GB2182086A - Ladder attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

A ladder attachment comprising connecting means including two pairs of hook forming members 15, 18 by means of which the attachment can be adjustably connected to rungs of a ladder 10, 11, 12, and a pair of legs 22, 23, 24, 25 of adjustable length and connectable to the connecting means through swivel joints, whereby, with the use of spacer bars 32, 33, the legs can be set at alternative predetermined angles relatively to the length of the ladder. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ladder attachment This invention relates to a ladder attachment for improving the stability of a ladder when in use leaning against a vertical wall or other structure, the attachment being intended to stabilise the ladder at its base or as a standoff device to hold the ladder away from the surface against which it is leaning.

It is well known that ladder stability, particularly where the foot is resting on uneven ground, is not good, due to the ratio of the width of the foot to the length of the ladder.

It is usual, therefore, to anchor the ladder in some way by means of a tie, to a post in the ground or to the vertical wall, but such expedients may be inconvenient or impossible to provide in some cases, but they are also time consuming and often unreliable.

It has therefore been proposed to improve stability by effectively increasing the width at the foot. Similar considerations apply when the device is used as a stand-off, in which the effective width of contact on the wall is greater than would be the case with the ladder by itself.

G.B. Patent No. 2,099,060 (R. Kings) describes and claims a ladder attachment to which these principles have been applied, the attachment 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 a supporting surface and are spaced apart by a greater distance than the strings of the ladder to which the attachment is connected, the legs being adjustably extensible and means being provided for securing the legs in adjusted condition.

It is the object of this invention to provide a ladder attachment, based on the same principles, but having improvements which render the attachment more versatile.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a ladder attachment comprising means for connecting the attachment to rungs of a ladder, said means including spaced pairs of hook forming members presented towards one another and adjustably spaced apart and arranged, in use, to engage spaced rungs of the ladder respectively, and a pair of legs arranged to extend laterally divergently relatively to the length of the ladder, the legs having respective means whereby their lengths are adjustable, the legs being engaged with the connecting means through mountings whereby the legs can be set at alternative predetermined angles relatively to the length of a ladder.

Preferably each of the legs is engageable with the connecting means through a swivel joint near one end and can engage directly with a similar joint at a position spaced from the said end, or can be connected with that joint through the intermediary of a spacer bar.

When a leg is engaged with the two joints directly, the leg extends generally parallel but laterally divergent from a ladder to which the attachment is connected.

When a leg is engaged with the first swivel joint and with the other joint through the intermediary of a spacer bar, the leg extends at a predetermined angle with respect to the length of a ladder and also laterally divergent therefrom.

Two alternative spacer bars can be used to set the legs at alternative predetermined angles with respect to the length of the ladder.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a ladder to which is fitted a ladder attachment constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the ladder attachment in an alternative position; and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the ladder attachment in a still further alternative position.

The drawings show a typical ladder construction including spaced parallel stringers 10, 11 connected by rungs 12. The ladder illustrated is metal but it is to be understood that the invention can be applied to other types of ladder.

Figure 1 shows a ladder attachment constructed in accordance with the invention fitted near the foot of the ladder to be used to effectively increase the width at the base of the ladder. The attachment comprises a ladder connecting means which includes a pair of spaced parallel tubes 13, 14 having hook forming members 15 welded to their lower ends. These hook forming members in this example are short lengths of tube attached at an angle to the lengths of the tubes 13 and 14. Into the upper ends of the tubes 13, 14 there are telescopically engaged further tubes 16, 17, each of which has, at its upper end, a hook forming member 18 which is in the form of a flat bar welded to the end of the tube 16, 17 respectively. Screw clamps 19 are provided to enable the tubes 16, 17 to be locked in selected positions relatively to the tubes 13 and 14.By this means adjustment of the effective length of the connecting means can be carried out so that the hook forming means 15 and 18 can engage on respective spaced rungs. Since the hook forming members are directed towards one another a secure locking arrangement is provided.

Welded to the two spaced tubes 13, 14 at right angles thereto are two transverse tubes 20, 21. These are spaced along the lengths of the tubes 13, 14 and are parallel to one another and have open ends.

The four tubes 13, 14, 20, 21 form a rigid structure which can be securely connected to the rear of the ladder as shown in Figure 1.

