GB2275722A

GB2275722A - Ladder stabilisation apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2275722A
Application number: GB9304193A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Rutherford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-03-02
Filing date: 1993-03-02
Publication date: 1994-09-07
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-02
Also published as: GB9304193D0; GB2275722B

Abstract

An apparatus for stabilizing the base of a ladder, comprises two generally triangular side members which extend on either side of the ladder. The apices of the side members are linked by a rod (20) which passes through a hollow rung of the ladder in order to secure it to the apparatus. Between the base parts (4, 6) of the side members, one or more rods (26, 28, 30) are provided for engagement with the foot of the ladder. The bases of the side members are provided with ground engaging surfaces having a frictional outer layer (8) for engagement with smooth and firm surfaces such as concrete floors. The apparatus may also be reconfigured so that the opposite sides of the bases engage the ground, and these surfaces are provided with projections (12) for engagement with a soft surface such as earth. By mounting the apparatus near the top of a ladder, rather than at its foot, the apparatus may be used to engage the ladder with the pitch of a roof, or to hold the ladder away from a wall, Figs 4 and 5. <IMAGE>

Description

LADDER STABILISATION APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for stabilising a ladder when in use in order to prevent it slipping.

Ladders suffer from the problem that care must be taken when using a ladder to avoid the bottom of the ladder slipping and causing an accident. Usually this is prevented by having a second person standing at the foot of the ladder to hold it firmly. This is obviously inefficient in that two people are required to do a task which could otherwise be done by one person.

Furthermore, ladders are often used for roof work to allow a worker to move along the roof without any risk of damage to the tiles. Securing the ladder to the roof can be a problem.

Viewed from one broad aspect the present invention provides ladder stabilization apparatus comprising two generally triangular members arranged in use to extend on respective sides of a ladder, each said triangular member comprising a base member and a pair of side members, means for engaging the ladder at the apex of each said triangular member defined by the meeting of said side members, and means for limiting pivotal movement in use of said ladder about the axis extending between said apices.

By means of this apparatus, it is possible to provide stable as well as versatile support for the ladder. If the apparatus is arranged so that the base members rest on a ground, the base of the ladder can be stably supported. Alternatively if the apparatus is fixed to an upper region of the ladder, it can also serve as a wall brace to support the ladder away from the wall. This same type of arrangement also allows the same apparatus to act as a roof bar. In such cases the base members would hook over the apex of a roof.

Preferably the side members comprise at least two arms pivotally connected to each respective base member.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, two pairs of arms pivotally connected to the base members are provided on opposed ends thereof. The arms may releasably engage the ladder at any desired point. It is possible that the ladder engaging means engage with a rung of the ladder with for example hooks of the like.

However, with suitable ladders of for example aluminium it is preferred that a rod or the like pass through the hollow rung of the ladder, said rod being secured at either end by a respective pair of arms.

The means for limiting pivotal movement of the ladder may comprise a frictional surface particularly when the apparatus is arranged at the base of the ladder. Alternatively or additionally, the limiting means may be provided by one or more protrusions, hooks or the like on the base member which engage a suitable part of the stiles to prevent movement of the ladder.

For example, in the case where the base member is provided by two parallel members, the movement limiting means comprise at least one bar extending perpendicular to and between the parallel base members. Thus, the ladder movement limiting member also has the function of strengthening the apparatus. Preferably more than one projection, bar or the like is provided so that the angle of the ladder relative to the base member can be selected as desired.

The lower surface eg. the ground or roof engaging surface of the base members may be provided with a frictional part to prevent slipping when the ground surface or roof is of concrete, tarmac, tiles or the like. A frictional surface may be provided by a coating of rubber or any other suitable material, or a rubber grip, rubber pads or the like. The frictional surface may additionally be provided with a tread or the like to further increase the friction between the apparatus and the ground or roof to reduce the slipping further.

