Loading ramp control

Claim 1

IN A LOADING RAMP HAVING A SEGMENTED PLATFORM HINGED TO ONE EDGE OF A LOADING DOCK, SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS TELESCOPED OVER SAID SEGMENTS AND DISPOSED TO SLIDE IN AND OUT ON SAID SEGMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY SO AS TO INCREASE THE LENGTH OF SAID PLATFORM WHEN EXTENDED, AN ELONGATED MEMBER POSITIONED TRANSVERSALLY BENEATH SAID SEGMENTS DISPOSED TO ENGAGE SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS AND RAISE OR LOWER SAID PLATFORM WHEN ELEVATED OR DEPRESSED, A FIRST AND SECOND POWER MEANS ON A FIRST AND SECOND ENDS OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER DISPOSED TO RAISE AND LOWER SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, A THIRD POWER MEANS DISPOSED TO EXTEND OR RETRACT SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM COMPRISING: (A) UP, DOWN, IN AND OUT CONTROL MEANS HAVING A COMMON CURRENT SOURCE; (B) MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING THE CURRENT SOURCE TO THE DOWN, IN AND OUT CONTROL MEANS WHEN SAID PLATFORM IS SUBSTANTIALLY LEVEL AND SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY RETRACTED SO THAT ONLY THE UP CONTROL MEANS IS OPERATIVE, SAID MEANS BEING FURTHER DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID IN, OUT AND DOWN CONTROL MEANS WHEN SAID PLATFORM IS ELEVATED; (C) ACTUATING MEANS DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID FIRST AND SECOND POWER MEANS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ELEVATE SAID ELONGATED MEMBER WHEN SAID UP CONTROL MEANS IS UTILIZED; (D) ACTUATING MEANS DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID THIRD POWER MEANS TO EXTEND SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS WHEN SAID OUT CONTROL MEANS IS UTILIZED; (E) ACTUATING MEANS DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID FIRST AND SECOND POWER MEANS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY LOWER SAID ELONGATED MEMBER WHEN SAID DOWN CONTROL MEANS IS UTILIZED; (F) AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS ENERGIZED WHEN SAID PLATFORM CONTACTS A VEHICLE FLOOR DISPOSED TO PERMIT SAID ELONGATED MEMBER TO LOWER A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE BENEATH AT LEAST TWO SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS OF SAID PLATFORM AND TO MAINTAIN SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE UNTIL SAID UP CONTROL MEANS IS UTILIZED, SAID AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING; (F1) MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING THE CURRENT SOURCE TO SAID DOWN, IN AND OUT CONTROL MEANS WHEN SAID ELONGATED MEMBER DISENGAGES SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS, SAID MEANS BEING FURTHER DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID IN, OUT, AND DOWN CONTROL MEANS WHEN SAID ELONGATED MEMBER ENGAGES SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS; (F2) A FIRST SENSING MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID FIRST END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID FIRST POWER MEANS TO LOWER SAID FIRST END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER WHEN AT LEAST ONE PREDETERMINED SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBER OF SAID RAMP COMES WITHIN SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, SAID FIRST SENSING MEANS BEING FURTHER DISPOSED TO DEENERGIZE AND STOP SAID FIRST POWER MEANS WHENEVER SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE IS REATTAINED; (F3) A SECOND SENSING MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID FIRST END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID FIRST POWER MEANS TO RAISE SAID FIRST END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER WHEN SAID AT LEAST ONE PREDETERMINED SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBER EXCEEDS SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, SAID SECOND SENSING MEANS BEING FURTHER DISPOSED TO DEENERGIZE AND STOP SAID FIRST POWER MEANS WHENEVER SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE IS REATTAINED; (F4) A THIRD SENSING MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID SECOND END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID SECOND POWER MEANS TO LOWER SAID SECOND END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER WHEN AT LEAST ONE SECOND PREDETERMINED SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBER OF SAID SEGMENTED PLATFORM COMES WITHIN SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, SAID THIRD SENSING MEANS BEING FURTHER DISPOSED TO DEENERGIZE AND STOP SAID SECOND POWER MEANS WHENEVER SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE IS REATTAINED; (F5) A FOURTH SENSING MEANS POSITIONED ON SAID SECOND END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID SECOND POWER MEANS TO RAISE SAID SECOND END OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER WHEN SAID AT LEAST ONE SECOND PREDETERMINED SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBER OF SAID RAMP EXCEEDS SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, SAID FOURTH SENSING MEANS BEING FURTHER DISPOSED TO DEENERGIZE AND STOP SAID SECOND POWER MEANS WHENEVER SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE IS REATTAINED AND (G) ACTUATING MEANS DISPOSED TO ENERGIZE SAID THIRD POWER MEANS TO RETRACT SAID SLEEVE SHAPED MEMBERS WHEN SAID IN CONTROL MEANS IS UTILIZED.