[7. In a pressure vessel comprising a wall having an access opening, a normally warped closure door which is insertable through said opening, and stressing means for flexing said door against said wall to seal the access opening from the inside, the improvement wherein said stressing means comprises a door support arm mounted exteriorly of said wall and extending across said access opening from a hinge line at one side of the opening to an attachment point on the opposite side thereof, and means for securing said door on said arm movably both longitudinally
- and laterally relative thereto.] 8. [Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein] In a pressure vessel comprising a wall having an access opening, a normally warped closure door which is insertable through said opening, and stressing means for flexing said door against said wall to seal the access opening from the inside, the improvement wherein said stressing means comprises a door support arm mounted exteriorly of said wall and extending across said access opening from a hinge line at one side of the opening to an attachment point on the opposite side thereof, and means for securing said door on said arm movably both longitudinally and laterally relative thereto;
- and said stressing means further comprises operating means for producing said longitudinal movement and
- said lateral movement by rotation about a longitudinal axis. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said stressing means further comprises means for causing the rate of said longitudinal movement to be dependent upon
- the rotational position of said operating means. 10. In a pressure vessel comprising a wall having an access opening, a normally warped closure door which is insertable through said opening, and stressing means for flexing said door against said wall to seal the access opening from the inside, improved mounting means for said door comprising a door support arm hinged along a fixed hinge line exteriorly of said opening and configured for extending exteriorly across said opening while supporting said door interiorly thereof, door operating means supported by said door support arm for operating said stressing means, and shifting means actuated by said operating means for shifting said door both laterally and angularly from a position facilitating insertion of said door through said opening to a position in alignment with said opening prior to said door flexing by
- said stressing means. 11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said stressing means comprises a stem attached to said door and connected to said door operating means for longitudinal movement in response to
- actuation thereof. 12. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said shifting means comprises an arc-shaped door base provided with an aperture for passage of said stem therethrough and sliding means operable in response to actuation of said door operating means for causing said stem to slide laterally relative to said door and causing the longitudinal axis of said stem to shift angularly in accordance with the curvature of said door
- base. 13. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said door base is fixed
- relative to said door support arm. 14. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said door operating means comprises a door closer cam provided with a helical slot, means for manually rotating said cam about a longitudinal axis, and a cam follower attached to said stem and fitting within said slot for producing longitudinal movement of said stem in response to
- rotation of said cam. 15. The improvement of claim 14 wherein said helical slot is variably pitched for producing a longitudinal movement rate for said stem which varies in accordance with the rotational position of said
- cam. 16. The improvement of claim 15 wherein said cam is provided with a lug and said shifting means comprises means cooperative with said lug for causing said sliding of the stem to occur when said cam has been rotated
- to a predetermined position. 17. Apparatus for supporting and operating an interiorly fitting door against an entrance aperture in a pressure vessel comprising:
- means suspended adjacent said aperture for removably mounting said door,
- means attached to said door mounting means for supporting said door thereon, said means for supporting including means for both angularly and laterally shifting said door with respect to said mounting means for optimally passing said door through said aperture into the pressure vessel;
- and
- means supported on said door mounting means for engaging and disengaging
- said door with the interior side of said aperture. 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for angularly and laterally shifting includes a horizontally mounted curved guide member and wherein means connected with said door bears upon said guide member to move said door in a curved arc of lateral displacement while disengaged and within said pressure
- vessel. 19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said means for engaging and disengaging includes means for urging said door along said curved guide
- member as part of the door engaging and disengaging sequences. 20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for urging includes a cam member operative near one end of an operating stroke of said means for engaging
- and disengaging. 21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for mounting said door include an arm pivotally mounted at a fixed location on
- said pressure vessel. 22. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for engaging and disengaging includes a helically slotted rotatable cam member and cam follower means engaged therewith and connected with said door for
- stressing said door during engagement with said apparatus. 23. In a pressure vessel comprising a wall having an acess opening, a normally warped closure door which is insertable through said opening, and stressing means for flexing said door against said wall to seal the access opening from the inside, the improvement wherein said stressing means comprises:
- a door support arm mounted on said pressure vessel exteriorly of said opening,
- door operating means mounted on said arm,
- cam means including a hollow cylinder provided with a variably pitched helical slot, said cylinder being mounted on said arm for rotation about a generally longitudinal axis in response to actuation of said door operating means, and
- door mounting means movably supporting said door along said axis and including a stem which is slidable within said cylinder and which is provided with a projection for mating engagement with said slot whereby operation of said operating means causes movement of said door along said axis at a variable rate corresponding with variations in the pitch of said
- helical slot. 24. In a pressure vessel comprising a wall having an access opening, a normally warped closure door which is insertable through said opening, and stressing means for flexing said door against said wall to seal the access opening from the inside, the improvement wherein said stressing means comprises:
- a door support arm mounted on said pressure vessel exteriorly of said opening,
- door operating means mounted on said arm,
- cam means provided with a variably pitched cam surface and mounted on said arm for rotation about a generally longitudinal axis in response to actuation of said door operating means,
- a shift plate mounted fast to said support arm, said cam means having a projection engageable with said shift plate to cause lateral shifting of said cam in response to rotation thereof, and
- door mounting means for supporting said door movably along said axis and cooperating with said cam surface to produce said movement at a variable
- rate corresponding with variations in the pitch of the cam surface. 25. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cam comprises a hollow cylinder, said cam surface is a helical slot around said cylinder and said door mounting means comprises a stem slidable within said cylinder and
- having a projection for mating engagement with said slot. 26. Apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising a shift plate mounted fast to said door support means, said cam being provided with a projection engageable with said shift plate to cause lateral shifting of said cam in
- response to rotation thereof. 27. Apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said support means is an arm hinged to said wall along a fixed hinge line.
- 8. The improvement of claim 24 wherein said door support arm is hinged to
- said wall along a fixed hinge line. 29. The improvement of claim 28 wherein said shift plate has a first lip engageable by said cam projection to cause movement of said door toward said hinge line during door releasing rotation of said operating means and a second lip engageable by said cam projection to cause movement of said door toward the center of said access opening during door engaging rotation of said operating means.