Step member for tractor

In a tractor having an exposed lower frame portion susceptible to encountering obstacles and having a vertically oriented outer surface, a step member attached to and depending from the outer surface of said frame portion, said step member comprising a horizontal foot supporting plate having an aperture formed adjacent each end of the supporting plate, said foot supporting plate being U-shaped in cross section and having a pair of depending legs, a pair of flexible cables, each of said cables having the lower end thereof rigidly fixed with a coupling member having a projection that extends through one of the apertures in supporting plate and is of a size that allows limited pivotal movement of the coupling member relative to the supporting plate, a cap secured to each projection between said depending legs of said foot supporting plate for connecting the latter to the cables, a pair of L-shaped brackets for connecting the upper ends of said cables to said outer surface of the frame portion, each of said L-shaped brackets having a vertical leg and a horizontal leg, a pivotal connection connecting the vertical leg to said outer surface with the horizontal leg being rigidly fixed with the upper end of the associated cable so as to laterally space said cable from the outer surface, the arrangement being such that said foot supporting plate is free to pivot in a vertical plane about the pivotal connection of each vertical leg of said pair of brackets when the tractor is moving in a fore or aft direction and the foot supporting plate encounters an obstacle.