Apparatus for installing manhole rings

Claim 1

A device for installing a manhole ring coaxially with and above the annular support shoulder of a manhole located at the bottom of an opening extending below the surface of an encompassing layer of paving, said device comprising: a. an elongated frame capable of spanning the opening when supported on the paving surface; b. depending means removably attached to said frame for temporarily supporting the manhole ring above and in coaxial relation to the manhole support shoulder, said depending means including a plurality of J-shaped hooks each having a vertical stem supported at the upper end on said frame and a generally transverse foot on the lower end, said J-hook being capable of being oriented so that said foot underlies and supports the manhole riNg during deposition and setting of the concrete, said stem being separable into an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being removable from said frame after setting of the concrete; and, c. a collapsible, generally cylindrical shield capable of being expanded into temporary face to face engagement with the inner wall of the manhole ring and the subjacent inner margin of the support shoulder, said shield and said ring defining the inner wall of a generally annular chamber extending radially outwardly to the encompassing wall of paving material, said chamber extending vertically between the support shoulder and the plane of the paving surface, said depending means being detachable from said frame to permit the removal of said frame after concrete deposited in said chamber has set and said shield has been collapsed and separated from said frame.

Claim 2

A device for installing a manhole ring coaxially with and above the annular support shoulder of a manhole located at the bottom of an opening extending below the surface of an encompassing layer of paving, said device comprising: a. an elongated frame capable of spanning the opening when supported on the paving surface; b. depending means removably attached to said frame for temporarily supporting the manhole ring above and in coaxial relation to the manhole support shoulder, said depending means including a plurality of J-shaped hooks each having a vertical stem supported at the upper end on said frame and a generally transverse foot on the lower end, said J-hook being capable of being oriented so that said foot underlies and supports the manhole riNg during deposition and setting of the concrete, said stem being separable into an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion being removable from said frame after setting of the concrete; and, c. a collapsible, generally cylindrical shield capable of being expanded into temporary face to face engagement with the inner wall of the manhole ring and the subjacent inner margin of the support shoulder, said shield and said ring defining the inner wall of a generally annular chamber extending radially outwardly to the encompassing wall of paving material, said chamber extending vertically between the support shoulder and the plane of the paving surface, said depending means being detachable from said frame to permit the removal of said frame after concrete deposited in said chamber has set and said shield has been collapsed and separated from said frame.

Claim 5

An apparatus for installing a manhole ring above a manhole located at the bottom of an opening in a layer of pavement, the manhole being defined by an annular support shoulder having an inner margin of the same diameter as the inner wall of the manhole ring, said apparatus comprising: a. an elongated frame capable of spanning the opening and overlying the manhole ring when said frame is supported on the pavement surface, said frame including a pair of parallel rails the bottoms of which define the street pavement surface grade; b. manhole ring supporting means detachably mounted on said frame and depending into engagement with the manhole ring for centering and vertically positioning the ring a predetermined distance above the annular support shoulder during the deposition and setting of concrete around the ring, said manhole ring supporting means being capable of clamping the ring firmly to the bottoms of said rails so that when the ring-encompassing concrete is deposited in the pavement opening and has set, the top of the manhole ring is atuomatically positioned at street grade, said manhole supporting means including a plurality of J-hooks each detachably mounted at its upper end to one of said rails and engageable at its lower end with the ring, each of said J-hooks having a coupling intermediate the ends to disengage said upper end of said J-hook from said lower end thereof as said rails are removed subsequent to the permanent installation of the manhole ring, and a pair of blocks mounted on the opposite inner sides of said rails and projecting toward each other on a transverse diameter of the manhole ring to afford an upper limit stop to manhole rings smaller in diameter than the distance between said inner sides of said rails; and, c. a collapsible shield expandable into substantially cylindrical shape for engagement with the inner wall of the manhole ring and the subjacent inner margin of the annular support shoulder, said shield vertically spanning said predetermined distance to afford a barrier to the concrete deposited in the portion of the pavement opening encompassing the manhole ring and said shield and overlying the annular support member, said shield including laterally outwardly projecting ledges forming limit stops for the downward movement of said shield by engagement with the manhole ring top recess snugly encompassing said shield.

Claim 6

An apparatus for installing a manhole ring above a manhole located at the bottom of an opening in a layer of pavement, the manhole being defined by an annular support shoulder having an inner margin of the same diameter as the inner wall of the manhole ring, said apparatus comprising: a. an elongated frame capable of spanning the opening and overlying the manhole ring when said frame is supported on the pavement surface, said frame including a pair of parallel rails the bottoms of which define the street pavement surface grade; b. manhole ring supporting means detachably mounted on said frame and depending into engagement with the manhole ring for centering and vertically positioning the ring a predetermined distance above the annular support shoulder during the deposition and setting of concrete around the ring, said manhole ring supporting means being capable of clamping the ring firmly to the bottoms of said rails so that when the ring-encompassing concrete is deposited in the pavement opening and has set, the top of the manhole ring is atuomatically positioned at street grade, said manhole supporting means including a plurality of J-hooks each detachably mounted at its upper end to one of said rails and engageable at its lower end with the ring, each of said J-hooks having a coupling intermediate the ends to disengage said upper end of said J-hook from said lower end thereof as said rails are removed subsequent to the permanent installation of the manhole ring, and a pair of blocks mounted on the opposite inner sides of said rails and projecting toward each other on a transverse diameter of the manhole ring to afford an upper limit stop to manhole rings smaller in diameter than the distance between said inner sides of said rails; and, c. a collapsible shield expandable into substantially cylindrical shape for engagement with the inner wall of the manhole ring and the subjacent inner margin of the annular support shoulder, said shield vertically spanning said predetermined distance to afford a barrier to the concrete deposited in the portion of the pavement opening encompassing the manhole ring and said shield and overlying the annular support member, said shield including laterally outwardly projecting ledges forming limit stops for the downward movement of said shield by engagement with the manhole ring top recess snugly encompassing said shield.