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EP-4735723-A1 - IMPACTABLE GATE SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS

EP4735723A1EP 4735723 A1EP4735723 A1EP 4735723A1EP-4735723-A1

Abstract

Example impactable gate systems disclosed herein include a track to be coupled to a base post, a drive strip slidable along the track, a rail including a tube, the rail to move with the drive strip relative to the track between an opened position and a closed position, and a bracket to be disposed within the track, the bracket to couple the rail to the drive strip, the bracket to be disposed within the base post when the rail is in the closed position.

Inventors

  • CASEY, Nicholas John
  • DONDLINGER, JASON T.
  • DUESING, Tony W.
  • KORMAN, Joseph D.
  • SAHM, Michael John

Assignees

  • Rite-Hite Holding Corporation

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240701

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An impactable gate system comprising: a track to be coupled to a base post; a drive strip slidable along the track; a rail including a tube, the rail to move with the drive strip relative to the track between an opened position and a closed position; and a bracket to be disposed within the track, the bracket to couple the rail to the drive strip, the bracket to be disposed within the base post when the rail is in the closed position.
  2. 2. The impactable gate system of claim 1, wherein the rail is a first rail, the tube is a first tube, further including a second rail spaced from the first rail along the drive strip, the second rail including: a second tube; a brace to be disposed within the second tube, the brace having a length, a width, and a thickness, the thickness extending in a direction transverse to a direction of travel of the drive strip along the track, the width greater than the thickness; and a sleeve to be coupled to the drive strip, the sleeve including a slotted hole, the second tube slidably coupled to the sleeve via the slotted hole.
  3. 3. The impactable gate system of claim 1, wherein the track is a first track defining a first channel, and further including a second track within the first track, the second track defining a second channel.
  4. 4. The impactable gate system of claim 3, wherein the bracket is to be disposed within the first channel, the bracket to be spaced from an internal surface of the first track when the impactable gate system is in a non-impacted state.
  5. 5. The impactable gate system of claim 4, wherein the bracket is to contact the internal surface of the first track when the impactable gate system is in an impacted state.
  6. 6. The impactable gate system of claim 3, further including a trolley to be disposed within the second channel of the second track, the trolley to be coupled to the bracket.
  7. 7. The impactable gate system of claim 6, wherein the trolley is to be coupled to the bracket with a spring-loaded fastener, the spring-loaded fastener to urge the bracket away from the base post.
  8. 8. The impactable gate system of claim 3, wherein the drive strip is to extend into the first channel, the drive strip including protrusions to retain the drive strip within the second track.
  9. 9. An apparatus comprising: a rail to extend between a first track and a second track, movement of the rail between an open position and a closed position to be guided by the first and second tracks; a base post to support the first track; and a bracket to be coupled to an end of the rail, the bracket to be within the base post when the rail is in the closed position, the bracket to remain spaced apart from the first track when the rail moves between the open position and the closed position, the bracket to be urged toward the base post in response to an impact with the rail.
  10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further including a drive strip to move along the first track, the rail to be coupled to the drive strip, the drive strip including protrusions to retain the drive strip within a first channel of the first track, the bracket to be retained within a second channel of the first track and external to the first channel of the first track.
  11. 1 1. The apparatus of claim 10, further including a trolley to be disposed within the first channel of the first track, the trolley to be coupled to the bracket with a spring-loaded fastener to urge the bracket away from the base post.
  12. 12. The apparatus of claim 10, further including a pin positioned in a body of the bracket, the rail rotatable about the pin.
  13. 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the rail is a first rail, further including a second rail to extend between the first track and the second track, the second rail to be coupled to the drive strip, the first rail positioned at a first height, the second rail positioned at a second height greater than the first height.
  14. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second rail is to be lower than a top edge of the base post when the first rail is in the closed position.
  15. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the end is a first end, the bracket coupled to a second end of the second rail.
  16. 16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the base post is a first base post, further including: a second base post to support the second track, the second base post spaced apart from the first base post by a distance; and a perforated plate to couple the rail to at least one of the first track or the second track, the perforated plate including a plurality of holes, the rail selectively couplable to different ones of the plurality of holes based on the distance.
  17. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the base post includes first openings and the first track includes second openings, further including fasteners to be selectively inserted in different ones the first openings and different ones of the second openings to adjust a position of the first track relative to the base post.
  18. 18. The apparatus of claim 9, further including: a barrier rail extending from the base post, the base post to support a first end of the barrier rail; and a rail post spaced apart from the base post, the rail post to support a second end of the barrier rails.
  19. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the barrier rail is one of a plurality' of barrier rails, the plurality of barrier rails to define at least one of an aisle or a corral.
  20. 20. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the base post is a first base post, the rail is a first rail, and further including: a second rail to extend between a third track and a fourth track, movement of the second rail to be guided by the third and fourth tracks; and a second base post is to support both the second track and the third track.

