Railway hatch cover and strap latching assembly

Abstract

A small hatch cover is provided which is pivotably mounted upon a hatch cover mounting bracket attached to a car roof. A hatch cover strap is also pivotably mounted upon the hatch cover mounting bracket. The hatch cover strap engages the cover at the center of the cover and at the distal end of the strap, only. At the distal end the strap extends around the cover and engages the lower surface of the cover. A sealing gasket is attached to the lower surface of the periphery of the cover. The sealing gasket engages a conventional hatch coaming extending vertically up from the car roof. Slots are preferably provided at the distal end of the cover and the strap. An over-center locking assembly is pivotably mounted upon the car roof which is movable between an open position which allows the operator to pivot the cover and strap to open position, and an engaged position in which the locking assembly engages the strap in an over-center locked position which applies sealing pressure to the cover at the center of the cover only. This sealing pressure is then transmitted through the cover to the periphery of the cover and to the coaming to urge the seal into firm engagement with the coaming.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.