Two legs are engaged with the connecting means to extend laterally and divergently relatively to the length of the ladder. Each leg comprises a main tube 22, 23, into the lower end of which is telescopically engaged a further tube 24, 25. These have feet 26 at their lower ends and there are screw clamps 27 whereby the tubes 24, 25 can be locked in the tubes 22, 23 respectively to adjust the effective lengths of the two legs. Figure 1 shows the legs adjusted to different legs, to take up the difference in levels, where this is applicable, due to uneven ground or to the presence of a step or the like.

Near the upper end of each leg there is a short tube 28 and at a position spaced therefrom is a further parallel longer tube 29. The tubes 28, 29 are slideably engageable in the tubes 20, 21, which are spaced apart by the same distance, for this purpose. A stop in the form of a grub screw 30 is provided in the tube 29 to limit inward travel of the tube 29 into its associated tube 21.

As seen in Figure 1, the assembly results in the two legs being positioned laterally divergently at the base of the ladder to provide good stability. Independent adjustment of the legs enables uneveness of the ground on which the ladder may be standing to be accommodated.

Figure 2 shows an alternative position for the attachment wherein the connecting means is fitted near the lower end of the ladder in the same way as described in relation to Figure 1.

The legs are fitted by inserting their short tubes 28 into the upper tube 20 of the connecting means but the longer tubes are not engaged in the lower tube 21 of the connecting means. Instead, a pair of flat spacer bars, 31, 32 are used. Each such bar has a short spigot 33 at one end to engage in the end of the tube 21 and at the other end is a hole to accept the tube 29 on the leg tube 22, 23.

The hole in the end of the spacer bar 31, 32 has a notch to allow passage of the stop 30 but as seen in Figure 2 the spacer bar has to take up a position other than that in which its spigot 33 will engage in the tube 21, to allow the stop 30 to pass through the notch.

Connecting the two spacer bars 31, 32 is an elastic strap 34. This serves to hold the two spigots 33 into the ends of the tube 21 and the other ends of the spacer bars 31, 32 are held at the correct parallel spacing by engagement with the respective stops 30 on the tubes 29.

It can be seen that the connection between the shorter tubes 28 at the upper ends of the main tubes 22, 23 of the legs, with the respective opposite ends of the tube 20 of the connecting means, form swivel joints whereby the legs have been allowed to swing away from the general plane of the ladder so as to take up an angle, for example, of 45" though the legs still have laterally divergent configuration relatively to the ladder.

Figure 3 shows the attachment in a still further alternative position for use as a stand-off.

The attachment is connected to the ladder at an appropriate higher level to hold the upper end of the ladder clear of the vertical surface against which it is leaning. The legs are required to stand perpendicularly or generally perpendicularly to the ladder and, for this purpose, the spacer bars 31, 32 shown in Figure 2 are replaced by longer spacer bars 35, 36 are connected by an elastic strap 37, The attachment is therefore versatile but provides a rigid structure in each adjusted position to provide high stability characteristics.

Claims (7)

1. A ladder attachment comprising means for connecting the attachment to rungs of a ladder, said means including spaced pairs of hook forming members presented towards one another and adjustably spaced apart and arranged, in use, to engage spaced rungs of the ladder respectively, and a pair of legs arranged to extend laterally divergently relatively to the length of the ladder, the legs having respective means whereby their lengths are adjustable, the legs being engaged with the connecting means through mountings whereby the legs can be set at alternative predetermined angles relatively to the length of the ladder.

2. A ladder attachment as claimed in claim 1 in which each pair of legs is engageable with the connecting means through a swivel joint near one end and can engage directly with a similar joint at a position spaced from the said end, or can be connected with that joint through the intermediary of a spacer bar.

3. A ladder attachment as claimed in claim 2 in which spacer bars of two alternative lengths can be used to set the legs at alternative angles with respect to the length of the ladder.

4. A ladder attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the connecting means comprises two parallel tubes into one end of each of which respective further members engage telescopically, said two tubes having, at their other ends, respective hook forming members and the said further members also having respective hook forming members at their outer ends.

5. A ladder attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the connecting means includes a pair of parallel tubes extending, in use, transversely with respect to the length of the ladder to which the attachment may be fitted, the opposite ends of these tubes being arranged to telescopically receive respective members connected to the legs to locate the legs at opposite sides of the connecting means respectively.

6. A ladder attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the legs comprise respective tubes into which further members are telescopically engaged, clamping means being provided to lock the members in respective adjusted positions.

7. A ladder attachment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.