US1722744A - Self-sealing vault or receptacle - Google Patents

Description

y 0, 1929. w. w. HAASE SELF SEALING VAULT OR RECEPTACLE Filed NOV. 14. 1927 Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES wnznnn'r w. Hines, or ronus'r PARK, rumors. 1

SELF-SEALING VA ULT OR BEGEPTAOLE.

Applicationfiled November 14, 1927. Serial No. 233,113.

This invention relates to that class of selfsealing vaults or receptacles comprising a box body, and a cover member, one of said members having a marginal tongue, and the 5 other of said members having a grooved marginal portion adapted to admit and engage such tongue, and to contain a filler of plastic material, or material introduced into the groove in a plastic or adhesive condition, and

having a skin or covering spread over or integral with the filler material, and the outer surface of which covering is relatively harder than the filler material within the groove and over the surface of which such covering is adapted to extend, so as to tend to hold the adhesive filler material in place within the groove, and in a condition to be spread between the grooved margin of the box cover and the tongue and top margin of the box body or receptacle, when the tongue is admitted within the groove, and the cover in place upon the box body.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a slmple, economical and efficient 2 self-sealing vault or receptacle comprising a box body member having a tongue in its upper margin, and a cover member having a.

groove adapted to admit such tongue, and

adapted to contain a filler, and to be hermetically sealed by the spreading of such filler between the margins.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved self-sealing vault or receptacle comprising a box body member formed of concrete, or equivalent material, and having a tongue on its upper margin, and provided with a cover member formed of concrete or equivalent material, and having a marginal groove in the bottom margin or rim of the cover and opening downward and adapted to receive such tongue; said groove being provided with and adapted to contain a filler of asphaltum, or equivalent waterproof material, or material introduced into the groove in a plastic or adhesive condition, and having a skin or covering spread over or integral with the filler material, and the outer surface of which covering is relatively harder than the filler material within the groove, said covering or skin having a nonadhesive outer surface, and being sufficiently strong to prevent the filler material from escaping from the groove, while the covering is unbroken or in normal condition, and sufiiciently fragile to enable the cover or skin- Am; 2 use like covering to be broken by the introduction of the marginal tongue of the'box body member into the groove, in the operation of placing the cover in position upon the box body, to close the same, thus forming a water-proof vault or container.

Other and further objects of the invention Wlll appear from the following description and claims, and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification.

The invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction herein described and claime o In the accompanying drawings:-' 70 F1 gure 1 is a View in perspective of a vault comprising a box body and cover formedof concrete, or equivalent material, showing said cover and box body in transverse vertical section and separated, as they would appear before placing the cover upon and in position to cover and close the box body, and before causing the normally plastic filler material to spread and hermiticall seal the tongued and grooved margins o the cover and box body;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in vertical .section showing the marginal portions, in-

cluding the grooved bottom margin, and tongue and top margin of the cover and box body respectively, as they would appear before placing the cover in position upon the box body;

Fig. 3 is a similar view in detail, in vertical section, of the parts shown in Fig. 2, as they would appear with the cover in place upon and in position to close the box body, and

with the normally plastic filler material spread between and acting to hermetically ieail the united margins of the cover and box Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section showing the grooved bottom margin of the cover provided with a filler of asphaltum spread into and in direct adhesive contact with the walls of the groove, and with the outer surface of the filler material suificiently hardened by drying, to render the1 filler self-sustaining within the groove; an

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a modification of the means for covering and holding the normally plastic filler material within the groove.

In constructing a vault, or receptacle, in, 110

accordance with my invention and improveor main cover portion 6, w ich is, by pref erence, arched, and provided with rooved bottom side and end margins or uprig t walls 7 which extend entirely around the bottom or rim of the cover.

The bottom side marginal portions or side walls of the cover are in parallel relation to and adapted to be secured in abutting engagement with the top margins of the side walls 2 of the box body and the bottom end walls, or bottom end margins and upright'end wall portions of the cover are in parallel relation to and adapted to be secured in abutting engagementwith the upper margins of the corresponding upright end walls 3 of the box body. The cover member 5 is provided with a bottom marginal groove 8, which is, by preference, substantially in the form' of an inverted V, in cross-section and extends entirely around the bottom margin or rim of the cover, or, in other words, along the bottom edge of the upright side and end walls or bottom marginal portions 7 of the cover,

so as to form a continuous marginal bottom groove which opens downward throughout its entire length and throughout the entire bottom margin of the rim of the cover.

The box body 1 is provided with a continuous upwardly projecting topmarginal tongue 9 which extends along and throughout the entire top marginal portions of the upright side walls 2 and end'walls 3 of the box body, and is adapted to extend into and in interlapping engagement with the bottom groove 8 in the bottom margin of the cover.

