Tapered Manhole Assembly

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to manhole devices and more particularly pertains to a new manhole device for placing in a centerline of a roadway and matching the downward slope of each lane of the roadway.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a manhole frame that is positionable in a roadway. The manhole frame has a top edge and the top edge has a first portion and a second portion each sloping downwardly from a horizontally oriented centerline of the manhole frame. The horizontally oriented centerline of the manhole is oriented to be collinear with a center line of the roadway such that the top edge of the manhole matches the slope of the roadway. A manhole cover is removably positioned on the manhole frame to close the manhole frame. The manhole cover has a top side and the top side is divided into a first half and a second half, each sloping downwardly from a centerline of the manhole cover. The manhole cover is oriented on the manhole frame such that each of the first and second halves of the manhole cover is coplanar with a respective one of the first and second sections of the top edge of the manhole frame. Thus, each of the first and second halves of the manhole cover matches the slope of the roadway.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a tapered manhole assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an exploded front phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 5 thereof, a new manhole device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the tapered manhole assembly 10 generally comprises a manhole frame 12 that is positionable in a roadway 14 thereby facilitating the manhole frame 12 to surround an entry into a sewer line. The manhole frame 12 has a top edge 16 and the top edge 16 is continuously curved about a vertical axis of the manhole frame 12 such that the top edge 16 forms a closed loop. The top edge 16 has a first portion 18 and a second portion 20 that each slope downwardly from a horizontally oriented centerline of the manhole frame 12. Moreover, the horizontally oriented centerline of the manhole frame 12 is oriented to be collinear with a center line of the roadway 14. In this way each of the first 18 and second 20 portions of the top edge 16 of the manhole frame 12 match the slope of a respective lane on the roadway 14. The slope of each of the first 18 and second 20 portions of the top edge 16 may range between approximately 2.0 degrees and 4.0 degrees below a horizontal plane.

The manhole frame 12 has an inner facing surface 22 and an outer facing surface 24, and the top edge 16 has a slot 26 extending downwardly therein. The slot 26 is coextensive with the inner facing surface 22 of the manhole frame 12, and the slot 26 has a lower surface 28. The top edge 16 has a first ridge 30 thereon that extends between the inner facing surface 22 and the outer facing surface 24. Additionally, the top edge 16 has a second ridge 32 thereon that extends between the inner facing surface 22 and the outer facing surface 24. Each of the first 30 and second 32 ridges is oriented to be collinear with the horizontally oriented centerline of the manhole. Thus, each of first 30 and second 32 ridges defines the first 18 and second 20 portions of the top edge 16 of the manhole.

The top edge 16 has a first mark 34 thereon and the top edge 16 has a second mark 36 thereon. The first mark 34 is positioned 180.0 degrees around the top edge 16 from the second mark 36. Additionally, a flange 38 is coupled a bottom edge of the manhole frame 12. The manhole frame 12 may otherwise be structured similarly to existing manhole frames with respect to diameter, height and other dimensions.

A manhole cover 40 is removably positioned on the manhole frame 12 to close the manhole frame 12. The manhole cover 40 has a top side 42 and the top side 42 is divided into a first half 44 and a second half 46. Each of the first 44 and second 46 halves slopes downwardly from a centerline of the manhole cover 40. Moreover, the manhole cover 40 is oriented on the manhole frame 12 such that each of the first 44 and second 46 halves of the manhole cover 40 lies on a plane that is coplanar with a respective one of the first 18 and second 20 portions of the top edge 16 of the manhole frame 12. In this way each of the first 44 and second 46 halves of the manhole cover 40 match the slope of a respective lane on the roadway 14.

The manhole cover 40 has a bottom side 48 and a perimeter edge 50. The top side 42 of the manhole cover 40 has a spine 52 extending across a centerline of the top side 42 of the manhole cover 40 to define the first 44 and second 46 halves of the manhole cover 40. Each of the first 44 and second 46 halves slopes downwardly between the spine 52 and the perimeter edge 50. The manhole cover 40 may have a diameter that is less than the inside diameter of the manhole frame 12. The manhole cover 40 may include venting holes and tool slots for gripping and subsequently lifting the manhole cover 40 from the manhole frame 12.

The top side 42 has a primary mark 54 thereon and the top side 42 has a secondary mark 56 thereon. The primary mark 54 is positioned 180.0 around the perimeter edge 50 from the secondary mark 56. The bottom side 48 of the manhole cover 40 lies on the lower surface 28 of the slot 26 in the top side 42 of the manhole frame 12 when the manhole cover 40 is positioned to close the manhole frame 12. Thus, the top side 42 of the manhole cover 40 is aligned with the top edge 16 of the manhole frame 12. The manhole cover 40 is rotated to align the primary mark 54 with the first mark 34. Thus, the slope of the first half 44 the manhole cover 40 matches the slope of the first portion 18 of the top edge 16 of the manhole frame 12. As a result, the secondary mark 56 is aligned with the second mark 36 such that the second half 46 of the manhole cover 40 matches the slope of the second portion 20 of the top edge 16 of the manhole frame 12.

In use, the manhole frame 12 is positioned around the entry into the sewer line during road construction. The manhole frame 12 is specifically designed to be positioned in the center of the roadway 14 where each of the lanes of the roadway 14 intersects at a peak. Generally speaking, roadways are constructed with a 2.0 to 4.0 degree downward slope between the peak and a respective shoulder of the roadway 14 for shedding water. The manhole frame 12 is oriented such that each of the first 30 and second 32 ridges is aligned with and is oriented collinear with the peak of the roadway 14. Thus, each of the first 18 and second 20 portions of the top edge 16 of the manhole frame 12 matches the slope of the respective lane.

The filler, such as asphalt or the like, is used to fill the hole in the roadway 14 around the outer facing surface 24 of the manhole frame 12 and the filler is sloped to conform to the slope of the lanes and the first 18 and second 20 portions of the top edge 16 of the manhole. The manhole cover 40 is positioned in the manhole frame 12 having the first mark 34 being aligned with the primary mark 54 and having the second mark 36 being aligned with the secondary mark 56. Thus, each of the first 44 and second 46 halves of the top side 42 of the manhole cover 40 matches the slope of the respective lane in the roadway 14. In this way each of the manhole frame 12 and manhole cover 40 each facilitate a smooth driving surface with respect to driving over manhole covers that are positioned on a centerline of a roadway 14.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded.

A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.