US 5,040,258 A · Dock leveler with automatic vehicle barrier

Abstract

A dock leveler assembly is provided having an automatic barrier actuated in response to movement of the lip for preventing accidental runoff of material handling vehicles from the loading dock. The assembly includes a ramp for pivotal movement between a stored first position wherein an exposed surface thereof is coplanar with the loading dock platform surface, an upwardly inclined second position, and a declining third position. The lip is operatively connected to a front edge portion of the ramp for movement from a depending position to an outwardly extended cantilevered position. The assembly also includes a barrier unit movable between operative and inoperative modes. When in the operative mode, a segment of the barrier unit automatically projects above the ramp exposed surface and forms a vehicle safety barrier of optimum height.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A dock leveler for a loading dock having a substantially horizontal platform surface and a substantially vertical front wall, said dock leveler comprising:

a frame having a rear section;
a ramp having a rear edge portion hingedly connected to the frame rear section for movement between a stored substantially horizontal first position whereby a front edge portion of the ramp is adapted to be proximate the dock front wall and an upper surface of the ramp is adapted to be substantially coplanar with the dock platform surface, and a predetermined upwardly inclined second position;
a pivotally mounted lip carried by said ramp and having a pivotal axis in close proximity to the ramp front edge portion, said lip being movable between a stored position and an outwardly cantilevered position when said ramp assumes said second position;
and
barrier means movable between operative and inoperative modes, said barrier means being in an operative mode when said ramp is in the first position and said lip is in said stored position;
said barrier means, when in said operative mode, providing a predetermined first surface segment located between the ramp front and rear edge portions and projecting above the ramp upper surface and forming an upright safety stop;
when said barrier means is in an inoperative mode, said lip is in said outwardly cantilevered position and no portion of said barrier means projects above the ramp upper surface.

4 more elements

A dock leveler for a loading dock having a substantially horizontal platform surface, said dock leveler comprising:

a frame having a rear section;
a ramp having a rear edge portion hingedly connected to the frame rear section and a front edge portion, said ramp being movable between a stored first position wherein an exposed surface of the ramp is substantially coplanar with the dock platform surface, and a predetermined upwardly inclined second position;
a lip operatively connected to the front edge portion of the ramp and movable between a depending position maintaining said ramp in said first position, and an outwardly extended cantilevered position when said ramp assumes said second position;
and
barrier means movable between an operative mode and an inoperative mode in response to movement of said lip to and from the depending position, said barrier means being in an operative mode when said ramp assumes the stored first position and said lip assumes the depending position, whereby a predetermined first surface segment of said barrier means disposed between the ramp front and rear edge portions projects above the exposed surface of the ramp and forms a safety barrier;
when said barrier means is in an inoperative mode the predetermined first surface segment thereof assumes a non-projecting position relative to the ramp exposed surface, said barrier means being in said inoperative mode when said lip is in the outwardly extended cantilevered position.

3 more elements

A dock leveler for mounting within a pit formed in a loading dock, the pit having an open front side at an upright front wall of the loading dock and an open top side at a substantially horizontal platform surface of the dock, said dock leveler comprising:

a frame mountable within the pit and having a rear section thereof positionable adjacent a rear wall of the pit;
a ramp having a rear edge portion hingedly connected to the frame rear section, said ramp being movable between a stored substantially horizontal first position overlying the pit open top side and having an exposed surface of the ramp substantially coplanar with the dock platform surface, a predetermined upwardly inclined second position, and a predetermined declining third position;
a lip operatively connected to a front edge portion of the ramp and movable between a depending position, an outwardly extended cantilevered position, and an intermediate depending position;
and
barrier means operatively connected to said lip and activated thereby between a first operative mode, a second operative mode, and an inoperative mode;
said barrier means being in the first operative mode when said ramp assumes the first position and said lip is in the depending position, whereby a first segment of said barrier means is exposed and projects a first predetermined distance above the ramp exposed surface and forms a safety barrier;
said barrier means being in the second operative mode when said ramp assumes the third position and said lip is in the intermediate depending position, whereby only a portion of the first segment of the barrier means is exposed and projects a second predetermined distance above the exposed surface of the ramp and forms a safety barrier;
when said barrier means is in the inoperative mode, no segment thereof projects above the ramp exposed surface, said barrier means being in said inoperative mode when said lip is in said outwardly extended cantilevered position.

5 more elements

a frame mountable within the pit and having a rear section positionable adjacent a rear wall of the pit;
a ramp having a rear edge portion hingedly connected to the frame rear section, said ramp being moveable between a substantially horizontal first position overlying and substantially closing the pit open top side and having an exposed surface of the ramp substantially coplanar with the dock platform surface, a predetermined upwardly inclined second position, and a predetermined declining third position;
a lip hingedly connected to a front edge portion of the ramp and moveable between a depending supported position for storing said ramp in said first position, an outwardly extended cantilevered position when said ramp is in said second position, and an intermediate depending unsupported position when said ramp is in said third position;
stationary means for retaining said lip in the depending supported position;
and
barrier means disposed in close proximity to, but spaced from, a front edge portion of the ramp and in substantially parallel relation with the hinge axis of the ramp, said barrier means comprising a plurality of members operatively connected to said lip and activated thereby between a first operative mode, a second operative mode, and an inoperative mode;
said barrier means being in the first operative mode when said ramp assumes the first position whereby a first segment of each member projects upwardly through an aligned opening provided in said ramp and forms a vehicle safety barrier above the ramp exposed surface;
said barrier means being in the second operative mode when said ramp assumes the third position whereby only a portion of the first segment of each member projects upwardly through the aligned opening and forms a vehicle safety barrier;
said barrier means being in said inoperative mode when the lip is in the outwardly extending cantilevered position whereby the first segment of each member is substantially coplanar with the ramp exposed surface and substantially closes the ramp opening.

6 more elements

A dock leveler for mounting within a pit formed in a loading dock, the pit having a front side open at a front wall of the dock and a top side open at a substantially horizontal platform surface of the dock, said leveler comprising:

a ramp having a rear edge portion hingedly mountable adjacent a rear wall of the pit whereby said ramp is movable between a stored substantially horizontal first position for overlying the pit open top side and having an exposed surface in substantially coplanar cross-traffic relation with the dock platform surface, and a predetermined upwardly inclined second position;
a lip operatively connected to a front edge portion of said ramp and moveable between a depending position for maintaining said ramp in said first position, and an outwardly extended cantilevered position when said ramp is in the second position;
barrier means mounted proximate the ramp front edge portion for movement between an operative mode wherein a segment of said barrier means projects above the exposed surface of the ramp, when the latter is in the first position, forming a vehicle safety barrier of optimum height, and an inoperative mode wherein the barrier means segment is substantially flush with the ramp exposed surface;
said barrier means being responsive to the lip movement;
and
means for actuating said lip to the outwardly extended cantilevered position, said means including a piston-cylinder assembly mounted on an underside of said ramp and having the assembly piston mounted for controlled relative movement outwardly of the assembly cylinder in a direction towards the ramp front edge portion, a slotted bracket depending from the ramp underside and located between the ramp front edge portion and an end of the assembly cylinder, said assembly piston having a distal end thereof slidably accommodated in a bracket slot, and an elongate push link having a first end connected to a concealed surface of said lip and a second end slidably accommodated in said bracket slot and forwardly of the piston distal end, said link second end being pushed outwardly relative to said bracket slot by said piston distal end upon said piston being actuated outwardly from the assembly cylinder.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dock leveler with automatic vehicle barrier

Life of this patent

Dock leveler with automatic vehicle barrier

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23