Septic system drop box with seal apparatus therefor
AssigneeTuf-Tite, Inc.
InventorsFrederick P. Strobl, Jr., Theodore W. Meyers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved drop box for septic systems is disclosed including a generally rectangular-shaped, tapered box member, a plurality of invert openings formed on the sidewalls thereof, a locking lid having structural support elements operable to transfer weight carried by the lid to the box's sidewalls, and improved seal means snap-fitted to each invert opening which act to sealingly receive a drain pipe forcibly inserted therethrough. A membrane-type seal plug is provided to block off any unused invert opening. An alternate version of the improved seal means having turbine-blade stiffening means is also disclosed.
Claims19
In a septic tank system having a drop box connected by drain pipes, the improvement comprising:
- a drop box having a plurality of sidewalls and a bottom wall, and at least one invert opening formed in a sidewall of said box;
- and
- a lid for positively sealing off said drop box, the lid having stiffening rib means formed thereon operable to transfer weight carried by the lid to the sidewalls of said drop box, and locking means formed on said lid to cooperate with said sidewalls, whereby when said lid is installed on said drop box, a locking engagement of the lid to the drop box is provided.
An improved seal apparatus for providing substantially liquid-free sealing of drain tiles inserted through the invert openings formed in the sidewalls of a septic system drop box, the improvement comprising:
- a cylindrical seal wall member;
- a pair of clamping seal members extending generally radially outwardly from said cylindrical seal wall member, the outer free ends of said clamping seal members being inclined slightly towards one another;
- and
- a frusto-conical shaped wiper blade member flexibly carried by said seal wall member, said wiper blade member having a pipe-receiving opening at its inner free end;
- whereby said clamping seal members, when the improved seal apparatus is snap-fitted into an invert opening of a drop box sidewall, are operable to clampingly and sealingly engage the drop box sidewall adjacent the invert opening, and further, when a suitably-sized drain pipe is inserted through said pipe-receiving opening of said wiper blade member, said blade member operates to sealingly engage the drain pipe so as to prevent any leakage thereabout.
An improved seal plug apparatus for providing substantially liquid-free sealing of unused invert openings formed in the side walls of a septic system drop box, the improvement comprising:
- a cylindrical seal wall member;
- a pair of clamping seal members extending generally radially outwardly from said cylindrical seal wall member, the outer free ends of said members being inclined slightly towards one another;
- and
- a seal membrane formed across said cylindrical seal wall member, whereby said clamping seal members, when the improved seal plug apparatus is snap-fitted into an unused invert opening of a drop box side wall, are operable to clampingly and sealingly engage the drop box side wall adjacent the invert opening, and further, said seal membrane is operable to provide a water-tight seal for the invert opening.
An improved seal apparatus for providing substantially liquid-free sealing of openings in the sidewalls of a septic system box as well as to provide liquid-free sealing of any drain line inserted through such openings, the improvement comprising:
- a cylindrical seal wall member;
- seal flange attachment means extending generally radially outwardly from said cylindrical seal wall member for engagement with the sidewall of the septic system box;
- and a frusto-conical shaped wiper blade member depending from said seal wall member and having a relatively uniform thickness along its length, said wiper blade member having a seal membrane across its inner end;
- whereby said seal flange attachment means, when engaged with the sidewall of a septic system box, provides a sealed connection thereto, and further, said seal membrane provides a water-tight seal for the sidewall openings of the septic system box, whereby, if said seal membrane is removed, the inner free end of said wiper blade member operates to sealingly connect to the septic system box any drain pipe inserted through said seal apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.