Temporary barge or boat hatch insert for facilitating void space

Inventors: Justin Dow (Monroeville, PA); Erik Arlet (Pittsburgh, PA)

Assignee: DOW SOLUTIONS, LLC

B63B19/14 B63B57/04

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12679506
App. No.: 18/457,154
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A temporary hatch insert facilitating void space servicing wherein the hatch insert is sized to be received in a given hatch opening and will support a person walking across the insert in the hatch opening, and wherein the hatch insert includes a plurality of openings for venting or ventilation of the void space during servicing of the same. A fan or blower mount may be secured below the hatch insert to facilitate venting of the void space.

Claims (32)

1 . A method of facilitating a barge or boat's void space servicing in a marine environment comprising the steps of

a) providing a temporary hatch insert for a given hatch opening of the barge or boat in the marine environment including providing for a given hatch opening of the barge or boat in the marine environment including;

i) a frame sized to be received in the given hatch opening and defining an open area;

ii) an insert body extending from the frame and covering the open area and configured to support a person walking on the barge or boat across the insert in the given hatch opening; and

iii) a plurality of openings through the insert body for venting or ventilation of the barge or boat's void space during servicing of the same;

b) placing the temporary hatch insert within the given hatch opening of the barge or boat during servicing of the void space of the barge or boat accessed by the given hatch opening for support of a person walking on the barge or boat across the insert in the given hatch opening and for venting or ventilation of the void space of the barge or boat during servicing of the same; and

c) removing the temporary hatch insert from within the given hatch opening of the barge or boat following servicing of the void space of the barge or boat.

2 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , wherein the placing and removing of the temporary hatch insert is manual.

3 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , wherein the temporary hatch insert weights less than 25 lbs.

4 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the openings through the insert body is a handle sized opening near a peripheral edge of the insert body adjacent the frame configured to act as a handhold for carrying, inserting and removing the insert.

5 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , wherein the insert body is a planar plastic plate member.

6 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , wherein the insert body is a color comprising a neon color to draw attention to the insert for those working on the boat or barge.

7 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , further including a fan mount or blower mount on an underside of the hatch insert.

8 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , further including the step of using a fan or blower mounted to the underside of the hatch insert for positive ventilation of the barge or boat's void space.

9 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 1 , wherein the insert body is an open grate structure.

10 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 9 , wherein the insert body includes bar grating.

11 . The method of facilitating the barge or boat's void space servicing in the marine environment according to claim 9 , wherein the open grate structure is supported on a ledge extending from the frame.

12 . A temporary marine hatch insert facilitating a barge or boat void space servicing to be removed following servicing of the boat or barge's void space, the temporary marine hatch insert comprising:

a) a hatch frame sized to be received in a given hatch opening of the barge or boat and defining an open area;

b) an insert body extending from the hatch frame and covering the open area and configured to support a person walking on the barge or boat across the insert in the hatch opening;

c) a plurality of openings through the insert body for venting or ventilation of the void space of the barge or boat during servicing of the same; and

d) wherein the temporary hatch insert weighs less than 25 lbs allowing for manual carrying, inserting and removing the insert.

13 . The temporary marine hatch insert facilitating the barge or boat void space servicing according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the openings through the insert body is a handle sized opening near a peripheral edge of the insert body adjacent the frame configured to receive an operator's hand to act as a handhold for carrying, inserting and removing the insert.

14 . The temporary marine hatch insert facilitating the barge or boat void space servicing according to claim 12 , wherein the insert body is a planar plastic plate member of a color comprising a neon color to draw attention to the insert for those working on the boat or barge.

15 . The temporary marine hatch insert facilitating the barge or boat void space servicing according to claim 12 , further including a fan mount or blower mount on an underside of the hatch insert.

16 . The temporary marine hatch insert facilitating the barge or boat void space servicing according to claim 12 , wherein the insert body is an open grate structure.

17 . The temporary marine hatch insert facilitating the barge or boat void space servicing according to claim 16 , wherein the insert body includes bar grating supported on a ledge extending from the frame.

18 . A temporary marine hatch insert facilitating a boat or barge's void space servicing to be removed following servicing of the boat or barge's void space, the temporary marine hatch insert comprising:

a peripheral edge of the hatch insert sized to be received in a given hatch opening of the barge or boat and will support a person walking on the barge or boat across the insert in the hatch opening;

a plurality of openings for venting or ventilation of the void space during servicing of the same, wherein at least one of the openings through the insert body is a handle sized opening near the peripheral edge of the insert body adjacent the frame configured to act as a handhold for carrying, inserting and removing the insert;

wherein the temporary hatch insert weights less than 25 lbs allowing for manual carrying, inserting and removing the insert, and is a color comprising a neon color.

19 . The temporary marine hatch insert facilitating the boat or barge's void space servicing according to claim 18 , further including a fan mount or blower mount on an underside of the hatch insert.