Untitled record

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THE GRAPHIC CO.PHOTO -UTH.39&amp;41 PARK PLACE,N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAS. HARRISON, JR., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

VAULT-COVER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 13,352, dated July 31, 1855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James Harrison, Jr., of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a 5 new and useful Attachment to be Applied to Vault-Covers; and I do hereby declare that the. following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of 10 this specification, in which—

Figure 1, is a. vertical section of a vault cover with my improvement applied to it, the vault passage or opening over which the cover fits being also bisected (a?) (a?) 15 Fig. 2, shows the plane of section. Fig. 2, is a horizontal section of the passage or opening of a vault, showing, an under view of my improvement (/) (/) Fig. 1, shows the plane of section.

²⁰ Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The nature of my invention consists in attaching, vault covers to the upper part of the openings or passages of the vaults by 25 jointed rods or arms, arranged substantially as will be presently shown, whereby the cover may be secured a certain distance above the opening or passage so that articles may be thrown into the vault underneath 30 the cover; the rods, or arms also allowing the covers to be properly adjusted and secured over the openings or passages.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I 35 will proceed to describe it.

A, represents the opening or passage of a vault.. The openings or passages are generally circular having brick or stone sides and communicate with the streets through 40 the side walks.

B, represents a metallic ring or band which is fitted upon the upper edge of the masonry or sides of the opening or passage and secured thereon or prevented from turn45 ing by means of projections (a) which are attached to the outer edge of the ring or band and project outward therefrom. The projections as well as the ring may be sunk or “ let in ” the upper edge of the masonry.

The ring or band B, and projections (a) may be of cast iron and cast in one piece. Directly over the ring or band B, and sides I of the opening or passage A, the flag stone ¹ | C of the side walk is fitted, the flag stone having an opening made through it corre- 55 spending with the opening , or passage A, of the vault. The flag stone has the usual groove or recess (δ) made in its upper surface around its opening to receive the edge of the cover D, which may be made as usual 60 of cast iron. To the ring or band B, there are attached at opposite points by joints (c?), rods or arms (/) (/) constructed of metal.. The length of these rods or arms is not quite equal to the diameter of the open- 65 ing or passage A. To the upper ends of the rods or arms (/) (/) there are attached by joints (e) rods or arms (/) (/) the upper ends of which are attached by joints (/) (/) to the under side of the cover D. 70

When the cover D, is placed over the aperture of the flag stone C, the rods or arms (/) (/) will fold and fit within the opening or passage A, and by securing a chain E, around the rods or arms as shown clearly in 75 Fig. 1, the rods or arms cannot be raised or distended and the cover will be securely fastened over the opening or passage of the vault. When articles are to be thrown into the vault, the chain E, is loosened or de- 80 tached from the rods or arms and the cover is raised by grasping the handle or loop (A) at. its center. The rods or arms as the cover is raised unfold or become distended as. shown in red Fig. 1, and by securing the 85 joints (e) by buttons (/) or any other suitable device the rods or arms are rendered stiff or inflexible and support the cover a proper distance above the top of the opening or passage of the vault. 90

By this invention the opening or passage A, when the cover is raised, is sufficiently exposed to allow coals or other articles to be thrown into the vault, and at the same time the opening or passage is sufficiently 95 guarded by the cover when raised so that persons cannot fall into the passage or opening.

Accidents frequently, almost daily occur in cities, by person falling into uncovered 100 vault openings. The covers are in many cases imperfectly secured over the openings or passages, and even when properly secured they often become casually displaced. Persons that remove, the covers of vaults in 105 order to throw articles therein, are generally

13,352 laborers, who are not responsible and therefore are not as careful as they should be m adjusting the covers over the vault openings.