Adjustable dock seal assembly

Claim 2

A seal device for sealing the space between the header of an opening in the wall of a building and the header of the opening in the rear of a truck van, comprising: a pair of elongated track means mounted along the opposite edges of said opening near the upper end thereof; cylindrical means rotatably supported adjacent the upper ends of said track means, said cylindrical means extending between and substantially perpendicular to said track means; spring means connected to said cylindrical means and yieldably resisting rotation thereof in one rotational direction; elongated seal means extending transversely between said track means and including an elongated and thick blocklike cushion member constructed of a resiliently compressible material, said seal means having a resiliently flexible surface sealingly engageable by the header of said van; guide means supported on the opposite ends of said seal means for moving engagement with said track means, whereby movement of said seal means is guided lengthwise of said track means; flexible sheet means affixed along one edge thereof to said cylindrical means and along an opposite edge thereof to said seal means; and said sheet means extending between said track means for covering the upper end of said opening in said wall means when said seal means is spaced substantially from said cylindrical means, the lengthwise axis of said seal means being substantially parallel with the rotation axis of said cylindrical means.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, including elongated element means secured near one to said seal means; anchor means affixed to one of said track means and spaced downwardly from said cylindrical means for engagement by said element means to hold said seal means in a lowered position against the contrary urging of said spring means.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1, including lock means releasibly connectible between said seal means and said track means for holding said seal means in a lowered position against the contrary urging of said spring means; wherein said cylindrical means includes shaft means nonrotatably supported by said track means and tubular meanS rotatably supported on said shaft means, said sheet means being secured to said tubular means; and wherein said spring means is a spiral spring connected between said shaft means and said tubular means.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1, including elongated and substantially parallel side seals adapted to be secured to said wall on opposite sides of said opening, said side seals having resiliently flexible surfaces engageable by said truck van and having recesses in which said track means are located, said side seals extending from said wall a distance somewhat greater than the corresponding extension of the seal means.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 3, including canopy means adapted to be secured upon said wall above said tubular means, said canopy means extending beyond the opposite ends of said tubular means and projecting away from said wall over and slightly downwardly around said tubular means.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 3, wherein said track means are vertical, coextensive, channel-shaped and open toward each other; wherein a pair of support brackets are rigidly connected to the upper ends of said track means and project away from said wall, said brackets having openings through which the opposite ends of said shaft means are received; wherein said guide means includes a pair of rollers supported upon both ends of said seal means for rotation around parallel axes and disposed within said track means; bearing means mounted upon said shaft means and rotatably supporting the opposite ends of said tubular means; and canopy means secured to said brackets and extending lengthwise beyond the opposite ends of said tubular means and projecting away from said wall beyond said tubular means.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 6, wherein said shaft means and canopy means have alignable openings therethrough; pin means removably receivable through said openings in said shaft means and canopy means for positively preventing rotation of said shaft means with respect to said brackets; and grip means on said shaft means adapted to be engaged for rotating said shaft means to increase the tension on said spring means when said pin means is released from said shaft means.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 1, including elongated and substantially parallel side seal devices adapted to be secured to said wall on opposite sides of said opening, each of said side seal devices including an elongated and thick block-like cushion member constructed of a resiliently compressible material and having a resiliently flexible surface sealingly engageable by the rear ends of the sidewalls of the truck van.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 8, wherein the cushion member of said seal means and the cushion members of said side seal devices are constructed of a resilient foam material.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 9, wherein said seal means is provided with an inclined surface on the lower front side thereof to permit said seal means to be moved downwardly to create a wedge-like sealing engagement with the rear header of the van after the rear end of the van has been disposed in sealing engagement with the side seal devices.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 1, wherein said seal means includes an elongated resiliently compressible stop cushion fixedly secured to the upper side thereof and extending longitudinally therealong, said stop cushion being disposed for contacting said cylindrical means when said seal means is returned to its uppermost position by said spring means.

Claim 13

A door seal outlining the tops and sides of a door opening as formed in a wall and adapted to seal against the top and side rear edges of a truck van which backs against the seal, said seal comprising: first and second side pad structures adapted to be vertically disposed adjacent and substantially coextensively along the opposite sides of said opening, each side pad structure including an elongated block of a compressible resilient material; a pair of elongated traCk means mounted along the opposite sides of said opening at least adjacent the upper end thereof; roll means rotatably supported adjacent the upper end of said opening, said roll means extending substantially perpendicularly between said pair of elongated track means; flexible sheet means affixed along one edge thereof to said roll means and adapted to be rollingly disposed thereon, said sheet means having a width substantially equal to the width of said opening; spring means interconnected to said roll means and yieldably rotatably urging same in one rotational direction to cause said sheet means to be rolled onto said roll means; and a top pad structure disposed below said roll means and fixedly connected to said flexible sheet means along an opposite edge thereof, said top pad structure extending substantially perpendicularly between the first and second side pad structures and being slidably supported by said pair of track means for enabling said top pad structure to be vertically moved in the vicinity of the upper end of said opening, said top pad structure also including an elongated block of resiliently compressible material.

Claim 14

A door seal outlining the tops and sides of a door opening as formed in a wall and adapted to seal against the top and side rear edges of a truck van which backs against the seal, said seal comprising: first and second side pad structures adapted to be vertically disposed adjacent and substantially coextensively along the opposite sides of said opening, each side pad structure including an elongated block of a compressible resilient material; a pair of elongated traCk means mounted along the opposite sides of said opening at least adjacent the upper end thereof; roll means rotatably supported adjacent the upper end of said opening, said roll means extending substantially perpendicularly between said pair of elongated track means; flexible sheet means affixed along one edge thereof to said roll means and adapted to be rollingly disposed thereon, said sheet means having a width substantially equal to the width of said opening; spring means interconnected to said roll means and yieldably rotatably urging same in one rotational direction to cause said sheet means to be rolled onto said roll means; and a top pad structure disposed below said roll means and fixedly connected to said flexible sheet means along an opposite edge thereof, said top pad structure extending substantially perpendicularly between the first and second side pad structures and being slidably supported by said pair of track means for enabling said top pad structure to be vertically moved in the vicinity of the upper end of said opening, said top pad structure also including an elongated block of resiliently compressible material.

Claim 15

A door seal according to claim 12, wherein said top pad structure has tapered surface means provided on the front surface thereof for permitting said top pad structure to be vertically displaced downwardly into a wedging and sealing engagement with the top rear edge of the truck van, and anchor means coacting with said top pad structure for permitting same to be fixedly secured in a selected position in opposition to the urging of said spring means.