Patent · US Expired

Control system for loading docks

US5831540A · kind A · utility

67Cited by
5References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 24, 1995
Grant dateNov 3, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 24, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05B2219/2612
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A system to determine the usage of loading dock equipment such as a dock leveler, a vehicle restraint and a barrier gate to provide an output indicative thereof. For each loading dock component mounted at a loading dock in an operable configuration whose operation is to be monitored, sensor outputs are used to provide data accumulated by PLC's located in a control panel associated with the loading dock. When operation of a piece of equipment is initiated the occurrence delivers an output signal to the PLC. A counting circuit accumulates a count of the output signals. The panel has displays in the form of lights and screens and the data maybe read out by means of a hand held unit for display and/or programing or delivered to a remote PC by appropriate cable.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.