Importance

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Abstract

A vehicular loading dock shelter with opposed hinge gap and head bag closures. For the hinge gap closures, reinforced side curtains seal corner hinge areas, as a truck/trailer is backed into the loading dock, to thereby form a protective weather seal for the sides of the dock. Excessive pull on opposed side curtains is compensated by a pair of single leaf spring-loaded hinge assemblies, connecting the respective curtains to corresponding shelter side frames of the front walls. These hinge gap closures having side curtains for are each adapted to set the side curtains parallel to the door of the dock in the normal closed position, when the dock is not in use. When a trailer is backed into the dock, reverse mobility of the vehicle causes the side curtains to forcibly deflect from their normal aligned and inoperative position, to extend them along the inside of respective trailer swing doors when open; whereupon a collapsible tubular wedge on the extreme end of each side curtain encompasses and plugs the dock side gaps, created by the truck and its swing doors. This assemblage is effective preparatory to and during loading and off-loading. An inflatable head bag completes the seal against the top of a docked truck/trailer after docking. The overall effect is to seal the open vehicle on at least the top and sides thereof. Supplemental seals may be incorporated at the bottom of the shelter to compensate for any gap that may be created adjacent the tailgate of the vehicle.

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First Claim