초록 ▼

A railcar hatch cover assembly having a cover, a latch engaging structure, a latch coupled to the cover, and a handle coupled to the latch. The handle is configured to be grasped by an operator. When a substantially vertical force is applied to the handle, it moves the latch from a latched position

A railcar hatch cover assembly having a cover, a latch engaging structure, a latch coupled to the cover, and a handle coupled to the latch. The handle is configured to be grasped by an operator. When a substantially vertical force is applied to the handle, it moves the latch from a latched position to an unlatched position and moves the cover from a closed position to an open position. When the cover is dropped from the open position to the closed position, the latch contacts the latch engaging structure and moves from the unlatched position to the latched position. A railcar latch assembly having a latch coupled to the cover and a handle coupled to the latch. The latch has an arcuate bottom surface that contacts the latch engaging structure to move the latch from an unlatched position to a latched position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A railcar hatch cover assembly comprising: a cover adapted to be mounted to a railcar for movement between a closed position and an open position;a latch engaging structure adapted to be mounted to the railcar; anda handle and latch assembly rotatably mounted to the cover at a pivot axis, wherein

1. A railcar hatch cover assembly comprising: a cover adapted to be mounted to a railcar for movement between a closed position and an open position;a latch engaging structure adapted to be mounted to the railcar; anda handle and latch assembly rotatably mounted to the cover at a pivot axis, wherein the handle and latch assembly comprises: a latch that is moveable between a latched position, in which the latch engages the latch engaging structure, and an unlatched position, in which the latch engages the cover to prevent further rotation of the latch beyond the unlatched position; anda handle coupled to the latch, wherein the handle comprises a bar that is spaced from the latch and is configured to be grasped by an operator, wherein the handle extends laterally from the pivot axis and is substantially horizontal when the latch is in the latched position, wherein the handle moves the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position when a substantially vertical force directed upward is applied to the bar, wherein the handle moves the cover from the closed position to the open position when the substantially vertical force directed upward is applied to the bar and the latch engages the cover, and wherein when the cover is dropped from the open position to the closed position, the latch contacts the latch engaging structure and moves from the unlatched position to the latched position. 2. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, wherein said cover is selected from the group consisting of a port cover and a batten bar. 3. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, wherein said latch engaging structure comprises a pair of generally vertical plates, and a generally horizontal bar that is coupled with each of the plates and extends between the plates such that the bar is spaced above the railcar and the bar is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the railcar. 4. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle and latch assembly rotates upward when the latch moves from the latched position to the unlatched position, and wherein the handle and latch assembly rotates downward when the latch moves from the unlatched position to the latched position. 5. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 4, wherein said latch comprises a substantially planar upper surface that engages said latch engaging structure when said latch is in the latched position, and wherein said latch comprises an arcuate bottom surface that contacts the latch engaging structure when the cover is dropped from the open position to the closed position and causes said handle and latch assembly to rotate upward. 6. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 5, wherein said latch engaging structure is positioned below said pivot axis when said latch is in the latched position. 7. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 6, wherein said bar is generally parallel to said pivot axis. 8. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 7, wherein said handle comprises a D shape. 9. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first tab coupled to the cover, wherein the first tab comprises a first opening, and a second tab coupled to the latch, wherein the second tab comprises a second opening, wherein when said latch is in the latched position, said first and second openings are aligned such that a seal may be threaded through the aligned first and second openings. 10. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 9, wherein moving said latch from the latched position to the unlatched position shears the seal. 11. The railcar hatch cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a bracket, and wherein the latch engages the bracket when in the unlatched position to prevent further movement of the latch beyond the unlatched position. 12. A railcar latch assembly comprising: a latch engaging structure adapted to be mounted to a railcar;a bracket adapted to be mounted to a cover of the railcar; anda handle and latch assembly adapted to be rotatably mounted to the bracket at a pivot axis, wherein the handle and latch assembly comprises: a latch comprising an upper surface and an arcuate bottom surface, wherein the latch is moveable between a latched position, in which the upper surface engages the latch engaging structure, and an unlatched position, in which the latch engages the bracket to prevent further rotation of the latch beyond the unlatched position, and wherein the arcuate bottom surface contacts the latch engaging structure to move the latch from the unlatched position to the latched position; anda handle coupled to the latch, wherein the handle comprises a bar that is spaced from the latch and is configured to be grasped by an operator, wherein the handle extends laterally from the pivot axis and is substantially horizontal when the latch is in the latched position, wherein the handle moves the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position when a substantially vertical force directed upward is applied to the bar, and wherein the handle is operable to open the cover when the substantially vertical force directed upward is applied to the bar and the latch engages the bracket. 13. The railcar latch assembly of claim 12, wherein said latch engaging structure comprises a pair of generally vertical plates, and a generally horizontal bar that is coupled with each of the plates and extends between the plates such that the bar is spaced above the railcar and the bar is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the railcar. 14. The railcar latch assembly of claim 12, wherein the handle and latch assembly rotates upward when the latch moves from the latched position to the unlatched position, and wherein the handle and latch assembly rotates downward when the latch moves from the unlatched position to the latched position. 15. The railcar latch assembly of claim 12, wherein said handle comprises a rectangular or D shape. 16. The railcar latch assembly of claim 12, further comprising a first tab adapted to be coupled to the cover, wherein the first tab comprises a first opening, and a second tab coupled to the latch, wherein the second tab comprises a second opening, wherein when said latch is in the latched position, said first and second openings are aligned such that a seal may be threaded through the aligned first and second openings. 17. The railcar latch assembly of claim 16, wherein moving said latch from the latched position to the unlatched position shears the seal.