Hatchway

Claim 2

A roof access hatch comprising: side wall means including a curb defining an enclosed hatchway; a cover hinged to one end of said sidewall means exteriorly of said hatchway for movement between open and closed positions; means counterbalancing said cover towards said open position; a latching handle pivotally suspended from the inside of said cover adjacent the unhinged end thereof, said latching handle being adapted to depend freely downwardly therefrom in a substantially vertical direction; a transversely extending bar secured to said latching handle between the ends of said handle; catch lug means secured to said sidewall at a location adapted to be engageable with said transversely extending bar when said cover is pivoted to said closed position thereof, said catch lug projecting slightly inwardly from said sidewall, said catch lug including an upper edge located to be engaged by said bar, said edge having a downwardly and inwardly extending configuration thereby to guide said transverse bar inwardly and downwardly over the free end of said lug means while said cover is closing, said catch lug means having a lower surface adapted to enable said transverse bar and latching handle to swing back toward its vertically depending attitude and to enable said transverse bar to be disposed beneath said lower surface of said lug means; and means forming a hole in said latching handle and said catch lug means respectively, said holes being registerable when said transverse bar is in engagement with the inside of said catch lug means to enable a supplemental lock to be passed through said registered holes.

Claim 3

A roof access hatch comprising: sidewall means including a curb defining an enclosed hatchway; a cover hinged to one end of said sidewall means exteriorly of said hatchway for movement between open and closed positions; means counterbalancing said cover toward said open position; a latching handle pivotally suspended from the inside of said cover adjacent the unhinged end thereof, said latching handle being adapted to depend freely downwardly therefrom in a substantially vertical direction; a transversely extending bar secured to said latching handle between the ends of said handle; catch lug means secured to said sidewall at a location adapted to be engageable with said transversely extending bar when said cover is pivoted to said closed position thereof, said catch lug projecting slightly inwardly from said sidewall, said catch lug including an upper edge located to be engaged by said bar, said edge having a downwardly and inwardly extending configuration thereby to guide said transverse bar inwardly and downwardly over the free end of said lug means while said cover is closing, said catch lug means having a lower surface adapted to enable said transverse bar and latching handle to swing back toward its vertically depending attitude and to enable said transverse bar to be disposed beneath said lower surface of said lug means; means enabling said latching handle and catch lug to be unlatched from the outside of said hatch comprising a plunger mounted to said wall for movement toward and away from said latch handle, the inner end of said plunger having a member engageable with said transverse bar, the outer end of said plunger projecting outwardly beyond said wall, and means biasing said plunger outwardly; and the edge region of said cover adjacent said latch handle including a downwardly depending skirt adapted to cover and conceal said outer end of said plunger when said cover is closed but to provide access to said outer end of said plunger from beneath said skirt.

Claim 4

A roof access hatch comprising: sidewall means including a curb defining an enclosed hatchway; a cover hinged to one end of said sidewall means exteriorly of said hatchway for movement between open and closed positions; means counterbalancing said cover toward said open position; a latching handle pivotally suspended from the inside of said cover adjacent the unhinged end thereof, said latching handle being adapted to depend freely downwardly therefrom in a substantially vertical direction; a transversely extending bar secured to said latching handle between the ends of said handle; catch lug means secured to said sidewall at a location adapted to be engageable with said transversely extending bar when said cover is pivoted to said closed position thereof, said catch lug projecting slightly inwardly from said sidewall, said catch lug including an upper edge located to be engaged by said bar, said edge having a downwardly and inwardly extending configuration thereby to guide said transverse bar inwardly and downwardly over the free end of said lug means while said cover is closing, said catch lug means having a lower surface adapted to enable said transverse bar and latching handle to swing back toward its vertically depending attitude and to enable said transverse bar to be disposed beneath said lower surface of said lug means; means enabling said latching handle and catch lug to be unlatched from the outside of said hatch comprising a plunger mounted to said wall for movement toward and away from said latch handle, the inner end of said plunger having a member engageable with said transverse bar, the outer end of said plunger projecting outwardly beyond said wall, and means biasing said plunger outwardly; and the edge region of said cover adjacent said latch handle including a downwardly depending skirt adapted to cover and conceal said outer end of said plunger when said cover is closed but to provide access to said outer end of said plunger from beneath said skirt.

Claim 5

A roof access hatch comprising: sidewall means including a curb defining an enclosed hatchway; a cover hinged to one end of said sidewall means exteriorly of said hatchway for movement between open and closed positions; means counterbalancing said cover towards said open position; a latching handle pivotally suspended from the inside of said cover adjacent the unhinged end thereof, said latching handle being adapted to depend freely downwardly therefrom in a substantially vertical direction; a transversely extending bar secured to said latching handle between the ends of said handle; catch lug means secured to said sidewall at a location adapted to be engageable with said transversely extending bar when said cover is pivoted to said closed position thereof, said catch lug projecting slightly inwardly from said sidewall, said catch lug including an upper edge located to be engaged by said bar, said edge having a downwardly and inwardly extending configuration thereby to guide said transverse bar inwardly and downwardly over the free end of said lug means while said cover is closing, said catch lug means having a lower surface adapted to enable said transverse bar and latching handle to swing back toward its vertically depending attitude to enable said transverse bar to be disposed beneath said lower surFace of said lug means; the latch handle comprising a pair of transversely spaced handle members, said transverse bar being connected at its ends and spanning said handle members; said catch lug means including a pair of transversely spaced lugs adapted to be embraced within said transversely spaced handle members; means enabling external operation of said hatch arrangement comprising a plunger mounted to said sidewall means for movement toward and away from said latch handle, said plunger being disposed intermediate said handle members, the inner end of said plunger having a member engageable with the midportion of said transverse bar, the outer end of said plunger projecting outwardly beyond said wall; and means biasing said plunger outwardly.

Claim 6

A roof access hatch comprising: sidewall means including a curb defining an enclosed hatchway; a cover hinged to one end of said sidewall means exteriorly of said hatchway for movement between open and closed positions; means counterbalancing said cover towards said open position; a latching handle pivotally suspended from the inside of said cover adjacent the unhinged end thereof, said latching handle being adapted to depend freely downwardly therefrom in a substantially vertical direction; a transversely extending bar secured to said latching handle between the ends of said handle; catch lug means secured to said sidewall at a location adapted to be engageable with said transversely extending bar when said cover is pivoted to said closed position thereof, said catch lug projecting slightly inwardly from said sidewall, said catch lug including an upper edge located to be engaged by said bar, said edge having a downwardly and inwardly extending configuration thereby to guide said transverse bar inwardly and downwardly over the free end of said lug means while said cover is closing, said catch lug means having a lower surface adapted to enable said transverse bar and latching handle to swing back toward its vertically depending attitude to enable said transverse bar to be disposed beneath said lower surFace of said lug means; the latch handle comprising a pair of transversely spaced handle members, said transverse bar being connected at its ends and spanning said handle members; said catch lug means including a pair of transversely spaced lugs adapted to be embraced within said transversely spaced handle members; means enabling external operation of said hatch arrangement comprising a plunger mounted to said sidewall means for movement toward and away from said latch handle, said plunger being disposed intermediate said handle members, the inner end of said plunger having a member engageable with the midportion of said transverse bar, the outer end of said plunger projecting outwardly beyond said wall; and means biasing said plunger outwardly.