Folding step for pickup trucks

Claim 1

A foldable step assembly for use on a pickup truck equipped with a vertically positioned tailgate and a rear bumper arranged outwardly of said tailgate and having a flat top surface comprising: a substantially flat top step formed of aluminum, a first pair of right angle members having a common side of each member secured to the underside of said top step, means for pivotally mounting common ends of said first pair of right angle members to the top surface of the rear bumper of a pickup truck at spaced points juxtapositioned to its tailgate so that said common side of each of said first pair of right angle members lies across substantially the width of the top surface of said bumper, a pair of right angle support brackets each pivotally mounted at common ends one to each of the other ends of said first pair of right angle members, said other ends of said first pair of right angle members being provided with a first pair of edges perpendicularly arranged to the pivotal movement of said support brackets and forming a first stop for limiting the pivotal movement of said support brackets in a direction toward said top step, a substantially flat bottom step formed of aluminum, a second pair of right angle members having a common side of each member secured to the top surface of said bottom step, means for pivotally connecting common ends of said second pair of right angle members one to each of the free ends of support brackets, a common surface of said support brackets forming a second stop for limiting the pivotal movement of said second pair of right angle members about the free ends of said support brackets when said bottom step reaches substantially a horizontal position, the underside of said top step being notched to receive the top of a ball hitch mounted on the bumper.