GB2099060A

GB2099060A - An attachment for a ladder

Info

Publication number: GB2099060A
Application number: GB8213766A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-05-16
Filing date: 1982-05-12
Publication date: 1982-12-01
Also published as: GB2099060B

Abstract

An attachment for a ladder, to improve its stability, comprises two telescopic divergent legs 15 welded to a support element 13 which is clamped to a rung 14 of the ladder. The legs 15 are connected by a crossbar which, in one mode of use, bears against the strings of the ladder. A further telescopic member 23 is pivotally mounted at one end on the cross-bar 21, and the opposite end of the member 23 may be clamped to another rung of the ladder to provide additional stability in alternative modes of use of the attachment. The attachment may also be used as a stand-off support at the upper end of the ladder. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An attachment for a ladder The invention provides an attachment for a ladder which may be used to improve the stability of the ladder when it is leaning against a vertical wall, particularly where the base of the ladder is resting on uneven ground. The attachment may also be used as a stand-off device to hold the upper end of the ladder away from the wail against which it is leaning.

As is well known, ladders of the kind which, in use, are leant against a vertical wall tend to be unstable, particularly if the foot of the ladder is resting on uneven ground or if the ladder is an extending ladder of considerable height. In view of this inherent lack of stability it is usually recommended that the base of the ladder be anchored in some way, for example by tying the foot of the ladder to posts sunk into the ground, and that the upper end of the ladder be tied to a fixture on the wall. However, not only is this inconvenient and time-consuming but in some cases, for example where the foot of the ladder is resting on a concrete or paved base, it is difficult to provide the necessary anchoring and there may also not be any convenient projection to which the upper end of the ladder can be tied.

The instability of the ladder derives largely from its narrowness at its foot in relation to its height, and the attachment according to the invention, in one of its uses, may be used to increase the effective width of the ladder at its foot and thereby improve its stability.

According to the invention there is provided an attachment for a ladder comprising a support element shaped for engagement with a rung of the ladder, and two legs connected to said element and extending divergently away therefrom so that, in use, the free ends of said legs rest on the ground and are spaced apart by a greater distance than the feet of the strings of the ladder to which the attachment is connected.

The support element may be shaped at least partly to embrace a rung of the ladder. For example, the support element may be elongate and generally channel-shaped in cross-section, a rung of the ladder being received in the channelsection.

Preferably connecting means are provided for positively securing the support element to the rung of the ladder which it engages. The connecting means may comprise at least one connecting link element, opposite ends of which may be connected to the support element in such manner that the rung of the ladder may be embraced and retained between the support element and connecting link element.

The legs of the attachment are preferably extensible, e.g. telescopic, means being provided for securing the legs in an extended condition.

In a preferred embodiment the support element lies parallel to but outside the general plane containing the two legs, and is connected to the legs by suitably shaped end portions thereof, The legs of the attachment may be connected together by a cross-bar at a location spaced from said support element, and in the case where the support element is elongate said cross-bar is preferably parallel thereto.

The attachment preferably further comprises a member, e.g. a telescopic strut, which, in use, connects another rung of the ladder to a part of the attachment spaced from said support element.

The member may be pivotally connected to the aforementioned cross-bar, and connecting means, of the kind previously referred to, are preferably provided for positively securing said member to the rung of the ladder which it engages.

The following is a more detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a ladder fitted with an attachment according to the invention, Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the lower part of the ladder of Figure 1, showing the attachment, Figures 3 and 4 are similar views to Figure 1 showing alternative methods of use of the attachment, and Figure 5 is an enlarged section through one of the connectors for mounting the attachment on the ladder.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the ladder is a conventional wooden or metal ladder comprising two longitudinal strings 10 connected by spaced parallel rungs 11.

The attachment 12, shown in position at the lower end of the ladder, comprises a support element 13 which is of a curved channel-shape in cross-section and partly embraces a rung 14 of the ladder. The support element 1 3 is positively connected to the rung 14 by a connector 9 of a kind which will be described in greater detail with reference to Figure 5.

Two diverging legs 1 5 extend downwardly from the support element 13, each leg comprising a tubular metal portion 1 6 curved at its upper end, as indicated at 17, and welded to the support element. Further tubular portions 18 of smaller cross-section are slidably received within the lower ends of the portions 1 6. Thus the effective length of each leg 1 5 may be adjusted by sliding the portions 1 8 into or out of the portions 16.The lower end of each portion 1 6 is formed with a longitudinal slit 19, and lugs welded to the tubular portion on opposite sides of the slit are interconnected by a wing-headed screw 20 by means of which the sides of the slit may be pressed together, thus clamping the lower end of the portion 1 6 tightly around the portion 1 8 to secure it against sliding movement.

The upper portions 1 6 of the legs 1 5 are connected by a horizontal cross-bar 21 spaced from and parallel to the support element 13.

A sleeve 22 encircles the cross-bar 21 so as to be rotatable thereon, and welded to the sleeve 22 is one end of a portion 24 of a telescopic strut 23.

The two relatively slidable portions 24 and 25 of the strut may be clamped together in a required position by a further wing-headed screw arrangement 20. Stops 26 are provided on the cross-bar 21 to prevent axial movement of the sleeve while permitting rotation thereof.

