GB2274668A

GB2274668A - Manhole container unit

Info

Publication number: GB2274668A
Application number: GB9301560A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Sidney Clark; Ronald Francis Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-01-27
Filing date: 1993-01-27
Publication date: 1994-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 2013-01-27
Also published as: GB2274668B; GB9301560D0

Abstract

The manhole container unit 1 comprises a glass reinforced plastics container 2 for housing services below ground level, a frame 4, 6 fixed to, and extending around the upper edge of the container, an upper cover 8 adapted to form a watertight seal with the frame, and a lower security cover 10. The security cover 10 is formed with a slot 24 for receiving a clasp 26 mounted on an inner flange 18 of the frame. The clasp may be adapted to receive a padlock 28 for securing the security cover. <IMAGE>

Description

"Manhole Container Units" The invention relates to manhole container units, and particularly, although not exclusively, to manhole container units comprising a container formed from glass reinforced plastic.

Manhole container units are used for housing services, such as cables and pipes, underground. Such units are particularly useful for housing junctions of cables and pipes, which may require regular maintenance and/or adjustment by service engineers. In the past, such units have been built just below ground level using bricks. However, this is time consuming and costly, and does not allow further apertures to be easily formed in the walls of the container. Manhole container units formed from other materials are known, but these are also time consuming and labour intensive to install.

The invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the invention there is provided a manhole container unit, comprising a container for housing services below ground level, a frame fixed to, and extending around, the upper edge of the container, and a cover adapted to form a watertight seal with the frame for covering an opening provided at the top of the container for allowing access to the container.

The container is preferably formed from glass reinforced plastic.

The container may be formed with a base for preventing ingress of moisture into the container from below the container.

The frame may be rivetted to the container.

A portion of the frame may be embedded or encased within an upper portion of the container, so as to be firmly fixed to the container.

It will be appreciated that this enables a particularly strong and watertight joint to be made between the frame and the container.

The frame may be formed with a trough adapted to receive a sealant material, such as grease, and the cover may be formed with a downwardly directed edge adapted to protrude into said sealant material in order to form a watertight seal between the frame and the cover.

The frame preferably comprises an upright wall portion extending around the cover in order to separate the cover from surrounding surface material.

The manhole container unit may further comprise an inner cover, located below said first-mentioned cover, for covering said opening at the top of the container.

The inner cover may be a security cover, which is releasably lockable in a closed position.

The frame may comprise support means for supporting the inner cover.

The support means may be integrally formed with the rest of the frame, or attached to the rest of the frame as a separate piece.

The invention also provides a method of housing services below ground in a manhole container unit as described above, wherein the frame is firmly attached to the top of the container before the container is placed into the ground.

This renders the manhole container unit quicker and easier to install, thus substantially reducing the installation labour costs.

In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes moulding a portion of the frame within an upper portion of the container.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a sectional view of the upper portion of a manhole container unit.

The manhole container unit 1 comprises a glass reinforced plastic container 2, an upper frame 4, a lower frame 6, an upper cover 8, and a lower security cover 10.

The container 2 is generally box shaped, and is adapted to house cables and/or pipes (not shown) below ground level 12. The container 2 is formed with a square base (not shown), and provides a dry and clean environment for the services housed within it. Furthermore, apertures can easily be formed in the walls 14 of the container 2, for allowing pipes and/or cables to pass into the container 2. The upper rim of the container 2 is formed with an outwardly projecting flange 16 adapted to support the upper and lower frames 4 and 6.

The upper and lower frames 4 and 6 are formed from mild steel, and extend around the whole of the flange 16. In the present embodiment, in which the container 2 is generally box shaped, the upper and lower frames 4 and 6 are each formed in four parts. Each part is cut at 45O at its ends, and welded to an adjacent part in order to form a continuous frame around the top of the container 2.

The upper and lower frames 4 and 6 are welded together, and then attached to the flange 16 by means of rivets. Alternatively, part of the lower frame 6 may be embedded in the glass reinforced plastics material of the flange 16. This may be carried out either by injection moulding of the container 2 with the lower flange 6 suitably positioned within the mould, or by spraying or painting the material of the flange 16 around the lower frame 6.

The lower frame 6 comprises an inwardly projecting flange 18 for supporting the lower security cover 10. A pair of tabs 20 are welded to one edge 22 of the lower frame 6 in order to secure one edge of the security cover 10 to the lower frame 6. At the opposite side of the container 2, the security cover 10 is formed with a slot 24 for receiving a semi-annular upstanding clasp 26 mounted on the inwardly projecting flange 18.

The clasp 26 enables the security cover 10 to be releasably locked to the inwardly projecting flange 18 by means of a padlock 28. In order to remove the security cover 10, the padlock 28 is first removed, allowing the security cover 10 to be lifted by means of a handle 30, and unhooked from beneath the tabs 20.

The upper cover 8 provides the load bearing surface of the manhole container unit, and its thickness is therefore determined by the particular use to which the manhole container unit is to be put. For example, the upper cover 8 may be formed of 3mm durbar metal plate if the upper cover 8 is to form part of a pavement. If a greater load bearing capability is required, a cross brace (not shown) may be welded to the underside of the upper cover 8. The upper cover 8 may be formed from a variety of materials, including cast or ductile iron, steel or plastic, and may be reinforced by means of bricks or cement infill.

The upper cover 8 comprises a downwardly projecting edge flange 32 which rests within a trough 34 formed by the upper frame 4. Before the upper cover 8 is positioned on the upper frame 4, the trough 34 is first filled with grease 36 which provides a good watertight seal between the flange 32 of the upper cover 8 and the upper frame 4. The upper frame 4 also comprises an upright wall portion 38, which serves to separate the upper cover 8 from surrounding surface material, such as tarmacadam or concrete, 40.

On the outer side of the upright wall 38, the upper frame 4 is formed with an upright flange 42 which helps to anchor the upper frame 4 to the surrounding surface material 40.

Claims

CLINS

1. A manhole container unit comprising a container for housing services below ground level, a frame fixed to, and extending around, the upper edge of the container, and a cover adapted to form a watertight seal with the frame for covering an opening provided at the top of the container for allowing access to the container.

2. A manhole container unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is formed from glass reinforced plastics material.

3. A manhole container unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the container is formed with a base for preventing ingress of moisture into the container from below the container.

4. A manhole container unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame is riveted to the container.

5. A manhole container unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of the frame is embedded or encased within an upper portion of the container so as to be firmly fixed to the container.

6. A manhole container unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame is formed with a trough adapted to receive a sealant material and the cover is formed with a downwardly directed edge adapted to protrude into said sealant material in order to form a watertight seal between the frame and the cover.

7. A manhole container unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame comprises an upright wall portion extending around the cover.

8. A manhole container unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an inner cover, located below said first-mentioned cover, for covering said opening at the top of the container.

9. A manhole container unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the inner cover is a security cover which is releasably lockable in a closed position.

10. A manhole container unit as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the frame comprises support means for supporting the inner cover.

11. A manhole container unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein the support means is integrally formed with the frame.

12. A manhole container unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

13. A manhole container unit comprising a container for housing services below ground level, a frame fixed to, and extending around, the upper edge of the container, an inner security cover for covering an opening provided at the top of the container, and an outer traffic bearing cover supported by the frame.

14. A method of housing services below ground in a manhole container unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame is firmly attached to the top of the container before the container is placed into the ground.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, including the step of moulding a portion of the frame within an upper portion of the container.