Hatch cover linkage

Claim 1

A HATCH COVER PANEL ASSEMBLY FOR A HATCHWAY FORMED IN THE DECK OF A SHIP, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ARTICULATED PANELS SUPPORTED BY AND MOVABLE ON TRACK MEANS POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE SAID DECK AND EXTENDING ALONG BOTH SIDES OF SAID HATCHWAY, SAID PANEL ASSEMBLY BEING MOVABLE ALONG SAID TRACK MEANS BETWEEN AN UNFOLDED POSITION COVERING SAID HATCHWAY AND A LATERALLY OUTWARD, FOLDED POSITION COMPLETELY UNCOVERING SAID HATCHWAY, MEANS FOR FOLDING SAID PANELS, FIXED HINGE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID DECK LATERALLY BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE UNFOLDED AND FOLDED POSITIONS OF THE OUTBOARD PANEL OF SAID PANEL ASSEMBLY, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY LONG HINGE ARMS MOUNTED ON THE OUTER END OF THE OUTBOARD PANEL OF SAID PANEL ASSEMBLY AT THE RESPECTIVE SIDES THEREOF, THE OPPOSITE END OF EACH OF SAID HINGE ARMS WHEN SAID OUTBOARD PANEL IS IN A HORIZONTAL, CLOSED POSITION TERMINATING RELATIVELY ADJACENT SAID FIXED HINGE MEANS, AND A PAIR OF RELATIVELY SHORT LINKS INTERCONNECTING SAID HINGE ARMS TO SAID FIXED HINGE MEANS, EACH OF SAID LINKS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE ADJACENT END OF A RESPECTIVE HINGE ARM AND AT ITS OTHER END TO SAID FIXED HINGE MEANS AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID TRACK MEANS, THE ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH AS TO PERMIT THE LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PANEL ASSEMBLY DURING FOLDING THEREOF PARTIALLY LATERALLY OUTWARDLY RELATIVE TO A VERTICAL PLANE THROUGH SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTIONS OF SAID LINKS TO SAID HINGE MEANS TO COMPLETELY UNCOVER SAID HATCHWAY.