CPC B60T 3/00 (2013.01) [B60P 3/077 (2013.01); B64F 1/16 (2013.01); B65G 69/005 (2013.01)] | 27 Claims |
1. A method for blocking a wheel using a wheel chock placed over a ground-anchored base plate, the wheel chock including a main body having a tire-facing side and a tire deformation cavity provided on the tire-facing side, the wheel including a rigid rim around which is mounted a tire having a circumferentially disposed resilient tire tread, the tire tread having an undeformed state and a substantially circular outer shape when away from the wheel chock, the method including:
establishing a latched engagement between the wheel chock and the base plate to set the wheel chock in a tire blocking position, the wheel chock including a tire-engaging bulge located substantially at a top end of the main body and projecting from the tire-facing side immediately above the tire deformation cavity;
once the latched engagement is established, bringing the tire tread into direct contact with the tire-engaging budge and pressing the wheel onto the wheel chock to initiate a local radial deformation of the tire tread and bring the tire tread into a deformed state, the tire tread initially engaging the tire-engaging budge at a bulge engagement point;
further pressing the wheel onto the wheel chock to create a sizable disruption in the circular outer shape and receiving a portion of the deformed tire tread into the tire deformation cavity provided under the tire-engaging budge, the wheel exerting a horizontal force that is combined with a vertical local weight force acting on the wheel to create a resultant force vector at a center of the wheel, the wheel chock being configured and disposed to help maintain the resultant force vector in a path passing below the top end of the main body so as to substantially prevent the wheel from moving upwards relative to the wheel chock and ultimately rolling over the wheel chock; and
wherein the main body of the wheel chock includes a bottom base portion having a bottom tire-engaging point, the bottom tire-engaging point being spaced apart from the tire tread when the tire tread initially contacts the bulge engagement point on the tire-engaging budge.
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