AU2005200664A1 - Ladder stabilizing attachments - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT LADDER STABILIZING ATTACHMENTS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of perfonring it known to us.

*1 I Ladder Stabilizing Attachments Inventors W R Cooper (Pages 1- 8, Figs 1-12) The current design of ladders presents.a number of potential hazards to the users, mainly from overbalancing, and the slide out movement of the ladder to the side or away from its vertical support. A!so tilting caused by rotation about its upper support (such as a pole or a tree) and the recommended angle of 75 degrees to the horizontal, (or 4 to for ladder placement, designed to minimize the chance of slipping, can create a further hazard.

This invention is designed to give stability to the whole ladder, help to prevent sideways or 1o backward movement, slippage of the base and reduce tilting or rotation due to unsatisfactory support. It will also allow a smaller angle of placement, with accompanying improvement in the users safety It is designed so that it can be built into new ladders as well as being easily fitted and adapted to existing ladders. It can be a permanent attachment, and or fitted as a separate detachable unit (with or without a permanently attached unit) if special features for special purposes are required It is simplistically designed for quick and easy use, light in weight and unobtrusive in ladder stacks. (Fig 2) The ladder stabilizing invention basically is made up of two or more long stabilizing legs attached to the upper part of a ladder by universal joints and capable of forming a triangular or multi angular pyramid with the ladder. The universal joints allow the stabilizing legs (SLs) to be positioned laterally when the ladder is in situ against a wall, thereby reducing the possibility of lateral movement of the ladder from side to side, and when placed at an angle from the vertical and towards the ladder, the tendency for the base of the ladder to slip outwards from the wall.

The SLs are designed to stabilize rather than take the full weight from the ladder, and so are fitted with a spring loaded foot socket designed to absorb overloading due to ladder flexing and sagging and to prevent SL movement due to irregular movements of the operator.

For simplicity the special case when only two Sis are fitted will be described but the design, the principles and the functioning applies to the fitting of any number of SLs.

It is recognized that ladders can be used on many different surfaces, soft and hard, rough and smooth, and the basic structural principal can be varied to minimize presenting hazards. On soft 1111 I Ladder Stabilizing Attachments 2 ground a base plate can be used below the foot socket. Fig On smooth or low friction surfaces Ic rigid strip ties Fig can be fitted to the SLs and ladder to reduce the possibility of outward slip, 4 and or the universal joints can be rigidly clamped.

With the two SLs angled away from the wall in the direction of the ladder base the, the potential outward slip of the ladder is reduced, and the 75 degree angle of the ladder to the ground can be reduced with increased convenience and safety.

0, Construction: The stabilizing legs Fig 1 are connected to the ladder by universaljoints 2 on either N 10 side attached to a connecting support bar 20, that goes through the centre hollow space in a rung.

They are made of strong light metal, fiberglass, plastic, or other rigid material capable of standing the stresses involved. On the lower ends they have a spring loaded foot socket 3 as well as, if necessary, a foot plate.4. The SLs can be folded along the length of the ladder, Fig and held in place with retaining clips for easy handling and storage. The SLs can have rigid hinged ties fitted to reduce the possibility of outward slippage on low friction surfaces Fig 5 that can be folded away when not in use Alternately a cord attached to the ladder and each SL to hold the three units in a triangular configuration may be satisfactory.

The foot sockets 3 are constructed of metal or other rigid material of the same profile as the SLs but slightly larger so that the SLs will slide easily within the unit Figs and and the foot socket thereby forms a loosely fitting casing around the lower end of the SL.. The lower end of foot socket is sealed 8 and encased by a rubber, or soft non skid material surround. 9. The lower end of the SL is sealed 10 and between this and the sealed end of the foot socket 8 is a coiled compression spring. 11. A longitudinal guide slot 12 is cut in the side of the foot socket outer casing and a guide pin 13 fitted through this slot into the enclosed SL.

This mechanism now allows the SL to move up and down within the limits of the guide slot to a lower position where the spring is completely compressed to an upper position where the SL is up to several cms above the spring. The function of this unit 3 is to minimize overloading and movement due to the ladder flexing and producing either increased or decreased pressure along the SLs.

