Disappearing Dock Lift

Disappearing dock lifts offer numerous advantages and come in several sizes.

Smaller size. Set into a pit and suited to handle pallet jacks, four-wheel carts and dolly trucks, smaller-sized disappearing dock lifts are the most in demand. They are also used for dock to ground access. They are typically equipped with a hinged bridge with a pull back chain.

For decades, the most popular disappearing dock fitted a 10-in. pit, which was easy to build and afforded crush space between the bottom of the bevel toe guard and the bottom of the pit for any debris that may fall into the pit. Now there is an overall industry trend for 8-in. pits—one reason being the avoidance of shallow run utilities.

Medium size. Medium-sized disappearing dock lifts handle pallet jacks, powered pallet jacks, straddle stackers and small fork trucks. They too may be used for dock to ground access.

If the intended use of this equipment includes small fork trucks, specifiers are advised to calculate the axle loading of the fork truck and compare it to the axle load limits provided by the manufacturer.

Largest size. Largest-sized disappearing dock lifts are sized to handle sit-down rider fork trucks and any mobile material. They also provide dock to ground access.

One model has cylinders in direct thrust to all four platform corners, which provides maximum rigidity. This design approach for heavy fork truck applications eliminates the spring board effect of platform overhang on lifting scissors in the raised position. When watching a fork truck pass onto the lift from a semi trailer, an observer will notice an inch or more of vertical movement of the trailer and no discernable movement of the lift. The units are plumbed for anti-interflow between cylinders when the unit is at rest.