COVER FOR MANHOLES EQUIPED WITH A MECHANISM FOR LIFTING AND ROTATING THE COVER

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover for ground manholes equipped with a mechanism for lifting and horizontally translating the cover. In particular, the present invention deals with the field of covers for ground manholes, also governed by UNI EN 124/1995 standard related to crowning and closing devices for circulating areas used by pedestrians and vehicles.

[0002] Currently, the majority of such devices is of the cast iron type, whose movements are performed by means of manual lifting tools. Since such covers generally are more than 25 kg heavy, it is necessary to have two or more operators in order to perform such movements or to use a suitable working tool. Recently, covers have been devised which are hinged in one or more points: in this latter case, the cover is also made with many sections, and its handling is performed by rotating the cover upwards. Such arrangement provides for the sole use of cast iron covers. The type of filling covers, especially if having big sizes (greater than 70 cm by 70 cm), has the problems of having a great weight (more than 100 daN), of being generally custom built with a frame and hooks for performing cover movements, which can occur only through the use of suitable working tools (lifting trucks, mechanical blades, etc.). A variation in commerce consist in a filling cover hinged on one side, whose opening occurs with the help of some gas springs below the cover, whose function is facilitating its lifting.

[0003] Summarizing, the covers ordinarily used have the following inconveniences:

1. They have reduced sizes linked to the need of reducing their weight

2. Are mainly made of a material (cast iron), different from the surrounding pavement

3. Have weight and shape not compatible with safety standards related to manual handling of loads (weight > 25 daN with the risk of squashing lower limbs, in addition to the risk of fall of the cover into the trap, if it opening is not circular)

4. Big-sized covers cannot be manually handled

5. Their great weight has an incidence of transport costs.

[0004] A manhole cover according to the state of the art is known from EP3058140 A1.

[0005] Object of the present invention is solving the above prior-art problems, by providing a cover for manholes equipped with a mechanism for lifting and rotating the cover, which has the following features:

(1) Allows making bigger covers, which can be actuated by a single person

(2) Allows using filling covers, with the chance of using the surrounding pavement

(3) Lifting and moving the cover are performed without any operator effort

(4) During the opening/closing step, the cover remain stably blocked by the mechanism guides, thereby preventing the chance of squashing the operator's limbs and the cover from falling inside the trap

(5) Since the resisting part of the filling cover is made of laid conglomerate, the weight of the sold apparatus is reduced.

[0006] The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained by a cover for manholes equipped with a mechanism for lifting and rotating the cover, as claimed in Claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are claimed in the dependent Claims.

[0007] It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description.

[0008] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, given as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

• Figures 1 to 6 show a first example of the mechanism of the present invention;
• Figures 7 to 11 show a second example of the mechanism of the present invention;
• Figures 12 and 13 show a third example of the mechanism of the present invention;
• Figures 14 to 16 show a fourth example of the mechanism of the present invention; and
• Figures 17 to 19 show a preferred embodiment of the mechanism of the present invention

[0009] It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) could be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears from the enclosed claims.

[0010] The operation of the mechanism is shown in Figures 1, 4, 7 and 10: the cover in its rest position (A) is composed of two parts: the actual cover (1), mobile and coated with the same material of the surrounding pavement, and a small, fixed cover (2a), where the terminal part of the driving arrangement is housed: by means of a handle (10) (B), by acting on a worm screw, the mechanism is actuated and lifts the cover over the walking height (C). Now, telescopic guides allow the horizontal translation of the cover (D), leaving the hole adapted to be accessed.

[0011] According to a first example, shown in Figures 2 to 6, the mechanism is shown in its composing parts: it is composed of a filling cover (1) made of suitable material and sizes (plate made of zinc-coated steel, PVC, stainless steel, etc.) to contain the following conglomerate casting and the related metallic framework, to be performed in a yard. Under rest conditions, the cover abuts onto a fixed frame (6); when it is lifted, the mechanism engages the cover (1) which, due to its prismatic shape (Figure 4), remains blocked in the mechanism whose movements it is constrained to follow. The cover-holding frame (2) in turn is fastened to two telescopic guides (3) having a complete extraction, fastened to a mobile lifting frame (4) which slides, through wheels (4a), onto a fixed guide (5b). The lifting movement occurs by means of a rack (4b) driven by a toothed wheel (5c) connected to a gear (5) which originates in a revolving-type screw (5a) driven by the external handle (10).

[0012] Summarizing, the mechanism is composed of a fixed part, (5) + (6), which is completely hidden, and of a mobile part, (2) + (3) + (4), which supports the actual cover. The small, fixed driving trap (5a) can be equipped with a lock, in its small cover (2a) or, through a suitable worked nut (driven by a special wrench), directly in the head of the revolving screw.