The end of the portion 25 of the strut 23 remote' from the cross-bar 21 has secured thereto a transverse element 27 of a curved channel-shape in cross-section, and a further connector 9 may be used to secure the element 27 to a rung of the ladder in certain uses of the attachment, which will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

In the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2, the telescoping portions 18 of the legs 15 of the attachment are adjusted so as to rest firmly on the ground when the ladder is in use, and the legs 1 5 may be adjusted to be of different overall lengths so as to accommodate unevenness in the ground, as shown in Figure 2. A suitably sized block 34 may be placed beneath the foot of one of the strings of the ladder for additional stability.

The lengths of the legs 1 5 are so adjusted that the lower ends of the legs lie approximately on a line connecting the feet of the strings 10, as shown in Figure 1. The arrangement is such that, where the rungs of the ladder are spaced the conventional distance apart, the cross-bar 21 bears against the strings 10 of the ladder when in this position.

In the mode of use shown in Figures 1 and 2, the strut 23 is not required for the stability of the ladder and may thus be left to hang freely downwards, as shown. In some circumstances, however, particularly where the ladder is resting on flat and level ground, the stability of the ladder may be improved by adjusting the length of the legs and positioning the strut 23 so that the attachment is in the position shown in Figure 3, where the line connecting the lower ends of the feet 1 5 is spaced from and parallel to the line joining the lower ends of the strings 10 of the ladder.

In this position the transverse element 27 on the strut 23 partly embraces a rung 28 of the ladder spaced below the rung 1 4 to which the support element is connected, and is connected to the rung 28 by a further connector 9.

Thus, the position of the attachment 12 with respect to the ladder may be adjusted by swinging it about the rung 14 so that the legs 1 5 extend away at an angle from the general plane of the ladder, and the attachment then provides an essentially four-point support for the ladder, increasing its stability. It is found that such an arrangement reduces any tendency for the lower end of the ladder to slide away from the wall against which the ladder is leaning.

The connector 9 for positively securing the transverse element 27 of the strut 23 to the rung 28 is shown in greater detail in Figure 5. The connector 9 securing the support element 13 to the rung 14 is of similar construction and will not therefore be described in detail.

Referring to Figure 5, the connector 9 comprises a U-shaped bolt 29 having threaded ends 30. The bolt embraces the rung 28 which the channel-shaped transverse element 27 engages, and the threaded ends 30 of the bolt pass through holes in lugs 31 welded to the tubular portion 25 of the strut 23, and receive clamping nuts 32. A metal saddle 33 is welded to the inside of the bolt 29 to distribute the pressure of the bolt over the rung 28.

It will be appreciated that, in each of the abovedescribed arrangements, by combining the attachment 12 with the ladder the effective width of the foot of the ladder is increased, thus improving its stability.

In Figure 3 the attachment is shown connected to the upper part of a ladder so as to act as a stand-off to hold the upper end of the ladder away from the wall against which it is leaning. As is well known, such a stand-off is desirable when the ladder would otherwise rest against an outwardly projecting gutter or eaves as indicated at 35 in Figure 4.

Claims

1. An attachment for a ladder comprising a support element shaped for engagement with a rung of the ladder, and two legs connected to said element and extending divergently away therefrom so that, in use, the free ends of said legs rest on the ground and are spaced apart by a greater distance than the feet of the strings of the ladder to which the attachment is connected.

2. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the support element is shaped at least partly to embrace a rung of the ladder.

3. An attachment according to claim 2, wherein the support element is elongate and generally channel-shaped in cross-section, a rung of the ladder being received in the channel-section.

4. An attachment according to any of claims 1 to 3, including connecting means for positively securing the support element to the rung of the ladder which it engages.

5. An attachment according to claim 4, wherein the connecting means comprise at least one connecting link element, opposite ends of which may be connected to the support element in such manner that the rung of the ladder may be embraced and retained between the support element and connecting link element.

6. An attachment according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the legs are extensible, means being provided for securing the legs in an extended condition.

7. An attachment according to claim 6, wherein the legs are telescopic.

8. An attachment according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the support element lies parallel to but outside the general plane containing the two legs, being connected to the legs by suitably shaped end portions thereof.

9. An attachment according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the legs of the attachment are connected together by a cross-bar at a location spaced from said support element.

1 0. An attachment according to claim 9, wherein the support element is elongate and said cross-bar is parallel thereto.

11. An attachment according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a member which, in use, may connect another rung of the ladder to a part of the attachment spaced from said support element.

12. An attachment according to claim 11, wherein said member is adjustable in length whereby the attitude of the legs with respect to the ladder may be varied.

13. An attachment according to claim 12, wherein said member comprises a rigid strut which is longitudinally adjustable.

14. An attachment according to claim 13, wherein the strut is telescopic.

1 5. An attachment according to any of claims 11 to 14 in which the legs of the attachment are connected together by a cross-bar at a location spaced from said support element, wherein said member is connected to the cross-bar.

1 6. An attachment according to claim 15, wherein said member is pivotally connected to the cross-bar.

1 7. An attachment according to any of claims 11 to 16, including connecting means for positively securing said member to the rung of the ladder which it engages.

18. An attachment according to claim 17, wherein a transverse element is connected to the end of said member, and said connecting means comprise at least one connecting link element, opposite ends of which may be connected to the transverse element in such manner that the rung of the ladder may be embraced and retained between the transverse element and connecting link element.

19. An attachment for a ladder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.