Flap cover devices for closing open spaces such as shiphold hatchways, railway cars, and the like

Claim 1

A REMOTE CONTROLLED CLOSURE DEVICE FOR HORIZONTAL TOP OPENINGS IN STATIONARY AND TRAVELLING OPEN-TOP ENCLOSED SPACES SUCH AS HATCHWAYS IN SHIP DECKS, ROOF APERTURES IN BUILDINGS AND IN ROLLING VEHICLES, EACH OPENING BEING CLOSED BY AT LEAST ONE COVER PANEL COMPRISING AN EVEN NUMBER OF HINGEDLY INTERCONNECTED PANEL SECTIONS FORMING A ROW OF WHICH THAT EXTREME PANEL SECTION WHICH IS ADJACENT AN END EDGE OF SAID OPENING IS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID END EDGE AND AT LEAST THE OPPOSITE EXTREME PANEL SECTION IS PROVIDED WITH SIDE WHEELS AT ITS FREE END FOR CONTINUOUS BEARING AND ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LATERAL EDGES OF SAID OPENING, SAID PANEL SECTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO CLOSE SAID OPENING BY EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY THEREOVER AND RESTING ON SAID LATERAL EDGES THEREOF AND TO OPEN SAME BY BEING FOLDED ACCORDIONWISE IN VERTICAL PARALLEL RELTIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER UPON MOVING TOWARDS SAID END EDGE, AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL PANEL SECTION FORMING A TILTING FLAP COVER ELEMENT WHICH IS IN PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH THE FREE END OF SAID OPPOSITE EXTREME PANEL SECTION OF SAID ROW, SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTION REMAINING IN THE VICINITY OF THE PLANE OF SAID OPENING AND CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF SLIDE-REST FORMING INTERMEDIATE LINK MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED EACH ONE AT TWO SEPARATE POINTS THEREOF AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY SIDEWISE RELATION RESPECTIVELY TO SAID FLAP COVER ELEMENT AT THE ADJACENT END THEREOF AND TO SAID FREE END OF SAID OPPOSITE EXTREME PANEL SECTION ADJACENT TO SAID FLAP COVER ELEMENT, EACH SAID INTERMEDIATE LINK MEMBER BEING ADAPTED ON THE ONE HAND TO MOVE ALONG AND IN BEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING EDGE OF SAID OPENING WHILE KEEPING A FIXED ORIENTATION AND ON THE OTHER HAND TO ALONE SUPPORT SAID FLAP COVER ELEMENT IN THE RAISED POSITION THEREOF RELATIVE TO SAID OPENING, LATERAL ROLLER MEANS PROVIDED ON THE FREE END OF SAID FLAP COVER ELEMENT FOR ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID OPENIG WHEN SAID ELEMENT IS IN ITS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWERED HORIZONTAL POSITION, AT LEAST ONE INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED POWER ACTUATOR MEANS CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID INTERMEDIATE LINK MEMBERS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FLAP COVER ELEMENT FOR ROTATING THE LATTER INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID ROW THROUGH AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 90* ABOUT ITS PIVOTAL MOUNT TO SWING IT FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY RAISED POSITION TO A HORIZONTAL POSITION IN CONTINUATION OF SAID ROW AND VICE VERSA.