| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 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 |
| 20100146719 | LIGHTING AND SIGNALING SYSTEMS FOR LOADING DOCKS - A safety system for a truck loading dock with an elevated platform provides an alarm that warns of a hazard at the loading dock such as a forklift operating inside the truck or a falling hazard that may exist due to the dock door being open while a truck is not present at the dock. In cases where a dock's open doorway is protected by a barrier that can be opened or closed, the alarm can be de-activated by closing the barrier. In some examples, the safety system includes a remote body sensor that detects when someone or something is near the doorway. In response to the body sensor, a second, more pronounced alarm can warn of more imminent danger where someone on the platform may be too close to an open doorway when a truck is not present. | 06-17-2010 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 20130017044 | VEHICLE RESTRAINTS WITH STOP MECHANISMSAANM Brooks; AndrewAACI ThiensvilleAAST WIAACO USAAGP Brooks; Andrew Thiensville WI USAANM Wieberdink; BenAACI Cedar GroveAAST WIAACO USAAGP Wieberdink; Ben Cedar Grove WI USAANM Stone; Bradley J.AACI Port WashingtonAAST WIAACO USAAGP Stone; Bradley J. Port Washington WI USAANM Cotton; TimothyAACI MilwaukeeAAST WIAACO USAAGP Cotton; Timothy Milwaukee WI US - Some example vehicle restraints that include a movable barrier for selectively blocking a vehicle's RIG (Rear Impact Guard) near the dock face of a loading dock also include a spring loaded brace that helps hold the barrier in its blocking position, even when the RIG separates from the barrier. To hold the brace in its activated position where it supports the barrier, some examples of the brace include a tooth that engages a detent in a catch. The catch, in some examples, includes a tooth-engaging surface that protrudes into a circular path along which the tooth can travel relative to the barrier. | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130017045 | VEHICLE RESTRAINTS WITH STOP MECHANISMS - Some example vehicle restraints that include a movable barrier for selectively blocking a vehicle's RIG (Rear Impact Guard) near the dock face of a loading dock also include a spring loaded brace that helps hold the barrier in its blocking position, even when the RIG separates from the barrier. To hold the brace in its activated position where it supports the barrier, some examples of the brace include a tooth that engages a detent in a catch. The catch, in some examples, includes a tooth-engaging surface that protrudes into a circular path along which the tooth can travel relative to the barrier. | 01-17-2013 |
| 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 |
| 20150009046 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO GENERATE LOADING DOCK VISUAL INDICATORS - Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed herein. An example method disclosed herein includes determining a state of a device of a loading dock and, based on the state, generating via a display a first directional indicator having a first orientation and a first color. The first orientation and the first color are to cooperate to indicate first directional information. | 01-08-2015 |
