Other

National Utility Products Company

Harold M Bowman

Thomas P Kicher

George T Fuller

A manhole frame assembly for supporting a member that can obstruct an access opening when the level of a construction material around the opening is raised, includes an outer frame member having a support surface and a side wall extending from the support surface. The side wall is constructed and arranged with an upper surface that is substantially flush with an original level of the construction material. An inner frame member can be received on the support surface and includes a surface for supporting a member for obstructing the access opening. The side wall includes an abutment device for preventing upward movement of the inner frame member when the original level of construction material around the outer frame member is raised. A portion of the inner frame member is movable in a direction transverse to a direction of a length of the access opening. Other features of the invention are directed to a method of fastening the inner frame to the outer frame and an apparatus for fastening the obstructing member to a manhole frame structure.

Manhole frame assembly

A locking device for securing a manhole cover support insert or a grate cover support insert to a utility access frame is disclosed. The locking device includes a plurality of rotatable locking members which are connected to the support insert. The locking members are rotatable between a position where they rest inside the perimeter of the utility access hole and a locking position outside the perimeter of the utility access hole. The locking members may be rotated from an easy to reach position above the utility access hole by turning the exposed head of a bolt. The locking members are stopped from rotating at their locking position by engagement with a stop. From their locking position, the locking members may be axially moved by further rotation of the bolt to lock the support to the frame.

Anchor for utility access hole support insert

A manhole cover and frame assembly includes an outer frame having a support surface and a side wall that extends upward from the support surface and has a recessed portion. An inner frame is supportable on the support surface. The inner frame has a protrusion extending from the outer peripheral surface. The inner frame also includes an adjustable joint for adjusting the inner frame in its peripheral dimensions to expand to engage the protrusion with the recessed portion, thereby preventing upward movement of the inner frame, and to contract to remove the protrusion from the recessed portion. The inner frame also includes a cover support surface. A manhole cover is supportable on the cover support surface.

Adjustable manhole cover support with shield

A frame insert for raising the level of a drainage grate cover with respect to a catch basin frame. The frame insert includes a lug for providing a locking surface for a lock device connected to the grate cover. The lug permits a pre-existing lock which locked the grate cover to the catch basin frame to be used to lock the grate cover to the frame insert. The lock engages the frame insert lug at a new lock position which is approximately ninety degrees from the position where it locked the grate cover to the frame before installation of the insert.

Method and apparatus for anchoring a utility grate cover

An anchor for securing a manhole cover support to a manhole frame is shown. Dovetail-shaped receptacles are formed at a plurality of locations about the manhole cover support. A plurality of anchor straps having a cooperating dovetail shape are inserted into the receptacles. A lower end of each anchor strap has a threaded bolt extending upward. The anchor straps are simply dropped into the receptacles and the lower bolt is rotated to wedge the dovetail shapes tightly together and, at the same time, secure the manhole cover support against the frame.

Anchor for manhole cover support

The grip of the collar element of an existing circular manhole cover-supporting structure, such as a circular manhole frame, on a split-ring style expansion-joint-fitted manhole cover support inserted into, surrounded by, and forced by expansion against said collar element is improved by having selective stiffener means disposed in a sector of the cover support that is generally opposite to the expansion joint thereof, the stiffener means suppressing the tendency of the corresponding sector of the base ring to pull away from the collar element.

Split-ring manhole cover support

A manhole cover support with a fixed-sized top flange is shown. The cover support is adaptable to standardizing on the manhole cover size and inventory of covers for group of manhole installations having geometrically similar but somewhat varying sizes, this as well as being useful for holding the cover level or inclined, at a new, higher grades while also permitting the efficient establishment of the new cover height elevation and adjustment of the same. The cover support comprises a top peripheral flange having a seat for a manhole cover and a cover keeper that rises from the outer periphery of the seat, and a base fitting into the confines of the cover keeper of an existing manhole cover-receiving structure such as a manhole frame, the base supporting the flange, and being in a slidable engagement therewith.

Manhole cover support with flange borne on its own base

An improvement for increasing the resistance of manhole cover supports to deformation is provided which comprises equipping the upper edge or flange thereof with a succession of pressed-in gussets, the troughs of which slope with respect to the keeper of said cover support or equipping a keeper wall thereof with a succession of pressed-out gussets.

