Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
(1 ) Field of the I nvention:
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This invention relates to dock seals for closing and opening in a building
with respect to a truck or a trailer positioned ad jacent thereto.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prior structures of this type have generally comprised inflated members
against which the truck or trailer is engaged. See for example my earlier patent U.S.
3,714,745~ issued February 6, 1973
This invention discloses a flexible dock seal structure capable of forming
a satisfactory yieldable closure between a truck or a trailer and the loading dock
opening without the use of the inflatable members heretofore believed necessary.
Summary of the Invention
A flexible dock seal comprises three yieldable flexible members arranged
in an inverted U-shape about the loading dock opening and having foldable hinge-
like devices in their upper and lower corners arranged to extend the three sections
of the flexible dock seal outwardly with respect to the loading dock opening.
Resilient members normally urge the foldable hinge-like devices into opened
extended relation and yieldingly permit the same to be moved toward a closed
folded relation. The longitudinal edges of the yieldable flexible members are
secured to the structure in which the loading dock opening is formed so as to create
a weather-tight closure.
Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of a portion of a building wall with
a loading dock opening and showing the flexible dock seal positioned thereabout.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail on line 2-2 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side elevation on line 3-3 of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail on line 4-4 of Figure 1; and
28 Figure 5 is an enlarged detail on line 5-5 of Figure 1.
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~escription of the Preferred Embodiment
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In the form chosen for illustration herein, the flexible dock seal
comprises three yieldable flexible members arranged in an inverted U-shape
and positioned on the exterior of a building above and to the sides of an opening
therein against which a truck or a trailer is to be positioned.
In Figures 1 and 2 the building wall is generally indicated by the numeral
10 and the dock opening therein is indicated by the numeral 11 . An inverted U-shaped
~rame 12 is formed as by way of example from 2 x 4s is mounted on the wall 10 at
the sides of and across the top of the opening 11 therein. Three elongated flexible
panels 13, 14 and 15 are attached at one of their longitudinal edges to the frame
12 and it will be seen that the panel 13 is substantially horizontally positioned
across the top of the opening 11 and the panels 14 and 15 are positioned vertically
at the sides of the opening 11 and each of them extend forwardly or outwardly
with respect to the building wall 10. Each of the panels 13, 14 and 15 has a
right angular flange on its outer edge, the flange on the flexible panel 13 being
in depending relation thereto and indicated by the numeral 16 and the flanges
on the panels 1~ and 15 are arranged to extend toward one another and are indicated
at 17 and 18 respectively. The panels 13, 14 and 15 and their flanges 16, 17 and
18 are formed of flexible material such as waterproofed canvas or the like. The
upper ends of the flexible panels 14 and 15 are joined to the ends of the flexible
panel 13 and the right angular flanges 17 and 18 are attached to the depending
flange 1 6.
By referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen
that the outermost edge of the elongated flexible panel 13 where it joins the
upper edge of the depending flange 16 is wrapped around a rope 19 and positioned
in a split tube 20 to form a substantially rigid frame member. In order that the
28 frame member 20 and the forward edge of the elongated flexible panel 13 and
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the upper ends of the flanges 17 and 18 on the flexible panels 13 and 15 will beheld in the position illustrated, a pair of hinge-like devices 21, one of which is
iliustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, are positioned between the upper portion of
the frame 12 and the split tube 20 ad jacent its opposite ends. Each of the hinge-
like devices 21 is normally held in substantially extended or open position by
resilient members 22 attached thereto by fasteners 23 and extending upwardly
through openings in the elongated flexible panel 13 and secured at their upper-
most ends to support arms 23 which in turn are carried on the building wall 10.
By referring again to Figure 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that
one end of the hinge-like device 21 is secured at its outermost edge to the frame
12 by one or more fasteners 24 and that its opposite outer end is flanged as at 25
and secured as by sewing to the depending flange 16 of the elongated flexible panel
13. The hinge-like device 21 preferably comprises sections of flexible material
such as waterproof canvas sewed together to form flat pockets in which rigid members
26 are pos;tioned. Alternately the hinge-like devices 21 may comprise oppositelydisposed T-shaped members hinged together at their inner ends and having their
T-head portions movably affixed to the frame 12 and the f I a n g e 16 respectively
and provided with resilient means normally urging the hinged T-shaped members
into open or extended relation to one another.
By referring again to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the
lower ends of the panels 14 and 15 and their oppositely disposed flanges 17 and
18 are also held in yieldably extended relation to the building wall 10 by meansof foldable hinge-like devices 27 which are also illustrated in cross section and
in enlarged detail in Figure 4 of the drawings
By referring to Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that the
foldable hinge-like devices 27 are similar to the devices 21 heretofore described
in that they comprise sections of flexible material 28 sewed or otherwise arranged
28 to form fiat pockets in which sections of rigid material 29 are disposed. The
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outer ends of the hinge-like devices 27 are flanged and fastened respectively
fo horizontal portions of the frame 12 as best seen in Figure 1 of the drawings
and to the lower ends of the flexible flanges 17 and 18. Each of the foldable
hinge-like devices 27 is held in open or extended reiation as illustrated in
Fiaure 1 of the drawings by resilient members 30 which are attached thereto by
means of fasteners 31 . The opposite or lower ends of the resi lient members 30
are attached to hooks 32 which may be positioned in the ground or the driveway
or alternately in the wall 10 of the building at a distance below the lower ends of the flexible dock seal.
It will thus be seen that a flexible dock seal has been disclosed
which will retain itself in extended relation by reason of the resilient urging of
the members 22 and 30 respectively holding the structure of the flexible dock
seal outwardly with respect to the wall 10 of the building and around the opening
11 comprising the loading dock.
` ~ When a truck or a trailer is backed against the same the foldable hinge
like devices 21 and 27 will move toward closed position as the flexible dock seal
engages the truck or trailer body and thereby form a suitable weather closure
between the building wall 10 and the truck ortrailerbody.
It will be obvious that the device of the invention can be formed
inexpensively as compared with the inflatable dock seals or those involving
sponge rubber cushions heretofore known in the art and installed quickly and
easily af relatively low expense on the walls of buildings surrounding loading
dock openings therein and in such position will operate without the use of
electricity as has heretofore been necessary to operate the blowers of the
inflatable devices.
Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated
and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes
28 and modifications may be made therein without departing $rom the spirit of the
invention and having thus described my invention what I claim is:
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