Truck supporting device

• US 4,969,792 A
• Filed: 09/01/1988
• Issued: 11/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SPX Dock Products, Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Kelley Co., Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Ellis, Arthur S., Ellis, Elwood B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaggs, H. Grant
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R.
• Application Number:
  US07/239,558
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 414/401, 414/396, 414/384, 188/32, 188/62, 410/30, 410/49, 410/62
• US Class Current: 414/401
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/005 the means engaging at least one wheel of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 69/006 Centring or aligning a vehicle at a loading station using means not being part of the vehicle

Abstract

An assembly for a truck at a loading bay includes a guide track and a chock member for the truck which is reciprocated along the guide track to engage the rear wheels of the truck and lock it securely in position; the guide track may be formed in a platform forming part of the assembly and on which the truck is supported; suitably the platform is hinged at its outer end whereby the platform is pivotable about the outer end such that the rear of the truck may be elevated or lowered for alignment with the loading bay.

Claims

1. In combination, a loading dock having a vertical dock face and a vehicle supporting surface extending outwardly from said dock face, vehicle locking means mounted on said supporting surface for locking a vehicle against outward movement away from said dock face and including guide track means, wheel chock means mounted for movement on said guide track means between a storage position where said wheel chock means will not obstruct movement of a vehicle on said supporting surface, and an operative position where said wheel chock means extends upwardly above said supporting surface and is disposed to engage a wheel of a vehicle to prevent movement of said vehicle away from said dock face, and drive means operably connected to said wheel chock means for moving said wheel chock means between the storage and operative positions, said drive means comprising a fluid cylinder unit including a cylinder member and a piston member, said members being mounted for movement relative to each other, a first of said members being fixed relative to said guide track means and a second of said members being operably connected to said wheel chock means, said fluid cylinder unit being constructed and arranged such that movement of said second member relative to said first member will move said wheel chock means between the storage and operative positions.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said fluid cylinder unit is mounted beneath the level of said supporting surface.

3. The combination of claim 1, and including pivot means for pivotally mounting said wheel chock means relative to said guide track means.

4. The combination of claim 3, and said drive means includes a flexible drive member being disposed in a loop configuration and connected to said wheel chock means, a portion of said flexible drive member being fixed to said guide track means, said second member being operably connected to said flexible drive member.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the connection of said flexible drive member to said wheel chock means is spaced from the axis of said pivot means.

6. The combination of claim 4, wherein said flexible drive member comprises a chain.

7. The combination of claim 1, wherein said first member comprises said piston member and said second member comprises said cylinder member.

8. The combination of claim 4, and including first and second support elements mounted on said second member for supporting said flexible drive member in movement.

9. In combination, a loading dock having a vertical dock face and a vehicle supporting surface extending outwardly from said dock face, vehicle locking means mounted on said supporting surface for locking a vehicle against outward movement away from said dock face and including guide track means, wheel chock means mounted for movement on said guide track means between a storage position where said wheel chock means will not obstruct movement of a vehicle on said supporting surface, and an operative position where said wheel chock means extends upwardly above said supporting surface and is disposed to engage a wheel of a vehicle to prevent movement of said vehicle away from said dock face, and drive means operably connected to said wheel chock means for moving said wheel chock means between the storage and operative positions, said drive means including a flexible drive member disposed in a generally endless configuration and attached to said wheel chock means, connecting means for connecting a portion of said flexible drive member to a fixed location, said drive means also including a fluid cylinder unit operably connected to said flexible drive member at a location spaced between said connecting means and the attachment of said drive member to said wheel chock means, said fluid cylinder unit being constructed and arranged such that operation of said cylinder unit will move said wheel chock means between the storage and operative positions.

10. In combination, a loading dock having a vertical dock face and a driveway extending outwardly from said dock face, said driveway having a recess therein, support means for supporting a vehicle and disposed in said recess, mounting means for mounting the support means for vertical movement in said recess, operating means for moving said support means vertically in said recess, guide track means in said support means, wheel chock means mounted for movement on said guide track means between a storage position where said wheel chock means will not obstruct movement of a vehicle across said support means and an operative position where said wheel chock means extends upwardly above said support means and is disposed to engage a wheel of a vehicle located on said support means, and drive means operably connected to said wheel chock means for moving the wheel chock means between the storage and operative position, said drive means including a first fluid cylinder unit comprising a cylinder member and a piston member, said members being mounted for movement relative to each other, a first of said members being connected to said support means and a second of said members being operably connected to said wheel chock means, said members being constructed and arranged such that relative movement of said members will move said wheel chock means between the storage and operative positions.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein said mounting means comprises pivot means for mounting said support means for pivotal movement in a vertical plane.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said pivot means is disposed at the end of said support means facing away from said dock face.

13. The combination of claim 10, wherein said operating means comprises a second fluid cylinder unit interconnecting said driveway and said support means.

14. The combination of claim 10, wherein said first fluid cylinder unit is carried by said support means.

15. The combination of claim 10, wherein said support means is provided with a recess to receive said wheel chock means when in said storage position, said guide track means extending from said recess toward said dock face.

16. In combination, a loading dock having a vertical dock face and a vehicle supporting surface extending outwardly from said dock face, vehicle locking means mounted on said supporting surface for locking the vehicle against outward movement from said dock face, guide track means carried by said supporting surface and extending longitudinally outward from said dock face, wheel chock means mounted for movement on said guide track means from a storage position where said wheel chock means will not obstruct movement of a vehicle on said supporting surface to an operative position where said wheel chock means extends upwardly from said supporting surface and is disposed to engage a wheel of the vehicle, flexible drive means including a first section and a second section, one end of said first section being connected to said wheel chock means and extending from said wheel chock means in a first direction toward said dock face and the opposite end of said first section being fixed, one end of said second section being connected to said wheel chock means and extending from said wheel chock means in a second direction away from said dock face and the opposite end of said second section being fixed, first support means for supporting said first section in movement, second support means for supporting said second section in movement, and drive means operably connected to said first and second support means for moving said first and second support means in unison to move said flexible drive means and thereby move said wheel chock means between said storage and operative positions.