The bottom marginal groove 8 in the cover is, by preference, tapered, or approximately V-shaped in cross-section, as already suggested, and is located between inner and outer marginal wall portions 10 and 11; and

the endless upwardly projecting mar 'nal tongue 9 on the upper margin or rim 0 the box body member is also, by preference, similarly tapered,-and somewhat wider at its base than at its upper edge, and adapted to fit within the groove snugly, and sufficiently close to the walls of the groove to hold the cover accurately in proper fitting engagement with the box body, but with suflicient space between the tongue and the adjacent walls of the groove to admit and permit the proper spreading of suitable filler and sealing material between the tongue and grogye.

A quantity of suitable filler and sealing material. 12 which, by preference, consists of orcomprises asphaltum, or a suitable composition containing asphaltum or equivalent water-proof sealing material, is introduced into the marginal groove 8 in the cover, while said filler or sealing material is in a plastic adhesive condition, and adapted to adhere tightly to the concrete whichforms the walls of the groove, as well as to the tongue 9 on the top margin of the box body, when said tongue is introduced into the groove, so as to form a strong water-proof sealedconnection between the grooved marginal portion or rim of the cover, and the tongue and top margin or rim of the box body, when the cover is placed upon and in position to close the latter.

For this purpose, I prefer to employ asphalt, or a bituminous compound or composition containing asphalt, which is introduced into the open bottom marginal groove or slot 8 in the bottom rim ormargin of the cover, in a plastic condition, and while sufiiciently soft to tightly adhere to the concrete walls of the slot or groove. A'suflicient quantity of this bituminous filler and sealing material is thus introduced into the groove 8 while the cover 5 is inverted, to partially, and, by preference, almost entirely fill the groove.

I The filler and sealing material is then allowed to dry and harden at its outer surface, but

without materially drying or hardening the main body of said material or that part of the material which is covered by the outer frelatively dry and somewhat harder thin skin or covering 13, which is thus caused to form on'the exposed surface of the filler ma terial and forms a'film or covering for they latter which is sufiiciently strong to hold the filler material in place in the groove even when the cover 5 is in upright position andthe groove is open downward and exposed in los position to receive the tongue 9 of the box body or vault body 1. But the relatively dry and strong or hard skin, coating or covering- 13 thus formed over or on the otherwise exposed bottom surface of the filler material fragile and easily broken, so that the introduction of the top marginal tongue or flange 9 of the box body will break the coating, skln -or covering 13, and release and permit the mentitious material 14 is applied to the inner walls of the groove or recess 8 in -a moist '12 is, by preference, sufliciently thin, or

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plastic condition, before the required quantity of bituminous filler and sealing material 1.2 is introduced. This coating or layer 14 of adhesive material may consist of or contain glue, or may consist of hydraulic cement, or a composition containing bitumlnous cementitious material or asphalt, or other suit-able adhesive material spread upon and in adhesive contact with the inner surfaces of the inner flange 10 and outer flange 11 which form the opposite side walls of the groove or recess 8, and the depending marginal rim or recessed depending marginal flange of the cover member. The filler 12 of bituminous or asphaltic material in a plastic adhesive condition may then be introduced into the recess or groove 8, and is allowed to dry and harden at its outer exposed surface sufficiently to form a relatively strong but sufliciently frangible exposed surface coating or covering 13 which covers and normally holds the more moist and plastic material 12 in place within the groove or recess 8 until the covering 13 is broken by introducing the upwardly projecting marginal tongue or flange 9 on the marginal rim of the box body into the groove or recess 8. This breaking of the covering 13 and the releasing and spread ing of the plastic adhesive material 12 between and in adhesive hermetically sealed water-tight engagement with the depending grooved and flanged marginal portions of the cover and the upwardly projecting tongue or flange 9 and top rim or margin of the box body is accomplished automatically by placing the cover upon and in position to close the box body.

I have found in practice, however, that, by providing a bituminous or as I haltic material or composition 12 of suita le normally plastic adhesive consistency, and introducing it into the groove 8 in the manner already described, but without first applying a coating 14 of adhesive material to the concrete walls of the groove, and then allowing the filler or bituminous composition or cementitious material 12 to dry and harden at its outer exposed surface, so as to form a sufliciently strong relatively hard outer coating or covering 15 which is integral with the filler 12 thus formed, the filler 12 with its integral outer or bottom exposed relatively strong and hardened, but sufficiently fragile coating or skin covering 15 in adhesive contact with the walls of said groove, is adapted to sustain itself within the groove even when the cover 5 is in upright position, and that the outer integral skin or covering 15, thus formed, is adapted to be automatically broken by the introduction of the tongue 9, and will permit the filler 12 to automatically spread and seal the connection between the cover and box body as already described. (See Fig. 4.)

In Fig. 5 is shown a grooved bottom wall or rim 7 of a cover 5, containing a filler of bituminous or as haltic material 12 in a normally plastic ad esive condition, as last-above described in connection with Fig. 4, but with a modified form of bottom covering 16, of paper, or other suitable fibrous'or similar sheet material, covering the outer surface of the filler 12 and adhesively secured in engagement with the walls of the groove, said covermg of sheet material 16, being sufliciently strong to retain the filler within and in adhesive engagement with the walls of the groove, and sufficiently fragile to be autom atically broken, and to permit the spreading of the filler and sealing material 12 in adhesive hermetically sealed engagement with the recessed and flanged marginal portion of the cover and the flanged upper rimof the box body when the cover is in place and the vault is closed.

