U.S. patent application number 09/572885 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-10 for locking dock with adjustable bumpers.
Invention is credited to Alexander, James C.
Application Number | 20020144365 09/572885 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24289764 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020144365 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Alexander, James C |
October 10, 2002 |
Locking dock with adjustable bumpers
Abstract
An adjustable bumper system for use at a loading dock which has
a dock leveler having a deck pivotally mounted to a portion of the
dock. The dock leveler has a lip pivotally attached to one end of
said deck. The bumper system has a pair of bumpers each mounted to
the end of the deck. The bumpers move with the deck to engage the
rear of a vehicle that has backed into position for dock
operations. Alternatively, the dock bumpers are mounted to a
support member and are positionable between two different vertical
positions. The dock bumpers project outward from the dock beyond
the pendent lip and are adjustable to engage the rear of vehicles
having different heights.
Inventors: |
Alexander, James C; (London,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BAKER + HOSTETLER LLP
WASHINGTON SQUARE, SUITE 1100
1050 CONNECTICUT AVE. N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20036-5304
US
|
Family ID: |
24289764 |
Appl. No.: |
09/572885 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
14/71.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G 69/001
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
14/71.1 |
International
Class: |
E01D 001/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A system for use at a loading dock comprising: a dock leveler
having a deck pivotally mounted to a portion of said dock, said
dock leveler having a lip pivotally attached to one end of said
deck, a dock bumper mounted to said deck, facing outward and beyond
said lip when said lip is in a pendent position.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a frame mounted to said
deck to support bumper and allow said bumper to be moved relative
to said deck.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein said support is a track attached
to said deck and said bumper slides on said track.
4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a stop to engage the
bottom of said bumper.
5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second bumper,
wherein said bumpers are mounted at corners of said deck and said
lip is mounted for pivotable movement between said bumpers.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a track mounted to the
end of said deck, said track extending below said deck to allow
said bumper to be positioned within a range of movement extending
from above said deck to below said deck.
7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a second track mounted
to the end of said deck and, a second dock bumper mounted to said
second track member and positionable between two different vertical
positions, whereby each of said bumpers is independently adjustable
relative to said deck.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first and second tracks
comprise beams mounted in parallel and said bumpers project outward
from said dock at substantially the same distance.
9. The bumper system of claim 1 wherein said bumper is mounted on
the end of said deck flush with said deck surface.
10. The bumper system of claim 9 further comprising a second bumper
mounted on said deck, each of said bumpers projecting outward
beyond said lip when said lip is in a pendant position.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS AND APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is related to U.S. Pat. No.
6,006,389, entitled "Loading Dock with Adjustable Bumpers" and to
U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,414, also titled "Loading Dock with Adjustable
Bumpers", both having the same inventor as this application and
both commonly assigned with this application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to loading dock equipment and in
particular to a dock structure having bumpers that are vertically
adjustable to accommodate vehicles of different sizes.
[0004] 2. Prior Art
[0005] Most loading docks are designed for standard truck trailers
which typically have a bed height of 48 to 52 inches. Many new
"high-cube" trailers have a bed height of 32 to 36 inches. The
difficulty is that dock bumpers placed high enough for a standard
trailer will impede access to low trailers. Conversely, bumpers
placed for the low trailers will allow standard trailers to pass
over and impact the building. There are several conventional
solutions to accommodate both low and standard height trailers but
all involve compromises that impede effective dock operations.
[0006] The simple solution is to have separate docks, each having
the proper height for the trailer, but this increases cost of a
dock installation and reduces the flexibility of a single dock to
handle various trailers. As a consequence the dock may be
unoccupied for periods of time because the trailers do not match
the configuration.
[0007] Another solution is to use wheel riser ramps or hydraulic
truck levelers mounted on the driveway. However, this solution
interferes with the ability of vehicle restraints to engage the ICC
bar of the low trailer when it is raised to dock height, and also
interferes with snow removal in northern climates. Some low trailer
applications can be serviced by using long dock levelers with
extended below dock range. However, most dock levelers are limited
to 7 feet width as a wider leveler would not allow sufficient space
at each side to mount the bumpers to engage the trailer. Also, if
the cargo to be loaded is the full width of the trailer, it will
not pass between the sides of the leveler pit when the leveler is
below the dock floor. It is also expensive to install.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,849 proposes the use of a bumper that
folds away under the dock leveler and is pivoted into position as
required when the leveler is actuated. However, this device cannot
be used when the deck is operated in a below dock operation with
the leveler depressed. Moreover, when stored it impedes cleaning
operations under the deck.
