US3203658A - Support bracket - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 31, 1965 c. F. BROWN ,203,

SUPPORT BRACKET Filed April 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. EARL F 5120mm.

ATTYS Aug. 31, 1965 c. F. BROWN 3,203,658

SUPPORT BRACKET Filed April 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 4 INVENTOR.

CARL E .EZHUl YN.

.ATTZYE.

United States Patent 3,203,658 SUPPORT BRACKET Carl F. Brown, 7 Jackson St., Norwalk, Ohio Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 363,370 Claims. (Cl. 248-211) This invention relates to a support bracket to be removably attached to a ladder and which includes a convenient hook or other attaching means for suspending objects, such as a paint bucket, to be used by the person on the ladder. More specifically, this invention relates to a support bracket which may be easily interlocked with the rung and rail of an ordinary ladder and which may be attached to either the left or right side of the ladder in both a forward and backward position.

Of the several types of pail supporting brackets commonly used by painters and other workers, a common defeet is the fact that none of these brackets can be used on both the left and right-hand side of a ladder and in a manner suspending the pail either below the ladder in a for- Ward position (toward the supporting wall) or a backward position (away from the supporting wall). A variety of positions is highly desirable, of course, depending on whether the painter or worker is right or left-handed, and depending upon the desired relationship of the location of the paint bucket, etc. to the work. For instance, it is often desirable to locate the paint bucket in a forward position near the wall which is being painted. However, in other instances, it may be desirable to locate the paint bucket in a backward position away from the wall if the painter is working on a ceiling, etc., or where the uppermost portions of the ladder are close to the supporting wall and there is insufiicient room between the ladder and wall for the bracket and bucket.

Another shortcoming of the support brackets now used is that, due to their construction, they cannot be used upon telescoping extension ladders where the rails of one ladder pass closely adjacent the rails of the second. Also, because of the fact that many of the prior art support brackets do not interlock with the rail and rung of the ladder, they will not safely support the paint bucket or other bucket when an extensible ladder is being extended or contracted or when the ladder is being moved.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a supporting bracket for use with a ladder which may be removably attached on either the left or right rail of a ladder in either a forward or backward position, as described.

It is another object of this invention to provide a support bracket which, because of its unique design, may be easily but securely interlocked with the rail and rung of a ladder in a variety of positions and which provides a steady support means for a paint bucket or other object and which cannot be knocked loose by a minor jar to the ladder.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a supporting bracket which may be used in conjunction with a double extension ladder and which, when attached to the rail of one section of an extension ladder, will not interfere with the adjacent section of the extension ladder but will permit extension and contraction of the sections of the ladder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in the following specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective of the preferred embodiment of this invention shown in FIGURE 1, clearly showing the details of construction;

FIGURE 3 illustrates, in perspective, a small section of 3,Zll3,fi58 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 a ladder with the support bracket of this invention removably attached in four positions; and

FIGURE 4 illustrates, in perspective, a short section of an extension ladder with the support bracket of this invention attached in six additional positions.

Referring specifically to FIGURES 1 and 2, the illustrated preferred embodiment of the support bracket of this invention, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, includes a pair of parallel spaced apart elongate members 11 connected at their upper ends by a cross member 12. The cross member 12 is preferably slightly curved, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, to approximately conform to the curvature of a ladder rung when the support bracket is attached in a manner illustrated in FIGURE 3. tending at right angles from the elongate members 11 are parallel arms 13. One of the arms 13 includes an upwardly extending portion or finger 14, as shown in FIG- URE 2, which terminates in an outwardly extending terminal member 15. The other arm 13 includes a downwardly extending hook 16. The hook 16 comprises a support leg 17 and a return leg 18 which continues beyond the arm 13 and includes an upper section which is parallel to the upward portion or finger 14- on the other arm 13. The return leg 18 terminates in a second terminal member 19 which is parallel to and spaced apart from the terminal member 15, as is shown in FIGURE 2.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the distance between the elongate members 11, the arms 13, and the terminal members 15 and 19, as well as the distance between the elongate members 11 and the upward portion or finger Maud the upper section of the return leg 18, as is indicated by the dimension d in FIG- URE 2, is approximately equal to the width or smallest dimension of a standard ladder rail. Thus, when the support bracket 10 is attached to a ladder rail in any of the positions illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, it snugly hugs the ladder rail and cannot be inadvertently shaken loose; When so dimensioned, a spring action or slight bending of the cross member 12 or the arms 13 will press the adjacent members against the ladder rail and securely hold the support bracket 10 in position in each of the illustrated positions.

FIGURE 3 illustrates four positions in which the support bracket 10 of this invention may be advantageously used. The upper two positions shown in FIGURE 3 illustrate the support bracket 10a or 1012 in a position in which the paint bucket or other container is held away from the wall supporting the ladder. These positions, which may be described as the right rearward and left rearward positions, are particularly advantageous when the painter or other worker is working in an area which is relatively remote from the surface of the wall supporting the ladder or when there is not sufficient clearance between the ladder and the wall for the bracket 10 and bucket in the forward position.

