US20090158959A1 - Hatch Cover For A Covered Railroad Car Having Removable Closure and Screen Member - Google Patents
Hatch Cover For A Covered Railroad Car Having Removable Closure and Screen Member Download PDFInfo
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- US20090158959A1 US20090158959A1 US11/961,225 US96122507A US2009158959A1 US 20090158959 A1 US20090158959 A1 US 20090158959A1 US 96122507 A US96122507 A US 96122507A US 2009158959 A1 US2009158959 A1 US 2009158959A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- hatch cover
- frame
- coaming
- opening
- annular
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B61—RAILWAYS
- B61D—BODY DETAILS OR KINDS OF RAILWAY VEHICLES
- B61D17/00—Construction details of vehicle bodies
- B61D17/04—Construction details of vehicle bodies with bodies of metal; with composite, e.g. metal and wood body structures
- B61D17/12—Roofs
- B61D17/16—Hatches in roofs
Definitions
- the hatch cover of this invention permits easy replacement of a vented hatch cover with an unvented hatch cover or vice versa simply by changing only one component part of the hatch cover.
- This component which may be called a frame or a hatch opening closure member is held in position by a retaining ring which is attached to the underside of the hatch cover.
- one embodiment of the frame has a center portion in the form of a screen.
- This embodiment of the frame can be replaced with another embodiment of the frame which has a center portion in the form of an imperforate closure member, and vice versa. Removal and replacement is accomplished simply by opening the hatch cover, removing the existing frame from the retaining ring on the underside of the hatch cover and press fitting a new frame into the retaining ring. There are no fasteners to be removed and reinstalled.
- the present invention permits the use of a single hatch cover for both vented and unvented service on a covered hopper railroad car simply by changing only one component of the hatch cover assembly, namely the frame which is made in two embodiments, one with a screen and the other with an imperforate closure portion.
- the frame may either have a center screen for vented operations or an imperforate closure portion for unvented operations.
- the frame may easily be replaced because there are no fasteners to be removed and reinstalled when the frame is removed and replaced.
- the frame which has either a center screen or a center imperforate portion includes an integrally formed gasket as its outer periphery.
- the gasket is press fitted into a retaining ring attached to the underside of the hatch cover.
- the other side of the gasket engages and seals the coaming of the hatch opening which leads into a storage compartment of a railroad hopper car.
- the frame When engaging the coaming, the frame is held in place over the compartment opening by the weight of the hatch cover and the latching force acting against the hatch cover.
- the hatch cover is opened, the frame and its gasket move away from the coaming with the hatch cover.
- the frame is made of a flexible material, either natural or synthetic, which allow it to retain its flexibility and resiliency under variable weather conditions.
- the material from which the frame is made is selected to have a coefficient of expansion much greater than the coefficient of expansion of the material used to make the hatch cover and to which the frame is attached and held by a press fit.
- a self adjusting hand operated latch is provided. When the latch is in its latched or locked position, it applies constant pressure to the hatch cover to maintain the gasket in a sealed condition against the hatch coaming regardless of the particular design of the hatch coaming which varies by manufacturer.
- the hand operated latch also eliminates the need for a hold down arm for the hatch cover.
- the design of the hand operated latch of this invention with its resilient flexible attachment to the coaming instead of a fixed pivotal mounting permits its installation on hatch coamings of various manufacturers. Its resilient flexible attachment to the coaming and its slide-on, slide-off pivot attachment to the hatch cover adjusts for hatch covers and hatch cover mounting hardware of various sizes.
- the mounting of the latch provides an over-center locking arrangement for the latch mechanism which along with its flexibility and resiliency holds the hatch cover securely in its closed position in spite of wide temperature variations and operating conditions experienced by a covered hopper car during its travels.
- FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the hatch cover assembly of this invention with some parts broken away and others shown in cross-section for clarity of illustration;
- FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the hatch cover of FIG. 1 with some parts broken away and other parts shown in cross section for clarity of illustration;
- FIG. 3 is bottom plan view of the hatch cover of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the annular ring of the hatch cover
- FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the hatch opening filter of this invention.
- FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the hatch opening closure member of this invention.
- FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the annular ring of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 7 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along line 7 a - 7 a of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the hatch opening closure member of FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 8 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along line 8 a - 8 a of FIG. 8 but turned upside down;
- FIG. 9 is an enlarged, partial, side elevational view of the hatch cover latch mechanism shown in its open position and disengaged from the hatch cover latching pins;
- FIG. 10 is an enlarged front, perspective view of the latch mechanism showing the latch disengaged from the hatch cover latching pins and in a position to allow opening of the hatch cover;
- FIG. 11 is an enlarged, partial view of the hatch cover in its closed position with some parts shown in cross-section
- FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a hatch cover 11 of this invention which can be used to close or uncover an opening 13 which is surrounded by a coaming 15 of a hopper compartment such as the type found on railroad hopper cars.
