US2100129A - Hatch frame - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 23, 1937.

L. C. V VILKOFF HATCH FRAME 2 SheetsShee t 1 Filed Feb. '7, 1956 Nov. 23, 1937. L. c. WILKOFF 2,100,129

HATCH FRAME Filed Feb. 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 23, 1937 PATENT OFFICE HATCH FRAME Louis (J. Wilkofi', Youngstown, Ohio. assignor. by mesne assignments, to P. H. Murphy Company,

a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 1, 1m, Sel'lll No. 82,856 Y 2 Claims.

The present invention relates'to hatch frames,

for example, the frame surrounding'the hatchopening of a refrigerator car, and aims generally to improve and simplify the construction of such fra ines as well as the construction of. the car roo In the construction of refrigerator cars, there usually is provided atone or both ends of the car ice compartments for containing and storing the ice. The ice is introduced into the compartment through a hatch opening inthe roof, which opening is adapted to be sealed by a hatch plug. Modern refrigerator cars are equipped with metal roof sheets and the hatch frames are usually bolted or riveted to the roof sheet. In both cases the roof is subject to leakage around the bolts or rivets, thus shortening the life of the car roof structure.

Furthermore the hatch frame must preferably be made of metal of suiiicient thickness and rigidity, as, for example, from to inch steel plates, to adequately withstand the shock and wear on the wood framing of the car roof, when.

' large cakes of ice are dumped through the hatch opening. The inner wall of the hatch frame must be relatively smooth, and preferably is of one-piece construction so as to smoothly and acbe secured in place and sealed to the roof sheets.

curately fit the sealing hatch plug.

According to my invention I provide improved constructions of hatch frames and car roofs em-.

bodying hatch frames presenting'a. strong, stiff and rigid frame, preferably having a smooth onepiece well, and which may be securely attached and sealed to the roof sheets without requiring bolts, rivets or other types of fastenings, perforating the roof sheets. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the hatch frame may after the roof sheets have been applied to the car roof.

These and other important aims and objects of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description, when considered with the accompanying drawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments of the invention.-

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a portibn of a car Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental view illustrating a further modification;

around the hatch openings and the space between the ceiling and roof sheathing is usually filled with suitable insulating material.

According to the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, I provide a hatch frame including a well ll, combing l8 and deck flange IQ, of heavy metal, preferably wrought iron plate, from M; to 54 inch wide in thickness, which frame is preferably made as by pressing from a single piece metal, to provide smooth, continuous, downwardly converging side and end walls, 20 and 2| respectively. By pressing the well I! and at least a portion of the combing ill from a single piece of metal, smooth side walls and uniform fillets are presented that will accurately receive and flt'the hatch plug shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The batch frame thusconstructed may be secured in position in the car, in a number of different ways according to the invention.

In the forms of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, the frame is securely held in place by applying a downward clamping pressure to the frame at some point or points spaced from and preferably located below the roof sheet. According to these forms. of invention, a suitable water- 'proof' joint is provided between the deck flange IQ of the frame and the metal roof sheet II, which may comprise a strip or bitumen coated fabric 22 such as canvas, and a layer of suitable plastic deck cement 23.

According to the form of invention shown in Fig. 1, a downwardly and outwardly flaring skirt 2! may be attached to the lower edge of the well,

as by welding along the edge as indicated at 24*, the lower edge of the skirt having an outwardly extending horizontal flange 25 adapted to underlie the ceiling l2. Suitable clamping means, as for example, wedge-shaped pieces 26, or clamping screws 21 (Fig. 3a), may be driven between the ceiling l2 and flange to hold the hatch frame securely in place with the deck flange l9 pressed tightly against the roof sheet ll.

Alternately, the skirt 24 may be omitted, and frames may be held in place by means of a plurality of bolts 28 passing through the framework l3 and connected to the hatch frame I! as by means of a support, such as an angle bar 29 (see Fig. 4) or the heads of the bolts may be flattened as at 30, and welded directly to the frame I as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the embodiments of the invention thus described, it will be apparent that the hatch frame may be secured in position after the roof sheet I I has been applied to the car, which is adistinct advantage and economy over the prior practice of riveting the frame to the roof sheet on the ground and then putting the roof sheet and unfilled, will provide a dead air insulating space.

The construction has many advantages in the economy of constructing the refrigerator car.

In Figs. 6', '7, and 8 of the drawings I have illustrated other forms of connections between the hatch frame and roofsheet, which may be used either with or without the clamping means of Figs. 1, 4, and 5 as desired.

19 illustrated in Fig. 1, but may terminate in a downwardly sloping side or rim 3|. The roof sheet is preferably formed with an opening and surrounding upwardly sloping walls 32 adapted to fit and underlie the downwardly sloping rim 3|, and the two may be connected together advantageously by welding as for example, a seam weld 33. Such a construction is rivetless and watertight and when the frame is made of sufficiently heavy material, it may be satisfactorily used in many installations without other clamping means. I

Alternately, the roof sheet walls 3'4! (Fig. 8) may overlie the rim 3| of the hatch frame combing and/or the deck flange and may be securely connected together as by means of a seam weld 33 along the upper edge of the walls. 32.

Although the avoidance of rivets between the roof sheet and hatch frame are desirable, the invention is not of such restricted scope and this form of connection may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention. When riveted connections are used, however, I prefer to rivet the upwardly inclined sloping walls 32 I of the roof sheet II to the inclined rim of the hatch frame combing, in the manner illustrated in Fig. '7. This avoids the use of vertical rivets and provides a sufficiently tight seal between the upper edge of the walls 32 and the hatch frame as to avoid openings in which cin'ders may collect, which when wet, have a. rapidly corrosive effect upon the metal of the frame or roof sheet.

Advantages of the invention reside in the simplicity of construction of the hatch frame as well as of the car roof structure surrounding the hatch frame, aswell as the improved watertight connection between the hatch frame and the metal roof sheet of the car.

shock and wear as in the case of many prior installations and need not be made to accurately accommodate the hatch plug.

The elimination of all-vertical rivets or bolt connections between the hatch frame and car roof sheet also improves the watertightness of the roof as a whole, which is highly desirable in prolonging the life of the car roof structure.

Obviously, my invention is not to be restricted to the details described or as shown in the accompanying drawings which are intended as 11- lustrative only.

I claim:

1. In combination with a refrigerator car and the like having a roof and ceiling spaced therefrom, an opening in said roof and ceiling, and a relatively heavy, rigid hatch frame positioned in said opening and including a one piece metal well having downwardly sloping side and end walls positioned within said roof and ceiling openings,

By reason of the con-- struction, the car roof frame is not subjected to and spaced from the walls thereof, and means for connecting the hatch frame to the roof at points spaced from the roof to provide a watertight imperforate joint therebetween.

2. In combination with a refrigerator car and the like having a roof and ceiling spaced therefrom, an opening in said roof and ceiling, and a relatively heavy, rigid hatch frame positioned in said opening and including a one piece metal well having downwardly sloping side and end walls positioned within said roof and ceiling openings, and spaced from the walls thereof, means for connecting the hatch frame to the roof at points spaced from the roof to provide a watertight imperforate joint therebetween, and means for connecting the lower edge of said well to the roof ceiling.

LOUIS C. WILKOFF.

Images