[0009] The inventor here has also proposed a solution in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,881,414 using beams carrying bumpers that move independently
of the deck yet allow a full range of movement and adjustment. An
alternative arrangement mounts the bumpers on vertically extending
members mounted to the dock face to facilitate vertical adjustment
as a function of deck height. These systems both provide an
effective solution to providing a bumper system for a loading dock
that accommodates trucks with beds of differing height but have
cost and complexity implications associated with their
implementation.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0010] Given the current state of dock implementation it is
therefore an object of this invention to provide for an improved
low cost dock structure that is fully functional for trailers of
differing configurations.
[0011] It is a further object of this invention to provide a system
of adjustable height bumpers whose position can be changed to match
the height of trailers to be parked at the dock.
[0012] A further object of this invention is to provide an
adjustable bumper that is low in cost and whose installation and
use is compatible with standard loading dock equipment but using
standard dock loading equipment.
[0013] These and other objects of this invention are accomplished
by a loading dock which allows full access to both standard height
and low trailers. This invention uses a standard height dock and a
dock leveler carrying bumpers to accommodate both low and standard
height transport vehicles. The bumpers may be fixed or mounted on
the deck face for adjustment.
[0014] In accordance with a first embodiment of this invention, the
bumpers are always positioned relative to the truck bed by virtue
of riding with the deck of the dock leveler. Thus, when a standard
height vehicle is at the dock, the top of the bumper is level with
the dock floor and the bumpers are at the normal dock height to
cushion the truck against the deck. When a low vehicle is at the
dock, the deck is lowered and this places the bumpers at the lower
height and to allow the full width of the door to be clear for wide
cargo. In this embodiment the bumpers are fixed to the front of the
deck.
[0015] In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, the
bumpers are mounted on a track that in turn is mounted to the front
of the deck. This provides variable vertical adjustment independent
of the position of the deck. The bumpers, mounted to the track, are
moved vertically into position by an operating cylinder, ratchet,
manual crank or the like.
[0016] This invention will be described in greater detail by
referring to the drawing and the description of the preferred
embodiment that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of
this invention with the leveler deck and dock bumpers at floor
level for standard height transport vehicles;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dock with deck and the
bumpers lowered for low transport vehicles and the leveler with the
lip of the dock leveler extended to rest on the bed of the
transport vehicle;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the dock with the bumpers
lowered for low transport vehicles and the leveler at the lowest
position with the door closed and resting on the leveler with the
top of the bumper support beams to seal the door opening;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a side view of a second preferred embodiment of
the bumper support system illustrating a mounting mechanism which
permits the bumper to be raised into position independently of the
position of the deck for end loading operations; and
[0021] FIG. 5 is a second side view of the second preferred
embodiment of the bumper support system of this invention with the
lip extended for below dock operations.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIRST PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] Referring now to FIG. 1, the loading dock is shown with a
driveway approach 1, a dock face 2, a wall 3 (partially cut away),
and a dock floor 4 with a recessed pit 5. The pit 5 may have a
width the same as or be wider than a conventional dock leveler pit
to accept a dock leveler 10 and two bumpers 26. The dock leveler 10
has a conventional hinged deck assembly 11 and hinged lip assembly
12. The bumper assembly 26 in the case of a standard width dock
leveler is mounted adjacent to the lip 12. The bumpers are mounted
to the end of the deck and preferably at a height such that they
are flush with the deck so that any inadvertent movement of a fork
lift truck toward the edge of the deck will not damage them.
[0023] The lip does not extend the full width of the deck but
rather is cut away at the ends to allow the bumpers to be mounted.