- a coaming 15 of a hopper compartment
- an annular lip 17 is formed on the top of the coaming. While the coaming shown in the drawings has a turned over flange or annular lip 17 , not all coamings include such an annular lip.
- the hatch cover of this invention may be used with convention coamings of all shapes and types.
- brackets 19 which attach to the hatch cover 11 and receive a pivot pin 21 .
- additional brackets 23 attached to the coaming 15 also engage and support the pivot pin 21 .
- Brackets 25 which are most clearly shown in FIG. 2 also attach to the coaming 15 and support a spring anchor pin 27 which can be best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings.
- the hatch cover 11 which is injection molded of a suitable plastic such ABS, includes a top surface 31 having a peripheral skirt 33 depending from the top surface entirely around the periphery thereof. While injection molding using ABS is the preferred manner of manufacturing the hatch cover, it should be understood and appreciated that other materials and methods of forming the hatch cover may be used. As is shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, radial ribs 35 are formed on the underside 37 of the hatch cover. These radial ribs merge into a center circular rib 39 also formed integrally with the underside 37 of the hatch cover.
- the open spaces located between the ribs 39 and the underside 37 of the hatch cover act as air flow channels between the peripheral skirt and the hopper opening 13 .
- a segmented annular groove 41 is formed on and integrally with the underside of the hatch cover between the radial ribs with the groove being shallower than the ribs.
- Bosses 43 are located in each radial rib 35 outwardly of the annular groove 41 and these bosses extend into the ribs. Holes 45 are formed in the bosses 43 to receive fasteners which will be described later. Pairs of brackets 47 are formed on and integrally with the hatch cover to receive and support latching pins 49 .
- annular ring 51 formed of a suitable plastic such as ABS is shown in top plan view in FIG. 4 and in bottom plan view in FIG. 7 of the drawings.
- the ring 51 is form with outer and inner annular walls 52 a and 52 b defining a channel 52 c.
- outer and inner ribs 52 d and 52 e Located in the channel 52 c are outer and inner ribs 52 d and 52 e.
- the outer wall 52 a and adjacent rib 52 d form a narrow socket 52 f between them.
- the inner annular wall 52 b and its adjacent inner rib 52 e form a narrow socket 52 g.
- Upstanding on the annular ring are pins 53 ( FIG. 4 ) formed in a circle adjacent the inner perimeter of the annular ring.
- An annular frame 61 which is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer such as that sold under the trademark Elastocom 2860 X, is shown in top plan view in FIG. 5 and in bottom plan view in FIG. 8 and FIG. 8 a of the drawings.
- the frame 61 which functions to seal the hopper opening 13 may be formed of other resilient, flexible materials, in addition to the thermoplastic elastomer heretofore described, such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber and flexible PVC as examples.
- the frame is formed with an outwardly opening channel 65 , shown in FIGS. 2 , 8 , 8 a and 11 of the drawings, defined by upstanding annular outer and inner walls or ribs 65 a and 65 b.
- the annular walls or ribs are dimensioned to fit tightly into the annular sockets 52 f and 52 g of the annular ring 51 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 11 of the drawings.
- the outer and inner walls or ribs 65 a and 65 b may be tapered and provided with rounded or chamfered distal ends for ease of press fitting into sockets 52 f and 52 g.
- Also formed inside of the annular frame 61 are diametrically extending runners 67 also formed of the same thermoplastic elastomer. The runners function during the injection molding of the frame 61 to flow the molten plastic from a center sprue to the outer gasket portion of the frame.
- Screens formed in the shape of quadrants 69 of the same material are located in the frame 61 between the diametrically extending runners.
- the frame 61 with quadrants 69 of screening are used for hatch covers that are vented.
- a solid closure frame 71 shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings is used to replace the vented annular frame 61 .
- the solid closure frame 71 is formed of the same thermoplastic material as the frame 61 , but it is made with an imperforate center portion 73 replacing the screen quadrants 69 .
- a latch mechanism 75 shown in FIGS. 1 , 2 , 9 , and 10 of the drawings is used to latch the hatch cover 11 in a closed position and to allow the hatch cover to be opened for loading of particulate material into a storage compartment and for replacement of the vented frame 61 or the solid frame 71 , as the case may be.
