Dockboard

Claim 1

A dockboard for use on a loading dock to provide a ramp between the dock and the platform of an adjacent vehicle, said dockboard comprising a flat dock plate disposed on the top of the dock with an outer end portion extending generally along an edge of the dock and an inner end portion supported freely on the top of the dock inwardly of the dock edge, means mounted on the vertical face of the dock below and pivotally connected to said dock plate outer end portion to guide movement thereof in a substantially vertical path above the top of the dock while allowing pivoting of the dock plate thereat so that said inner end portion of the dock plate will remain supported on and will slide along the top of the dock during vertical movement of the outer end portion, and a lip plate hingedly depending from said dock plate outer end portion along a horizontal hinge axis for hinged pivoting of said lip plate therealong with respect to said dock plate outer end portion with the upward hinged pivoting being limited to cause said dock plate and lip plate to form a continuous load supporting span throughout their combined extent from a vehicle platform to the dock top, said dockboard being movable from an inoperative position wherein the dock plate is flat on the dock top and the lip plate hangs vertically downward along said vertical face of the dock to an operative position at which the outer end portion of the dock plate has been raised vertically with the inner end portion remaining supported on the dock top, the lip plate have been pivoted upwardly above the platform of an adjacent vehicle and the dockboard then lowered with the inner end portion remaining supported on the dock top to dispose the lip plate on the vehicle platform with the lip plate pivoted upwardly to the limit of upward pivoting, whereby said lip plate and dock plate provide the aforesaid continuous load supporting span.