Alternatively, the ground engaging surface of the base members may be provided with teeth, prongs or the like for the digging into a relatively soft ground surface such as shingle, earth or grass on which the ladder may be standing to thereby cause engagement between the apparatus and the ground.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the base members are provided with both types of surface on opposed sides of that member so that the desired surface can be selected. In the case where the ladder engaging means are provided by pivotal arms, these arms can be pivoted to form a triangle above either side of the base.

Viewed from a second aspect, the present invention provides ladder stabilization apparatus comprising means for coupling the apparatus to the ladder and a ground or like surface engaging member comprising first and second ground engaging surfaces, said first surface being adapted for engaging a first type of ground surface and said second surface being adapted for engaging a second different type of ground surface, said ground engaging member being switchable between a first position in which only said first surface engages the ground and a second position in which only said second surface engages the ground.

Viewed from a third aspect of the invention, there is provided ladder stabilization apparatus comprising a ground or like surface engaging member and a ladder engaging member comprising a rod which, in use, is arranged to pass axially through a hollow rung of a ladder, and support means connected to said base member and arranged to support each end of said rod.

Viewed from a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for engaging a ladder on a pitched roof comprising a roof engaging member arranged to extend along the plane of a roof surface on one side of a roof apex whereby in use, a ladder is arranged to extend on the other side of said apex and means for selectively attaching said roof engaging member to said ladder to maintain the angle of the ladder and the engaging member at substantially the same angle as that of the apex of the roof.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a ladder stabilising apparatus; Figure 2 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 when fitted to the bottom of a ladder for use on a flat, hard surface; Figure 3 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 when fitted to the bottom of a ladder for use on a soft, sloping surface; Figure 4 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 when fitted to the upper end of a ladder to support it away from a wall or the like; and Figure 5 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 when fitted to the upper end of a ladder to support the ladder when on a roof.

As illustrated in the figures and, in particular, Figure 1, the stabilization apparatus 2 comprises two parallel, spaced apart, ground or roof engaging members 4 and 6. The under surface 8 of these two members 4 and 6 is generally planar and provided with a rubber grip which is designed to increase the friction between these two base members 4 and 6 and a ground surface such as concrete or tiled roof surface in order to prevent slipping of the apparatus. As will be discussed in more detail below, the upper surface 10 of the two members 4 and 6 may itself become the under surface and contact the ground. This second ground engaging surface 10 is provided with a series of teeth, spikes, prongs or the like 12 which are adapted to dig into relatively soft ground such as grass, soil or shingle.

Pivotally connected to each end 14 of the base member 4 and 6, on the side of the base member facing the other member, is a side member 16. The side members 16 on the same base member 4 or 6 can be pivoted so that their free ends 18 lie next to one another forming with the respective base member 4 and 6 a triangular shape.

Each free end 18 is provided with a hole 22 through which a ladder engaging rod 20 extends.

Ladder engaging rod 20 is arranged to extend through a hollow rung of an aluminium ladder as well as through holes 22 at the ends 18 of the four side members 16. Each end of the rod 20 is provided with a thread to allow nuts 24 to be screwed thereon. Thus as will be appreciated, when nuts 24 are removed, rod 20 can be removed from the ladder rung and side members 16. These side members 16 can be pivoted so that second surface 10 is then in contact with the ground and surface 8 is uppermost.

Two ladder angling rods 26 and 28 extend perpendicularly between the two base members 4 and 6.

These angling rods 26 and 28 are spaced apart by a distance a little larger than width of the stile of a typical aluminium ladder. To select the angle of the ladder, the stiles of the ladder are either placed between angling rods 26 and 28 as shown in Figure 2, 4 or 5 or to one side of both of the rods 26 and 28 such as shown in Figure 3. These angling rods 26 and 28 limit relative movement between the apparatus and the ladder.

Finally, the apparatus is provided with a spacer member 30 which extends perpendicularly between the two base members 4 and 6 to give extra stability to the apparatus. This spacer member 30 can also act as a ladder angling rod in certain instances. In these circumstances the stiles of ladder would rest against this member.

