Rite-hite Holding Corporation

Right-hite Holding Corporation

Frank Heim

Kevin J Gebke

Nicholas L Kaufmann

Cary W Pinkalla

William A Niehaus

Cary Pinkalla

Timothy J Schmidt

Michael A Jacobson

Ryan Withrow

Charles J Digmann

Gary Borgerding

Nicolas B Paschke

Collin Thole

Charles J Ashelin

Micaela White

Jason Dondlinger

Tom Jansen

Philip Sloan

Irene E Stephan

Michael Hermes

Brenda L Ritt

Matthew Lux

Nicholas L Kaufman

Mary Blaser

Bruce Henning

Terry L Bauer

Robert Brown

A dock leveler apparatus includes a curtain assembly that includes an upper curtain section and a lower curtain section. The curtain assembly is movable between a folded configuration and a pendant configuration. The curtain assembly extends a greater distance in the pendant configuration than in the folded configuration. A connector couples to the upper curtain section to a deck pivotally coupled to a base frame of a dock leveler. A releasable coupling is provided between the upper curtain section and the lower curtain section. The releasable coupling is to removably couple the lower curtain section and the upper curtain section.

Curtain assemblies or seals for dock levelers

Seal apparatus for dock levelers are disclosed. An example loading dock includes a dock leveler movable between a standard loading position, a cross-traffic position and a below-deck loading position. The dock leveler has deck and lip movably coupled to the deck. A seal assembly is coupled to the loading dock adjacent a forward edge of the dock leveler. The seal assembly sealingly engages a front surface of a lip of the dock leveler and a rear surface of the lip when the dock leveler is positioned in a cross-traffic position or a below-dock position.

Seal apparatus for dock levelers

Cooling systems for devices arranged in rows are disclosed. An example cooling system for a datacenter in a building includes a supply air duct to extend lengthwise along a first aisle within the building. The first aisle is defined between a first row of computers and a second row of computers. The first row of computers provides passage of a first current of air from the first aisle to a second aisle on an opposite side of the first row of computers. The supply air duct is to be positioned with an upper section that is higher than a top surface associated with the first and second rows of computers. The cooling system includes a first wing to extend from the supply air duct toward the first row of computers, and a second wing to extend from the supply air duct toward the second row of computers.

Cooling systems for devices arranged in rows

Pliable-wall air ducts with internal expanding structures are disclosed. An example air duct system includes an air duct including a pliable sidewall. The example air duct system further includes a shaft including a first end and a second end. The shaft extends in a longitudinal direction along a length of the air duct with the first end coupled to a first point of the air duct and the second end coupled to a second point of the air duct. The first point is downstream of the second point. The pliable sidewall is to be held in tension in the longitudinal direction between the first and second points in response to compression in the shaft between the first and second ends.

Pliable-wall air ducts with internal expanding structures

Cooling systems for devices arranged in rows are disclosed. An example cooling system includes an inflatable air duct to be positioned above a cold aisle defined between two rows of electronic equipment. The inflatable air duct is to be air permeable to deliver conditioned air into the cold aisle. The electronic equipment has fans to force cool air within the cold aisle through the electronic equipment to adjacent hot aisles on opposite sides of the two rows of the electronic equipment. The inflatable air duct to be spaced apart from the rows of computers such that the cold aisle is in unobstructed fluid communication with the adjacent hot aisles over top of the rows of electronic equipment. The conditioned air delivered from the inflatable air duct to substantially prevent a mixing of warm air in the hot aisles with the cool air in the cold aisle.

Inflatable weather barriers for loading docks are disclosed. An example weather barrier includes an upper bellows defining a header air chamber between a top portion and a bottom portion of the upper bellows. A blower is in fluid communication with the header air chamber and the blower is selectively activated to discharge a pressurized air into the header air chamber to urge the upper bellows from a raised position toward a lowered position. The weather barrier includes a first extension spring that is under a first extension spring tension, a first pulley, and a first elongate member that is pliable. The first elongate member is under a first elongate member tension that urges the upper bellows toward the raised position. The first elongate member is wrapped at least partially around the first pulley and the first extension spring being connected to the first pulley such that the first pulley transmits the first extension spring tension to the first elongate member to subject the first elongate member to the first elongate member tension.

Inflatable weather barriers for loading docks

Adjustable lateral seals for loading dock barriers are disclosed. An example barrier includes a header structure coupled to the wall, where the header structure is horizontally elongate, extending above the doorway, and protrudes in the forward direction from the wall. A lateral seal is coupled to the wall. The lateral seal is vertically elongate and extends below the header structure. The lateral seal extends farther into a cargo passageway of a loading dock when the weather barrier is in a relaxed configuration than when the weather barrier is in an activated configuration. The lateral seal is to be engage by a vehicle when the vehicle is in a parked position. The lateral seal including an upper seal segment and a lower seal segment, the upper seal segment to move between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the lower seal segment. A flexible elongate member has an upper end coupled to the header structure and a lower end coupled to the upper seal segment. The flexible elongate member is to deflect from a relaxed position to a deflected position. The upper seal segment to move from the lowered position to the raised position in response to the flexible elongate member deflecting from the relaxed position to the deflected position.

