Patent ID: 8499393

Claim:
A loading wharf for attachment to a building to define a passageway between the building and a trailer body of a vehicle, the loading wharf comprising: a main structure that is received within an access opening formed in a wall of the building and is fixedly attached to the wall, the access opening being defined by a plurality of inner wall surfaces that lie between internal and external faces of the wall of the building, the access opening defining an intermediate space between the internal and external faces of the wall of the building, wherein the main structure includes a first frame member for connection to the internal faces of the wall and a second frame member for connection to the external faces of the wall for securing the main structure to the wall; an external closure door assembly that is coupled to the second frame member and is disposed above a ground surface external to the building, wherein the external closure door assembly includes an external door; an internal door assembly that is coupled to the first frame member and is positioned for establishing a closure on an inner floor of the building which lies above the ground surface, wherein the internal closure door assembly includes an internal door; a folding levelling ramp that is disposed within the intermediate space and forms the passageway between the building and the trailer body of the vehicle; first and second protective members that are disposed within the intermediate space and are for protection of side and upper spaces defined between the building and the trailer body of the vehicle during loading and unloading operations; wherein the folding levelling ramp and the first and second protective members are positioned between an operational position and a non-operational position, wherein in the operational position, the folding levelling ramp and the first and second protective members project from the intermediate space towards an outside of the building so as to interact with the trailer body of the vehicle to be loaded or unloaded, and wherein in the non-operational position, the folding levelling ramp and the first and second protective members are disposed and contained within the intermediate space.