A foot plate Fig 14 may be necessary as a separate adjunct on soft or slippery surfaces (such as grass). It is considerably larger than the foot socket, is recessed deeply 15 to take the foot socket,

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Ladder Stabilizing Attachments 3 and has one or more holes 16 through it to take securing spikes. 17 The bottoms are ridged rubber or other non skid material. 18.

Alternately a fixed foot plate could be used with other means of attachment Fig such as a ball joint ending to the foot socket 19 inset and secured into a spherical recessed foot The upper end of the each S.L. Fig and (10) is cornnected to the support bar 20 by a universal joint. 2 The universal joints fit closely to the ladder 21 with sufficient clearance to allow completely free movement of the S.L.s. but minimal sideways movement of the support bar within the rung.

Position of Support Bar:: For Single steps or a folding step ladder, The support bar may be inserted through the centre of any rung. If the rungs are irregular, then through the cavity in the rung, or if the rungs are solid, a male threaded attachment would need to be affixed on either side of the ladder. The SLs,with foot socket attached, can be made or cut to any length, but preferably about 5 to l0cms shorter than the distance from the top universal to the bottom of the ladder.

For best stability, if possible, the bar should be inserted on the top rung of single steps or a stepladder. Fig (1) Extension Ladder: As a permanent fixture the bar should be fitted preferably to the top rung of the lower section, and the S.L.s. should be made or cut to approximately 5-10cms shorter than the distance from the top universal to the bottom of the ladder. For storage and handling, and when not in use, the S.L.s.

should be folded close to, and in line with the outer side beam of the ladder, and held in place at the lower end by a Velcro fastener or a holding clip. Fig (2) An extension ladder if required can be fitted with a second set of stabilizing legs closer to the top of the extension section.

The second support bar would be fitted to a selected rung in the upper portion, and a longer set of S.L.s made or cut so that their length is approximately the corresponding distance to the base of the ladder when extended. These longer SLs, being considerably longer than the ladder when not extended, can be attached to or detached from the support bar either before or after the ladder has been extended, by inserting or removing the SL pivoting bolts. Fig Alternately telescopic Ladder Stabilizing Attachments 4 extendable SLs can be fitted to a support bar in an upper rung of the extension, which, when S collapsed are no longer than the un-extended ladder, to allow for easier storage and handling.

F4 Universal Joints The Universal Joints as shown in the diagrams Figs (9 10 are made up of a universal end bearing 26 slotted at one end to the width of the SL, 23 and having a hollow (female) socket at ID the other end threaded to the size of the threaded end of the support bar.24 S Each slotted end is drilled to accommodate the SL pivoting bolt 22 which secures the similarly drilled stabilizing leg. 1. The slot is sufficiently deep so that the SL can freely rotate through 180 N 10 degrees about the SP pivoting bolt. Both universal joints are similar.

The diameter of the support bar 20 should be such that it loosely fits the hollow centre of the ladder rung, and is free to rotate within the rung. The bar should be of sufficient length that when fitted to the ladder the thread protrudes sufficiently on both sides for the end bearing to be screwed on securely.

One end bearing has a locking screw 24 which, when the bearing has been securely screwed onto the support bar, locks it tightly onto the bar.

When assembling, the other end bearing is screwed up firmly against the ladder and loosened by rotating it anti-clockwise by /4 of a turn.

The movement of the SLs foreward and backwards is now facilitated by the unpinned end bearing rotating on the support bar while the lateral movement of the SLs takes place about the SL pivoting bolts.

If special circumstances require, the second end bearing can also be secured with a locking device, temporally locking the end bearing onto the support bar 25 thereby preventing it's rotation relative to the opposite end bearing. Should the support bar be replaced by two universal joints, one fitted to either side of the ladder, a locking device would be used for both sides.