- the latch mechanism 75 includes a latch handle 77 .
- the latch handle is preferably made of a stamped and formed sheet of stainless steel.
- the latch handle may also be made of a suitable plastic or other materials such as aluminum, galvanized steel, die cast zinc, etc.
- the latch handle 77 has an elongated planar portion 79 with notches 81 formed intermediate the ends of the elongated planar portion, as shown most clearly in FIG. 10 of the drawings.
- the notches 81 define the boundary between the wider outer portion 83 and the narrower inner portion 85 of the planar portion 79 of the handle. The notches also facilitate the bending of upright members 87 on opposite sides of the inner portion 85 .
- Outwardly opening slots 89 are formed in the ends of the uprights 87 to fit over and engage the latching pins 49 supported on the brackets 47 of the hatch cover 11 .
- An anchor pin 91 extends between the uprights 87 and is located between the slots 89 and the wider outer portion 83 of the handle.
- a resilient or flexible tensioning member, in this example, a compressibly loaded helical spring 97 connects to the spring anchor pin 27 on the brackets 25 and to the anchor pin 91 on the latch mechanism 75 .
- Such a flexible tensioning connector permits the latch handle 77 to be both installed on and moved from engagement with the latching pins 49 on the brackets 47 of the hatch cover 11 .
- an elongated depression 101 is formed in the top surface of the hatch cover to provide access to the latch handle 77 to lift it when it is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
- parallel ribs which are not shown, may be provided.
- resilient or flexible tensioning member 97 Although it is preferred to use a compressibly loaded helical spring as the resilient or flexible tensioning member 97 , it should be understood and appreciated that other materials may be used as the resilient or flexible tensioning member such as a rubber cord or strap, a PVC cord or strap or other devices such as a tension spring or even a device commonly called a bungee cord.
- a compressibly loaded helical spring such as a rubber cord or strap, a PVC cord or strap or other devices such as a tension spring or even a device commonly called a bungee cord.
- the slots 89 of the upright 87 of the latch handle are in a position in which they are out of engagement with the latching pins 49 of the latch cover brackets 47 so the latch handle does not interfere with the opening movement of the latch cover.
- the latch handle When the latch handle is in its unlatched position as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawing the hatch cover may be returned to its closed position.
- the slots 89 on the latch handle 77 are engaged with the latching pins 49 and the handle is rotated about the latching pins 49 until it engages the top surface 31 of the hatch cover 11 as shown in FIG. 2 to return the latch handle and the latch cover to their locked and closed positions.
- the tensioned connection of the latch handle 77 to the anchor pin 27 on the coaming brackets 25 and the slide-on, slide-off engagement of the open slots 89 of the latch handle 77 with the latching pins 49 of the hatch cover brackets 47 not only provides an over center locking movement for the latch handle but also provides a self adjusting locking connection between the latch handle 77 and the hatch cover 11 .
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Specific Sealing Or Ventilating Devices For Doors And Windows (AREA)
Abstract
A hatch cover for hopper compartment opening with a coaming surrounding the opening. The hatch cover includes a peripheral skirt with a portion of the skirt spaced outwardly of the coaming when the hatch cover is closed to allow air flow from the exterior of the hatch cover to the opening. A frame has a center portion and an annular gasket which seats on the coaming with the center portion over the opening. The center portion of the frame may be a screen or may be solid. An annular ring is attached to the underside of the hatch cover. A press fit attachment is provided between the frame and the annular to permit attachment and removal of the frame from the annular ring. A latch mechanism is provided for the hatch cover. A spring anchor pin is supported on coaming brackets and a latching pin is supported on the hatch cover. A latch mechanism includes a handle having a pair of uprights located at one end of the handle. An outwardly opening slot is formed in each upright with the slots aligned with each other to be removeably engagable and pivot on the hatch cover latching pin. The mechanism also includes a compressibly loaded helical spring connected between the latch handle and the coaming spring anchor.
Description
- Railroad hopper cars carrying bulk particulate material, such as grain, plastic pellets or powered or granular products, are typically unloaded by applying a vacuum conveying line to an outlet gate positioned at the bottom of each car compartment. The primary airflow for the vacuum conveying line is obtained from the exterior of the railroad car. That it, the exhaust air for unloading is not drawn from the car compartment through the particulate matter but is drawn from outside the railroad car. Accordingly, the top of the car compartment must be vented to compensate for the particulate material drawn out the bottom of the compartment. Failure to vent the top of the compartment will reduce the efficiency of the vacuum unloading process and may even risk damage to the car structure. Manufacturers have responded to this problem by providing hatch covers that have filtered vents, however, for some types of materials, for example, materials used or intended for use as pharmaceuticals, such particulate materials must be protected against all types of contaminants even those which could pass through a screen or filter. In such situations, a solid hatch cover is required. A shipper of such sensitive materials who receives a hopper car having a vented hatch cover must either reject the car or replace the vented hatch cover with an unvented hatch cover. Likewise, a shipper who receives a hopper car with an unvented hatch cover and wishes to use a vacuum conveying line for unloading must replace the unvented hatch cover with a vented hatch cover.
