Rite-hite Holding Corporation

Timothy J Schmidt

Charles J Digmann

Gary Borgerding

Frank Heim

Collin Thole

Ronald P Snyder

Jason D Miller

David J Hoffmann

Paul J Maly

Charles J Ashelin

Gregory J Thill

Jack T Droullard

Don Grant

Andrew P Schaepe

Mary Blaser

Charles Digmann

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

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

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

Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals are disclosed. An example dock apparatus disclosed herein includes a curtain to be suspended from a support panel and configured to be engaged by the vehicle. The curtain has a plurality of pleats overlapping a plurality of loops such that the plurality of loops is positioned between a vehicle-engaging surface of the curtain and the plurality of pleats.

Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals

Example flexible face panels for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock are disclosed herein. An example seal assembly comprises a face panel to be coupled to a projection panel, where the face panel has a front side, a back side and an edge spaced apart from the projection panel. A bulb is positioned adjacent the edge of the face panel. A seal flap is attached to the bulb such that the seal flap projects from an outer surface of the bulb and toward a doorway of a loading dock when the seal assembly is coupled to a wall of the loading dock.

Example flexible face panels for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock are disclosed. An example seal assembly includes a projection panel mountable to extend outward from the wall in proximity with a doorway. A first face panel extends from the projection panel in front of the doorway when the projection panel is mounted to the wall, where the first face panel has a first distal edge spaced apart from the projection panel. A second face panel extends from the projection panel in front of the doorway when the projection panel is mounted to the wall, where the second face panel having a second distal edge spaced apart from the projection panel.

Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals are disclosed. An example dock apparatus disclosed herein includes a first weather barrier and a second weather barrier. The first and second weather barriers are positioned laterally of a doorway of a loading dock and compressible by a vehicle. The lateral weather barriers include inner surfaces that are to bulge toward each other in response to the vehicle compressing the lateral weather barriers. A head curtain is at least partially positioned between the lateral weather barriers and being engagable by the vehicle, the head curtain having a lateral stiffness such that in response to the vehicle engaging the head curtain and compressing the lateral weather barriers, the head curtain becomes pinched between the bulging inner surfaces to restrict a vertical movement of the curtain.

A dock leveler comprising a vehicle-engaging lip pivotally coupled to the vertically adjustable front edge of a deck includes a seal or series of seal segments that close one or more air gaps that exist in the area where the lip is hinged to the deck. Such gaps are particularly large when the lip hinge comprises a hinge pin that couples a series of lugs extending from underneath the deck to a series of lugs extending from the lip, wherein the lugs are spaced apart along the length of the hinge pin. The seal or seal segments could be above the deck, below the deck, or interposed between the adjoining edges of the deck and the lip. In some cases, the seal is provided by an air curtain or by a tube that is inflatable or hermetically sealed.

Seal for dock leveler lip hinge

Example flexible face panels for dock shelters and dock seals at a loading dock include a tip seal and/or an air-filled blister or elongate 'bubble' that sealingly conforms to a rear portion of a vehicle (e.g., truck, trailer, etc.) at the dock. In some examples, an air chamber within the blister is open at one or both ends. This prevents otherwise trapped pressurized air from adversely affecting the blister's compliance or its ability to sealingly conform to irregular surfaces of the vehicle. In some examples, as the vehicle backs into and deflects the face panel, the blister distorts and wraps itself around the vehicle's surface irregularities, such as door hardware and protruding lights. In some examples, the face panel's tip seal includes an overlapping seal flap, wherein a series of slits in the tip seal allow the seal to fit over the vehicle's various surface irregularities.

Flexible structures for use with dock seals and shelters are disclosed. An example flexible structure includes a rigid backer to couple a flexible panel assembly to a loading dock wall and a flexible, self-supporting sheet-shaped member having sufficient rigidity to enable the flexible sheet-shaped member to be cantilevered from a surface of a building without substantial sagging. The sheet-shaped member has an inner surface and an outer surface defining a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge where the first and second longitudinal edges couple to the rigid backer. The inner surface defines an empty cavity when the sheet-shaped member is coupled to the rigid backer.

Flexible structures for use with dock seals and shelters

Side seal member for a loading dock seal are disclosed. An example dock seal includes a backer to couple the dock seal to a wall and a resiliently compressible member supported by the backer. A pliable cover encases the compressible member. The pliable cover has a first end overlapping a second end to define a separable joint that is to be disposed between the backer and the wall when the dock seal is coupled to the wall.

Side seal members for a dock seal

Head curtains for dock shelters or dock seals are disclosed. An example head curtain assembly for a vehicle loading dock includes a retractable curtain stiffened by a resiliently compressible foam panel that is more flexible about a horizontal axis than about a vertical axis. The difference in directional flexibility can be created by sewing the foam panel to a pliable cover using a series of parallel horizontal thread lines. The thread lines create in the foam a series of compressed indentations that run horizontally across the curtain so that the curtain tends to bend more easily along those lines. The relative stiffness in the horizontal direction enables the curtain to exert an appreciable sealing force against two lateral dock seal members, and the vertical flexibility makes the curtain easy to retract to accommodate vehicles of various heights. Touch-and-hold fasteners make many of the individual components of the head curtain readily replaceable.

A bumper for use at a loading dock has two ranges of front-to-back movement: one range for sealing the gap that might otherwise exist between the rear edge of a truck and the front face of the bumper and a second range for absorbing the impact of the truck backing into the dock. In some cases, a spring provides a relatively light sealing force between the bumper and the truck, and a compressible core provides a much greater impact-absorbing force that helps stop the rearward movement of the truck. In some embodiments, the bumper pivots by gravity when operating in the sealing range.

Loading dock bumper with two-phase resistance

Side seal member for a loading dock seal are disclosed. An example truck loading dock seal comprising a resiliently compressible side pad supported by a relatively rigid backer and encased within a pliable cover includes at least one flexible lip protruding from the cover to seal a gap that might exist between the backer and the wall to which the backer is mounted. In some cases, the lip is part of the cover and is located where a rear vertical edge of the side pad meets the wall. The flexibility of the lip enables the lip to sealingly conform to a wall having an irregular surface. For additional sealing, a back sheet of the pliable cover includes a touch-and-hold fastener and/or overlapping layers of material that can provide a compressible seal between the wall and the backer.

Growing community of inventors

Dubuque, IA, United States of America

Timothy J Schmidt