Wickes Manufacturing Company

Lee K Graves

John W Frankila

Alan Parr

A step support for mounting an exterior assist step on a vehicle body structure comprises a U-shaped tubular support member having a pair of intermediate portions interconnecting a step-supporting portion and a pair of spaced free ends which are mounted to the body structure, with the intermediate and step-supporting portions projecting outwardly of the vehicle. A plurality of pairs of aligned upper and lower through holes are formed in the step-supporting portion for receiving bolts therethrough to mount the step on the support. A reinforcing collar is formed integrally on the tubing adjacent each through hole by flow drilling to enable tightening of the fasteners to clamp the step and support together without deforming the tubing. A pair of auxiliary support stirrups are each welded to the tubular support member and have their free ends adjustably mounted on the body structure to the body structure to provide a 4-point mounting of the tubular support member on the body structure. Each stirrup is made from tubing that is flattened at the stirrup bottom where it engages the tubular support member and is resistance projection welded thereto.

Vehicle auxiliary assist step assembly

An adjustable foot rest for an occupant of an automobile has a floor board, comprising an inflatable bladder mounted on the floor board, a foot pad mounted on the chamber for engagement by the occupant's foot, and mean for variably inflating the bladder to selectively position the foot pad. The inflating means comprises a source of compressed air, air distribution means including a valve for selectively connecting the chamber to the source and to atmosphere, and control means controlling operation of the valve to selectively position the foot pad. The inflatable bladder has a plurality of flexible chamber arranged in accordion fashion to enable substantially linear movement of the foot pad between extreme inflated and deflated positions. The foot pad and bladder are imbedded in a carpet cutout in the floor board for movement of the foot pad between a deflated position substantially flush with the carpet surface and a fully inflated position substantially displaced above the carpet surface.

Automobile foot rest

A lumbar support for a motor vehicle seat or the like is provided. The support includes a pair of vertically mounted bands supported by an upper support band and a bracket, respectively. The vertical bands are bowed towards the front of the seat. An adjustment band is pivotably mounted to a rotatable plate on the bracket for controlling the bowing of the vertical bands. A spring is mounted between the upper support band and the bracket and pulls them towards each other.

Growing community of inventors

Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States of America

Lee K Graves