Hatch cover sealing device

In a hatch cover for closing a hatch of a railroad hopper car compartment, wherein said hatch includes a generally upstanding coaming, and said hatch cover includes a body member having a peripheral continuous pocket including inner and outer substantially parallel flanges, said inner and outer flanges including a male or female means for retaining, and a continuous sealing means received in the pocket for sealing the cover to the hatch coaming,

• the improvement being in said sealing means defining a substantially airtight seal between the hatch cover and the coaming, said sealing means comprising:
• a continuous gasket having top, bottom and side walls, said side walls having one of a female or male means for retaining to mate with the male or female means on said flanges, said gasket being symmetrically formed with respect to a horizontal plane passing through the side walls of the gasket so that the gasket may be reversibly received in said pocket, whereby said gasket fits within said pocket and is retained in said pocket by one of said male or female means on said flanges engaging complementary female or male means on said gasket.