[0013] Figure 4 instead shows, in the plan and sectional views, the mechanism in its three operating steps: closed, lifting and translation.

[0014] Figure 5 is an axonometric bottom view pointing out the translating-elevating mechanism.

[0015] Figure 6 shows a variation, always object of the present invention, where, in place of the small driving trap (5a), there is a prismatic turret (2b), adapted to contain therein an electromechanical motor (2c) for controlling the mechanism, namely to work as external terminal of mains services possibly running below the trap: electric energy, water, gas, compressed air, light, etc.

[0016] Preferably, the telescopic guides (3) are equipped with an opening and closing stopper (not shown).

[0017] According to a second example, shown in Figures 7 to 11, the cover (1) is equipped with a mechanism composed of a frame (2) for supporting the mobile cover (1) fastened onto telescopic guides (3) having a complete extraction, in turn fastened to a mobile lifting frame (4), equipped with wheels (4a'), connected through a cross member (4b') to an hydraulic jack (5a') placed inside a fixed frame (5') whose actuation, by means of an external hydraulic pump (10'), lifts the mobile cover (1).

[0018] According to a third example, shown in Figures 12 and 13, the cover is equipped with a mechanism composed of a frame (2) for supporting the mobile cover (1) fastened to a ring (3") capable of performing a complete rotation around a vertical axis, in turn fastened to a mobile lifting concentric ring (4"), equipped with sliding trolleys (4a''), containing an hydraulic piston (5") having its cylinder oriented towards the cover (5a") and its piston oriented towards the support integral with the fixed frame (5b"), whose actuation, by means of an external hydraulic pump (10"), lifts the mobile cover (1).

[0019] According to a fourth example, shown in Figures 14 to 16, the frame (2) for supporting the mobile cover (1) is fastened to a ring (32) capable of performing a complete rotation around the vertical axis, and integral, by means of a pair of ball bearings (34) with axial resistance, with a screw (30), whose rotation, controlled by an external handle, inside a threaded sleeve (36) integral with the fixed frame (6), lifts the mobile cover (1) and, when closing, through the recess (38), pressure-closes the cover (1) onto the frame (6) .

[0020] According to the invention, shown in Figures 17 to 19, the cover (54) for manholes (52) of the present invention is equipped with a self-centering device designed to center the cover (54) by making the cover (54) itself fall inside the self-centering device due to gravity, the self-centering device being enabled by a vertically lifting and rotating mechanism on an edge (56). The self-centering device consists in two semi-circular elements (51) welded onto a fixed frame (52) next to a vertical rib (53) of the cover (1, 54), capable of making a groove as wide as the rib (53), the semicircular elements (51) being suitable to house, when closing due to gravity, a part of the cover (1, 54) in the same accurate foreseen position (55), following actuations of the mechanism, as shown in Figure 17.

[0021] Moreover, the cover (54) of the present invention can be further equipped with a quick connection and precision positioning system, simply by abutment, of the vertically lifting and rotating mechanism on an edge (56), to the fixed frame of the man-hole (52). Such quick connection and precision positioning system consists in a circular element (57) integral with the mechanism, cutted at its end by two planes (58), mutually symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular plane to the element and passing by its center (59), wherein the planes (58) are symmetrically slanted, with respect to the element center, by 45° and rotated, together, by 30° with respect to the vertical, in order to make a bearing and holding plane with the corresponding and complementary sections of axis (60) integral with the fixed frame, as shown in Figure 18.

[0022] Finally, the cover (54) of the present inventin can be further equipped with an hydraulic and smell sealing system for the cover (1, 54) actuated by a vertically lifting mechanism, the hydraulic and smell sealing system consisting in a continuous external channel (61), integral with the upper edge of the fixed frame (52) and a lip (62) of the mobile cover (54), coaxial with the channel (61) which, due to the vertical lifting movement of the cover (1, 54) impressed by the lifting mechanism (56), and due to a precision closing device, owing to the presence of a liquid or a gasket (63) inside the channel (61), generates the complete seal to smell and water for the whole system, as shown in Figure 19.

Claims

1. Cover (1, 54) for ground manholes (52), equipped with a self-centering device designed to center said cover (1, 54) by making said cover (1, 54) fall inside said self-centering device due to gravity, said self-centering device being enabled by a vertically lifting and rotating mechanism on an edge (56), characterized in that said self-centering device consists in two semi-circular elements (51) welded onto a fixed frame (52) in correspondence with a vertical rib (53) of the cover (1, 54), said semi-circular elements (51) defining with the fixed frame (51) a groove as wide as the rib (53), said semicircular elements (51) being suitable to house, when closing due to gravity, a part of the cover (1, 54) in its closed position in the same accurate foreseen position (55).