The lower two positions in FIGURE 3 show the bracket 10c and 10d in the right forward and left forward positions in which the paint bucket or other container is suspended in a direction towards the wall supporting the ladder. Thesepositions are particularly useful when the worker is painting or otherwise preparing the wall which supports the ladder. The choice of either the right or left-hand position is dictated by whether the painter is working to the right or left of the ladder or whether the painter is right or left-handed. As is clearly seen in FIGURE 3, in each of the positions 10a through 10d, the support bracket is securely attached to the ladder by looping the elongate members 11 and cross member 12 around the ladder rung and securing the ladder rail between the elongate members 11 and the upper portion or finger 14 or the upper section of the return leg 18.

FIGURE 4 illustrates six additional positions in which the support bracket of this invention may be attached to a ladder. These positions are particularly useful when an extension ladder, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, is used. In the position designated as 10e, the elongate members 11 and cross member 12 are looped around the ladder rail and one of the elongate members 11 rests upon the ladder rail. In this position, the inner elongate member 11 and its associated arm 13 etc., are snugly adjacent the inner side of the outer rail and do not interfere with the inner rail of the other ladder section which is spaced apart a distance suflicient to permit insertion of the support bracket therebetween.

Position 10 is similar to position 10a except that the bracket 10 is inverted and the terminal members 15 and 19 point downwardly as shown. Positions 10g and 1011 are right and left rearward positions, respectively. In each of positions 10c through 10g, the hook 16 is outside the outer rail and holds the bucket away from the sliding inner rail of the extension ladder.

Positions 101' and 10 also shown in FIGURE 4, are two additional positions in which the support bracket 10 may be used. In these positions, the hook 11 is adjacent the inner side of the ladder rail and extends towards the support wall.

In positions 1011 through 10d, shown in FIGURE 3, the terminal members 15 and 19 project outwardly from the ladder rails and may be used as convenient hooks to suspend a paint brush or other tool when not in use. These terminal points may also be used as pry points for opening paint cans, etc. Due to the fact that the support bracket 10 of this invention is snugly secured around the ladder rail, a paint scraper or putty knife, often used by painters, may be conveniently wedged between the outside of the ladder rail and the adjacent part of the support bracket.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made in the specific details of the preferred embodiment described above without departing from the spirit of the attached claims.

What I claim is:

1. A support bracket for suspending objects from a ladder comprising, in combination, a pair of parallel, spaced apart legs joined at one end by a cross member, a first arm extending from the other end of the first of said legs normal to the plane of said parallel legs, a finger extending from the end of said first arm parallel to said first leg to form an open slot therewith, a second arm extending from the other end of the second of said legs parallel to and spaced apart from said first arm, an elongate hanger means extending from the other end of said second arm with a return portion extending beyond the other end of said second arm to form a second finger parallel to said second leg and forming an open slot therewith.

2. The support bracket of claim 1 wherein the distance between said spaced apart legs and the width of said slot between said legs and said fingers parallel to said legs is substantially equal.

3. The support bracket of claim 2 wherein said cross member is arcuate shaped.

4. The support bracket of claim 2 including a terminal member extending from the free end of each of said fingers away from said spaced apart legs.

5. A support bracket comprising a pair of parallel, spaced apart elongate members connected at one end by an arcuate cross piece, an arm extending from the other end of each of said elongate members in a direction normal to the plane of said elongate members and said cross piece, the first of said arms including a first return leg generally parallel to said elongate members and a first terminal member parallel to said arms and extending away from said elongate members, an elongate support loop extending from the second of said arms in a direction away from said cross piece, the return portion of said support loop passing adjacent to and extending beyond said second arm and comprising a second return leg generally parallel to and spaced apart from said first return leg, and a second terminal member extending from said second return leg parallel to said first terminal member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 982,604 1/ ll Harring 2482l1 1,811,065 6/31 Stroebel 248-211 2,503,108 4/50 Glandville 2482l1 FOREIGN PATENTS 775,664 5/57 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SUPPORT BRACKET FOR SUSPENDING OBJECTS FROM A SAID LEGS NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF SAID PARALLEL LEGS, A LADDER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PAIR OF PARALLE, SPACED APART LEGS JOINED AT ONE END BY A CROSS MEMBER, A FIRST EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF THE FIRST OF FINGER EXTENDIN FROM THE END OF SAID FIRST ARM PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST LEG TO FORM AN OPEN SLOT THEREWITH, A SECOND ARM EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF THE SECOND OF SAID LEGS PARALLEL TO AND SPACED APART FROM SAID FIRST ARM, AN

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