Vapor plate

A vapor plate for covering a manhole of a cargo transport tanker, the vapor plate comprising:

• a plate member having a sealing member adhered thereto;
• a plurality of push rod assemblies,
• each of said plurality of push rod assemblies comprising:
• a guide tube extending through said plate member and coupled thereto, said guide tube comprising a tube section, an upper ring plate, and a lower ring plate, wherein one of said upper ring plate and said lower ring plate includes a bushing that houses one or more O-rings;
• a push rod including a rod having a length, a top handle, a lower handle, said rod journaled for linear and rotational travel within said guide tube, said handles coupled to respective ends of said rod, said handles being timed;
• a spring positioned between a collar and said upper ring plate;
• wherein a position of said collar is adjustable along said length of said rod and said collar may be selectively fixed at a position on said rod to engage said spring, wherein said spring resists linear travel of said push rod relative to said guide tube in at least one direction once said spring is engaged by said collar fixed to said rod;
• and
• wherein said O-rings engage said rod of said push rod providing a substantially gas-resistant seal between said guide tube and said push rod.

A method for attaching a vapor plate to a manhole of a tanker comprising:

• setting a plate of said vapor plate on a top edge of a rim of a manhole of said tanker;
• pushing down on a spring loaded resistance mechanism of a push rod assembly of said vapor plate with a force;
• contacting a lower handle of said push rod with a bottom edge of said rim of said manhole with a force in an opposite direction as the downward force;
• and
• providing said force in said opposite direction with said spring loaded resistance mechanism.