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US 7,213,285 B2Granted
Pivotal and vertically translatable dock leveler lip
AssigneeRite-Hite Holding Corporation
InventorMichael Mitchell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dock leveler includes a lip that not only pivots between an extended operative position and a pendant position relative to a deck but also translates in its pendant position between blocking and non-blocking positions. A fastener connects the lip to a hinge in such a way as to minimize the stress between the fastener and the lip. The hinge includes a lip-facing surface into which the fastener is anchored, wherein the fastener is tilted out of perpendicularity to the lip-facing surface. The head of the fastener is held parallel to the lip even though an angled gap may exist between the lip and the lip-facing surface of the hinge.
Claims24
A dock leveler comprising:
- a deck that is movable between a raised position and a cross-traffic position;
- a lip defining a slot and being coupled to the deck such that the lip is pivotal between an extended operative position and a pendant position;
- a deck-hinge member attached to the deck;
- a lip-hinge member that includes a lip-facing surface;
- a hinge pin pivotally coupling the deck-hinge member to the lip-hinge member;
- and
- a fastener that comprises a shank and a head disposed along a longitudinal centerline of the fastener, wherein the fastener extends from the lip-hinge member into the slot, such that a head of the fastener is disposed within the slot to connect the lip to the lip-hinge member such that the fastener and the slot permit relative sliding motion between the lip and the lip-hinge member, and the fastener's longitudinal centerline is tilted out of perpendicularity to the lip-facing surface, such that the fastener head is closer to the hinge pin than it would be were the longitudinal centerline perpendicular to the lip-facing surface.
4 more elements
A dock leveler, comprising:
- a deck that is movable between a raised position and a cross-traffic position;
- a lip defining a slot and being coupled to the deck such that the lip is pivotal between an extended operative position and a non-blocking pendant position and is translatable between the non-blocking pendant position and a blocking pendant position relative to the deck;
- a deck-hinge member attached to the deck;
- a lip-hinge member that includes a lip-facing surface;
- a hinge pin pivotally coupling the deck-hinge member to the lip-hinge member;
- and
- a fastener that comprises a shank and a head disposed along a longitudinal centerline of the fastener, wherein the fastener extends from the lip-hinge member into the slot, such that a head of the fastener is disposed within the slot to connect the lip to the lip-hinge member such that:
- a. the fastener and the slot permit relative sliding motion between the lip and the lip-hinge member,
- b. the lip-facing surface engages the lip, and
- c. the fastener's longitudinal centerline is tilted out of perpendicularity to the lip-facing surface, such that the fastener head is closer to the hinge pin than it would be were the longitudinal centerline perpendicular to the lip-facing surface.
7 more elements
A dock leveler, comprising:
- a deck that is movable between a raised position and a cross-traffic position;
- a lip defining a slot and being coupled to the deck such that the lip is pivotal between an extended position and a pendant position and is translatable between the pendant position and a blocking position relative to the deck, wherein the lip includes a head-engaging surface integral to the lip and disposed around the slot;
- a deck-hinge member attached to the deck;
- a lip-hinge member that includes a lip-facing surface;
- a hinge pin pivotally coupling the deck-hinge member to the lip-hinge member;
- and
- a fastener that comprises a shank and a head disposed along a longitudinal centerline of the fastener, and the head includes a lip-engaging surface that engages the head-engaging surface of the lip, wherein the fastener extends from the lip-hinge member into the slot to connect the lip to the lip-hinge member such that:
- a. the fastener and the slot permit relative sliding motion between the lip and the lip-hinge member,
- b. the lip-facing surface engages the lip,
- c. the fastener's longitudinal centerline is tilted out of perpendicularity to the lip-facing surface, such that the fastener head is closer to the hinge pin than it would be were the longitudinal centerline perpendicular to the lip-facing surface,
- d. the lip-engaging surface is substantially parallel to the head-engaging surface when the lip is in the extended operative position,
- e. the head-engaging surface is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the fastener,
- f. when the lip is in the extended operative position, the lip and the lip-facing surface define a gap therebetween, wherein the gap includes an acute angle, and
- g. the lip-facing surface of the lip-hinge member and the lip-engaging surface of the head create a head-to-hinge angle when the lip is at the extended operative position, wherein the head-to-hinge angle substantially equals the acute angle of the gap.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.