Patent ID: 7017220

Claim:
A dock leveler, comprising: a base assembly; a ramp assembly configured to rotate from a generally vertical stored position to one or more lowered operating positions, wherein the ramp assembly is pivotally coupled to said base assembly at a pivot point located generally at one end of the ramp assembly; and, a counterbalance assembly comprising: a first anchor point; a second anchor point; a flexible member and, a biasing member having a central longitudinal axis defining a line of action, wherein the biasing member is coupled at one end to the ramp assembly at said first anchor point and to the flexible member at an other end of the biasing member, and the flexible member is connected to the base assembly or a dock at the second anchor point, and wherein along the line of action, at least one effective anchor point is defined as a point on the line of action proximate to a contact point between the flexible member and a cam surface.