Hatch cover hinge and lock assembly having safety interlock for hinge
AssigneeTransit America, Inc.
InventorsRobert J. Sauer, Michael J. Pavlick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bi-directionally openable hatch cover hinge and lock device for hatch covers which close the hatches on top of railroad cars and which are openable from either side of the car, utilizing a minimum number of component parts and including a passive captive device for the hatch cover to prevent loss of the cover if the latches on one side are left open and the hatch is opened from the other side, and also including an integrated one piece yoke top and handle with a pivoted cam lock attached to the handle, the pivoted cam lock being weight biased toward its locked position and being prevented from rotating beyond its weight biased locking condition by a stop pin.
Claims23
Hatch cover hinge and lock assemblies for railroad hopper cars in which each car is characterized by having a roof provided with a latch opening which is fitted with a hatch cover, the hinge and lock assemblies providing captive bi-directional hatch opening hinging movement for the hatch cover, and comprising in combination,
- a) two fixed position sub-assemblies, one of which is fixedly securable to the roof of the car adjacent to one side of the hatch opening and the other of which is fixedly securable to the roof of the car adjacent to the opposite side of the hatch opening, each comprising in combination,
- 1) hinge pin receiving means having an opening adapted to receive for rotation therewithin a cylindrical surface of at least one hinge pin,
- 2) lockable and unlockable manually swingable closure means movable between first and second positions for respectively closing and opening the said opening of said hinge pin receiving means, to thereby prevent escape of said at least one hinge pin positioned within said hinge pin opening when said opening is closed by said swingable closure means in its first position,
- 3) locking means for said swingable closure means for locking said closure means in said first position, said locking means comprising a fixed part and a movable part, one of said fixed and movable parts being affixed to said swingable closure means for movement therewith, and the other of said parts being positionally fixed with respect to said hinge pin receiving means, and
- 4) an interlock means first part,
- b) two movable position sub-assemblies respectively fixedly securable to the hatch cover at opposite sides thereof in positions to simultaneously interengage with the said fixed position sub-assemblies, said movable sub-assemblies being movable with said hatch cover, each comprising in combination,
- 1) said at least one hinge pin being positionable within the said opening of said hinge pin receiving means of one of said fixed position sub-assemblies simultaneously with the positioning of the said at least one hinge pin of the other of the movable position sub-assemblies within the opening of the hinge pin receiving means of the other of the fixed position sub-assemblies, each said hinge pin when so positioned within said opening of said hinge pin receiving means being rotatably securable therewithin by said swingable closure means when the latter is in its said first position closing the opening of said hinge pin receiving means,
- 2) an interlock means second part, so engagable with the said interlock means first part that when the hatch cover is opened from either side of the hatch, the hatch cover remains secured to the car even if both swingable closure means are in their second position.
Hatch cover hinge and lock assemblies for railroad hopper cars in which each car is characterized by having a roof provided with a hatch opening which is fitted with a hatch cover, two such hinge and lock assemblies being disposed respectively at opposite sides of the hatch providing captive bi-directional hatch opening hinging movement for the hatch cover, and each such assembly comprising in combination,
- a) a fixed position sub-assembly fixedly securable to the roof of the car adjacent to one side of the hatch opening, comprising in combination,
- 1) hinge pin receiving means having an opening adapted to receive for rotation therewithin a cylindrical surface of at least one hinge pin,
- 2) lockable and unlockable manually swingable closure means movable between first and second positions for respectively closing and opening the said opening of said hinge pin receiving means, to thereby prevent escape of said at least one hinge pin positioned within said hinge pin opening when said opening is closed by said swingable closure means in its first position,
- 3) locking means for said swingable closure means for locking said closure means in said first position, said locking means comprising a fixed part and a movable part, one of said fixed and movable parts being affixed to said swingable closure means for movement therewith, and the other of said parts being positionally fixed with respect to said hinge pin receiving means, and
- 4) an interlock means first part,
- b) a movable position sub-assembly fixedly securable to the hatch cover in position to interengage with the said fixed position sub-assembly, said movable sub-assembly being movable with said hatch cover, comprising in combination,
- 2) said at least one hinge pin being positionable within the said opening of said hinge pin receiving means of said fixed position sub-assembly, said hinge pin when so positioned within said opening of said hinge pin receiving means as being rotatably securable therewithin by said swingable closure means when the latter is in its said first position closing the opening of said hinge pin receiving means,
- 2) an interlock means second part, so engageable with the said interlock means first part that when the hatch cover is opened from either side of the hatch, the hatch cover remains secured to the car even if said swingable closure means is in its second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.