Adjustable lateral seals for dock weather barriers

Example air ducts comprising pliable tubular sidewalls are provided with example internal frameworks that hold the duct in a generally expanded shape even when the duct is depressurized. The framework tensions the pliable sidewall material along the length of the ducts to keep the material taut. In some examples, the framework is restrained within the duct such that the duct's sidewall, being in tension, holds the framework in compression longitudinally. Thus, in the longitudinal direction, the duct is in tension and the framework is in compression. To prevent the framework from buckling under the compressive force, some example frameworks comprise a central longitudinal shaft with a plurality of radial spokes and rings that help hold the shaft straight. In some examples, the rings also help hold the duct radially expanded.

Pliable-wall air ducts with internal expanding structures are disclosed. An example air duct system includes a shaft to be disposed within an air duct, to extend in a longitudinal direction, and to be in longitudinal compression. The air duct system also includes a plurality of ribs to be coupled to the shaft and to engage an inner surface of the air duct and a spring to be disposed within the air duct, the spring to be coupled to the shaft. The spring under stress being a contributing factor in both the shaft being in longitudinal compression and the air duct being in longitudinal tension.

Weather barriers for vehicle loading docks are disclosed. An example weather barrier includes a side support member being vertically elongate between an upper end and a lower end of the side support member. The side support member has a back end to be attached to a wall proximate a lateral doorway edge. The side support member is to extend in a forward direction to a front end of the side support member. A vertically elongate front sheet includes a pliable sheet having a proximal end and a distal end, where the proximal end is to attach to the front end of the side support member. The front sheet extends in a lateral direction from the proximal end to the distal end, where the lateral direction is horizontal and perpendicular to the forward direction. The front sheet is to extends in front of the doorway. A stay is to be coupled to the front sheet. The stay is resiliently flexible and horizontally elongate. The stay is to subject the front sheet to tension in a horizontal direction.

Weather barriers for vehicle loading docks

An example cooling system for a datacenter is disclosed. The datacenter includes a plurality of computers arranged in a row within a building. The row of computers separates a cold aisle and a hot aisle. The row of computers defines an air passageway between the cold aisle and the hot aisle. The row of computers is associated with a top surface that is below and spaced apart from an overhead surface of the building to define a gap between the top surface and the overhead surface. The example cooling system includes an inflatable air duct to be disposed within the gap. The inflatable air duct has selectively an inflated state and a deflated state. The inflatable air duct filling more of the gap when the inflatable air duct is in the inflated state than when the inflatable air duct is in the deflated state.

Seal assemblies for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock are disclosed herein. An example seal assembly includes a foam pad, a pliable cover to couple to the foam pad, and a shield to attach to the foam pad. The shield has a first end and a second end. The first end is to couple to at least one of the foam pad or the pliable cover and the second end is to project adjacent a vehicle-engaging surface of the foam pad. The shield is to move relative to the foam pad between a standby position when a vehicle is in a non-engaging relationship with the vehicle-engaging surface and a deflected position when the vehicle is in engagement with the vehicle-engaging surface.

Face panels for loading dock seals and shelters

Pliable air ducts with anti-condensation nozzles are disclosed. An example system includes a tubular duct comprising a pliable wall dividing an interior of the tubular duct from an exterior of the tubular duct. The system includes an outlet member to be attached to the pliable wall. The outlet member defines a main air passageway with a first flow resistance therethrough and places the interior of the tubular duct in fluid communication with the exterior of the tubular duct. The system includes a secondary air passageway with a second flow resistance therethrough. The secondary air passageway is defined by at least one of the outlet member or the pliable wall and extends from the interior of the tubular duct to the exterior of the tubular duct to define an airflow path proximate the outlet member. The second flow resistance is significantly greater than the first flow resistance.

Pliable air ducts with anti-condensation nozzles

Puncture resistant seals for loading docks are disclosed. An example weather barrier disclosed herein includes a canopy having a back end and a front end, where the back end is mountable to a wall above a doorway and the front end is to protrude forward from the wall when the canopy is mounted to the wall. A front bar is at the front end of the canopy and the front bar is horizontally elongate. A back curtain hangs from the front bar. The back curtain has an upper curtain edge attached to the front bar. The back curtain has a lower curtain edge that is at a lower elevation than an elevation of the upper doorway edge when the canopy is mounted to the wall. The back curtain has a curtain width. A front panel hangs in front of the back curtain. The front panel is less flexible than the back curtain. The front panel has a panel width that is approximately 50 to 80 percent of the curtain width. A space is interposed between and defined by the front panel and the back curtain.

Growing community of inventors

Platteville, WI, United States of America

Frank Heim