Patent ID: 7032267

Claim:
A support mechanism for a dock leveler that includes a lip pivotally attached to a deck, wherein the lip is selectively pivotal between an extended position and a pendant position, and the deck is selectively pivotal to a raised elevation, a cross-traffic elevation, a safety elevation, and a below dock level end-loading elevation, wherein the safety elevation is higher than the below dock level end-loading elevation and lower than the cross-traffic elevation, and the raised elevation is higher than the cross-traffic elevation, the support mechanism comprising: a deck-supporting portion; and a lip-deflecting portion, wherein the support mechanism is selectively movable between at least one deck-supporting position and at least one lip-deflecting position such that when the support mechanism is at the at least one deck-supporting position and the deck is at the safety elevation, the deck-supporting portion of the support mechanism is able to help support the deck, and when the support mechanism is at the at least one lip-deflecting position and the lip is in the pendant position, the lip-deflecting portion of the support mechanism is able to engage and deflect the lip in response to the deck moving downward from the raised elevation toward the below dock level end-loading elevation; wherein the deck-supporting portion of the support mechanism and the lip-deflecting portion of the support mechanism are integrally formed as a safety leg.