US 5,346,353 A · Vehicle restraint

Abstract

A vehicle restraint employs a 4 bar linkage to lift a restraining member to a position that engages a vehicle thus restraining it at a loading dock. The linkage is upwardly biased to hold the unit in an engaging position and may be retracted by using any of a number of mechanical techniques such as hydraulic electric or pneumatic power. The 4 bar linkage transfers all loading on the unit from the ICC to the frame thus isolating any driven members from overloads. A secondary hook mounted to the 4 bar linkage is pivotally spring loaded to limit vehicle travel away from the dock and to extend the capture range of the device in the case of ICC's bars that are damaged or mounted at non-standard positions at the rear of the vehicle.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A device for restraining a vehicle to prevent movement away from a loading dock comprising;

a vertically moving member carrying a hook member movable in a vertical direction without any substantial horizontal or rotational component to such movement,
means to raise said vertically moving member from a lower inoperative position where said vehicle can move toward or away from the loading dock to an upper operative position where said vehicle is restrained from movement away from said loading dock,
said hook member having multiple hook positions defined by first and second wall portions spaced from each other at different distances from said loading dock when said vertically moving member is in said upper operative position, said hook member comprising a first hook component having said first wall portion and a second hook component having said second wall portion, said second hook component movable relative to said first hook component to expose said first hook component for engagement with said vehicle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vehicle restraint

Life of this patent

Vehicle restraint

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22