This invention is not confined to the use of only two stabilizing legs as described, nor to the use of only an extra two SLs on the upper section of an extension ladder. A second pair of SLs can be attached to any support bar. Similarly at any other point along the ladder, additional SLs can be positioned, forming an array of SLs, all capable of individual positioning Figs (11) and (12) Ladder Stabilizing Attachments Drawing Labels 1. Stabilizing legs (Fig 1) 2. Universal Joints Va NO 3. Spring loaded Foot Socket 0 o 4. Foot Plate t 5. Rigid Hinged Ties] 6. Ties Folded Away 7. Foot Socket Outer Casing 8. Foot Socket Sealed Base 9. Foot Socket Rubber Surround Lower End of SL Sealed 11. Compression Spring 12. Guide Slot 13. Guided Pin 14. Foot Plate] Deeply Recessed Foot plate 16. Spike Holes 17. Spikes 18. Non Skid Material 19. Ball Joint Ending Foot Socket Figs (10) Universal Joint 20 Support Bar 21 Close Fitting to Ladder 22 SL Pivoting Bolts 23 Universal End Bearing Slotted 24 Locking Screw 25 Locking Device 26 End Bearing 27 Multiple array of SLs, Fig (11) (12).

Claims (4)

1. The ladder stabilizing attachments device comprises two or more long individually movable and positioning, strong stabilizing legs attached by a universal joint mechanism to the IND IND ladder, allowing the legs to be placed in various pbsitions to stabilize the ladder, and a foot 0 o socket attached to the bottom of each stabilizing leg to minimize overloading and movement Vfl of the leg caused by ladder flexing or irregular operator movement, together with a detachable o 10 footplate for special conditions.

I The ladder stabilizing attachments device of claim 1, whereini the stabilizing legs are constructed of strong light metal, fibre glass, plastic, or other rigid material, capable: of standing the stresses involved, and are both attached at the upper end to a universal joint j oi ned to its pair on the opposite side of the ladder by a connected support bar, and each leg thereby being capable of free foreward, backward and sideways movement, to allow selective placement of the lower end of the leg on any surface, for maximum stability of the ladder.

3. The foot socket device of claim I wherein the construction is of metal or other rigid material of the same profile as the Stabilizing Legs, but slightly larger so that the leg will slide easily into the socket and rest, when the leg is positioned on the ground, on a compression spring within the base of the foot socket Fig.

4. The foot socket device of claim W& wherein a longitudinal slot cut in its side allows the stabilizing leg by means of a guide pin inserted in the leg to move down on the spring when under compression, to above the spring, with upward movement of the leg, all with limited excursion. The foot socket device of clause 3, wherein the base of the socket in contact with the ground, or other bearing surface, is encased in an end pad made of rubber or other like non skid material, and a slot facility for a spike for added anchorage of the foot socket, if needed. Ladder Stabilizing Attachments 7 o 6 The foot plate device of Clause I wherein a separate non attached device becomes necessary on soft or unstable ground is made in a larger plate form,, recessed to take the foot socket, or any other end construction of the foot socket, with spike holes, to take ground pinning spikes, and a non skid base, 7 The universal joint device of Claim 1 wherein a support bar which traverses through the IND centre of a rung in the ladder is threaded at both eh'ds, and has threaded onto it at both ends a 0 o similarly internal threaded (female) end bearing which in turn is sintted on the other end to the '4Thsize of the stabilizing leg, the two then secured with a pivoting bolt, such that the stabilizing o 10 leg can rotate longitudinally and laterally while the end bearing can rotate vertically. 8 The Universal Joint device of claim 7, if using a support bar through the centre of a rung is not possible or desirable may alternately have the universal joints attached to the ladder by clamping, bolting, or otherwise securing. 9 The Foot Socket device of claim I whereby any spring, hydraulic mechanical or any other arrangement either attached to the SLs or detachable and separate, whose function is to absorb and or modify the compression or decompression within the SLs due to ladder flexing or regular or irregular movement of the operator. The ladder stabilized Attachment device comprises a system which allows support for the ladder from higher levels than allowed by other ladder structures so that the possibility of sideways movement and backward movement of the base of the ladder is minimized, and while the positioning of the stabilizing legs backward hrorn the point of support of the top of the ladder, reduces potential back slip, positioning higher legs foreward, reduces pressure on the upper support and reduces any pivoting tendency from lower stabilizing legs. 11 The Ladder Stabilizing Attachment device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. William A. Cooper 10"' February 2005 Rosemary J. Cooper i4