Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080313826 | STATIONARY DOCK LEVELER - The subject matter of the invention is a stationary dock leveler with a ramp ( | 12-25-2008 |
20090194375 | MANUAL WHEEL CHOCKS WITH AUTOMATIC POSITIVE LOCKING - A wheel restraint includes a wheel chock that is manually movable between a retracted position clear of a wheel of a vehicle at a loading dock and an operative position to block the path of the wheel. In the retracted position, the chock can be manually moved freely along a track that is mounted to a driveway of the dock. When the chock is manually moved from its retracted position to its operative position, a locking feature automatically restricts the movement of the chock relative to the track. When the chock is manually moved back to its retracted position, the locking feature automatically disengages. Although the wheel chock is connected to a track, most of the force exerted by the wheel against the chock is transmitted directly from the chock to the driveway. | 08-06-2009 |
20090194376 | MANUAL WHEEL CHOCKS WITH ENHANCED BRACING UPON DEPLOYMENT - An example wheel restraint includes a wheel chock that is manually movable between a retracted or release position clear of a wheel of a vehicle at a loading dock and an operative position to block the path of the wheel. In the release position, the chock can be manually moved freely along a track that is mounted to a driveway of the dock. When the chock is manually moved from its release position to its operative position, a locking feature automatically restricts the movement of the chock relative to the track. When the chock is manually moved back to its release position, the locking feature automatically disengages. Although the wheel chock is connected to a track, much of the force exerted by the wheel against the chock can be transmitted directly from the chock to the driveway. | 08-06-2009 |
20090283999 | SUPPORT FRAME VEHICLE RESTRAINTS - A vehicle restraint restrains a vehicle at a loading dock by engaging a rail that is part of the vehicle's support frame, wherein the rail is normally used for adjusting the position of the vehicle's rear wheels. In a preferred embodiment, the restraint includes an adjustable-length arm attachable between the vehicle and the loading dock. The arm includes a retractable or removable pin that engages one of a series of holes in the rail or releasably engages some feature of the loading dock. In some examples, the restraint clamps onto the rail, particularly if the rail has no available open holes for a pin to be inserted. In some cases, the restraint also provides the vehicle with vertical support. | 11-19-2009 |
20100170754 | MANUAL WHEEL CHOCKS WITH ENHANCED BRACING UPON DEPLOYMENT - An example wheel restraint includes a wheel chock that is manually movable between a retracted or release position clear of a wheel of a vehicle at a loading dock and an operative position to block the path of the wheel. In the release position, the chock can be manually moved freely along a track that is mounted to a driveway of the dock. When the chock is manually moved from its release position to its operative position, a locking feature automatically restricts the movement of the chock relative to the track. When the chock is manually moved back to its release position, the locking feature automatically disengages. Although the wheel chock is connected to a track, much of the force exerted by the wheel against the chock can be transmitted directly from the chock to the driveway. | 07-08-2010 |
20100260586 | WHEEL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS - A wheel restraint for restraining a vehicle at a loading dock includes a wheel chock suspended from a tether. The tether hangs from an overhead beam such that the wheel chock can be swung down and underneath the vehicle and placed directly in front of a wheel of the vehicle. A pin can be used to help hold the chock to an anchor that is fastened to a driveway of the loading dock. The orientation of the pin and the anchor holes in which the pin can be selectively inserted prevents the chock from tipping back and makes the restraint more tolerant of dirt, ice and other contaminants. In some examples, an offset between the beam and the wheel results in the tether urging the chock toward the anchor. | 10-14-2010 |
20110075441 | LIGHT FIXTURES FOR DOORWAYS AND OTHER AREAS - Example light fixtures include one or more light transmitting illuminated rods that emit a series or array of discrete spots of light. Some example light fixtures disclosed herein include optical features that provide an intriguing, attention-getting affect that can be useful particularly in alerting personnel of certain conditions at a doorway of a truck loading dock. In some examples, the light transmitting rods are mechanically coupled to a housing that contains an LED light source. The mechanical coupling allows the illuminated rods to be readily replaced without disrupting with the operation or wiring of the light source. Some example light fixtures illuminate the cargo bay of a vehicle at the loading dock. | 03-31-2011 |
