Two-position step for buses

Claim 2

In a vehicle body having a door opening, a door for openably closing a portion of said opening and a floor structure, said floor structure having an opening therein to a stepwell adjacent the lower portion of said door opening, a step arrangement comprising: a closure and step frame; means defining a first horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting said closure and step frame thereon for rotation about said first horizontal axis; a step panel; means mounting said step panel on said closure and step frame for pivotal movement relative thereto; a control link; means defining a second horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting a first end of said control link thereon for rotation of said control link about said second horizontal axis; and means connecting a second end of said control link to said step panel, said control link upon pivotal movement of said closure and step frame about said first horizontal axis defining a plurality of positions of said step panel relative to said frame and to said vehicle body including a first position wherein said step panel forms a horizontal surface closing said stepwell opening in said floor structure and a second position wherein said step panel is inverted relative to said first position and forms a horizontal step surface on said vehicle below said floor structure.

Claim 3

In a vehicle body having a door opening, a door for closing a portion of said opening and a floor structure, said floor structure having an opening therein to a stepwell adjacent the lower portion of said door opening, a step arrangement comprising: a closure and step frame; means defining a first horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting said step frame thereon within said stepwell for pivotal movement about said first horizontal axis between raised and lowered positions, said closure and step frame in the raised position thereof closing the remainder of said door opening and in the lowered position thereof providing a substantially horizontal support surface at the lower margin of said door opening; a step panel including an upper and a lower surface; means mounting said step panel on said closure and step frame for pivotal movement relative thereto; means on said step panel upper surface for detecting the presence thereon of foreign bodies; tread means on said step panel lower surface; a control link, means defining a second horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting thereon a first end of said control link for rotation of said control link about said second horizontal axis; and means connecting a second end of said control link to said step panel, said control link upon pivotal movement of said closure and step frame from said raised to said lowered position defining a plurality of positions of said step panel relative to said closure and step frame and to said vehicle body including a first position occurring in the raised position of said closure and step frame wherein said step panel closes said floor opening at the level of said floor structure with said detection means exposed and a second position occurring in the lowered position of said closure and step frame wherein said step panel is inverted relative to said initial position and reposes on said horizontal support surface provided by said closure and step frame in the lowered position thereof with said tread surface being exposed to form a step surface on said vehicle body below floor level and said detection means being concealed against said support surface.

Claim 4

In a vehicle body having a door opening, a door for closing a portion of said opening and a floor structure, said floor structure having an opening therein to a stepwell adjacent the lower portion of said door opening, a step arrangement comprising: a closure and step frame; means defining a first horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting said step frame thereon within said stepwell for pivotal movement about said first horizontal axis between raised and lowered positions, said closure and step frame in the raised position thereof closing the remainder of said door opening and in the lowered position thereof providing a substantially horizontal support surface at the lower margin of said door opening; a step panel including an upper and a lower surface; means mounting said step panel on said closure and step frame for pivotal movement relative thereto; means on said step panel upper surface for detecting the presence thereon of foreign bodies; tread means on said step panel lower surface; a control link, means defining a second horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting thereon a first end of said control link for rotation of said control link about said second horizontal axis; and means connecting a second end of said control link to said step panel, said control link upon pivotal movement of said closure and step frame from said raised to said lowered position defining a plurality of positions of said step panel relative to said closure and step frame and to said vehicle body including a first position occurring in the raised position of said closure and step frame wherein said step panel closes said floor opening at the level of said floor structure with said detection means exposed and a second position occurring in the lowered position of said closure and step frame wherein said step panel is inverted relative to said initial position and reposes on said horizontal support surface provided by said closure and step frame in the lowered position thereof with said tread surface being exposed to form a step surface on said vehicle body below floor level and said detection means being concealed against said support surface.

Claim 5

In a vehicle body having a door opening, a door for openably closing a portion of said opening and a floor structure, said floor structure having an opening therein to a stepwell adjacent the lower portion of said door opening, a step arrangement comprising: a closure and step frame; means defining a first horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting said closure and step frame thereon within said stepwell for pivotal movement about said first horizontal axis between a raised position and a lowered position, said closure and step frame in the raised position thereof closing a portion of said door opening and in the lowered position thereof providing a substantially horizontal surface at the lower margin of said door opening; actuator means for driving said closure and step frame between said raised and lowered positions; an energy source linked to sAid actuator for powering the latter; a step panel including an upper surface and a lower surface; a hinge mounting said step panel on said step frame for pivotal movement relative thereto, said hinge including a flexible and extensible web member permitting limited linear displacement of said step panel relative to said step frame; pressure sensitive covering means on said step panel upper surface for detecting the presence thereon of foreign bodies; circuitry linking said pressure sensitive covering means and said energy source so that upon detection of foreign bodies on said pressure sensitive covering means, operation of said actuator means is rendered impossible; tread means on said step panel lower surface; a control link; means defining a second horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting thereon one end of said control link for pivotal movement of said control link about said second horizontal axis; and means pivotally connecting the other end of said control link to said step panel, said control link upon pivotal movement of said closure and step frame from said raised to said lowered position thereof defining a plurality of positions of said step panel including a first position, occurring in the raised position of said closure and step frame, wherein said step panel forms a horizontal closure for said floor opening at floor level with said pressure sensitive covering means exposed and a second position occurring in said lowered position of said closure and step frame wherein said step panel is inverted relative to said first position and reposes on said horizontal surface provided by said closure and step frame in the lowered position thereof with said tread means exposed to form a step surface on said vehicle body below floor level and with said pressure sensitive covering means concealed between said step panel and said step frame yet operative through said flexible and extensible web member to detect the presence of foreign bodies on said exposed tread surface.

Claim 6

In a vehicle body having a door opening, a door for openably closing a portion of said opening and a floor structure, said floor structure having an opening therein to a stepwell adjacent the lower portion of said door opening, a step arrangement comprising: a closure and step frame; means defining a first horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting said closure and step frame thereon within said stepwell for pivotal movement about said first horizontal axis between a raised position and a lowered position, said closure and step frame in the raised position thereof closing a portion of said door opening and in the lowered position thereof providing a substantially horizontal surface at the lower margin of said door opening; actuator means for driving said closure and step frame between said raised and lowered positions; an energy source linked to sAid actuator for powering the latter; a step panel including an upper surface and a lower surface; a hinge mounting said step panel on said step frame for pivotal movement relative thereto, said hinge including a flexible and extensible web member permitting limited linear displacement of said step panel relative to said step frame; pressure sensitive covering means on said step panel upper surface for detecting the presence thereon of foreign bodies; circuitry linking said pressure sensitive covering means and said energy source so that upon detection of foreign bodies on said pressure sensitive covering means, operation of said actuator means is rendered impossible; tread means on said step panel lower surface; a control link; means defining a second horizontal axis on said vehicle body and mounting thereon one end of said control link for pivotal movement of said control link about said second horizontal axis; and means pivotally connecting the other end of said control link to said step panel, said control link upon pivotal movement of said closure and step frame from said raised to said lowered position thereof defining a plurality of positions of said step panel including a first position, occurring in the raised position of said closure and step frame, wherein said step panel forms a horizontal closure for said floor opening at floor level with said pressure sensitive covering means exposed and a second position occurring in said lowered position of said closure and step frame wherein said step panel is inverted relative to said first position and reposes on said horizontal surface provided by said closure and step frame in the lowered position thereof with said tread means exposed to form a step surface on said vehicle body below floor level and with said pressure sensitive covering means concealed between said step panel and said step frame yet operative through said flexible and extensible web member to detect the presence of foreign bodies on said exposed tread surface.