- The hatch cover of this invention permits easy replacement of a vented hatch cover with an unvented hatch cover or vice versa simply by changing only one component part of the hatch cover. This component which may be called a frame or a hatch opening closure member is held in position by a retaining ring which is attached to the underside of the hatch cover. In applicants' invention, one embodiment of the frame has a center portion in the form of a screen. This embodiment of the frame can be replaced with another embodiment of the frame which has a center portion in the form of an imperforate closure member, and vice versa. Removal and replacement is accomplished simply by opening the hatch cover, removing the existing frame from the retaining ring on the underside of the hatch cover and press fitting a new frame into the retaining ring. There are no fasteners to be removed and reinstalled.
- The present invention permits the use of a single hatch cover for both vented and unvented service on a covered hopper railroad car simply by changing only one component of the hatch cover assembly, namely the frame which is made in two embodiments, one with a screen and the other with an imperforate closure portion.
- The frame may either have a center screen for vented operations or an imperforate closure portion for unvented operations. The frame may easily be replaced because there are no fasteners to be removed and reinstalled when the frame is removed and replaced. The frame which has either a center screen or a center imperforate portion includes an integrally formed gasket as its outer periphery. The gasket is press fitted into a retaining ring attached to the underside of the hatch cover. The other side of the gasket engages and seals the coaming of the hatch opening which leads into a storage compartment of a railroad hopper car. When engaging the coaming, the frame is held in place over the compartment opening by the weight of the hatch cover and the latching force acting against the hatch cover. When the hatch cover is opened, the frame and its gasket move away from the coaming with the hatch cover.
- In order to accommodate itself to all of the different climatic conditions to which a railroad covered hopper car is exposed and without losing its sealing effectiveness, the frame is made of a flexible material, either natural or synthetic, which allow it to retain its flexibility and resiliency under variable weather conditions. The material from which the frame is made is selected to have a coefficient of expansion much greater than the coefficient of expansion of the material used to make the hatch cover and to which the frame is attached and held by a press fit.
- To facilitate opening and closing of the hatch cover to change the frame or to load cargo into the compartment, a self adjusting hand operated latch is provided. When the latch is in its latched or locked position, it applies constant pressure to the hatch cover to maintain the gasket in a sealed condition against the hatch coaming regardless of the particular design of the hatch coaming which varies by manufacturer. The hand operated latch also eliminates the need for a hold down arm for the hatch cover.
- The design of the hand operated latch of this invention with its resilient flexible attachment to the coaming instead of a fixed pivotal mounting permits its installation on hatch coamings of various manufacturers. Its resilient flexible attachment to the coaming and its slide-on, slide-off pivot attachment to the hatch cover adjusts for hatch covers and hatch cover mounting hardware of various sizes. The mounting of the latch provides an over-center locking arrangement for the latch mechanism which along with its flexibility and resiliency holds the hatch cover securely in its closed position in spite of wide temperature variations and operating conditions experienced by a covered hopper car during its travels.
