Vertically-storing dock leveler apparatus and method

• US 20050011021A1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 4Front Engineered Solutions Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: 4Front Engineered Solutions Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Alexander, James C., Hoofard, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,100,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 14/71.100
• 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 lip assembly for a dock leveler comprising:

a frame;

a deck assembly pivotally connected to the frame;

a lip pivotally connected to the deck assembly;

a spring connected to the frame at one end and the deck assembly at the other end, the spring biasing the deck assembly;

a lip latch biased to a first position; and

a latch bar attached to the lip and configured to communicate with the lip latch such that lip latch urges the latch bar to remain in a position to resist the lip retracting when the lip is near the extended position.

2. The lip assembly of claim 1, wherein the latch bar and the lip latch do not directly engage each other with the lip is in a pendant position.

3. The lip assembly of claim 1, wherein the lip latch is biased toward engaging the latch bar by a force associated with the spring.

4. The lip assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shock absorber connected between the lip and the deck assembly and configured to slow the movement of the lip toward the pendant position.

5. The lip assembly of claim 4, wherein the shock absorber is configured to provide minimal resistance to the movement of the lip toward the extended position.

6. The lip assembly of claim 1, further comprising an actuator receiver located on the lip.

7. The lip assembly of claim 6, wherein the actuator receiver is a hole in the lip.

8. The lip assembly of claim 7, further comprising an actuator configured to be placed in the actuator receiver and cause the lip to be extended or moved to the pendant position by rotating the actuator.

9. The lip assembly of claim 8, wherein the actuator is configured to actuate the lip and the deck assembly.

10. The lip assembly of claim 8, wherein the actuator is a lever.

11. A lip assembly for pivoting a lip about a deck assembly of a vertical storing dock leveler comprising:

a lip pivotally connected to the deck assembly and movable between a pendant position generally perpendicular to the deck assembly and an extended position generally parallel to the deck assembly;

a latch link pivotally connected to the lip at one end of the latch link and the other end of the latch link having at least one engaging surface;

a crank arm connected to the latch link at one end of the crank arm and another end of the crank arm is connected to the deck assembly; and

biasing means configured to urge the crank arm to urge the latch link to urge the lip to the extended position.

12. The lip assembly of claim 11, further comprising a latch lug mounted on the deck assembly and configured to engage an engaging surface on the latch link when the lip is in the extended position and prevent the lip from rotating to the retracted position.

13. The lip assembly of claim 11, further comprising a latch block mounted on the deck assembly and configured to engage an engaging surface on the latch link when the lip is in the pendant position and prevent the lip from moving to the extended position.

14. The lip assembly of claim 11, wherein the biasing means is a spring.

15. A method of operating a dock leveler comprising:

inserting a lip actuator into a lip actuator receiver;

rotating the lip by rotating the lip actuator; and

lowering a dock leveler from a substantially vertical position.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the lip actuator receiver includes a hole in the lip.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising holding the lip in the extended position with a spring that also biases the deck assembly.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising dampening the movement of the lip to a pendant position with a shock absorber.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the lip actuator receiver includes an elongated hole.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising disengaging a lip latch from a latch bar once the lip rotates past a predetermined point.