Loading ramps

Claim 1

A LOADING RAMP COMPRISING A BASE, A RAMP PLATE AND MEANS MOUNTING THE RAMP PLATE FOR UPWARDLY ARCUATELY EXTENDING MOVEMENT FROM A REAR STORED POSITION THROUGH AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION TO A FORWARD LOADING POSITION, AND VICE VERSA, SAID MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CONNECTING ARMS, MEANS PIVOTING SAID CONNECTING ARMS ADJACENT ONE END TO THE BASE ABOUT RESPECTIVE COEXTENSIVE FIRST PIVOT AXES AND ADJACENT THE OTHER END TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RAMP PLATE ABOUT RESPECTIVE COEXTENSIVE SECOND PIVOT AXES PARALLEL TO THE SAID FIRST PIVOT AXES, A HELICALLY WOUND TORSION COIL SPRING DISPOSED WITH ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS COEXTENSIVE WITH ONE OF SAID PIVOT AXES, A PAIR OF SPACED SPRING ENGAGING MEANS CARRIED BY ONE CONNECTING ARM ADJACENT THE SPRING AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH A RESPECTIVE END PORTION OF THE SPRING UPON DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE RAMP PLATE BEYOND SAID INTERMEDIATE POSITION TOWARD RESPECTIVELY SAID FORWARD AND SAID REAR POSITIONS TO WIND THE SPRING AND OPPOSE TO WEIGHT OF THE RAMP PLATE WITH THE SPRING FORCE, AND SPACED STOP MEANS FOR ENGAGING THE END OF THE SPRING OPPOSITE TO THAT ENGAGED BY THE OPERATIVE SPRING ENGAGING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING TORSION IN THE SPRING DURING THE SAID WINDING OF THE SPRING.