From the foregoing it will be'readily understood that by having the bottom recess or groove 8 and the plastic material in the flanged cover, and the upwardly projecting flange or tongue 9 on the upper margin or rim of the box-body, the normally plastic adhesive material or cement contained in said groove or recess will be shielded and protected when the cover is ofi, and also during the operation of lowering and placing the cover upon and in position to close the vault. Means is thus provided for preventing foreign substances from being caught between the margin of the cover and the top rim of the box body.

Additional means is also, by preference, provided, which consists in chamfering or beveling the outer margin of the top rim of the box-body, so as to provide an upper marg1nal surface portion or series of beveled marginal surface portions 18 which extend downward and outward at an incline outside of the flange 9 and from the base of said flange to the outer face of the upright wall of the box-body beneath the outer flange 11 of the cover on all sides of the cover. And marginal shoulders 19 are formed on and integral with the upper beveled margin or rim of the box-body. Said shoulders project outward from the upper extremity of the beveled surface portions 18 and beneath the outer depending flange 11 of the cover, for limiting the downward movement of the cover relatively to the box-body, particularly during the operation of lowering the cover into position toclose the vault.

Any foreign substances which may fall upon the upper flanged rim of the box-body will thus be thrown off or permitted to escape from between the marginal flange of the cover and the rim of the box-body or vault.

In operation, the cover, having the bottom marginal cement-containing groove normally open downward on the under side of the cover,

is placed over the box-body member and its contents, with said bottom cement-containing groove of the cover in position to receive the upwardly projecting mar maltongue or flange on the upper rim of the ox-body withwater-tight connection between the cover and the box-body, and with cement-retaining means on the under side of the plastic cement,

' formed of relatively hard but sufficiently frangible cement or other suitable materialadapted to be broken by the upwardl projecting marginal tongue or flange on t e upper rim of the box-body, it will be readily seen that said upwardly projecting tongue or flange on the box-body is caused to enter and engage said marginal groove in the cover, and to break through said frangible layer or cement-retaining means and extend into the cement in said groove.

The plastic cement is thus released and caused to spread between and in adhesive contact with said tongue and groove. And a hermetically sealed water-proof connection is ghuis formed between the cover and the box- The tongue and groove and connected and sealed margins .of the cover and box-body overlap each other and fit together, and are of suitable conformation to retain and prevent theescape of the cement until the .cement is allowed to harden and set, so as to form a permanent air-tight and water-tight sealed connection between said cover and boxbody. It will be readily understood that the relatively hard frangible cement-retaining means which normally extends across the bottom of the cement-containing groove 8 in the cover, is broken into fragments by the upri ht tongue 9 0n the rim of the box body when the cover is lowered into positionto close the vault. rial remains in place in adhesive engagement with the bottom marginal portions, of the side walls of the roove, and other loose fra ments of the bro en frangible material ecome lodged between the tongue 9 and the walls of the groove; and the fragments of frangible material thus tend to close the crevices between the baseof the flange or tongue 9 and the bottom margins of the side walls of the groove, thus tending to obstruct and prevent the escape of the plastic cement which fills the interstices between the broken fragments of said relatively hard frangible material.

And the plastic'cement becomes set and hardenedbetween and in sealing engagement with the base of the upright tongue 9 and thewalls of the groove. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) Continuous lon 'tudinal marginal flanges or shoulders 17 aving flat horizontal top surfaces which extend along the inside and outside of the base of the tongue 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the outer shoulder being narrower than the inner one, may be rovided,"but are not essential,'as an additional means for retaining the plastic cement in place between the tongue and the walls of the groove until the cementis hardened or set.

1. In a vault, the combination of a'boxbody, a cover having a bottom recess on its under side adapted to contain cement for securing the cover in hermetically sealed engagement with the box-body, a depending marginal flange on said cover and forming an outer side wall of said recess, and an upwardly projecting marginal flange on the upper mm of the box-body and adapted to extend into said recess and inside of and in lapped relation to the depending marginal flange on the cover, said box-body having a beveledmarginal surface portion extending downward and outward at an incline beneath said depending marginal flange on said cover and adapted to permit the escapeof foreign substances from between the margins of t e cover and box-body.

2. In a vault, the combination of a cover having a bottom recess on its under side adapted to contain cement for securing the cover in hermetically sealed engagem out with the box-body, a depending marginal flange on said cover and forming side walls of said recess, a box-body having an upwardly projecting marginal flange adapted to extend into said recess and inside of and in lapped relation to said depending marginal flange Some of the frangible mateon said cover, said box-body having a beveled upper marginal surface portion extending downwardand outward at an incline beneath said marginal flange on said cover, and marginal shoulders on the rim of the box-body and projecting beneath the bottom margin of said depending marginalflange on said cover, for limiting the downward movement of the cover relatively to the top margin of the boxbody.

Si ned at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois this 31st day of October,

WILBERT W. .HAASE.

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