Treadplate construction for moving sidewalks

Claim 1

IN A PASSENGER CONVEYOR, A STEP-OFF ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A RELATIVELY FIXED MEMBER AND A RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS ADJACENT THE FORWARD END OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER FOR PROVIDING VERTICAL SUPPORT OF SAID MEMBER AT THE LATTER END ON FIXED CONVEYOR STRUCTURE, MEANS ADJACENT THE REARWARD END OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER COMPRISING A HINGE ADAPTED TO PROVIDE VERTICAL SUPPORT FOR THE LATER MEMBER ADJACENT SAID REARWARD END OF THE LATTER MEMBER, SAID HINGE COMPRISING A FIRST PIN SECURED TO THE RELATIVELY FIXED MEMBER, MEANS FORMING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OPENING SLOT IN SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER, SAID FIRST PIN BEING RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT, A SECOND PIN SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID STEP-OFF ASSEMBLY AND FREELY RECEIVED IN SAID MOVABLE MEMBER AND BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID FIXED MEMBER, SAID SECOND PIN RESISTING VERTICAL DOWNWARD DISPLACEMENT OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER RELATIVE THE RELATIVELY FIXED MEMBER ADJACENT SAID HINGE, SAID FIRST PIN PREVENTING VERTICAL UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER ADJACENT SAID HINGE, SAID FIRST FIXED MEMBER, SAID PINS PROVIDING FOR UPWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER OF SAID STEPOFF ASSEMBLY RELATIVE THE RELATIVELY FIXED MEMBER, SAID SLOT PROVIDING FOR DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBER FROM SAID RELATIVELY FIXED MEMBER AT A SELECTED POSITION OF RELATIVE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS.