Importance

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Abstract

A dock leveler includes a pivotally mounted ramp and a lip member pivotally mounted to the distal end of the ramp and moveable between an extended position and a depending position for forming a path between a loading dock and a loadbed of a vehicle. A motor operated linear power screw type actuator is connected to the ramp for moving the ramp to an elevated position and includes an extensible tube member which is engageable with a second tube in telescoped relationship in such a way that the actuator tube may be controlled to be retracted after positioning the ramp to engage the loadbed of a vehicle so that the actuator is not subject to forces exerted by the ramp during oscillatory movement while the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded. In one alternate embodiment the actuator is connected to an intermediate link to allow the pivotal movement of the ramp without exerting damaging forces on the actuator. The lip may be extended by a toggle linkage responsive to movement of the ramp from an elevated position to a declined position in engagement with the loadbed and a latch mechanism is operable to hold the ramp in an extended position until the loadbed is engaged. Ramp support legs are retractable to allow further declining movement of the ramp and are actuatable by a spring connected to a linkage which is moveable to positions to change the direction of spring biasing forces acting to retract and extend the legs.

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First Claim