Abstract: A loading dock seal includes a pair of facing sealing members attached to respective opposed edges of a wall which define a portion of an opening therein. Each sealing member includes a plurality of nonlinear, flexible, resilient leaf springs each inserted within a respective pocket of an outer fabric cover in a spaced manner along the length of the sealing member and oriented generally horizontally. Each leaf spring is mounted to an edge of the wall defining a side of the opening therein and extends outward from the wall and away from the aperture in the wall. Each of the sealing members further includes a generally vertically oriented stabilizer bar extending substantially its entire length. A handle located on an inner surface of each of the sealing members allows the flexible sealing member to be pulled inwardly toward the center of the aperture whereupon the leaf springs engage an aft edge of a lateral panel of the vehicle in position in front of the opening in the wall.

Abstract: A dock shelter adapted for mounting to a wall about an opening in the wall includes a plurality of coupled outer panels comprised of molded plastic. The plastic outer panels include a pair of roof sections as well as left and right lateral sections each coupled to a respective distal end of a roof section. Each lateral section includes respective pairs of upper and lower side panels coupled together in a telescoping manner to allow the height of the dock shelter to be fixed as desired over a range of values. Similarly, the roof sections are coupled together by means of a center roof connector cap in a telescoping manner to allow for adjustment of the width of the dock shelter. The telescoping coupling arrangement between the various dock shelter structural members allows the dock shelter to be used with a wide range of wall opening sizes.

Abstract: A pair of vertically oriented hook seals positioned in facing relation on the lateral portions of a loading dock shelter engage the aft lateral portions of a truck or van positioned adjacent to a loading dock and seal the gap between the truck sides and its open doors. Each seal is coupled to a dock shelter side panel and extends inward toward an aperture in a wall about which the dock shelter is disposed. Each seal is comprised of a curtain having a plurality of spaced, resilient, flexible ribs or reinforcing strips disposed along the length thereof and securely coupled at their respective outer ends to a dock shelter side panel. The inner end of each of the reinforcing strips is coupled to an elongated foam strip extending substantially the full height of the dock shelter sides and having a generally triangular cross section.

Abstract: A loading dock shelter seal includes a head and a pair of opposed side pads disposed about a door opening in a wall. Each pad is comprised of an elongated, linear foam core and an outer flexible cover, with the head and side pads having complementary beveled end portions arranged in abutting end-to-end contact. Each of the pads is angled inwardly toward the center of the door opening in the wall which allows for outward deformation of the pads upon engagement with a truck using the loading dock, whereupon an outer angled portion of each of the pads is deformed outwardly in a bulging manner so as to enclose the periphery of the truck while an inner angled pad portion remains in sealed engagement with the top and side aft edges of the truck.

Abstract: A seal disposed about the periphery of an opening such as a warehouse door includes an inflatable head bag and a pair of facing inflatable side bags. The head and side bags are each comprised of a plurality of serially coupled, elongated, aligned pleated sections which are separated by apertured baffles for regulating air flow between adjacent pleated sections. A source of air under pressure such as a blower directs air into an upper head bag which, in turn, directs the air flow into the facing side bags via respective duct arrangements coupling the head bag to the side bags. Under pressure, the head and side bags expand toward the center of the opening to enclose in a sealed manner an object such as a loading vehicle positioned within the opening.