Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Safety device for ground-supported ladder
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-12-11
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Safety device for ground-supported ladder
C182S214000, C182S121000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328130
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to accessories for a ladder that expand and augment the uses of a ladder. The invention may also be used to enhance the safety features of a ladder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ladders are typically comprised of a series of tubular rungs spaced apart at regular intervals and connected to and spanning a pair of longitudinal side rails. For purposes of weight reduction, and to minimize cost, in most instances the ladder's rungs are hollow and are fastened to the longitudinal side rails in such a manner that the ends of each rung are exposed along the exterior surface of each side rail. Ladders may be of a fixed length, such as a single section ladder or a step ladder. Ladders may also be of a variable length, such as in the case of an extension ladder.
Others have proposed the insertion of a variety of different devices and accessories into the hollow interior of a ladder's rung to provide support mechanisms, means to hang objects and devices from the ladder, and for a variety of other reasons. However, such prior devices tend to be complicated structurally, difficult and expensive to manufacture, and their attachment to the ladder is often difficult and time consuming. Such pre-existing devices are also severely limited in their capacity to assist in securing or maintaining the base or foot of a ladder securely to the ground or an object, and provide little assistance when ladders are used on elevated structures such as on the roof of a house or building. There is therefore the need for ladder accessories that may be easily and quickly secured to a ladder, that are simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and that enhance the safe operation of the ladder in a wide variety of different applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore provides accessories for releasably securing to a ladder that are simple to apply, inexpensive to manufacture, and enhance the use and/or safe operation of a ladder.
Accordingly, in one of its aspects the invention provides an accessory for releasably securing to a ladder, the ladder being of the type having a series of generally parallel, hollow, evenly spaced, tubular, open ended rungs spanning and passing through a pair of longitudinal side members, the accessory comprising at least one stabilizing arm for stabilizing and supporting the ladder when leaned against a building or structure, said stabilizing arm having a generally U-shaped configuration with a pair of generally parallel leg members, said leg members spaced apart by a distance approximating the distance between the centers of adjacent ladder rungs, each of said leg members ending in a ladder rung engaging member having a fore and an aft end and receivable within the hollow interior of a ladder rung, said ladder rung engaging members oriented in a convergent configuration such that insertion of said ladder rung engaging members into the hollow interiors of a pair of ladder rungs causes said fore and aft ends of said ladder rung engaging members to bind against opposite sides of the interior surfaces of the ladder rungs to releasably secure said stabilizing arm to the ladder.
In a further aspect the invention provides an accessory for releasably securing to a ladder, the ladder being of the type having a series of generally parallel, hollow, evenly spaced, tubular, open ended rungs spanning and passing through a pair of longitudinal side members, the accessory comprising a pair of stabilizing arms for stabilizing and supporting the ladder when leaned against a building or structure, said stabilizing arms having a generally U-shaped configuration with a pair of ladder rung engaging members receivable within the hollow interiors of a pair of ladder rungs, said ladder rung engaging members oriented in a convergent configuration so that the fore and aft ends of said ladder rung engaging members bind against opposite sides of the interior surfaces of the rungs to releasably secure said stabilizing arms thereto; a safety rail, said safety rail having at least one pair of leg members releasably securable to opposite sides of the ladder such that when secured to the ladder said safety rail presents an enclosure to limit the likelihood of falls by individuals when working on a ladder; and, a pair of hand rails, one of said hand rails releasably securable to each side of the ladder to provide assistance to individuals working and climbing thereon.
In a further aspect the invention provides an accessory for releasably securing to a ladder, the ladder being of a type having a series of generally parallel, hollow, evenly spaced, tubular, open ended rungs spanning and passing through a pair of longitudinal side members, the accessory comprising at least one stabilizing arm for stabilizing and supporting the ladder when leaned against a building or structure, said stabilizing arm having a pair of leg members joined at one end, said leg members at their opposite ends ending in ladder rung engaging members, said ladder rung engaging members having a fore and an aft end and receivable within the hollow interior of a ladder rung, said ladder rung engaging members oriented in a convergent configuration such that insertion of said ladder rung engaging members into the hollow interiors of a pair of ladder rung causes said fore and aft ends to bind against opposite sides of the interior surfaces of the ladder rungs and to thereby releasably secure said stabilizing arm to the ladder.
In a still further aspect the invention provides an accessory for releasably securing to a ladder, the ladder being of the type having a series of generally parallel, hollow, evenly spaced, tubular, open ended rungs spanning and passing through a pair of longitudinal side members, the accessory comprising a tool hanger having attached thereto a ladder rung engaging member, said ladder rung engaging member of a dimension to allow for insertion into the hollow interior of a tubular ladder rung, said ladder rung engaging member being arched, with an apex and fore and aft ends, such that when inserted into the hollow interior of a ladder rung said apex and said fore and aft ends of said arched ladder rung engaging member contact and bind against the interior surface of the ladder rung to releasably secure said accessory thereto.
In another aspect the invention provides an accessory for releasably securing to an extension ladder to permit the ladder to be used on the inclined roof of a building or structure, the ladder being of the type having a series of generally parallel, hollow, evenly spaced, tubular, open ended rungs spanning and passing through a pair of longitudinal side members, the accessory comprising at least one ridge hook releasably securable to the upper end of the extension ladder and for hooking over the peak of an inclined roof, said ridge hook including at least one ladder rung engaging member with a fore and an aft end, said ladder rung engaging member receivable within the hollow interior of a ladder rung, said fore and aft ends of said ladder rung engaging member binding against opposite sides of the interior surface of the ladder rung to releasably secure said ridge hook thereto; and, at least one ladder locking device to releasably secure separate sections of the extension ladder together and prevent their accidental separation.
In yet a further aspect the invention provides an accessory for releasably securing to an extension ladder to permit the ladder to be used on the inclined roof of a building or structure, the ladder being of the type having a series of generally parallel, hollow, evenly spaced, tubular, open ended rungs spanning and passing through a pair of longitudinal side members, the accessory comprising at least one ridge hook releasably securable to the upper end of the extension ladder and for hooking over the peak of the inclined roof; and, at least one ladder locking device to releasably secure separate sections of the extension ladder together and prevent their accidental separation, said ridge hook and said at least one ladd
Chin-Shue Alvin
Merek & Voorhees
LandOfFree
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