Dockboard

Claim 2

A dockboard to be mounted on a loading dock having an upper surface and a front wall, comprising a ramp having a first end and an opposed second end, movable guide means pivotally connected to the ramp intermediate said first and second ends of the ramp, and fixed guide means mounted on the front wall of the dock, said movable guide means mounted for vertical movement between upper and lower positions with respect to said fixed guide means and the distance between said upper and lower positions being such that the ramp can be lifted vertically from a first vertical lowered storage position in which the ramp is disposed generally vertically alongside the front wall of the dock, to a second higher vertical position so that the second end of the ramp will clear the deck of a carrier disposed adjacent the front wall of the dock, whereat said ramp can be pivoted about said movable guide means to a generally horizontal position and lowered to a third cross traffic position to span the distance between the dock and the bed of said carrier with the first end supported on the dock, the second end of the ramp being biased downwardly so that the ramp will assume a generally vertical position when the carrier is removed from its location adjacent the front wall of the dock and said ramp will descend to said storage position.

Claim 3

The dockboard of claim 1 and including counterbalancing means connected to the movable guide means for counterbalancing the weight of the ramp.

Claim 4

The dockboard of claim 1, and including means located at the first end of the ramp and defining a handle to be engaged by an operator to lift the ramp from the storage position to said second position.

Claim 5

The dockboard of claim 1, in which the movable guide means is an elongated, vertically disposed, guide member, said guide member having a length such that the upper end of the guide member is disposed beneath the level of the upper surface of the dock when the guide member is in the lower position and the ramp is in the storage position.

Claim 6

The dockboard of claim 4, and including a counterweight, a flexible member having one end secured to the counterweight, and a rotatable support member located adjacent the upper surface of the dock and disposed to rotatably support said flexible member, the opposite end of the flexible member being secured to the lower portion of the movable guide member, said counterweight serving to counterbalance the weight of the ramp.

Claim 7

The dockboard of claim 4, in which the distance between the pivotal connection of the elongated guide member to the ramp and the lower end of the guide member is greater than the distance between said pivotal connection of the guide member to the ramp and the front edge of the ramp.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 1, and including a frame projecting outwardly from the front wall of the dock beyOnd said fixed guide means, said ramp being located inwardly toward said front wall from the outer extremity of said frame when the ramp is in the storage position whereby the bed of the carrier will engage said frame and be out of contact with the ramp when the carrier is in a loading position.

Claim 9

The dockboard of claim 1, in which said fixed guide means comprises fluid cylinder means and said movable guide means comprises piston means slidably mounted within said cylinder means.

Claim 10

A dockboard to be supported from a dock having an upper surface and a front wall, comprising a supporting structure mounted on the front wall of the dock and including a pair of generally vertical, spaced, guide tracks, a movable guide member movably disposed in each of said guide tracks, a ramp having front and rear edges and a pair of opposed side edges, means for pivotally connecting said guide members to the side edge portions of the ramp at a location between the front and rear edges, said movable guide members mounted for vertical movement between upper and lower positions on said guide tracks and the distance between said upper and lower positions being at least approximately equal to the front-to-rear dimensions of said ramp, whereby the ramp can be lifted vertically from a first vertical lowered storage position, in which the ramp is disposed generally vertically adjacent the front wall of the dock with the rear edge of the ramp being located adjacent the upper surface of the dock, to a second higher generally vertical position where the front edge of the ramp is at a level to clear the deck of a carrier disposed adjacent the front wall of the dock, said ramp being pivotal about said guide members to a generally horizontal position and lowered to a third cross traffic position to span the distance between the dock and the bed of said carrier, means for pivoting the front edge of the ramp downwardly so that the ramp will return to a vertical position when the carrier is removed from its loading position adjacent the front wall of the dock, said guide members moving downwardly within said guide tracks when said bed is removed to return the ramp to the storage position, rigid means interconnecting the movable guide members to insure uniformity of movement of said guide members in said guide tracks, means located at the rear edge of the ramp and defining a handle to be engaged by an operator to lift the ramp from the storage position to the second position, and stop means for limiting the downward movement of the ramp and positioning the rear edge of the ramp adjacent the upper surface of the dock at a location where the operator can grasp said handle.