Stiffening flanges for deformation resistance of manhole cover support

An adjustable manhole cover support, useful in repaving or resurfacing of road for raising the grade of an existing structure like a manhole frame, that holds a circular cover and is capable of fitting frame openings of somewhat varying diameters, is shown. With this cover support one can standardize on a specific, single diameter manhole cover size for a group of manholes that otherwise would call for an inventory of several different cover sizes. The new cover support comprises a base ring for fitting inside the existing receiving structure, the base ring having at least one adjustable joint with a means for changing the base ring periphery, a lateral cover keeper ring that rises from about the level of the top of the base ring and extends above and preferably is substantially concentric with and substantially larger in diameter than the base ring, a plurality of spanners which bridge the distance between thr rings, at least a pair of the spanners connecting the inner ring with the outer ring, the spanners an/or the keeper ring being self-repositionable in the cover support in response to and accommodation of an adjustment in the periphery of the base ring. The inclination of the surface that is to surround the emplaced cover support can be at least partially compensated for by the spanners' upper surfaces being disposed for establishing a stable inclined plane across them on which to rest a manhole cover.

Adjustable manhole cover support with spanners

A manhole cover support is shown. It is used for raising the grade of an existing manhole cover-receiving structure having an upwardly projecting keeper with a rim at its top. The cover support comprises: a peripheral flange that at least substantially completely covers said rim, the flange including a bottom, an inclined seat for a manhole cover, and a cover keeper that rises from the outer periphery of the seat and has an upper rim that is correspondingly inclined; and means for anchoring the flange to a fixed part of the existing manhole structure.

Manhole cover support with topside flange and inclined seat

A peripherally adjustable insert is shown for raising the grade of a generally rectangular grating that previously was supported by the end sills of the frame and by the roadway-side longitudinal sill if the frame has one. The insert comprises a base having support elements, the base being adjustable in length and adapted to rest on said sills, and ledge and keeper elements supported by the base to seat the grating restrict its lateral movement. The support elements of the base comprise a pair of essentially parallel end elements and a pair of essentially parallel side elements, and the support elements being equipped with terminals that are joined to form these base elements generally into a rectangle. The rectangle includes spreader means such as turnbuckle bolts that form matched adjustable junctions between each terminal of at least one end support element and a terminal of each side support element for rendering said at least one end support element movable in the plane of the longer axis of the rectangular base.

Support for catch basin cover

A new manhole cover support and its processes of manufacture and use are shown. Such cover supports are used to raise the effective grade of the existing manhole cover as before road resurfacing. The cover supports are mounted upon an existing manhole cover receiving structure which has an upwardly-extending shoulder surface and a sill therebelow for accommodating such cover. The new cover support comprises basically an expandable body and a flexible, compressible synthetic or natural resin-containing retention component. The body has a seat with a lateral keeper for the manhole cover, a base with an outer wall that is reactable against said shoulder surface, and an expander for the base and seat which provides at least one gap in the base and seat. The retention component is disposed between the outer wall of the base and the shoulder surface; it interacts with expansion of the base to enhance substantially the normal frictional grip between the body and the receiving structure. It should not be less than 8-9 mils nor more than about 400-600 mils thick. Advantageously, the retention component is deposited on the outer surface of the base as a curable liquid and the resulting deposit is cured to a resident adhering mass. The receiving structure can be an existing manhole cover frame or previously-installed cover support. Some embodiments of the cover support can be adjusted as to elevation; the bodies of some are one piece and others are segmented into a plurality of connected segments.

Process for making a manhole cover support having enhanced grip

Manhole cover support having enhanced grip

A manhole cover support is shown. It is used for raising the effective grade of an existing manhole cover-receiving structure having an upwardly projecting keeper with a rim at its top. The cover support comprises: a peripheral flange that at least substantially completely covers the rim, the thickness of the flange providing the raise in the grade, the flange including a bottom for resting on the rim, a seat for a manhole cover, and a cover keeper that rises from the outer periphery of the seat; and the flange anchored to a fixed part of the existing manhole structure.

Manhole cover support with topside flange

An improved manhole cover support having a metal body comprising base, seat, and keeper portions, the keeper portion rising above the seat portion and having at least a pair of opposing ends that define a gap between them, a bridging piece for spanning each gap, the bridging piece having at least one free end, a receiver for slidably retaining each free end of each bridging piece, the receiver attached to and protruding outwardly from the keeper portion near the top thereof, the bridging piece including 2 turnbuckle for exerting parting pressure against the receivers that retain it.

Growing community of inventors

Fairview Park, OH, United States of America

Harold M Bowman