Railroad hopper car hatch cover assembly

Claim 2

A hatch cover assembly comprising a one piece fiberglass reinforced plastic panel of channel shape in cross section defined by a base wall and depending side walls, and a weather strip affixed to the marginal portion of the said base walls extending parallel to and adjacent said side walls throughout the length of said panel and across the ends thereof without interruption, said panel being longitudinally cambered so that the marginal portion of said side wall is slightly convex as viewed from the side of said panel.

Claim 3

The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the portion of said panel bounded by said marginal portion has at least two series of corrugations extending obliquely with respect to the edges of said panel and with respect to each other to increase the resistance of said panel to deflection.

Claim 4

The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said panel is reinforced by a loop of spring steel wire embedded within and extending about the edge of said panel.

Claim 5

The assembly defined in claim 3 wherein said panel edge has a continuous bead in which said wire loop is embedded.

Claim 6

The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said panel has upstanding transverse clamping flanges across each end by which said assembly can be clamped in weather tight relation to a hatch.

Claim 7

A hatch cover assembly comprising a generally rectangular one piece fiberglass reinforced plastic panel, said panel being slightly cambered longitudinally so that one face thereof is convex as viewed from one side of said panel, a weather strip fixed to the marginal portion of the panel and extending parallel to and adjacent the longitudinal edges of said panel and across the ends of said panel without interruption whereby, when said hatch cover is placed against and stressed into a flat configuration against a hatch opening lip lying in a plane, the weather strip of the center of said panel longitudinal edges will be firmly resiliently stressed against the hatch lip due to the resilient deformation of the panel to a flat condition.

Claim 8

A hatch cover assembly comprising a generally rectangular one piece fiberglass reinforced plastic panel, said panel being slightly cambered longitudinally so that one face thereof is convex as viewed from one side of said panel, a weather strip fixed to the marginal portion of the panel and extending parallel to and adjacent the longitudinal edges of said panel and across the ends of said panel without interruption whereby, when said hatch cover is placed against and stressed into a flat configuration against a hatch opening lip lying in a plane, the weather strip of the center of said panel longitudinal edges will be firmly resiliently stressed against the hatch lip due to the resilient deformation of the panel to a flat condition.

Claim 9

A hatch cover assembly for railroad covered hopper cars comprising: a. an elongated substantially flat rectangular fiberglass reinforced panel of substantially uniform thickness throughout which is slightly cambered in the longitudinal direction so that its lower face is slightly convex and its upper face slightly concave in the unstressed condition of said panel, b. a deformable elastomeric weather strip fixed to the convex face of and extending without interruption about the marginal region of the said panel''s convex face, c. said weather strip being adapted for weather tight sealing engagement with a continuous margin of a hatch to be covered, d. the central portion of said panel surrounded by said weather strip being corrugated, e. said panel having a downwardly projecting weather strip protecting flange extending along each longitudinal edge and an upwardly projecting clamp receiving flange extending transversely of the panel at each end, f. said flanges and the corrugated central portion of said panel minimizing deflection of said panel, the periphery of said panel having an integral bead of greater thickness than the remainder of said panel, g. a generally rectangular wire reinforcing loop embedded in said panel bead and extending about the periphery of said panel within said bead, said loop being effective to increase the rigidity of said panel and the resistance of said flanges to rupture.

Claim 10

A hatch cover assembly for railroad covered hopper cars comprising: a. an elongated substantially flat rectangular fiberglass reinforced panel of substantially uniform thickness throughout which is slightly cambered in the longitudinal direction so that its lower face is slightly convex and its upper face slightly concave in the unstressed condition of said panel, b. a deformable elastomeric weather strip fixed to the convex face of and extending without interruption about the marginal region of the said panel''s convex face, c. said weather strip being adapted for weather tight sealing engagement with a continuous margin of a hatch to be covered, d. the central portion of said panel surrounded by said weather strip being corrugated, e. said panel having a downwardly projecting weather strip protecting flange extending along each longitudinal edge and an upwardly projecting clamp receiving flange extending transversely of the panel at each end, f. said flanges and the corrugated central portion of said panel minimizing deflection of said panel, the periphery of said panel having an integral bead of greater thickness than the remainder of said panel, g. a generally rectangular wire reinforcing loop embedded in said panel bead and extending about the periphery of said panel within said bead, said loop being effective to increase the rigidity of said panel and the resistance of said flanges to rupture.

Claim 11

In combination, a hatch having a generally planar lip defining an opening against which a hatch cover is to be placed to close said opening, a hatch cover which is normally slightly convex on the face adjacent said hatch lip and on which is mounted a continuous weather strip in a configuration complementary to that of said lip and means clamping said cover against said hatch opening lip with said weather strip compressed therebetween, said clamping means exerting sufficient force on said hatch cover that the convexity of said face is substantially completely eliminated and said weather stripping is firmly compressed against said lip along the entire length of said hatch.

Claim 12

In combination, a hatch having a generally planar lip defining an opening against which a hatch cover is to be placed to close said opening, a hatch cover which is normally slightly convex on the face adjacent said hatch lip and on which is mounted a continuous weather strip in a configuration complementary to that of said lip and means clamping said cover against said hatch opening lip with said weather strip compressed therebetween, said clamping means exerting sufficient force on said hatch cover that the convexity of said face is substantially completely eliminated and said weather stripping is firmly compressed against said lip along the entire length of said hatch.