Automatic lip for power operated loading platform

Claim 1

A POWER-OPERATED RAMP FOR BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN A LOADING DOCK AND A VEHICLE BED ADJACENT TO IT COMPRISING A PLATFORM, MAIN HINGE MEANS CONNECTING THE REAR OF SAID PLATFORM TO SAID LOADING DOCK, POWERED ELEVATING MEANS CONNECTED TO REACT BETWEEN SAID LOADING DOCK AND SAID PLATFORM FOR ROTATING IT UPWARDLY ABOUT SAID MAIN HINGE MEANS, A LIP DISPOSED AT THE FRONT OF SAID PLATFORM, LIP HINGE MEANS ROTATABLY CONNECTING SAID LIP TO THE FRONT OF SAID PLATFORM FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL RETRACTED POSITION TO A BRIDGING POSITION IN WHICH IT FORMS A SUBSTANTIAL CONTINUATION OF SAID PLATFORM, POWERED LIP ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED TO REACT BETWEEN SAID PLATFORM AND SAID LIP FOR RAISING SAID LIP FROM SAID RETRACTED TO SAID BRIDGING POSITION, CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID POWERED LIP ACTUATING MEANS FOR OPERATING IT, PLATFORM POSITION RESPONSIVE MEANS IN SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID POWERED LIP ACTUATING MEANS TO RAISE SAID LIP ABOVE SAID VEHICLE BED WHEN SAID PLATFORM IS RAISED TO A PREDETERMINED INCLINATION ABOVE SAID VEHICLE BED, SUSTAINING MEANS IN SAID CONTROL MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID LIP ACTUATING MEANS AND SAID OPERATING LIP RAISED, THE RAMP LOWERING PHASE ASSOCIATED MEANS IN SAID CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUSTAINING MEANS FOR INACTIVATING SAID SUSTAINING MEANS WHEN SAID RAMP IS EXTERNALLY SUPPORTED FOR CONDITIONING SAID LIP TO DROP TO SAID SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL RETRACTED POSITION WHEN SAID LOWERING PHASE OF SAID RAMP IS COMPLETED.