Patent ID: 6957927

Claim:
An aircraft servicing pit comprising: a subsurface pit enclosure buried beneath a ground surface across which aircraft travel while on the ground, a pit lid support having an upper face level with said ground surface and located atop said subsurface pit and having an access opening down into said pit enclosure surrounded by a lid supporting rim located beneath said upper face, a hinge pocket having opposing side walls defined in said pit lid support immediately adjacent said lid access opening and said lid supporting rim, and a pair of hinge axle end slots defined in said lid support on opposing sides of said hinge pocket and extending in opposite directions from said opposing hinge pocket side walls, and said hinge axle end slots have bottom surfaces and are straight and are of a uniform width and depth throughout their lengths and are inclined upwardly and away from said access opening and intersect said upper face of said pit lid support, a pit lid having a body configured to seat upon said lid supporting rim and thereby close said access opening and having a hinge leaf projecting laterally from said body and including a pair of hinge axle ends of uniform circular cross section throughout projecting in opposite directions from opposite sides of said hinge leaf so as to extend into said pair of hinge axle end slots, and said pit lid is completely removable from said lid support when swung open to a disposition beyond perpendicular alignment with said upper face of said pit lid support and said hinge axle ends are captured in said hinge axle end slots and seat against said bottom surfaces of said hinge axle end slots when said pit lid is shut to close said access opening.