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Claim 1

IN A RAMP ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR RAMP BODY HAVING A FRONT END AND ALSO HAVING A REAR END ADAPTED TO BE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS AT ITS REAR PORTION IN AN OPEN-FRONTED WELL FORMED IN A LOADING DOCK PLATFORM; OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SAID RAMP BODY COMPRISING (A) A MOTIVATING TORSION BAR BENEATH SAID RAMP BODY, (B) MEANS RESTRAINING ONE END PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR AGAINST ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, (C) MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR TO SAID RAMP BODY AND RESPONSIVE TO UNTWISTING ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS TO TILT SAID RAMP BODY UPWARDLY, SAID CONNECTING MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID RAMP BODY, BY ADDITION OF A SUFFICIENT WEIGHT THERETO, TO OVERBALANCE THE TORQUE IN SAID TORSION BAR AND TO TWIST SAID OTHER END PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR WHEREBY SAID TORSION BAR CONTINUOUSLY EXERTS AN UPWARD YIELDING FORCE AGAINST SAID RAMP BODY, (D) MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TORSION BAR FOR POSITIVELY ANGULARLY ADJUSTING SAID RESTRAINING MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID CONNECTING MEANS TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF TWIST IN SAID TORSION BAR TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF UPWARD YIELDING FORCE APPLIED THEREBY AGAINST SAID RAMP BODY, (E) A SLIP BRAKING DEVICE CONNECTED TO SAID TORSION BAR AND NORMALLY RESTRAINING UNTWISTING ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER END PORTION OF THE TORSION BAR TO NORMALLY MAINTAIN SAID RAMP BODY IN A DEPRESSED POSITION, AND (F) MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SLIP BRAKING DEVICE FOR RELEASING THE SAME AND PERMITTING SAID TORSION BAR TO TILT SAID RAMP BODY UPWARDLY.