All Pentalift mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic dock levelers are provided with a 16” long hinged lip assembly as standard. The industry standard 16” long hinged lip assembly used in conjunction with 4 ½” thick dock bumpers provides adequate lip penetration onto the truck bed for safe loading/unloading.
An optional 18” long lip assembly is very common and is recommended. The 18” long lip ensures there is adequate lip penetration onto the truck bed if the truck is backed into position and the rear of the truck is not perfectly square to the face of the dock bumpers.
Dock levelers that are used in facilities that ship or receive refrigerated or frozen products are often equipped with optional 20” long lip assemblies. Refrigerated trailers have a ribbed sub floor that the refrigerant is pumped through; this ribbed section of flooring is typically 2” high. The 20” long lip projects far enough into the trailer bed that the lip rests safely on top of the ribbed trailer sub floor.
Extending the lip length reduces the above level operating range of the dock leveler proportionally. This is something that should be considered for applications where trailers with higher bed heights are present.
It is important that the hinged dock leveler lip assembly receives regular lubrication. Dock levelers can be ordered with hinged lips that are tapered inward up to 6” on the leading edge of the lip. Tapered lips are often used in an application that the dock leveler is called upon to occasionally load and unload trucks with a narrower width rear door opening. Based on the additional width of modern trailer a tapered lip is not typically required or recommended. To a certain extent the taper reduces the effective width of the dock leveler.
Lip assemblies can be ordered with additional bevel on the machined leading edge of the lip. This additional bevel is used in applications that handle fragile loads; the additional bevel provides a smooth transition for the lift truck as it drives across the dock leveler deck and lip onto the bed of the truck.
Pentalift hydraulic dock levelers are also available with an optional Roll Off Stop hinged lip assembly. When the dock leveler lip is in the stored closed position the Roll Off Stop lip assembly projects 8” vertically above the deck assembly. The 8” high vertical section of the lip acts as a barrier and prevents a lift truck from accidentally driving off the end of the stored closed dock leveler and falling approximately 4’ to grade level.
This link leads to a video that demonstrates a Pentalift hydraulic dock leveler equipped with an optional Roll Off Stop lip assembly.
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpViNzN69U0
For additional information on any Pentalift product please contact the Pentalift Sales Department.