Claim 11

A dockboard to be supported from a dock having an upper surface and a front wall, comprising a supporting structure mounted on the front wall of the dock and including a pair of generally vertical, spaced, guide tracks, a movable guide member movably disposed in each of said guide tracks, a ramp having front and rear edges and a pair of opposed side edges, means for pivotally connecting said guide members to the side edge portions of the ramp at a location between the front and rear edges, said movable guide members mounted for vertical movement between upper and lower positions on said guide tracks and the distance between said upper and lower positions being at least approximately equal to the front-to-rear dimensions of said ramp, whereby the ramp can be lifted vertically from a first vertical lowered storage position, in which the ramp is disposed generally vertically adjacent the front wall of the dock with the rear edge of the ramp being located adjacent the upper surface of the dock, to a second higher generally vertical position where the front edge of the ramp is at a level to clear the deck of a carrier disposed adjacent the front wall of the dock, said ramp being pivotal about said guide members to a generally horizontal position and lowered to a third cross traffic position to span the distance between the dock and the bed of said carrier, means for pivoting the front edge of the ramp downwardly so that the ramp will return to a vertical position when the carrier is removed from its loading position adjacent the front wall of the dock, said guide members moving downwardly within said guide tracks when said bed is removed to return the ramp to the storage position, rigid means interconnecting the movable guide members to insure uniformity of movement of said guide members in said guide tracks, means located at the rear edge of the ramp and defining a handle to be engaged by an operator to lift the ramp from the storage position to the second position, and stop means for limiting the downward movement of the ramp and positioning the rear edge of the ramp adjacent the upper surface of the dock at a location where the operator can grasp said handle.

Claim 12

A dockboard to be mounted on a loading dock having an upper surface and a front wall, comprising a ramp having a first end and an opposed second end, movable guide means pivotally connected to the ramp intermediate said first and second ends, fixed guide means mounted on the front wall of the dock, said movable guide means mounted for vertical movement between upper and lower positions with respect to said fixed guide means and the distance between said upper and lower positions being such that the ramp can be lifted vertically from a first vertical lowered storage position in which the ramp is disposed generally vertically alongside the front wall of the dock with at least a portion of the ramp extending below the level of the upper surface of the dock, to a second higher vertical position so that the second end of the ramp will clear the deck of a carrier disposed adjacent the front wall of the dock, whereat said ramp can be pivoted about said movable guide means to a generally horizontal position and lowered to a third cross traffic position to span the distance between the dock and the bed of said carrier with the first end of the ramp supported on the dock, the second end of the ramp being biased downwardly so that the ramp will assume a generally vertical position when the carrier is removed from its location adjacent the fRont wall of the dock and said ramp will return to said first vertical storage position, means located at the first end of the ramp and defining a handle to be engaged by the operator to lift the ramp from the first vertical storage position to said second position, and means for limiting the downward movement of the ramp to position said ramp at said first position.

Claim 13

A dockboard to be mounted on a loading dock having an upper surface and a front wall, comprising a ramp having a first end and an opposed second end, movable guide means pivotally connected to the ramp intermediate said first and second ends, fixed guide means mounted on the front wall of the dock, said movable guide means mounted for vertical movement between upper and lower positions with respect to said fixed guide means and the distance between said upper and lower positions being such that the ramp can be lifted vertically from a first vertical lowered storage position in which the ramp is disposed generally vertically alongside the front wall of the dock with at least a portion of the ramp extending below the level of the upper surface of the dock, to a second higher vertical position so that the second end of the ramp will clear the deck of a carrier disposed adjacent the front wall of the dock, whereat said ramp can be pivoted about said movable guide means to a generally horizontal position and lowered to a third cross traffic position to span the distance between the dock and the bed of said carrier with the first end of the ramp supported on the dock, the second end of the ramp being biased downwardly so that the ramp will assume a generally vertical position when the carrier is removed from its location adjacent the fRont wall of the dock and said ramp will return to said first vertical storage position, means located at the first end of the ramp and defining a handle to be engaged by the operator to lift the ramp from the first vertical storage position to said second position, and means for limiting the downward movement of the ramp to position said ramp at said first position.