Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Safety device for ground-supported ladder
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-06-12
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Safety device for ground-supported ladder
C182S214000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244382
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an attachment for stabilizing and supporting an extension ladder a predetermined distance from a vertical surface to provide additional working space therebetween.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Extension ladders are often used in performing various tasks such as painting the exterior of buildings, trimming trees, washing windows, etc. The top end of the ladder is typically placed against a vertical surface such as the building or tree thereby providing minimal work space therebetween. Accordingly, a worker who ascends the ladder is positioned immediately adjacent the work surface which is awkward and tedious. Furthermore, when the extension ladder is resting against the work surface, it can easily shift or slide resulting in serious injury to the worker. The present invention provides a device securable to an extension ladder that securely anchors the ladder to a support surface while suspending the ladder a predetermined distance therefrom.
Various ladder safety attachment devices exist in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,916 issued to Schneider relates to an attachment designed to secure the top of a ladder to a tree or pole to prevent rocking or sliding. The device includes a platform with two sets of spikes. The first set of spikes is fixed and is designed to engage a tree or pole when the ladder and attachment are placed thereagainst holding the ladder in an initial position. An operator on the ladder can adjust the second set of spikes to engage various diameter trees or poles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,240 issued to Jones discloses a ladder and platform assembly for securing a ladder to a utility pole. The ladder is attached at one end to a platform and includes a pair of generally parallel spaced legs and a plurality of steps interconnecting the legs. The platform includes a latch assembly for stabilizing the platform when the platform is placed against the pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,031 issued to Ashley relates to an accessory positionable on top of a ladder having a pair of brackets which may be secured about the upper ends of the ladder rails. A laterally extending beam is secured to the brackets for resting on the upper rung of the ladder. The brackets each include a leg to which spaced sides of a work tray are journalled so that the tray may be rotated from an inoperative position overlaying the front of the ladder to an operative position extending transversely from the front of the ladder to the rear of the ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,378 issued to Williams et al relates to a ladder securing device comprising two connectors for attaching to the rungs of the ladder. One of the connectors includes a first rotatable element on which is mounted a second rotatable element.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,207 issued to Lurry relates to a ladder attachment including an adjustable frame assembly attachably connected to a section of a conventional extension ladder. The frame assembly cooperates with the side rails of the ladder to form a hook portion for extending over the ridge of a pitched roof thereby allowing the ladder to be supported in an inclined position on the roof
U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,419 issued to O'Hara relates to a ladder attachment including a spring biased rod adapted to frictionally engage the bottom surface of building eaves whereby the ladder is held in a substantially vertical operative position relative to the building.
Although various devices for securing a ladder to buildings and the like exist, none include all of the features and advantages of the present invention. The present invention includes a pair of spaced outer arms attachable to the ladder side rails that extend outwardly from the ladder to abut a vertical surface thereby supporting the top end of the ladder a predetermined distance therefrom. Furthermore, the distance between the arms may be selectively varied so that the arms tightly encompass an elongated vertical structure such as a pole or tree.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an attachment for stabilizing and supporting an extension ladder. The device comprises an elongated central portion having a pair of spaced side arms pivotably attached thereto. The central portion is securable to the ladder side rails with a pair of mounting brackets whereby the side arms extend outwardly relative to the ladder. Interconnecting the side arms is a cross member comprised of multiple independently pivoting sections that may be extended and collapsed. Extending from the cross member are a plurality of spikes for penetrating a tree or similar surface. A spring-biased translatable shaft is attached at one end to the cross member and at the other to the central portion for selectively varying the spacing between the arms. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ladder attachment that suspends a ladder a predetermined distance from a vertical surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a ladder attachment that secures the top end of a ladder to a vertical structure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 708443 (1902-09-01), Sibley
patent: 799782 (1905-09-01), Ellinger
patent: 1522292 (1925-01-01), Enssle
patent: 3100026 (1963-08-01), Sunshine
patent: 3146854 (1964-09-01), Terwilliger
patent: 3712419 (1973-01-01), O'Hara
patent: 4311207 (1982-01-01), Lurry
patent: 4363378 (1982-12-01), Williams et al.
patent: 4593790 (1986-06-01), Brewer
patent: 4643274 (1987-02-01), Tataseo
patent: 5242031 (1993-09-01), Ashley
patent: 5460240 (1995-10-01), Jones
patent: 5638916 (1997-06-01), Schneider
patent: 5664643 (1997-09-01), Taylor
patent: 6029774 (2000-02-01), Cothern
patent: 141308 (1903-05-01), None
Chin-Shue Alvin
Tolar Kenneth L
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