwardly from the concave sides of said sections; and expansion means disposed between bosses of each circumferentially adjacent pair of said base sections whereby said sections are movable apart to expand said ringlike base to a tight interfit with the inner wall surface of the manhole housing.

6. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 5; said expansion means comprising adjusting bolts having rightand left-hand threaded portions extending in opposite directions and thread fitted into bosses of adjacent of said base sections; and which are adjustable to selectively move said sections together and away from each other.

7. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 4; said ledge portions having upstanding flanges at the 6 outer, convex edges of said ledge portions which collectively form an annular retainer around said manhole cover in use thereof.

8. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 7; said base sections having bosses at the ends thereof which project inwardly from the concave side of said sections; adjusting bolts having rightand left-hand threaded portions extending in opposite directions and thread fitted into bosses of adjacent of said base sections; said bolts having central gripping portions for turning said bolts whereby to draw said adjacent sections together or separate them.

9. Manhole cover support means comprising a manhole housing having a plurality of inwardly formed, annular teeth adjacent to the upper, open mouth thereof; said teeth being uniformly vertically spaced whereby they are disposed at different levels; a plurality of arcuate, elevating sections collectively substantially forming a ring adapted to interfit said mouth of said housing; each said section having an arcuate, inwardly projecting flange at the concave, inner side thereof for supporting a peripheral portion of a manhole cover; each said section having inwardly projection bosses at the ends thereof; each said section having outwardly projecting teeth disposed at different levels adapted to complementarily interfit selected of said teeth of said housing whereby to dispose said sections at different levels for raising or lowering said flanges; and adjusting bolts having rightand left-hand threaded portions extending in opposite directions and thread fitted into bosses of circumferentially adjacent of said sections whereby the ring formed by said sections is expansible in said housing to cause said teeth of said sections to tightly engage and grip said teeth of said housing at different levels.

10. Manhole cover support means as set forth in claim 9; said sections having horizontally disposed, outwardly radiating flanges at the upper edges thereof adapted to project outwardly over the upper edge of said housing, the upper surfaces of said flanges being coplanar with the surface of an associated roadway.

11. Manhole cover support means for vertically adjusting the level of a manhole cover, said support means comprising a plurality of base sections, each of said sections having an upwardly opening channel shape in cross section, the opposed inner side walls of each of said channel shaped sections including vertically spaced inwardly projecting ledges with each ledge defining a horizontal upper surface and an oblique lower surface extending substantially the length of each section, the horizontal upper surface of each ledge on one side wall being coplanar with the horizontal upper surface of a ledge on the opposed side wall, the oblique lower surface on each ledge being directed downwardly and laterally outwardly of the channel, a vertically adjustable member, said adjustable member comprising a plurality of support sections with each section having a vertically extending portion projecting upwardly out of one of said channel shaped base sections, each support section of said adjustable member including a horizontal support on the upper end of said vertically extending portion for supporting a peripheral portion of a manhole cover, and each support section further including laterally extending means on either side thereof adapted to interfit with a selected ledge on said side walls of said base sections for support of said adjustable member in a plurality of selected vertical positions and each said base and support sections adapted to be circumferentially movable to expand the supporting portion of said support sections to enable said support sections to accommodate a diversity of diameters of manhole covers.

12. A manhole cover support comprising a housing, a plurality of vertically spaced inwardly directed ledges carried by the upper end of the housing, an elevating member comprising a plurality of sections each having a ledge formed thereon which complementarily interfits at least one of the ledges carried by said housing, and means for retaining said sections in an expanded relationship to each other.

13. In a manhole cover support as is defined in claim 12 and wherein the inwardly directed ledges are formed integral with the upper end of the housing.

14. In a manhole cover support as is defined in claim 12 and wherein the inwardly directed ledges are formed in a separate member carried by said housing.

15. A manhole cover support for vertically adjusting the level of a manhole cover in a roadbed or the like, said support comprising a housing member, a vertically adjustable elevating member adapted to support a manhole cover and including a plurality of sections, at least one of said members having means defining vertically spaced laterally directed support surfaces which complementarily interfit at least one support surface formed on the other of said members for supporting said adjustable elevating member on said base member in a plurality of different vertical positions with respect to said roadbed, and means for expanding said sections for moving said elevating member into gripping relation with said housing member.

16. A manhole cover support for vertcally adjusting the level of a manhole cover in the opening of a manhole housing comprising a base member carried on said housing and having a plurality of support surfaces, said surfaces being vertically spaced whereby they are disposed at different levels, elevating means including an elevating member having a flange thereon for supporting a peripheral portion of a manhole cover, said elevating member further including outwardly projecting means adapted to complementarily interfit at least one of said surfaces on said base member thereby to dispose said cover supporting flange at different levels, said base member and elevating member each comprising a plurality of sections, with each section of said base and elevating members selectively having inwardly projecting bosses at the ends thereof, and adjusting bolts having right and left hand threaded portions extending in opposite directions and thread fitted into bosses of adjacent ones of said sections whereby said base sections are expansible to tightly engage and grip the manhole housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,457 2/1898 Sanborn 94-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 336,437 10/1930 Great Britain.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, PrimaryExaminer.

Claims

1. A SECTIONAL MANHOLE COVER SUPPORT FOR VERTICALLY ADJUSTING THE LEVEL OF A MANHOLE COVER IN THE OPENING OF A MANHOLE HOUSING, EACH SECTION OF SAID SUPPORT COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE FIXED WITHIN SAID OPENING AGAINST VERTICAL MOVEMENT DOWNWARDLY IN USE THEREOF AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE ELEVATING MEMBER FOR SUPPORTING A MANHOLE COVER; EACH SAID MEMBERS HAVING MEANS DEFINING LATERALLY DIRECTED SUPPORT SURFACES WHICH COMPLEMENTARILY INTERFIT EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT RELATIVE POSITIONS FOR ADJUSTMENT OF SAID ADJUSTABLE ELEVATING MEMBER IN VERTICAL DIRECTION IN SAID OPENING; SAID MEMBERS EACH COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE SECTIONS COLLECTIVELY SUBSTANTIALLY FORMING A RING; AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE SECTIONS OF SAID BASE MEMBER CIRCUMFERENTIALLY APART TO EXPAND SAID BASE MEMBER WITHIN SAID OPENING OF SAID MANHOLE HOUSING TO TIGHTLY ENGAGE SAID HOUSING.