It is common practice in the pertinent art to provide a vertically adjustable scissor-type loading platform or dock lift which is more or less to be continually raised and lowered between an alignable dock level and a vertically offset cargo carrier bed such as a vehicle. In those instances wherein the loading platform of the dock lift can assume an inclined orientation, it is convenient to so align the platform surface to present an inclined ramp between two vertically offset levels, such as a vehicle to a loading dock or between two vehicles or two loading docks, etc. Such a platform lift apparatus has been previously patented as U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,280, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, wherein reference may be had thereto for further consideration.
In the present invention, an alternative structural means is implemented to provide the inclined ramp orientation for the platform surface of the same platform lift as described and disclosed in the referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,280. Through employment of novel bridging bar attachment means to be connected to the platform structure of the dock lift and being pivotally connected thereto for assuming an outwardly extending orientation to bridge and attach to a vertically alignable dock side, the same inclined ramp orientation for the platform can readily be obtained by simply lowering the scissor-type platform structure whereupon the bridging bar attachment means including extension bar members are effective to engage the associated dock side and hang or suspend a free end non-attached portion of the upper platform level while the opposite end portion of the platform level is brought into horizontal alignment with another selected and vertically offset surface level. Hence, an associated undesirable repetition of vertical movement and adjustments can be conveniently eliminated through use of the present invention. Further, the angular oriented platform structure comprises a convenient loading ramp across which to move cargo.