Stainless steel hatch and method of manufacture

A process of making a stainless steel hatch base comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a straight length of a stainless steel bar stock with a substantially constant cross-section by passing a stainless steel work piece originally in the form of coiled stainless steel sheet stock, through a plurality of roll-forming roller sets, wherein each roller set includes at least two oppositely disposed rollers which form a slot through which said work piece is rolled, wherein each slot is operatively arranged to bend said work piece as said work piece passes through each roller set, wherein said work piece passes sequentially, in any order, through each roller set in said plurality of roller sets, wherein said plurality of roller sets comprises at least first, second, and third roller sets, wherein said first roller set bends a substantially hairpin bend into said work piece to form an elevated bead, said second roller set bends said work piece to form a planar exterior flange, said third roller set bends said work piece to form an angular leg terminating in a spigot, wherein said angular leg runs in a plane generally transverse to said planar exterior flange, and wherein said spigot runs in a plane substantially perpendicular to said planar exterior flange;
• (b) cutting said work piece to a predetermined length based on a desired final size of said hatch base;
• (c) bending a plurality of corners into said length of said work piece, wherein said corners are operatively bent into said work piece to substantially shape said work piece into a substantially ring shape with opposite ends of said work piece proximate each other, and wherein said bending is operatively performed so that said spigot is substantially parallel to a neutral axis of said bending, and said neutral axis passes through or is directly proximate said spigot;
• and,
• (d) welding said opposite ends together so that said hatch base is an integral, continuous piece.

A base for a marine hatch comprising:

• (i) a planar exterior flange running in a plane substantially parallel with a boat hull or deck;
• (ii) an angular leg running generally transverse to said planar exterior flange;
• (iii) said angular leg terminates in a spigot, wherein said spigot is substantially perpendicular to said exterior planar flange, said spigot is operatively positioned so that said spigot runs substantially parallel to a neutral bending axis, and said neutral bending axis passes through or is directly proximate said spigot;
• (iv) an elevated sealing bead for engaging with a hatch cover, said planar exterior flange and said angular leg being integral with said elevated sealing bead;
• (v) a plurality of rounded corners forming a shape of said base, wherein outer radii of said rounded corners are approximately four inches or smaller;
• and,
• (vi) wherein said base is a single, continuous piece fabricated from stainless steel, said base having a constant wall thickness throughout, wherein said wall thickness is approximately 1/16″ to ⅛″.