Loading dock shelters

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A loading dock shelter 11 embodying the principles of the present invention is shown in the drawings to illustrated the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Referring first to FIG.
1, the loading dock shelter 11 is shown mounted on an outer wall 12 in a semi-surrounding relation to a doorway 13.
The loading dock shelter 11 protects the building structure from collisions with trucks and seals gaps between the truck body and the building during the loading and unloading of a truck.
The loading dock shelter 11 is comprised of the following major components: a head curtain or panel 21, two side curtains or panels 51, and support means for supporting the panels 21 and 51 about their edges in position to extend into the doorway to sealably engage with the exterior surfaces of a truck.
The support means may be of any suitable type, and includes the outwardly extending upper housing 26 and the outwardly extending side housings 56.
The upper housing 26 is disposed above, and extends horizontally across the doorway 13.
The side housings 56 extend downwardly from respective ends of the upper housing 26 about the sides of the doorway 13.
The housings 26 and 56 may be secured to the wall 12 by any suitable means, such as screws or bolts extending through portions of the housings 26 and 56 into the wall 12.
A flexible head cover panel 21 having top, bottom and side edges is supported along its top edge by the outwardly extending upper housing 26 in position to extend across the upper portion of the doorway.
Hanging downwardly from the outwardly extending upper housing 26, the head curtain 21 sealably engages with the top exterior of a truck body as it is backed up in close proximity to the doorway 13.
Two flexible side cover panels 51 extend inwardly towards each other from the sides of the doorway and upwardly behind the head panel.
The two side cover panels 51 have top 61, (not shown) bottom 62, and side 63 edges.
Each side cover panel 51 is secured by suitable means to the outwardly extending side housing 56 along side edges 63 in position to extend inwardly towards each other from the sides of the doorway 13