Deck-plate and the like.

Application filed May 31, 1907. Serial No. 376,736.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known *that I, William H. Durkee, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York, in the county of New 5 York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in DeckPlates and the Like, of which the following is a specification, the same being a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such 10 as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to deck plates and like articles.by which access may readily be had to devices or apparatuses of different 15 kinds located below the same, and the cover of which may preferably be held down in a water tight relation in the frame plate thereof, and it has for its object the provision of a device, of the kind set forth, of simple con20 struction, and forming in operation a durable and efficient organization.

To attain the desired end, the invention consists in novel devices and combinations ofdevices as hereinafter explained.

In order to enable the invention to be fully understood, I will proceed to explain the same by reference to the drawings; which accompany and form a part of this specification, and in which

Figure 1 is a view in section of a device constructed according to my invention; Fig.

is a plan view of the deck plate, and Fig. 3 is a view in section of another device in which my invention is embodied.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

Referring particularly by reference symbols or characters to the drawings, A denotes the face plate or frame, formed with eyes for 40 screws, B² having a shouldered recess a, and an annular flange or ring A¹ depending therefrom. The lower edge a' of the flange is preferably beveled off or formed with an inclined face.

B indicates a plate or cover having a preferably integral finger recess D and a projecting rim or edge S to engage the annular shoulder a. A spring finger C is attached to the cover B, and is provided with an orifice

C¹ by which it may be adjustably held, as to its length, by means of a screw d.

The orifice C' and screw d provide means for regulating the position and tension of the spring C, and its grip upon the inclined edge 55 a', and also as a means for adjusting and shortening up the said spring in case of any wear of the parts (which are engaged with a friction movement) as will- occur when the device is used for a long period of time, the parts being thereby adapted to be engaged ₆₀or interlocked in a variable relation.

Upon the cover plate B being applied to the frame or face plate A the said cover may be snapped in by the end of the spring C engaging the inclined edge a' of the flange A'. ₆₅Intermediate the rim or edge S and the shoulder a I preferably place a thin strip of packing or rubber g in order to form a water tight jointure.

The cover plate B may be applied to the 70 frame or face plate A in different positions as regards the location of the finger recess D, and the said cover plate is also readily detachable again from the ordinarily stationary frame or face plate A, as is clearly shown in 75 the drawings, the said engagement and disengagement of the two parts being accomplished by a simple pressure, or puffing action, on the cover.

In Fig. 3, in which is shown another em- so bodiment of my invention, the face plate A²is engaged by the cover B¹ which is formed with a groove δ¹, and the spring C² is adjustably mounted on the flange a², of the said face plate A², and it will be clearly seen that 35 this style of cover and frame plate may also be readily engaged and disengaged at will. I also preferably make the cover, as B, so that it may be fastened to any suitable retaining article, as by forming it by an eye δ³, by 90 which it may be attached to the retaining article B³ by means of the intermediate connecting chain J.

. I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of con- 95 struction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.