Rite-hite Holding Corporation

Rite-hite Corporation

Other

Rite-holding Holding Corporation

Norbert Hahn

Michael A Swessel

Scott L Springer

Timothy Cotton

Reinhard E Sander

Andrew G Brooks

Jonathan I Andersen

Bradley J Stone

Kurt Lessard

Brian D Bender

Ben Wieberdink

Steven J Hipp

Kyle E Nelson

Mark G Petri

Matthew Sveum

Matthew C McNeill

Joseph Manone

Benjamin Wieberdink

Tim Muhl

Pamala Pietrangelo

Grant Leum

Jason Dondlinger

Edward Arthur Raleigh

Robert J Harter

Timothy Muhl

Paul J Maly

Matthew A Tourdot

Charles S Waugaman

Leonard Kikstra

Pamela Pietrangelo

Mark R Swessel

Paul D Rowlett

Robert W Naegeli

Henk De Lang

Arthur A Olson, Jr

John A Schiessl

Robert O Neff

Joseph A Manone

Charles J Digmann

David A Holm

Andrew J Wanie

Michael Mitchell

Jack Morehart

William Triervieler

Mike Jehn

Gregory S Hahn

Paul Belongia

Lynn O Grunewald

Lester W Paul

Hans Van De Wiel

Steve Fleischman

Reinhardt E Sander

Jeffrey R Schwager

Robert Stoewe

J A M Van De Wiel

Donald L Anton

Robert W Naegelli

Jeff Schwager

Richard Kellermann

Marcel Boon

Frank De Beer

Roderick B Potter

Lynn O Grunwald

Paul D Mathews

Robert Maxey

Arthur K White

Matthew C Mcneill

David Holm

An example dock leveler with safety supports including a deck having a deck plate, a plurality of support beams, a first side plate and a second side plate. The deck plate has an outer perimeter defined by a front edge, a rear edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. A first deck obstruction extends underneath the deck plate and is selectively configurable to at least one of a blocking position or a stored position. The first deck obstruction is elongate in a lateral direction and the first deck obstruction has a protruding end. The first side plate is closer to the protruding end when the first deck obstruction is in the stored position than when the first deck obstruction is in the blocking position. The first deck obstruction extends laterally beyond the deck width when the deck obstruction is in the blocking position. The first deck obstruction includes a pulling enhancement at the protruding end.

Dock leveler safety supports and related methods

Vehicle restraints with underside catches are disclosed. An example vehicle restraint includes a main body and a barrier. The barrier includes a proximal end, and a distal end. The distal end is selectively movable to a first blocking position, a plurality of extended blocking positions, and a stored position. The example vehicle restraint also includes an engageable feature. The example vehicle restraint further includes a stop. The stop is to engage the engageable feature when the distal end is at the first blocking position while the stop is at a holding position. The stop is spaced apart from the engageable feature when the distal end is at the first blocking position while the stop is at a release position. The stop is spaced apart from the engageable feature when the distal end is in the stored position.

Vehicle restraints with underside catches

Dock leveler safety supports are disclosed herein. An example dock leveler disclosed herein includes a deck movable relative to a platform between a raised position and a lowered cross-traffic position when the dock leveler is in a working configuration. The deck to be inhibited from descending toward the lowered cross-traffic position when the dock leveler is in a service configuration. A first deck obstruction is movable relative to the deck between a secured position and an unrestrained position. The first deck obstruction in the secured position configures the dock leveler in the service configuration. The first deck obstruction in the unrestrained position configures the dock leveler in the working configuration. The first deck obstruction in the secured position to block movement of the deck toward the lowered cross-traffic position and the first deck obstruction in the unrestrained position to permit movement of the deck toward the lowered cross-traffic position. A first connector to couple the first deck obstruction to an obstruction actuator. The first connector including a rod, a sleeve to telescopically receive the rod, and a spring held in compression between the rod and the sleeve.

Dock leveler safety supports

Light fixture

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.

Track-mounted wheel restraint systems

Vehicle restraints are disclosed herein. An example vehicle restraint disclosed herein includes a deck installable at the loading dock and a lip extending from the deck where the deck and lip are movable between a stored configuration and an operative configuration such that the deck and lip in the operative configuration provide a bridge between a vehicle bed and a platform when the deck is installed at a loading dock and the vehicle is at the loading dock. A blocking member is selectively attachable to the lip to selectively engage and disengage a restraint feature of the vehicle bed. The blocking member restricts forward movement of the vehicle relative to the loading dock when the blocking is engaged with the restrain feature and the blocking member allows forward movement of the vehicle relative to the loading dock when the blocking is disengaged from the restraint.

Downwardly insertable vehicle restraints

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.

Light fixtures for doorways and other areas

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.

Manual wheel chocks with enhanced bracing upon depolyment

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.

Manual wheel chocks with enhanced bracing upon deployment

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.

Vehicle braces having a track-clamping mechanism

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.

Support frame vehicle restraints

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.

Manual wheel chocks with automatic positive locking

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.

Wheel restraint systems

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.

Dock levelers with thermally balanced traction decks

Growing community of inventors

Franklin, WI, United States of America

Norbert Hahn