2. Cover (1, 54) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is further equipped with a quick connection and precision positioning system, simply by abutment, of said vertically lifting and rotating mechanism on an edge (56), to the fixed frame of the man-hole (52), said quick connection and precision positioning system consisting in a circular element (57) integral with the mechanism, cutted at its end by two planes (58), mutually symmetrical with respect to the perpendicular plane to the element and passing by its center (59), said planes (58) being symmetrically slanted, with respect to the element center, by 45° and rotated, together, by 30° with respect to the vertical, in order to make a bearing and holding plane with the corresponding and complementary sections of axis (60) integral with the fixed frame.

3. Cover (1, 54) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is further equipped with an hydraulic and smell sealing system for the cover (1, 54) actuated by a vertically lifting mechanism, said hydraulic and smell sealing system consisting in a continuous external channel (61), integral with the upper edge of the fixed frame (52) and a lip (62) of the mobile cover (54), coaxial with said channel (61) which, due to the vertical lifting movement of the cover (1, 54) impressed by the lifting mechanism (56), and due to a precision closing device, owing to the presence of a liquid or a gasket (63) inside the channel (61), generates the complete seal to smell and water for the whole system.

4. Cover (1, 54) according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that a mechanism for lifting and horizontally translating the cover (1, 34) is further provided and composed of a mobile frame (2) to support the cover (1), fastened to a ring (32) capable of performing a complete rotation around the vertical axis, and integral through a pair of ball bearings (34) with axial resistance, with a screw (30), whose rotation, controlled by an external handle, inside a threaded sleeve (36) integral with the fixed frame (6), lifts the mobile cover (1) and, when it closes, through the recess (38), closes with pressure the cover (1) onto the frame (6).

5. Cover (1, 54) according to claim 4, characterized in that it is designed to be constrained, when it opens, to the mobile frame (2), and is disconnected by the mobile frame (2), with the manhole closed, in order to be able to bear only on a fixed frame (6) of the cover (1).

Ansprüche

1. Deckel (1, 54) für Erdschächte (52), ausgestattet mit einer selbstzentrierenden Vorrichtung, die dazu bestimmt ist, die Abdeckung (1, 54) zu zentrieren, indem die Abdeckung (1, 54) in die Verschlussvorrichtung fallen gelassen wird und sich durch die Schwerkraft selbstzentriert , wobei die selbstzentrierende Vorrichtung durch einen vertikalen Hebe- und Drehmechanismus an einer Kante (56) ermöglicht wird, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die selbstzentrierende Vorrichtung aus zwei halbkreisförmigen Elementen (51) besteht, die entsprechend an einen festen Rahmen (52) geschweißt sind mit einer vertikalen Rippe (53) der Abdeckung (1, 54), wobei die halbkreisförmigen Elemente (51) mit dem festen Rahmen (52) eine Nut definieren, die so breit ist wie die Rippe (53), wobei die halbkreisförmigen Elemente (51) dazu geeignet sind beim Schließen durch Schwerkraft einen Teil des Deckels (1, 54) in seiner geschlossenen Position in der gleichen präzisen Position (55) wie vorgesehen unterbringen.

2. Deckel (1, 54) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass er außerdem mit einem Schnellkupplungssystem und einer präzisen Positionierung zur einfachen Halterung des vertikalen Hebe- und Drehmechanismus an einer Kante (56) ausgestattet ist der feste Rahmen des Mannlochs (52), wobei das Schnellkupplungs- und Präzisionspositionierungssystem aus einem kreisförmigen Element (57) besteht, das fest mit dem Mechanismus verbunden ist und an den Enden von zwei Ebenen (58) geschnitten wird, die in Bezug auf die Ebene symmetrisch zueinander sind normal zum Element und durch dessen Mittelpunkt (59) verlaufend, wobei die Ebenen (58) bezüglich des Mittelpunkts des Elements symmetrisch um 45° geneigt und zusammen um 30° bezüglich der Vertikalen gedreht sind, so dass um eine Stützfläche zu schaffen und mit den entsprechenden und komplementären Abschnitten der Achse (60) fest mit dem festen Rahmen verbunden zu halten.

3. Deckel (1, 54) nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass er außerdem mit einem hydraulischen und geruchsdichten System für den Deckel (1, 54) ausgestattet ist, das durch einen vertikalen Hubmechanismus betätigt wird, wobei das Dichtungssystem hydraulisch ist und ein Geruchskontrollsystem, bestehend aus einem durchgehenden Außenkanal (61), der fest mit der Oberkante des festen Rahmens (52) verbunden ist, und einer Klappe (62) der mobilen Abdeckung (54), koaxial mit dem Kanal (61), die durch Aufgrund der vertikalen Hebebewegung des Deckels (1, 54), die durch den Hebemechanismus (56) bewirkt wird, und aufgrund der Präzisionsschließvorrichtung (51) aufgrund des Vorhandenseins einer Flüssigkeit oder einer Dichtung (53) im Inneren Kanal (61), bestimmt die vollständige Geruchs- und Wasserdichtheit des gesamten Systems.

