Vault hatch

The Vault 101 Hatch is a type of door. Hatches and its frames are made of a strong, durable metal. The hatch is used to divide levels, or divisions, into smaller units, known as rooms, stairways, and corridors, and to control the flow of traffic from one unit to another. When hatches work, they produce three-thousand three hundred (3300) pounds of pressure. This presents a great danger to the residents of the Vault if they are not careful. There are two examples of this hatch.

A hatch's path can be blocked by a heavy item preventing it from completing its task. This happens in 2277 when an unknown benefactor shoved a locker in the path of a hatch to the Upper Level facilitating the Lone Wanderer's escape.

Common Use Hatch
This is a two-piece unit with a upper and lower part. The upper part has cones which fit into conical depressions in the lower part. The two parts, when closing, slide together. When opening, they slide apart. Set above the seam, there is an override lever. This is for emergencies. Under normal circumstances, if a hatch is locked, as indicated by the sign, only an experienced locksmith can unlock the hatch.

Power to the hatch can be controlled by an access panel positioned near the left frame. Most times the switch is set to on with two indicator lights glowing green. The switch can be set to off by a flick of the switch.

An area of safety, approximately four feet in length, has been established around the hatch. This area is defined by yellow border lines.

Restricted Use Hatch
This is a one-piece unit connected to a frame by hinges. Powerful hydraulic motors swing this hatch open. An override lever is set into the hatch above the hydraulic arm. On the reverse side of the hatch, there are two circular indicators. When the hatch is close, both circles show diagonal red lines on a white background. When the hatch is opening, the right circle shows the words "Open" (red letters on a white background) and the left circle shows the words "Stand Back" (red letters on a black background).