Description

IMPACTABLE GATE SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This patent claims the benefit of U. S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/511, 124, titled “Impactable Gate Systems and Apparatus,” filed on June 29, 2023. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/511,124 is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/511,124 is hereby claimed. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE [0002] This disclosure relates generally to gates and, more particularly, to impactable gate systems and apparatus. BACKGROUND [0003] Gates are used in various industrial settings to selectively permit access to certain areas. For example, a gate (e.g., a vertically retractable gate) can be installed at a loading dock where cargo is loaded/unloaded from a trailer using a vehicle (e.g., forklift). As the vehicle drives toward the loading dock, the gate can open to provide access. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] FIG. 1 A is a cross-sectional front view of an example impactable gate in a closed position in accordance with teachings disclosed herein. [0005] FIG. IB is a perspective view of the impactable gate of FIG. 1A. [0006] FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the impactable gate of FIG. 1 A in an open position. [0007] FIG. ID is a cross-sectional side view of a track of the impactable gate of FIG. 1A taken along line A-A in FIG. 1A. [0008] FIG. IE is a cross-sectional bottom view of a track of the impactable gate of FIG. 1 A taken along line C-C in FIG. 1 A. [0009] FIG. 2A is a partial perspective view of the impactable gate of FIG. 1A. [0010] FIG. 2B a partial perspective view of the impactable gate of FIG. 2A with some components omitted. [0011] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view of a portion of the impactable gate of FIG. 2A. [0012] FIG. 4 is a front view of a rail of the impactable gate of FIG. 1 A. [0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a brace of the rail of FIGS. 4A and 4B. [0014] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional perspective view of another rail of the impactable gate of FIG. 1A. [0015] FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional front view of the rail of FIG. 6A. [0016] FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a bracket of the impactable gate of FIG. 1 A with the track in phantom. [0017] FIG. 7B is a top view of the bracket of FIG. 7A taken along line B-B in FIG. 1 A. [0018] FIG. 8A is a bottom view of the bracket of FIG. 7A prior to an impact from a vehicle. [0019] FIG. 8B is a bottom view of the bracket of FIG. 7A during an impact from a vehicle. [0020] FIG. 9A is side view of a trolley of the impactable gate of FIG. 1A with the first track omitted. [0021] FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the trolley of FIG. 9A with the tube of the post rail and the associated tracks omitted. [0022] FIG. 10A is a top view of the impactable gate of FIG. 1A in anon-impacted state. [0023] FIG. 10B is a top view of the impactable gate of FIG. 1 A in an impacted state. [0024] FIG. 11 A is a perspective view of a second example impactable gate in accordance with teachings disclosed herein. [0025] FIG. 1 IB is a front view of the second impactable gate of FIG. 11 A. [0026] FIG. 12A is a perspective view of a third example impactable gate in accordance with teachings disclosed herein. [0027] FIG. 12B is a front view of the third impactable gate of FIG. 12A. [0028] FIG. 13A is a perspective view of a fourth example impactable gate in accordance with teachings disclosed herein. [0029] FIG. 13B is a front view of the fourth impactable gate of FIG. 13 A. [0030] FIG. 14A is a perspective view of another example bracket that can be implemented in the second impactable gate of FIG. 11 A and/or the fourth impactable gate of FIG. 13A. [0031] FIG. 14B is a top view of the bracket of FIG. 14A. [0032] FIG. 15 A is a bottom perspective view of the bracket and another example trolley of FIGS. 14A and 14B. [0033] FIG. 15B is a side perspective view of the bracket and the trolley of FIG. 15 A. [0034] FIGS. 15C and 15D are other bottom perspective views of the bracket and the trolley of FIGS. 15A and 15B. [0035] FIG. 16 is a front view of fifth and sixth example impactable gates in accordance with teachings disclosed herein. [0036] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the fifth and sixth impactable gates of FIG. 16. [0037] FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view of the sixth impactable gate of FIGS. 16 and/or 17 including example brush seals. [0038] FIG. 19 is a partial front view of the sixth impactable gate of FIGS. 16 and/or 17. [0039] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an example aisle rail configuration in accordance with teachings disclosed herein. [0040] FIG. 21 is a side view' of the example aisle rail configuration of FIG. 20. [0041] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an example straight rail configuration in accordance with teachings disclosed herein. [0042] FIG. 23 is a front view of the example straight rail configuration of FIG. 22. [0043] FIG. 24 is a perspective view' of an example corral rail configuration in ac