Loading arm with hatch plate for top hatch of transport tank

1. A loading arm that transfers flowing bulk material from a storage vessel and into a container through a top hatch of the transport tank that is carried on a truck or rail car for transport, comprising:

a. an articulating arm including a plurality of connected hollow pipes, at least two of the hollow pipes connected pivotally together;

b. a hatch plate connected to the arm and defining a top member, a bottom member, a continuous retention ring and an outer edge connecting the top and bottom members;

c. one of the hollow pipes of the articulating arm defining a discharge pipe defining at one end thereof an outlet opening configured to permit the flowing bulk material to be discharged from the articulating arm, the outlet opening being disposed on the side of the bottom member that faces away from the top member; and

d. wherein at least the bottom member of the hatch plate defines a resiliently flexible section configured to deform upon engaging with the top hatch of the transport tank and the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member of the hatch plate is defined by an annular member having an inner perimeter portion and an outer perimeter portion spaced away from the inner perimeter portion by a central portion and wherein the hatch plate includes a rigid inner spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member, the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member being held between the retention ring and the rigid inner spacer element.

2. The loading arm of claim 1 , wherein the outer edge forms a rigid outer spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the outer perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

3. The loading arm of claim 2 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the central portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

4. The loading arm of claim 1 , wherein the outer edge of the hatch plate defines a cylindrical surface.

5. The loading arm of claim 4 , wherein the outer edge of the hatch plate defines a rigid cylindrical shell.

6. The loading arm of claim 5 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the central portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

7. The loading arm of claim 5 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the outer portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

8. The loading arm of claim 5 , wherein the rigid cylindrical shell of the outer edge of the hatch plate defines an inner surface and the outer perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member is free to slide relative to the inner surface of the outer edge of the hatch plate both toward and away from the top member of the hatch plate.

9. The loading arm of claim 8 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the central portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

10. The loading arm of claim 8 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the outer portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

11. A hatch plate for disposition at the discharge end of a loading arm or flexible delivery hose that transfers flowing bulk material from a storage vessel and into a transport tank through a top hatch of the transport tank that is carried on a truck or rail car for transport, the hatch plate comprising:

a. a top member, a bottom member, a continuous retention ring and an outer edge connecting the top and bottom members; and

b. wherein at least the bottom member of the hatch plate defines a resiliently flexible section configured to deform upon engaging with the top hatch of the transport tank and the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member of the hatch plate is defined by an annular member having an inner perimeter portion and an outer perimeter portion spaced away from the inner perimeter portion by a central portion and wherein the hatch plate includes a separately formed rigid inner spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member, the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member being held between the retention ring and the rigid inner spacer element.

12. The hatch plate of claim 11 , wherein the outer edge forms a rigid outer spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the outer perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

13. The hatch plate of claim 12 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the central portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

14. The hatch plate of claim 11 , wherein the outer edge of the hatch plate defines a cylindrical surface.

15. The hatch plate of claim 14 , wherein the outer edge of the hatch plate defines a rigid cylindrical shell.

16. The hatch plate of claim 15 , wherein the rigid cylindrical shell of the outer edge of the hatch plate defines an inner surface and the outer perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member is free to slide relative to the inner surface of the outer edge of the hatch plate both toward and away from the top member of the hatch plate.

17. The hatch plate of claim 16 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the central portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

18. The hatch plate of claim 16 , wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the outer portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

19. A hatch plate for disposition at the discharge end of a loading arm or flexible delivery hose that transfers flowing bulk material from a storage vessel and into a transport tank through a top hatch of the transport tank that is carried on a truck or rail car for transport, the hatch plate comprising:

a. a top member, a bottom member, a retention ring and an outer edge connecting the top and bottom members; and

b. wherein at least the bottom member of the hatch plate defines a resiliently flexible section configured to deform upon engaging with the top hatch of the transport tank and the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member of the hatch plate is defined by an annular member having an inner perimeter portion and an outer perimeter portion spaced away from the inner perimeter portion by a central portion and wherein the hatch plate includes a rigid inner spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member, the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member being held between the retention ring and the rigid inner spacer element; and

wherein the hatch plate further includes a resiliently deformable center spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the central portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

20. The hatch plate of claim 19 , wherein the resiliently deformable center spacer element is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and at least the outer portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member.

21. A delivery hose that transfers flowing bulk material from a storage vessel and into a container through a top hatch of the transport tank that is carried on a truck or rail car for transport, comprising:

a. a flexible hose defining a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end, the proximal end being connectable in communication with the storage vessel;

b. a hatch plate connected to the distal end of the flexible hose and defining a top member, a bottom member spaced apart from the top member in an axial direction, a continuous retention ring and an outer edge connecting the top and bottom members;

c. a discharge pipe defining at one end thereof an outlet opening configured to permit the flowing bulk material to be discharged from the distal end of the flexible hose, the outlet opening being disposed on the side of the bottom member that faces away from the top member in the axial direction; and

d. wherein at least the bottom member of the hatch plate defines a resiliently flexible section configured to deform upon engaging with the top hatch of the transport tank and the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member of the hatch plate is defined by an annular member having an inner perimeter portion and an outer perimeter portion spaced away from the inner perimeter portion in a radial direction by a central portion and wherein the hatch plate includes a rigid inner spacer element that is disposed between the top member of the hatch plate and the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member, the inner perimeter portion of the resiliently flexible section of the bottom member being held between the retention ring and the rigid inner spacer element and thereby restrained from movement in both the axial and radial directions.