A gasket for sealing between the open end of a manway nozzle body of a containment vessel and an associated cover comprising a resilient annular ring member having a bail including a plurality of rigid arcuate inserts spaced about the bail that extends between radially inner and radially outer depending legs. The bail includes at least one annular upstanding chevron extending about an upper surface and at least one annular depending chevron extending about a lower surface. The inserts and bail have about the same thickness. A method includes compressing the gasket between the manway nozzle and cover, and the rigid inserts limit the compression of the gasket.

According to some embodiments, a hatch cover for an opening in a container comprises a body comprising a plate member for covering the opening in the container, a seal on the underside of the body for sealing the body to the container, and one or more pressure sensors disposed between the seal and the body. The one or more pressure sensors are operable to detect a pressure between the body and the container and are communicably coupled to a hatch status device operable to detect a change in pressure between the body and the container. Some embodiments may include a fill level sensor.

A cryogenic tank car tank includes an outer tank, an inner tank positioned within the outer tank, an inner nozzle, and inner manway plate, an outer nozzle, and an outer manway plate. The inner nozzle defines an opening in the inner tank. The inner manway plate is welded to the inner nozzle and covers the opening in the inner tank. The outer nozzle defines an opening in the outer tank and is positioned above the inner nozzle, such that the inner manway plate is accessible through the outer nozzle. The outer manway plate couples to an upper edge of the outer nozzle to cover the opening in the outer tank. In response to applying the vacuum to the annular space between the inner and outer tanks, a differential pressure between the annular space and a space external to the outer tank secures the outer manway plate to the outer nozzle.

A manway assembly for a railroad tank car features a nozzle defining a central opening and having a sidewall, a cover, a hinge attaching the cover to the nozzle, and a seal assembly to seal the cover to the nozzle. The seal assembly may include a circumferential seal and a circumferential seal channel. The circumferential seal may include a top portion, a bottom portion opposite the top portion, and a side portion between the top portion and the bottom portion. An underside edge portion of the cover may be provided with the circumferential seal channel. The circumferential seal may be positioned within the circumferential seal channel. The circumferential seal may have a C-shaped cross section and may be positioned in the circumferential seal channel such that the top portion of the seal is seated against a top wall of the circumferential seal channel and the bottom portion of the seal is seated against a circumferential ledge of the nozzle.

A manway cover assembly can be used to control access to the interior of a railroad tank car or other type of tank or structure. The manway cover assembly can have a tightening system, such as a screw tightening system and an attachment system. The attachment system can have a ledge configured to engage a flange that surrounds an opening. A cover can control access to the opening. The tightening system can secure the ledge to the flange and lock the cover over the opening. A manway cover assembly can also be used for selectively sealing an access passageway of a tank. The manway cover assembly can have an internal seal that remains sealed independent of movement between the cover and the opening within a set range of movement.

A manway lid gasket is an annular gasket that has top and bottom surfaces between the inside diameter and outside diameter of the gasket. Each of the top and bottom surfaces includes a concave, circumferential groove therein. Additionally, the gasket has a radial cut out that extends from the outside diameter face partway through the radial width of the gasket and has an annular corrugated metal insert positioned therein.

A tank for a railway tank car includes an outer tank, a nozzle, a fittings plate, and a set of pipes. The nozzle protrudes through the outer tank such that an outer edge of the nozzle extends past an exterior surface of the outer tank. An intersection between the nozzle and the outer tank defines an opening in the outer tank. The fittings plate is welded to the nozzle around the outer edge of the nozzle. The set of pipes pass through the fittings plate and into the outer tank through the nozzle. The set of pipes includes pipes to load and/or unload fluid from the tank.

A hatch cover for a covered hopper railcar includes a substantially circular shell member having a radially outer circumferential perimeter. The substantially circular shell member includes a topside surface and an underside surface. The hatch cover also includes a downwardly extending rim member coupled to and unitarily formed with the substantially circular shell member. The substantially circular shell member and the downwardly extending rim member define a shell/rim interface at the underside surface. The hatch cover further includes at least one sealing gasket fixedly coupled to the underside surface proximate the shell/rim interface.

According to some embodiments, a tank car comprises a tank; a top platform coupled to a top of the tank comprising a walking surface; a walkway platform extending longitudinally between an end of the tank and the top platform comprising a walking surface disposed above a line tangent to the top of the tank; and a closure plate coupled to an end of the walkway platform proximate to the top platform. The closure plate extends below the walkway platform to cover access to a space between the walking surface of the walkway platform and the top of the tank. In particular embodiments, the top platform comprises a first and second handrail assembly and a space between the handrail assemblies for accessing the walkway platform. The closure plate covers access to the space between the handrail assemblies and below the walkway platform.

According to some embodiments, a method of flashing a jacketed rail car comprises covering an opening in a tank jacket of a rail car with a first flashing piece. The opening permits a fitting to protrude through the jacket. The fitting comprises a base portion of a first perimeter and a top flanged portion of a second perimeter. The first flashing piece comprises a slot. The method further comprises bonding the first flashing piece to the jacket and to the base portion of the fitting, and bonding a vertical support piece to the tank shell. The vertical support piece extends through the slot in the first flashing piece. The method further comprises bonding the vertical support piece to the top flanged portion of the fitting; covering the slot with a second flashing piece; and bonding the second flashing piece to the first flashing piece and the vertical support piece.