US 10,329,812 B1Granted

Tank cover access hatch with safety barrier

AssigneeHallsten Corporation

InventorsJeffrey A. Hallsten, Roland Wright, Ronald Kuehne

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Abstract

A tank cover, especially a cover on a sewage treatment tank, is provided with an access opening with a liftable hatch cover. Along with the hatch cover is a safety barrier or grate, either connected directly to the hatch cover or to structure surrounding the hatch opening. When the hatch is opened the barrier is deployed to prevent a worker from accidentally falling through the opening. In one form the barrier is pivotally attached to the bottom side of the hatch cover, and can be swung out as the hatch is opened to form an “A” shaped or roof shaped barrier, with the hatch cover and the barrier both inclined and essentially forming a roof over the opening. Braces or struts hold these components in the erected position and provide barriers from the sides. For entry of a person through the opening, the barrier or grate can be retained against the bottom of the hatch cover as the cover is swung fully open, through 180°. In another form the barrier is secured to tank cover structure just below the hatch cover and can be left in place as a horizontal barrier when the cover is fully opened. For access into the tank the barrier/grate can be swung back in the same direction as the access cover and stacked on the opened access cover.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In combination, a tank cover or deck covering a tank and assembled of a series of panels comprised of extruded parallel interconnected deck planks, with framing channel extrusions engaging ends of the deck planks to support the deck planks and hold each of the panels together, and the panels being connected at edges and supported on structural beams, and

the tank cover or deck having an access opening, and a hatch assembly for covering the opening, the hatch assembly comprising:
a hatch formed of said extruded parallel interconnected deck planks connected together as a movable panel, the hatch having a top side and a bottom side and a hinge at one end, the hinge being connected to an adjacent one of the series of panels of the tank cover and being openable by swinging the hatch upwardly about the hinge,
a safety grate secured to the bottom side of the hatch by a grate hinge at a free end of the hatch opposite said one end, such that when the hatch is lifted and swung about its hinge, the grate can be pivoted about the grate hinge to swing the grate away from the hatch,
the safety grate when hanging from the hatch having a lower end adapted to be engaged with an edge of an adjacent structure of the tank cover adjacent to the access opening, at a position opposed from the hatch hinge, such that the hatch and grate are formed into an inverted V configuration,
whereby, in addition to being erectable into said inverted V configuration, for use as a vent opening for the tank, the hatch and grate can be retained together as the hatch is opened so that the hatch lies open against the deck, with the grate on top of the hatch, allowing access of a person into the tank.

2 more elements

In combination, a tank cover covering a tank and assembled of a series of panels comprised of extruded parallel interconnected deck planks, with framing channel extrusions engaging ends of the deck planks to support the deck planks and hold each of the panels together, and the panels being connected at edges and supported on structural beams, and

the tank cover having an access opening, and a hatch assembly for covering the opening, the hatch assembly comprising:
a hatch formed of said extruded parallel interconnected deck planks connected together as a movable panel, the hatch having a hinge at one end, the hinge being connected to an adjacent panel of said series of panels of the tank cover and being openable by swinging the hatch upwardly about the hinge,
a safety grate secured to the tank cover below the hatch when closed, with a grate hinge securing the grate to a fixed structure of the tank cover adjacent to the access opening, the grate including hinge legs extending upwardly from the grate such that the grate pivots upwardly through the access opening about a pivot axis spaced upwardly from the lowered, closed position of the grate, and the hinge legs being of such length as to allow the grate to be swung upwardly and fully out of the access opening to be folded down horizontally.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.