In use, the desired surface 8 or 10 is selected for base member 4 and 6 depending on the surface on which the apparatus is to rest. The stiles of a ladder are placed either between angling rods 26 and 28 or to one side thereof depending on the angle which the ladder is required to adopt. The ladder engaging rod 20 is then fed sequentially through the holes 22 of two adjacent side members 16, a suitably positioned hollow rung of the ladder and the holes 24 of the remaining two side members. Nuts 24 are fastened to each end of the rod 20 to maintain the apparatus in the desired position.

Thus as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the apparatus can be attached to the lower end of a ladder with the desired surface 8 or 10 of the base members in contact with the ground. As will be seen particularly from Figure 3, the apparatus can be used on a sloping surface to stabilise a ladder.

Alternatively, the apparatus can be attached to an upper end region of the ladder such as shown in Figure 4. This is particularly advantageous when it is required that the upper end of the ladder be spaced apart from a wall or the like.

The apparatus can also be used for fixing the ladder to a roof such as shown in Figure 5. Obviously, the angle of the apparatus to the roof is selected depending on the pitch of the roof.

The apparatus may be constructed of metal, such as aluminium, or any other suitable material, provided it is sufficiently strong. While the overall width of the apparatus may be chosen at will, it is preferably not substantially greater than the width of the ladder so as not to inconveniently increase the ladder dimensions.

Claims

1. A ladder stabilization apparatus comprising two generally triangular members arranged in use to extend on respective sides of a ladder, each said triangular member comprising a base member and a pair of side members, means for engaging the ladder at the apex of each said triangular member defined by the meeting of said side members, and means for limiting pivotal movement in use of said ladder about the axis extending between said apices.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side members comprise at least two arms pivotally connected to each respective base member.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein an arm is pivotally connected to each end of each base member.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the arms are arranged to releasably engage the ladder at any desired point thereof.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for engaging the ladder comprises a rod or the like arranged to pass through a hollow rung of the ladder, said rod being secured at either end by a respective pair of arms.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for limiting pivotal movement of the ladder is provided on the base member(s) and is arranged to engage a suitable part of the stiles of a ladder to prevent movement of the ladder.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pivotal movement limiting means comprises at least one bar extending perpendicular to and between the parallel base members.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein more than one pivotal movement limiting means is provided so that the angle of the ladder relative to the base member can be selected as desired.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a ground engaging surface of the base members is provided with a frictional part to prevent slipping when the surface with which it engages in use is of concrete, tarmac, tiles or the like.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein a ground engaging surface of the base members provided with teeth, prongs or the like for the digging into a relatively soft ground surface such as shingle, earth or grass on which the ladder may be standing thereby to cause engagement between the apparatus and the ground.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the base members are provided with first and second opposed ground engaging surfaces, the arrangement being such that the desired surface can be selected.

12. A ladder stabilization apparatus comprising means for coupling the apparatus to the ladder and a ground or like surface engaging member comprising first and second ground engaging surfaces, said first surface being adapted for engaging a first type of ground surface and said second surface being adapted for engaging a second different type of ground surface, said ground engaging member being switchable between a first position in which only said first surface engages the ground and a second position in which only said second surface engages the ground.

13. A ladder stabilization apparatus comprising a ground or like surface engaging member and a ladder engaging member comprising a rod which, in use, is arranged to pass axially through a hollow rung of a ladder, and support means connected to said base member and arranged to support each end of said rod.

14. An apparatus for engaging a ladder on a pitched roof comprising a roof engaging member arranged to extend along the plane of a roof surface on one side of a roof apex whereby in use, a ladder is arranged to extend on the other side of said apex, and means for selectively attaching said roof engaging member to said ladder to maintain the angle of the ladder and the engaging member at substantially the same angle as that of the apex of the roof.

15. A ladder stabilising apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.