20110176896 | SUPPORT FRAME VEHICLE RESTRAINTS - Restraints for restraining a vehicle at a loading dock are described. An example restraint described herein includes a brace movable between a holding position and a release position. A first portion of the brace engages a supporting portion of the vehicle and a second portion of the brace engages a non-movable location at the loading dock to restrain the vehicle relative to the loading dock when the brace is in the holding position. For the holding position, the first portion of the brace moves in one direction underneath the vehicle to engage the supporting portion and the second portion moves in a second direction underneath the vehicle to engage the non-movable location. The first and second portions retract to allow the vehicle to move relative to the loading dock when the brace is in the release position | 07-21-2011 |
20110243693 | DOWNWARDLY INSERTABLE VEHICLE RESTRAINTS - Example vehicle restraints engage various features of a vehicle to restrain the vehicle at a loading dock. Some example restraints reach over and around a vehicle's rear impact guard. Some example restraints engage a hole or opening in a vehicle bed. Some example restraints are a combination bumper and blocking member. Some example restraints are a combination blocking member and a dock leveler lip. | 10-06-2011 |
20110243694 | VEHICLE BRACES HAVING A TRACK-CLAMPING MECHANISM - An example of a vehicle brace for use at a loading dock includes a vehicle support member that can travel to various heights along a vertical track. The support member exerts a substantial but limited resistive force up against the underside of a vehicle's rear impact guard to mitigate bouncing of the vehicle's truck or trailer bed as the vehicle is being loaded and/or unloaded of its cargo. Of particular interest in some examples is a rather short brake actuator mounted at an angle to create an inclined binding clamp action, the actuator being installed to travel with the vehicle support member, and the track having an inclined braking surface so that the brake's clamping force does not rely on friction alone, all of which provides for a compact vehicle brace installable as a self-contained unit and operated without having to rely on structural support from a driveway surface. | 10-06-2011 |
20130097787 | DOCK LEVELERS WITH THERMALLY BALANCED TRACTION DECKS - Example dock levelers installed at a vehicle loading dock include pivotal or otherwise vertically adjustable deck plates with special coatings on the deck's upper surface. In some examples, the coating improves traction and addresses various thermal issues, such as condensation and thermal strain between a polymeric coating and a steel deck plate. In some examples, when indoor and outdoor air create a temperature differential across opposite faces of the deck, the coating is designed such that a median temperature of the temperature differential occurs near an interface where the coating bonds to the steel plate's upper surface. In some examples, the coating includes particles of different sizes and colors embedded within and covered by a polymeric base material. As traffic abrades the coating, the different colored particles become exposed at different levels of wear, thereby providing a visual signal indicating when the coating needs to be touched up or replaced. | 04-25-2013 |
20130292214 | MANUAL WHEEL CHOCKS WITH ENHANCED BRACING UPON DEPLOYMENT - An example wheel restraint includes a track to be positioned adjacent a vehicle approach path of a loading dock. A shuttle is pivotally coupled to the track via a track follower and pivots between a home position and a deployed position about a shuttle axis substantially parallel to and offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the track. A barrier is pivotally coupled to the shuttle and pivots between a non-blocking position and a blocking position about a pivot axis substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the track such that the shuttle rotates in a first direction about the shuttle axis when the shuttle moves from the home position to the deployed position and bather rotates in a second direction about the pivot axis when the barrier moves from the non-blocking position to the blocking position, where the first direction being different than the second direction. | 11-07-2013 |
20140255134 | TRACK-MOUNTED WHEEL RESTRAINT SYSTEMS - Example manual wheel restraint systems and methods for restraining a vehicle at a loading dock include are disclosed herein. An example wheel restraint disclosed herein includes a retractable wheel-blocking barrier mounted to a carrier that can be repositioned along a track, where the track is anchored to a driveway of a loading dock. The track runs generally parallel to a vehicle path that a wheel of a vehicle travels along as the vehicle backs into the dock. To block a rear wheel of the vehicle parked at the dock, the barrier extends laterally into the wheel path, adjacent or in front of the wheel. To release the vehicle, the barrier retracts out from within the wheel path. In some examples, to ensure that the vehicle is secured, the barrier and/or the carrier include barrier or carrier catches to help hold the barrier and carrier in a fixed position. In some examples, one or more sensors determine or sense whether the catches are secured or released and generate signals accordingly. The signals, in some examples, alert dock personnel of the condition of the catches. | 09-11-2014 |