Patent ID: 7810671

Claim:
A method of handling the removal and installation of a manway cover to a manway flange, the method comprising: removing a plurality of manway cover bolts from a first portion of the manway cover that is located to one side of a vertical axis of the manway cover; providing a flange hinge plate of a portable manway cover hinge device, the flange hinge plate having at least one hinge plate aperture therethrough; aligning the at least one hinge aperture of the flange hinge plate with a bolt opening in the manway flange; inserting a pin first end of a hinge plate fastening pin through the at least one hinge aperture and into the aligned bolt opening in the manway flange, the pin first end having a bore transverse to the longitudinal axis of the pin and extending beyond the manway flange; inserting a transverse rod into the bore of the pin; securing the flange hinge plate to the manway flange; providing a cover hinge plate of a portable manway cover hinge device, the cover hinge plate having at least one hinge plate aperture therethrough; aligning the at least one hinge aperture of the cover hinge plate with a bolt opening in the manway cover; inserting a pin first end of another hinge plate fastening pin through the at least one hinge aperture and into the aligned bolt opening in the manway cover and securing the cover hinge plate to the manway cover; pivotally connecting the flange hinge plate to the cover hinge plate; and removing any remaining manway hardware from the manway cover and the manway flange that prevents the manway cover from pivotally opening away from the manway flange.