Hatch Mechanism
OwnerCraig C. Burnhaminventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hatch mechanism for releasably securing a hatch to a deck of a vessel may include a latching mechanism comprising a housing extending generally outwardly from a bottom surface of the hatch. The latching mechanism may also comprise a strong back disposed within a opening in the housing and extending generally parallel to the bottom surface of the hatch. Upon application of a pressurized fluid, an actuator may be configured to bias a wedge against the opening in the housing and the strong back such that the wedge urges the strong back towards the bottom surface of the hatch. A method of releasably securing the hatch to deck may comprise providing a source of a pressurized fluid and applying the pressurized fluid to a latching mechanism to releasably secure the hatch to the deck.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a hatch comprising a top and a bottom surface;
- and
- at least one latching mechanism, said latching mechanism comprising:
- at least one housing extending generally outwardly from said bottom surface of said hatch, said at least one housing comprising at least one opening;
- at least one strong back extending generally parallel to said bottom surface, wherein at least a portion of said strong back is configured to be at least partially received within said opening in said at least one housing;
- and
- at least one actuator configured to bias said at least one strong back towards said bottom surface of said hatch upon application of a source of hydraulic pressure to said actuator.
An latching mechanism for a hatch comprising a top and a bottom surface, said latching mechanism comprising:
- at least one housing configured to extend generally outwardly from said bottom surface of said hatch, said at least one housing comprising at least one opening;
- at least one strong back configured to extend generally along said bottom surface of said hatch, wherein at least a portion of said strong back is configured to be at least partially received within said opening in said at least one housing;
- and
- at least one actuator configured to bias said at least one strong back towards said bottom surface of said hatch upon application of a source of hydraulic pressure to said actuator.
A method of releasably securing a hatch to deck, said method comprising:
- providing a source of a pressurized fluid;
- and
- applying said pressurized fluid to a latching mechanism to releasably secure said hatch to said deck.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.