Safety device for vehicles

Claim 1

A SAFETY DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE HAVING A DOOR FRAME WITH STEPS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME, SAID STEPS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTAL TREADS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL PLATE, FIRST MEANS TO SECURE SAID PLATE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWEST OF SAID TREADS IN SUCH MANNER THAT SAID PLATE ALWAYS REMAINS IN HORIZONTAL POSITION, SAID FIRST MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND VERTICAL MEMBERS POSITIONED AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PLATE, EACH MEMBERS HAVING FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL INCLINED SLOTS, FIRST AND SECOND INCLINED ARMS SECURED AT EACH OF SAID OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE PLATE AND EACH BEING ASSOCIATED WITH A CORRESPONDING SLOT, EACH INCLINED ARM HAVING AN ELEMENT SLIDABLY CONNECTING SAID EACH INCLINED ARM TO THE CORRESPONDING SLOT AND FIRST AND SECOND HORIZONTALLY CONNECTING ARMS, EACH CONNECTING ARM BEING JOINED BETWEEN THE CORRESPONDING PAIR OF INCLINED ARMS AND HAVING AN UPWARD VERTICAL EXTENSION AND SECOND MEANS WHICH, WHEN ACTUATED, RAISES SAID PLATE TO A POSITION IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID LOWEST TREAD, SAID SECOND MEANS WHEN DEACTUATED PERMITTING SAID PLATE TO FALL BY GRAVITY TO GROUND LEVEL, SAID SECOND MEANS INCLUDING A HORIZONTAL SHAFT ROTATABLE ABOUT ONE END THEREOF IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, THE OTHER END OF SAID SHAFT BEARING AGAINST ONE OF SAID EXTENSIONS WHEN SAID SECOND MEANS IS ACTUATED TO CAUSE SAID PLATE TO BE RAISED, AND THIRD MEANS COUPLED TO SAID SECOND MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID SECOND MEANS UNDER THE MANUAL CONTROL OF THE OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE.