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From: kaufman@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Marc T. Kaufman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Manhole Covers
Message-ID: <59844@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 1 Jul 90 04:23:07 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 463, Message 5 of 8


In article <59794@bu.edu.bu.edu> msb@sq.com (Mark Brader) writes:

>Hold the lid with one edge vertical, and it will go in just fine if
>placed next to one edge of the opening.  So an equilateral triangle
>*doesn't* work.

Uh ... on that basis, a circle doesn't either.  The diameter will allow a
circle of the same diameter to pass edge on.  On the other hand, most
REAL *hole covers I have seen are set into a flanged ring that has a
smaller diameter than the maximum diameter of the cover.  Presumably
this is to insure that the covers stay flush with the street, and
don't fall to the bottom of the hole.  I imagine that triangular
covers are installed similarly.  Based on this discussion, I think I
am glad that computer scientists or telephone engineers did not design
these things.


Marc Kaufman (kaufman@Neon.stanford.edu)