Vertically-storing dock leveler apparatus and method

• US 20070017044A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 4Front Engineered Solutions Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: SPX Dock Products, Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Hoofard, Richard, Alexander, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 14/71.300
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/2835 with spring-operated means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/2841 extensible by pivoting parts

Abstract

A dock leveler for bridging the gap between a loading dock and the bed of a vehicle parked at the loading dock. The dock leveler is configured for installation on the top of the dock and is designed to rotate from a vertically-stored raised position to at least one lowered, operative position. In some embodiments, the dock leveler can be lowered either for normal operation so that the deck assembly rests on the bed of the vehicle or it can be lowered to accommodate an end-loading condition.

Claims

1. A dock leveler, comprising:

a base assembly mountable to a surface of a dock floor;

a deck assembly configured to rotate between a generally vertical stored position to one or more lowered operating positions, wherein the deck assembly is pivotally coupled to said base assembly;

a spring counterbalance assembly operatively connected to the deck assembly and base assembly, wherein the spring counter balance assembly causes the deck assembly to be downwardly biased throughout the generally horizontal working range, and the deck assembly to be upwardly biased at positions above the working range; and

a hold down assembly engageable with the spring counterbalance assembly when the deck assembly is in the generally horizontal working range, wherein the hold down assembly, when engaged with the spring counterbalance assembly, causes the deck assembly to remain downwardly biased when it is raised above the working range.

2. A dock leveler according to claim 1, wherein the hold down assembly is selectively engageable and dis-engageable from the spring counterbalance assembly.

3. A dock leveler according to claim 2, wherein the deck assembly is upwardly biased when the deck assembly is in positions above the working range and the deck assembly is not engaged with the hold down assembly, and the deck assembly is downwardly biased when the deck assembly is in positions above the working range and the deck assembly is engaged with the hold down mechanism.

4. A dock leveler according to claim 2, wherein the hold down assembly is disengaged from the spring counterbalance assembly by operating a mechanism to raise the deck assembly.

5. A dock leveler, comprising:

a base assembly mountable to a surface of a dock floor;

a deck assembly configured to rotate between a generally vertical stored position to one or more lowered operating positions, wherein the deck assembly is pivotally coupled to said base assembly;

a spring counterbalance assembly operatively connected to the deck assembly and base assembly, wherein the spring counter balance assembly causes the deck assembly to be downwardly biased throughout the generally horizontal working range, and the deck assembly to be upwardly biased at positions above the working range; and

a lever mechanism configured to raise the deck assembly toward a generally vertical stored position.

6. A dock leveler according to claim 5, wherein the lever mechanism is configured to provide an increased mechanical advantage to raise the deck assembly when the deck assembly is downwardly biased in the generally horizontal working range, and wherein the lever mechanism has a reduced mechanical advantage to raise the deck assembly when the deck assembly is upwardly biased above the working range.

7. A dock leveler according to claim 5, further comprising a foot actuator operatively connected to lever mechanism wherein an operator may raise the lever mechanism to an operative position by placing a foot on the foot actuator.

8. A dock leveler according to claim 5, further comprising a ratchet mechanism configured to engage the lever mechanism and the deck assembly at more than one angle relative to one another, wherein the ratchet mechanism is configured to disengage the lever assembly from the deck assembly when the deck assembly is in the generally horizontal working range, and wherein the ratchet mechanism is configured to engage the lever mechanism with the deck assembly when the deck assembly is rotated above the working range.

9. A dock leveler, comprising:

a base assembly mountable to a surface of a dock floor;

a deck assembly configured to rotate between a generally vertical stored position to one or more lowered operating positions, wherein the deck assembly is pivotally coupled to said base assembly;

means for counterbalancing the deck assembly, wherein the deck assembly is downwardly biased throughout the generally horizontal working range;

means for moving the deck assembly between a raised and lowered position; and

means for ratcheting configured to engage the moving means and the deck assembly at more than one angle relative to one another, wherein the ratcheting means is configured to disengage the lever assembly from the deck assembly when the deck assembly is in the generally horizontal working range, and wherein the ratcheting means is configured to engage the moving means with the deck assembly when the deck assembly is rotated above the working range.

10. A dock leveler according to claim 9, further comprising means for actuating operatively connected to the moving means wherein an operator may raise the moving means to an operative position by pressing a foot on the actuating means.

11. A dock leveler, comprising:

a base assembly mountable to a surface of a dock floor;

a deck assembly configured to rotate from a generally vertical stored position to one or more lowered operating positions, wherein the deck assembly is pivotally coupled to said base;

a lip pivotally coupled to said deck assembly and configured to rotate from an extended position generally parallel to the deck assembly to a retracted position generally perpendicular to the deck assembly; and

a latch configured to selectively hold the lip in the extended position.

12. A dock leveler according to claim 11, further comprising a spring biasing the latch to a latching position.

13. A dock leveler according to claim 12, where the spring force of the lip latch is sufficient to hold the lip extended in the horizontal position yet will allow the lip to rotate toward the retracted position relative to the deck assembly when additional force is applied to the lip.

14. A dock leveler according to claim 11, where the spring force of the lip latch is reduced when the deck assembly is rotated from a lowered operating position to the generally vertical stored position.

15. A dock leveler according to claim 11, further comprising:

an actuating member configured to move said lip with respect to said deck assembly; and

a receiver member secured to said lip for receiving said actuating member.

16. A dock leveler according to claim 15, wherein the receiver member is configured to allow the actuating member to rotate relative to the lip such that the angle of the actuating member relative to the lip when the actuating member is urging the lip toward a retracted position is significantly different from the angle of the actuating member relative to the lip when the actuating member is urging the lip toward an extended position.

17. A dock leveler according to claim 16 comprising:

a lever mechanism operably connected to said deck assembly, wherein said lever mechanism is pivotally coupled to said deck assembly and configured to move said deck assembly with respect to base assembly; and

and a receiver member secured to said lever mechanism, wherein said actuating member may be removed from said receiver member and coupled to said lip.

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