1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for extending the lip plate of a dock leveler for movement of the lip plate onto the bed of a truck or other vehicle located next to the dock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dock levelers generally employ a base member attached to the side of a dock, a bridge plate which is pivotally attached to the edge of the base member and a lip plate which is pivotally attached to the other edge of the bridge plate. The known manually operated dock levelers in use today place a large amount of strain on the operator when lifting the plates for proper positioning. Spring mechanisms are employeed on dock levelers to aid in lifting the plates; however, they do not provide,, the assistance needed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,974,537 and 4,065,824 are directed to different types of mechanisms for assisting the operator in lifting the plates of a dock leveler for proper positioning.