- The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the hatch cover assembly of this invention with some parts broken away and others shown in cross-section for clarity of illustration; -
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the hatch cover ofFIG. 1 with some parts broken away and other parts shown in cross section for clarity of illustration; -
FIG. 3 is bottom plan view of the hatch cover ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the annular ring of the hatch cover; -
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the hatch opening filter of this invention; -
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the hatch opening closure member of this invention; -
FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the annular ring ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 7 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along line 7 a-7 a ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the hatch opening closure member ofFIG. 5 ; -
FIG. 8 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view taken along line 8 a-8 a ofFIG. 8 but turned upside down; -
FIG. 9 is an enlarged, partial, side elevational view of the hatch cover latch mechanism shown in its open position and disengaged from the hatch cover latching pins; -
FIG. 10 is an enlarged front, perspective view of the latch mechanism showing the latch disengaged from the hatch cover latching pins and in a position to allow opening of the hatch cover; and -
FIG. 11 is an enlarged, partial view of the hatch cover in its closed position with some parts shown in cross-section -
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows ahatch cover 11 of this invention which can be used to close or uncover anopening 13 which is surrounded by a coaming 15 of a hopper compartment such as the type found on railroad hopper cars. As is conventional, anannular lip 17 is formed on the top of the coaming. While the coaming shown in the drawings has a turned over flange orannular lip 17, not all coamings include such an annular lip. The hatch cover of this invention may be used with convention coamings of all shapes and types. Also shown inFIG. 1 arebrackets 19 which attach to thehatch cover 11 and receive apivot pin 21. As shown inFIG. 2 ,additional brackets 23 attached to thecoaming 15 also engage and support thepivot pin 21.Brackets 25 which are most clearly shown inFIG. 2 also attach to thecoaming 15 and support aspring anchor pin 27 which can be best seen inFIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings. - As is most clearly shown in
FIGS. 1 , 2, and 3 of the drawings, thehatch cover 11, which is injection molded of a suitable plastic such ABS, includes atop surface 31 having aperipheral skirt 33 depending from the top surface entirely around the periphery thereof. While injection molding using ABS is the preferred manner of manufacturing the hatch cover, it should be understood and appreciated that other materials and methods of forming the hatch cover may be used. As is shown inFIG. 3 of the drawings,radial ribs 35 are formed on theunderside 37 of the hatch cover. These radial ribs merge into a centercircular rib 39 also formed integrally with theunderside 37 of the hatch cover. The open spaces located between theribs 39 and theunderside 37 of the hatch cover act as air flow channels between the peripheral skirt and the hopper opening 13. Additionally, a segmentedannular groove 41 is formed on and integrally with the underside of the hatch cover between the radial ribs with the groove being shallower than the ribs.Bosses 43 are located in eachradial rib 35 outwardly of theannular groove 41 and these bosses extend into the ribs.Holes 45 are formed in thebosses 43 to receive fasteners which will be described later. Pairs ofbrackets 47 are formed on and integrally with the hatch cover to receive and supportlatching pins 49. - An
annular ring 51 formed of a suitable plastic such as ABS is shown in top plan view inFIG. 4 and in bottom plan view inFIG. 7 of the drawings. As is shown most clearly inFIG. 7 a of the drawings, thering 51 is form with outer and innerannular walls inner ribs outer wall 52 a andadjacent rib 52 d form anarrow socket 52 f between them. The innerannular wall 52 b and its adjacentinner rib 52 e form anarrow socket 52 g. Upstanding on the annular ring are pins 53 (FIG. 4 ) formed in a circle adjacent the inner perimeter of the annular ring. These pins fit in theannular groove 41 formed on theunderside 37 of the hatch covertop member 31 as shown inFIG. 2 of the drawings. The upstanding pins are spaced apart from one another so as not to obstruct air flow through the open spaces between theribs 35 but will block foreign objects such as leaves, twigs, etc. from reaching thehopper opening 13. Spacedopenings 55 are formed in the ring outwardly of thepins 53 and fasteners 59 extend through these openings as shown inFIG. 11 of the drawings to fasten theannular ring 51 to theradial ribs 35 formed on theunderside 37 of the hatch cover top member. - An
