Floor hatch

Claim 1

A floor hatch comprising: a quadrilateral outer framework adapted to be installed in a building floor and having an abutment face at the upper end of the inner surface of said outer framework; and a cover assembly fitted in said outer framework, said cover assembly including: a quadrilateral inner framework for supporting said cover assembly in said outer framework and having an abutment face on the outer surface of said inner framework for sealingly engaging against said abutment face of said outer framework; said inner framework having four elongated inner framework members and corner members connecting said framework members together and screws joining said framework members and said corner members; an upper end flange around the inside of said inner framework adjacent the upper edge of said inner framework; an intermediate flange around the inside of said inner framework intermediate the upper and lower edges of said inner framework; a lower end flange around the inside of said inner framework adjacent the lower edge of said inner framework; said flanges extending horizontally inwardly from said inner framework and a cover member engaged between a pair of adjacent flanges and fixed in said inner framework between said adjacent flanges for closing the opening in the inner framework; each of said flanges being spaced from an adjacent flange a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the edge of said cover member, whereby the cover member is held in the inner framework between a pair of adjacent flanges without the necessity of any fastening means and when the cover member is between the upper and intermediate flanges, the upper surface of the cover member is substantially flush with the floor around the outer framework so that a floor covering can be placed on the floor hatch, and when the cover member is between the intermediate and lower flanges there is a space between the cover member and the top edges of the inner and outer frameworks which can be filled with concrete or the like for providing a surface level with the floor surface around the floor hatch.