The hinge tube for the lip thus does not extend across the full
width of the deck. Typically the width of the lip is slightly less
than the width of a truck bed and thus defines the area of movement
of a fork lift truck into and out of a vehicle during loading
operations. Preferably the deck will be made wider than the truck
bed to allow room for a standard width lip between the bumpers.
Alternatively, the deck may be a standard width, and the lip will
thus be cut down on the sides to allow placement of the
bumpers.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, an optional stop bar 30 is attached to
each side of the front of the pit 5 and supports the front of the
deck when it is in the lowered position. This will be explained
relative to FIG. 3. FIG. 1 also illustrates the use of conventional
lip keepers 20 to support the deck 12 in the horizontal
cross-traffic position.
[0025] The operation of the system in accordance with this first
preferred embodiment will now be described. FIG. 1 shows the bumper
assemblies 26 and the dock leveler 10 stored at floor level. When
the deck 10 is raised to extend the lip and then lowered to the bed
of a transport vehicle 50, the bumpers will be adjacent to but
beneath the lip to engage the vehicle and prevent rearward movement
into the deck. As the suspension of the vehicle 50 moves vertically
in response to being loaded or unloaded, the leveler follows this
movement and accordingly the bumpers remain in position aligned
with the bed of the vehicle.
[0026] When a low truck is to be loaded or unloaded, as illustrated
in FIG. 2, the leveler 10 with the lip 12 of the dock leveler 10 is
extended and resting on the bed of a transport vehicle 50. The top
of the deck of the dock leveler 10 is below that of the loading
dock. In this position the dock is still protected from damage from
a low trailer, since as illustrated, the rear of the trailer will
impact the bumper 26 and not the dock face.
[0027] While not illustrated it is apparent that the system will
still function with the leveler at the lowest position for "end
loading" or removing cargo from the end of the vehicle without the
lip extended. That is, the lip can be lowered to the state
illustrated in FIG. 1, but the protrusion of the bumpers 26 still
protects the truck.
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates the loading dock door 55 in a lowered
state onto the leveler which is also lowered. This position is to
be used primarily for low trucks. The stop bar 30 supports the
leveler since the lip 12 is not constrained by the lip keepers. The
stop bar also acts as a barrier sealing of the underside of the
support beams, thus providing a degree of security and
environmental protection. In this embodiment the stop bar 30 is
mounted on the pit floor. It could be carried by the leveler 10 as
a leg.
[0029] This invention is not limited to the specific configuration
described above. While the dock shown is for standard height
vehicles, this design could be equally as effective for a dock
built at a lower height. The lowered position of the bumpers would
then be at floor level and the raised position would be above floor
level. Similarly, a more complex control system could allow the
bumpers to be supported at more than two positions, as described
with respect to the second preferred embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SECOND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a second preferred
embodiment is illustrated. The loading dock is shown similar to
FIG. 1. Instead of having the bumper mounted directly to the front
plate 24 of the leveler frame, the bumper is mounted on a frame 32
for vertical movement. The frame itself extends below the deck as
illustrated in FIG. 5 and is carried by the deck. The bumper is
therefore free to be positioned independently of the deck
position.
[0031] FIGS. 4 and 5 are side elevation view illustrating the
position of the bumper to block a low truck in two different modes
of operation. In FIG. 4 an end loading operation is depicted with
the lip 12 retracted but with the deck in the horizontal position.
The bumpers 26 are raised to block the truck. Since the useable
width of the deck 10 is defined by the width of the lip 12, the
fact that the bumpers on the lateral sides of the deck are raised
is of no consequence because they are not in the way of the
operator during this last, typically manual, stage of loading the
truck to the very rear of the cargo deck.
[0032] In FIG. 5 the lip is still extended to allow fork lift
operations. The bumpers 26 have been lowered on the track 32 to
still engage the rear of the vehicle but will not impede movement
of the fork lift. The bumpers 26 are thus positionable on the track
32 to match the loading condition encountered.
[0033] In the case of the second preferred embodiment the bumpers
can be simply mounted on tracks rails on the dock leveler face and
slide to positions at different vertical positions depending on the
configuration of the truck. Simple mechanical stops can be employed
and the bumpers positioned by hand. Alternatively, motive sources
such as electric motors or mechanical arrangements such as ratchets
may be employed.
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