annular frame 61, which is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer such as that sold under the trademark Elastocom 2860 X, is shown in top plan view inFIG. 5 and in bottom plan view inFIG. 8 andFIG. 8 a of the drawings. Theframe 61 which functions to seal thehopper opening 13 may be formed of other resilient, flexible materials, in addition to the thermoplastic elastomer heretofore described, such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber and flexible PVC as examples. The frame is formed with an outwardly openingchannel 65, shown inFIGS. 2 , 8, 8 a and 11 of the drawings, defined by upstanding annular outer and inner walls orribs 65 a and 65 b. The annular walls or ribs are dimensioned to fit tightly into theannular sockets annular ring 51 as shown inFIGS. 2 and 11 of the drawings. The outer and inner walls orribs 65 a and 65 b may be tapered and provided with rounded or chamfered distal ends for ease of press fitting intosockets annular frame 61 are diametrically extendingrunners 67 also formed of the same thermoplastic elastomer. The runners function during the injection molding of theframe 61 to flow the molten plastic from a center sprue to the outer gasket portion of the frame. Screens formed in the shape ofquadrants 69 of the same material are located in theframe 61 between the diametrically extending runners. Theframe 61 withquadrants 69 of screening are used for hatch covers that are vented. If it is desired to provide hatch opening with an imperforate or completely closed cover, asolid closure frame 71 shown inFIG. 6 of the drawings is used to replace the ventedannular frame 61. Thesolid closure frame 71 is formed of the same thermoplastic material as theframe 61, but it is made with animperforate center portion 73 replacing the screen quadrants 69. - A
latch mechanism 75 shown inFIGS. 1 , 2, 9, and 10 of the drawings is used to latch thehatch cover 11 in a closed position and to allow the hatch cover to be opened for loading of particulate material into a storage compartment and for replacement of the ventedframe 61 or thesolid frame 71, as the case may be. Thelatch mechanism 75 includes alatch handle 77. The latch handle is preferably made of a stamped and formed sheet of stainless steel. The latch handle may also be made of a suitable plastic or other materials such as aluminum, galvanized steel, die cast zinc, etc. The latch handle 77 has an elongatedplanar portion 79 withnotches 81 formed intermediate the ends of the elongated planar portion, as shown most clearly inFIG. 10 of the drawings. Thenotches 81 define the boundary between the widerouter portion 83 and the narrowerinner portion 85 of theplanar portion 79 of the handle. The notches also facilitate the bending ofupright members 87 on opposite sides of theinner portion 85. Outwardly openingslots 89 are formed in the ends of theuprights 87 to fit over and engage the latching pins 49 supported on thebrackets 47 of thehatch cover 11. Ananchor pin 91 extends between theuprights 87 and is located between theslots 89 and the widerouter portion 83 of the handle. A resilient or flexible tensioning member, in this example, a compressibly loadedhelical spring 97 connects to thespring anchor pin 27 on thebrackets 25 and to theanchor pin 91 on thelatch mechanism 75. Such a flexible tensioning connector permits the latch handle 77 to be both installed on and moved from engagement with the latching pins 49 on thebrackets 47 of thehatch cover 11. As can be seen inFIG. 1 of the drawings, anelongated depression 101 is formed in the top surface of the hatch cover to provide access to the latch handle 77 to lift it when it is in the closed position as shown inFIG. 2 of the drawings. In lieu of a depression to provide access to the latch handle 77 for unlocking the handle, parallel ribs, which are not shown, may be provided. Although it is preferred to use a compressibly loaded helical spring as the resilient orflexible tensioning member 97, it should be understood and appreciated that other materials may be used as the resilient or flexible tensioning member such as a rubber cord or strap, a PVC cord or strap or other devices such as a tension spring or even a device commonly called a bungee cord. - When it is necessary to open the hatch cover 11 from its closed position which is shown in
FIG. 2 of the drawings to its fully open position, a worker reaches into theelongated depression 101 on thetop surface 31 of the hatch cover as shown inFIG. 1 of the drawings to engage and lift thehatch handle 77. The worker then rotates the hatch handle 77 about the latching pins 49 on thehatch cover brackets 47 to the fully opened position of the latch handle shown inFIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings. It is then possible for the worker to lift the hatch cover to its fully opened position while thehandle 77 is maintained away from the hatch cover and supported on thespring anchor pin 27 by the compressibly loaded tensioningspring 97. In the positions of the latch handle shown onFIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings, theslots 89 of theupright 87 of the latch handle are in a position in which they are out of engagement with the latching pins 49 of thelatch cover brackets 47 so the latch handle does not interfere with the opening movement of the latch cover. When the latch handle is in its unlatched position as shown inFIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawing the hatch cover may be returned to its closed position. To lock thehatch cover 11, theslots 89 on the latch handle 77 are engaged with the latching pins 49 and the handle is rotated about the latching pins 49 until it engages thetop surface 31 of thehatch cover 11 as shown inFIG. 2 to return the latch handle and the latch cover to their locked and closed positions. The tensioned connection of the latch handle 77 to theanchor pin 27 on thecoaming brackets 25 and the slide-on, slide-off engagement of theopen slots 89 of the latch handle 77 with the latching pins 49 of thehatch cover brackets 47 not only provides an over center locking movement for the latch handle but also provides a self adjusting locking connection between the latch handle 77 and thehatch cover 11. The provision of a tensioning connection between the hatch handle 77 and theanchor pin 27 instead of the conventional fixed pivotal connection between the latch handle and the anchor pin allows the latch handle, when in its locked position, to adjust not only for various sized hatch cover mounting arrangements of different hopper car manufacturers but also accommodates expansion and contraction of the hatch cover and its component parts, particularly theframe 61 and its gasket portion under the varying temperature conditions to which a hopper car is exposed under operating conditions.