4. Deckel (1, 54) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass auch ein Mechanismus zum Anheben und horizontalen Verschieben des Deckels (1, 34) vorgesehen ist und aus einem beweglichen Rahmen (2) zum Tragen des Deckels besteht (1), an einem Ring (32) befestigt, der eine vollständige Drehung um die vertikale Achse ausführen kann, und über ein Paar Kugellager (34) mit axialem Widerstand mit einer Schraube (30) verbunden, deren Drehung durch eine gesteuert wird Außengriff, der sich in einer mit dem festen Rahmen (6) verbundenen Gewindehülse (36) befindet, er hebt die bewegliche Abdeckung (1) an und setzt beim Schließen durch den Hohlraum (38) die Abdeckung (1) auf dem Rahmen unter Druck (6).

5. Deckel (1, 54) nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass er so gestaltet ist, dass er im geöffneten Zustand am beweglichen Rahmen (2) befestigt wird und bei geschlossenem Mannloch vom beweglichen Rahmen (2) getrennt wird , so dass Sie nur auf einem festen Rahmen (6) der Abdeckung (1) aufliegen können.

Revendications

1. Couvercle (1, 54) pour regards au sol (52), équipé d'un dispositif d'auto-centrage conçu pour centrer ledit couvercle (1, 54) en faisant tomber le couvercle (1, 54) à l'intérieur dudit dispositif de fermeture auto-centrant par gravité, ledit dispositif d'autocentrage étant activé par un mécanisme de levage et de rotation vertical sur un bord (56), caractérisé par le fait que ledit dispositif d'autocentrage est constitué de deux éléments semi-circulaires (51) soudés à un cadre fixe (52) en correspondance avec une nervure verticale (53) du couvercle (1, 54), lesdits éléments semi-circulaires (51) définissant avec le cadre fixe (52) une rainure aussi large que la nervure (53), lesdits éléments semi-circulaires (51) étant aptes à accueillir, en fermeture par gravité, une partie du couvercle (1, 54) dans sa position fermée dans la même position précise (55) que prévue.

2. Couvercle (1, 54) selon la revendication 1, caractérisé par le fait qu'il est également équipé d'un système d'accrochage rapide et de positionnement précis, pour un appui simple, dudit mécanisme de levage vertical et de rotation sur un rebord (56), pour le cadre fixe du regard (52), ledit système de couplage rapide et de positionnement de précision étant constitué d'un élément circulaire (57) solidaire du mécanisme, coupé aux extrémités par deux plans (58), symétriques l'un de l'autre par rapport au plan normal à l'élément et passant par son centre (59), lesdits plans (58) étant symétriquement inclinés, par rapport au centre de l'élément, de 45° et tournés ensemble de 30° par rapport à la verticale, de manière à pour créer une surface d'appui et retenue avec les tronçons d'essieu (60) correspondants et complémentaires solidaires du châssis fixe.

3. Couvercle (1, 54) selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé par le fait qu'il est également équipé d'un système d'étanchéité hydraulique et anti-odeurs du couvercle (1, 54) actionné par un mécanisme de levage vertical, ledit système d'étanchéité hydraulique et système de contrôle des odeurs constitué d'un canal externe continu (61), solidaire du bord supérieur du cadre fixe (52) et d'un rabat (62) du couvercle mobile (54), coaxial audit canal (61) qui, par grâce au mouvement de levage vertical du couvercle (1, 54) imparti par le mécanisme de levage (56), et grâce au dispositif de fermeture de précision (51), du fait de la présence d'un liquide ou d'un joint (53) à l'intérieur du canal (61), détermine l'étanchéité complète aux odeurs et à l'eau de l'ensemble du système.

4. Couvercle (1, 54) selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce qu'un mécanisme de levage et de translation horizontale du couvercle (1, 34) est également prévu et composé d'un châssis mobile (2) pour supporter le couvercle ( 1), fixé à une bague (32) capable d'effectuer une rotation complète autour de l'axe vertical, et solidaire via une paire de roulements à billes (34) à résistance axiale, d'une vis (30), dont la rotation, commandée par un poignée externe, à l'intérieur d'un manchon fileté (36) solidaire du cadre fixe (6), elle soulève le couvercle mobile (1) et, lors de sa fermeture, à travers la cavité (38), elle met sous pression le couvercle (1) sur le cadre (6).

5. Couvercle (1, 54) selon la revendication 4, caractérisé par le fait d'être conçu pour être contraint, à l'ouverture, au châssis mobile (2), et est désolidarisé du châssis mobile (2), avec le trou d'homme fermé, de telle sorte que l'on ne puisse s'appuyer que sur un cadre fixe (6) du couvercle (1).

Drawing