Railroad hopper car hatch cover

A hatch cover adapted to be positioned relative to a longitudinally elongated hatch opening defined in a roof of a railroad hopper car, with said roof further including upstanding coaming arranged in surrounding relation relative to said hatch opening and provided with a rim arranged along a top edge thereof, and structure for mounting said hatch cover for movement between a closed position with respect to said hatch opening and an open position permitting access to the car through the hatch opening, said hatch cover comprising:

• a laminate panel of sufficient size to cover at least a longitudinal lengthwise portion of said hatch opening, said laminate panel having longitudinally spaced ends and including an inner aluminum member, an outer aluminum member, and a solid plastic core adhered to confronting surfaces of said inner and outer members, with a cross-section of said laminate panel including a center section with two generally vertical sides disposed to opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of and extending between the ends of said panel and depending from said center section, and with each generally vertical side of said laminate panel depending from and defining an angle ranging between 80° and about 115° relative to said center section and which is joined to the center section of the panel along a longitudinally elongated curved corner section;
• compressible gasket structure secured to an underside of the center section of said laminate panel for engaging and pressing against the rim of said coaming to seal said hatch cover;
• and
• longitudinally spaced structure disposed inwardly from the opposed ends of and secured across the outer member of said laminate panel for adding strength and rigidity to the hatch cover.

A railcar hatch cover adapted to be positioned relative to a longitudinally elongated hatch opening defined in a roof of a railroad hopper car, with said roof further including upstanding coaming arranged in surrounding relation relative to said hatch opening and provided with a rim arranged along a top edge thereof, and structure for mounting said hatch cover for movement between a closed position with respect to said hatch opening and an open position permitting access to the car through the hatch opening, said hatch cover comprising:

• a laminate panel having longitudinal spaced ends and including an extruded inner member, an extruded outer member, and a solid plastic core material adhered to confronting surfaces of said inner and outer members, with said laminate panel having a center section and generally vertical sides, with one generally vertical side of said panel being disposed to each side of a longitudinal centerline of and extending between the ends of said panel and depending from said center section of said laminate panel, and wherein said laminate panel has a flexural rigidity S derived as follows:
• S=E×I
• wherein “E” is the flexural modulus of the material and “I” is the Moment of Inertia of the hatch cover;
• and wherein said laminate panel has an “E” value equal to 4×106 p.s.i.;
• and wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the center section and two generally vertical sides of said laminate panel define a Moment of Inertia for said panel such that said laminate panel has a Stiffness equal to about 2.407×107 lbs.×inches2;
• compressible gasket structure secured to an underside of the center section of said laminate panel for engaging and pressing against the rim of said coaming to seal said hatch cover;
• and
• longitudinally spaced structure disposed inwardly from the opposed ends of and secured across the outer member of said laminate panel for adding strength and rigidity to the hatch cover.

A railcar hatch cover adapted to be positioned relative to a longitudinally elongated hatch opening defined in a roof of a railroad hopper car, with said roof further including upstanding coaming arranged in surrounding relation relative to said hatch opening and provided with a rim arranged along a top edge thereof, and structure for mounting said hatch cover for movement between a closed position with respect to said hatch opening and an open position permitting access to the car through the hatch opening, said hatch cover comprising:

• a rigid frame assembly comprised of a series of spaced and generally parallel metal support members, a pair of end pieces, and pair of longitudinally elongated rigid metal members extending substantially an entire length of the hatch cover, with said metal support members and said end pieces each having a center section with two laterally spaced end sections arranged in depending relation relative to said center section, and wherein the end sections of each support member and each end piece are fastened toward a distal end thereof to one of said rigid metal members;
• and
• a laminate panel of sufficient size to cover at least a longitudinal lengthwise portion of said hatch opening, said laminate panel having longitudinally spaced ends and including an inner aluminum member, an outer aluminum member, and a solid plastic core adhered to confronting surfaces of said inner and outer members, with a cross-section of said laminate panel including a center section with two generally vertical sides disposed to opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of and extending between the ends of said panel and depending from said center section, and wherein said laminate panel is fastened to said frame assembly.