Claims (11)
1. A hatch cover for a covered hopper compartment having an opening with a coaming surrounding said opening, said hatch cover comprising:
a peripheral skirt depending from said underside of said hatch cover with at least a portion of said peripheral skirt being spaced outwardly of said coaming when said hatch cover is closed to allow air flow from the exterior of said hatch cover to said opening,
a frame having a center portion and an annular gasket which seats on said coaming with said center portion of said frame supported over said opening,
an annular ring attached to said underside of said hatch cover, and
annular sockets and annular ribs formed on said annular ring and said annular gasket of said frame for press fitted engagement to removably secure said frame to said annular ring.
2. The hatch cover of claim 1 in which said annular sockets are formed on said annular ring and said annular ribs are formed on said gasket of said frame.
3. The hatch cover of claim 1 in which said center portion of said frame is a screen.
4. The hatch cover of claim 1 in which said center portion of said frame is imperforate.
5. The hatch cover of claim 1 in which said annular gasket is a thermoplastic elastomer.
6. The hatch cover of claim 1 in which said annular ring includes upstanding posts extending from an upper surface of said annular ring and spaced apart around said annular ring and an annular groove formed on said underside of said hatch cover and formed and adapted to receive said upstanding posts to obstruct the movement of foreign objects in the air flow from reaching said opening around said coaming from the exterior of said hatch cover.
7. A latch mechanism for a hatch cover of a covered hopper compartment having an opening with a coaming surrounding said opening, a spring anchor pin supported between spaced brackets extending from said coaming and a latching pin supported between spaced brackets extending from said hatch cover, said latch mechanism comprising:
a latch handle having an elongated planar portion with a pair of uprights located at one end thereof, an outwardly opening slot formed in each upright with said slots aligned with each other to removably engage and pivot on said hatch cover latching pin, and
a flexible tensioning member connecting said latch handle and said coaming spring anchor pin.
8. The latch mechanism of claim 7 in which said flexible tensioning member is a compressibly loaded helical spring.
9. The latch mechanism of claim 8 in which another spring anchor pin is mounted on said latch mechanism and is located between said planar portion of said latch and said notches to receive an end of said compressively loaded helical spring and position said spring to provide an over center biasing force to close said planar portion of said latch against said hatch cover.
10. The latch mechanism of claim 9 in which said another spring anchor pin extends between said uprights of said latch mechanism.
11. A latch mechanism for a cover of the type which is pivotally mounted on a base,
said cover having a pair of latching pins on a portion thereof located opposite to said pivotal mounting,
said latch mechanism including a handle having a pair of tranversely spaced uprights, an outwardly opening slot formed in each upright with said slots aligned with each other to be removably engaged with and pivotable on said cover latching pins, and a resilient tensioning member connected between said latch handle and said base to permit said handle to be engaged with said latching pins and biased against said cover and to be removed from engagement with said latching pins while remaining connected to said base.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US11/961,225 US20090158959A1 (en) | 2007-12-20 | 2007-12-20 | Hatch Cover For A Covered Railroad Car Having Removable Closure and Screen Member |
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US11/961,225 US20090158959A1 (en) | 2007-12-20 | 2007-12-20 | Hatch Cover For A Covered Railroad Car Having Removable Closure and Screen Member |
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US11/961,225 Abandoned US20090158959A1 (en) | 2007-12-20 | 2007-12-20 | Hatch Cover For A Covered Railroad Car Having Removable Closure and Screen Member |
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US20100107926A1 (en) * | 2008-11-03 | 2010-05-06 | Draco Spring Mfg. Co., Inc. | Railcar Man-Way Cover Lift-Assist System |
US20100282124A1 (en) * | 2009-05-05 | 2010-11-11 | Blevins Jr William V | Railroad tanker car manway cover seal |
US20100326986A1 (en) * | 2008-02-22 | 2010-12-30 | Mechtronic Limited | Road Tanker Fluid Storage Tank Fill Cover Assembly |
US20110000395A1 (en) * | 2009-07-01 | 2011-01-06 | Mark Hunter | Apparatus and method for securing a railcar sanitary cover |
US20110107940A1 (en) * | 2009-11-11 | 2011-05-12 | Salco Products, Inc. | Manway gasket |
US20130008339A1 (en) * | 2011-07-07 | 2013-01-10 | Delacerda Jeremy | Self-latching cover mechanism |
US20130008340A1 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2013-01-10 | Douglas Peter J | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US20140345493A1 (en) * | 2013-05-24 | 2014-11-27 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover |
US20150083022A1 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2015-03-26 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
