Cover for trenches
AssigneeBritish Gas Corporation
InventorsPeter S. Clough, Richard J. Yeowart, Mansel Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cover (1) for temporarily covering a trench, e.g. in a thoroughfare such as a road or footpath, by extending over, and resting on the ground on opposite sides respectively of the trench, the cover (1) being releasably engageable with other adjacent covers (1a and 1b) by means of male members (5 and 5b) mating with respective corresponding female members (6a and 6) in such a manner that when the covers (1, 1a and 1b) are engaged in a ground resting position to form an assembly (7) of covers, one cover (1b) of the assembly can be disengaged from the adjacent cover (1) only by moving the cover (1b) out of the general plane of the assembly.
Claims13
A cover for temporarily covering a trench comprising a cover member, said cover member having a central portion and, at each of two opposite sides thereof, respective lateral edge portions each extending along the length of the cover member and each having a lateral edge extending along a side thereof remote from said central portion, said cover having first and second opposite ends each extending transversely to said lateral edge portions and extending across the cover from one said lateral edge to said other lateral edge, a first lug depending from said first end and having a width dimension along the transverse direction of said cover at said first end such that said first lug has two spaced depending opposite edges each set back towards the middle of said first end from a proximate said lateral edge, a second lug depending from said second end and having a width dimension along the transverse direction of said cover less than the transverse dimension of said cover at said second end such that said second lug has two spaced depending edges each set back towards the middle of said second end from a proximate said lateral edge, said set back edges allowing the cover, in use, to be placed over a trench having a width at least equal to the width dimension of said second lug but less than the transverse dimension of the cover from one lateral edge to the other lateral edge so that the first and second lugs both extend into said trench and allow said lateral edge portions to rest on the ground on opposite sides respectively of the trench over which said cover extends, said first lug providing a male latching member, said second lug having an aperture therethrough and providing a female latching member such that said male latching member on a said cover can be fitted removably into the aperture of the female latching member of another said cover adjacent thereto and engage that female latching member when fitted into the aperture thereof, and said cover being releasably engageable by means of the male latching member of said cover engaging the female latching member of an adjacent said cover in such a manner that when the covers have the lugs thereof in the trench and the lateral edge portions thereof resting on the ground to form an assembly of said cover and the adjacent cover, one said cover of the assembly can be disengaged from the other said cover by moving a said cover out of a general plane of the assembly.
A plurality of covers mounted over a trench to provide a temporary covering therefor, each said cover comprising a cover member, said cover member having a central portion and, at each of two opposite sides thereof, respective lateral edge portions each extending along the length of the cover member and each having a lateral edge extending along a side thereof remote from said central portion, said cover having first and second opposite ends each extending transversely to said lateral edge portions and extending across the cover from one said lateral edge to said other lateral edge, a first lug depending from said first end and having a width dimension along the transverse direction of said cover at said first end such that said first lug has two spaced depending opposite edges each set back towards the middle of said first end from a proximate said lateral edge, a second lug depending from said second end and having a width dimension along the transverse direction of said cover less than the transverse dimension of said cover at said second end such that said second lug has two spaced depending edges each set back towards the middle of said second end from a proximate said lateral edge, said set back edges allowing the cover, in use, to be placed over a trench having a width at least equal to the width dimension of said second lug but less than the transverse dimension of the cover from one lateral edge to the other lateral edge so that the first and second lugs both extend into said trench and allow said lateral edge portions to rest on the ground on opposite sides respectively of the trench over which said cover extends, said first lug providing a male latching member, said second lug having an aperture therethrough and providing a female latching member such that said male latching member on a said cover can be fitted removably into the aperture of the female latching member of another said cover adjacent thereto and engage that female latching member when fitted into the aperture thereof, and said cover being releasably engageable by means of the male latching member of said cover engaging the female latching member of an adjacent said cover in such a manner that when the covers have the lugs thereof in the trench and the lateral edge portions thereof resting on the ground to form an assembly of said cover and the adjacent cover, one said cover of the assembly can be disengaged from the other said cover by moving a said cover out of a general plate of the assembly, at least one said cover having its male latching member interengaged with the female latching member of an adjacent said cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.