The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 25, 2014
Filed:
Apr. 01, 2010
Jonathan Andersen, Racine, WI (US);
Norbert Hahn, Franklin, WI (US);
Jonathan Andersen, Racine, WI (US);
Norbert Hahn, Franklin, WI (US);
Rite-Hite Holding Corporation, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Abstract
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.