CN104859675A (en) * | 2015-06-18 | 2015-08-26 | 株洲市源创科技有限公司 | Opening method and opening device for loading opening cover of railway grain vehicle on ground |
CN105365836A (en) * | 2015-11-30 | 2016-03-02 | 齐齐哈尔轨道交通装备有限责任公司 | Weight bridge test car, top cover and manhole |
US9725100B2 (en) | 2014-12-10 | 2017-08-08 | Aero Transportation Products, Inc. | Hatch cover mounted latch for a railcar |
US10029705B2 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2018-07-24 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US20190112867A1 (en) * | 2017-10-13 | 2019-04-18 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover hydrophobic coating on vents |
WO2019108967A1 (en) * | 2017-11-30 | 2019-06-06 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover latch |
USD905597S1 (en) * | 2018-04-26 | 2020-12-22 | Standard Car Truck Company | Railroad car combined vented hatch cover protector and gasket |
US20210039687A1 (en) * | 2019-08-05 | 2021-02-11 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Gasket for hatch cover assembly of a rail car |
US11548536B1 (en) | 2018-04-26 | 2023-01-10 | Transportation Ip Holdings, Llc | Railroad car vented hatch cover assembly including a replaceable combined vented hatch cover protector and gasket |
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Cited By (38)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100326986A1 (en) * | 2008-02-22 | 2010-12-30 | Mechtronic Limited | Road Tanker Fluid Storage Tank Fill Cover Assembly |
US8608021B2 (en) * | 2008-02-22 | 2013-12-17 | Mechtronic Limited | Road tanker fluid storage tank fill cover assembly |
US7770526B2 (en) * | 2008-11-03 | 2010-08-10 | Draco Spring Mfg. Co., Inc | Railcar man-way cover lift-assist system |
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US8656840B2 (en) * | 2009-11-11 | 2014-02-25 | Salco Products Inc. | Manway gasket |
US20130008339A1 (en) * | 2011-07-07 | 2013-01-10 | Delacerda Jeremy | Self-latching cover mechanism |
US8584597B2 (en) * | 2011-07-07 | 2013-11-19 | Utlx Manufacturing Llc | Self-latching cover mechanism |
US8899161B2 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2014-12-02 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US10029705B2 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2018-07-24 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US20130008340A1 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2013-01-10 | Douglas Peter J | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US10464580B2 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2019-11-05 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US20150083022A1 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2015-03-26 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US20180327001A1 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2018-11-15 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad Tank Car Manway Assembly |
US9260118B2 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2016-02-16 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
US20170088149A1 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2017-03-30 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad Tank Car Manway Assembly |
US9499178B2 (en) * | 2011-07-08 | 2016-11-22 | Union Tank Car Company | Railroad tank car manway assembly |
CN104179433A (en) * | 2013-05-24 | 2014-12-03 | 阿母斯替德铁路公司 | Railway car hatch cover |
US20140345493A1 (en) * | 2013-05-24 | 2014-11-27 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover |
US9725100B2 (en) | 2014-12-10 | 2017-08-08 | Aero Transportation Products, Inc. | Hatch cover mounted latch for a railcar |
CN104859675A (en) * | 2015-06-18 | 2015-08-26 | 株洲市源创科技有限公司 | Opening method and opening device for loading opening cover of railway grain vehicle on ground |
CN105365836A (en) * | 2015-11-30 | 2016-03-02 | 齐齐哈尔轨道交通装备有限责任公司 | Weight bridge test car, top cover and manhole |
US20190112867A1 (en) * | 2017-10-13 | 2019-04-18 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover hydrophobic coating on vents |
WO2019075198A3 (en) * | 2017-10-13 | 2020-03-19 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover hydrophobic coating on vents |
WO2019108967A1 (en) * | 2017-11-30 | 2019-06-06 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover latch |
US10661815B2 (en) * | 2017-11-30 | 2020-05-26 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Railway car hatch cover latch |
USD905597S1 (en) * | 2018-04-26 | 2020-12-22 | Standard Car Truck Company | Railroad car combined vented hatch cover protector and gasket |
US11548536B1 (en) | 2018-04-26 | 2023-01-10 | Transportation Ip Holdings, Llc | Railroad car vented hatch cover assembly including a replaceable combined vented hatch cover protector and gasket |
US20210039687A1 (en) * | 2019-08-05 | 2021-02-11 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Gasket for hatch cover assembly of a rail car |
US11760393B2 (en) * | 2019-08-05 | 2023-09-19 | Amsted Rail Company, Inc. | Gasket for hatch cover assembly of a rail car |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: STANRAIL CORPORATION,INDIANA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SCHULTZ, FRANCIS R.;SCHULTZ, LAWRENCE L.;REEL/FRAME:020276/0971 Effective date: 20071210 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |