Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1997-03-11
2001-08-07
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Combined
C248S210000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269907
ABSTRACT:
This application relates to material supports and more particularly to supports or arms slideably and lockably mounted in a tubular ladder rung.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Almost every household has an extension ladder with hollow tubular rungs or steps fixed between two parallel elongate members or rails. When using this ladder it is frequently required that the user have some equipment or the like that he or she will be using to do nailing, painting, cleaning or the like. As a matter of convenience some form of arm or arms is required that will support a tray or container. Applicant has provided arms that are slideably and lockably mounted within the hollow rung so that one or both of the arms can be made operational or they may be easily relocated to another hollow rung. One arm can be used by itself but used in pairs is most common. Both arms are fully retracted and locked when in position for transport or storage.
The best prior art known to applicant are U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,693 to Blann in 1978, U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,903 to Fazakerley in 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,659 to LaChance in 1984 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,957 to Lunden Jr. in 1994.
The patent to Blann, “693”, teaches a container support that passes completely through the ladder rung for retention. No provision is made for supporting a container on both sides of the ladder at the same time at the same elevation nor is there any provision for storage of the support on the ladder after use. Applicants device in contrast is extremely simple in that one main feature of the invention is an elongate body carrying a friction means to engage the inside of the rung and a torque applying means to cause engagement of the friction means and retain the container. If a container on each side of the ladder is required two such extendable arms are used.
The patent to Fazakerley, “903”, teaches an insertable section expandable to frictionally hold the device inserted inside the ladder rung. To the inserted section is pivotally attached a container support and a paint brush support as a unit. As mentioned above applicants device has an elongate body member with friction means mounted thereon which when rotated engages the inside of the rung. The arms of the instant invention will work only for the common “D” type rung or the like since the friction means must be inserted and rotated to engage the circular portion of the rung. A single arm rotated and locked easily holds a large paint container having a handle in a most advantageous position for full access to the paint. A single arm locked in position holding a bracket easily supports a smaller paint can in an easily accessible position at the same elevation if desired.
The patent to LaChance, “659”, teaches an adjustable ladder tray that requires pipes slideably received in ladder rungs, a tray clamped thereto and a slideable adjustment linking the tray to the pipes. Applicants device is different in that no two arms are found in two separate rungs, joined and supporting a tray.
The patent to Lunden Jr. “957” teaches a rigid circular first portion to support a tapered container at its top and a second elongate rigid U-shaped portion upturned at a free end and covered by a plastic hard surfaced sleeve and joined to the circular first portion. The second portion is inserted into a tubular ladder rung and retained thereby to support the first portion and container. As previously pointed out applicants simple device can hold a large or small paint container in a most advantageous position on either or both sides of the ladder. Rotational locking of an inserted elongate member is all that is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is desirable to carry out any task as expeditiously and as effortless as possible. To this end there is herein provided for use with a ladder having an irregularly shaped inner surface of a hollow rung, an arm or preferably a pair of arms, to support material required to carry out the task. Basically each arm comprises an elongate substantiably cylindrical means having a retaining and manipulating means at one end and a frictional means near the opposite end. As previously mentioned a pair of arms each one inserted in opposite ends of the hollow rung is often utilized to enable a multi-functional system as desired. As a pair the arms can also be connected in the stored position or various extended positions by a safety strip which engages a knob pin on each of the manipulating and retaining knob means. It is the irregular shape of the inner surface of the hollow rung that permits passage of the safety strip from one end to the other and slideable adjustment of the arm means with its raised frictional means which when rotated jams or locks against the major circular inner portion of the hollow rung. A single arm means can hold a large open container in a most accessible position. A single arm means can hold a smaller supported open container in a most accessible position at the same or different elevations singley or at the same time as the large container. The two arms extended at the same elevation can support an elongate tray with hangers each engaging one arm.
From the above summary it is readily discernible that the principal object of the present invention is to provide an extendable arm slideable and lockable in a hollow irregular shaped inner surface rung of a ladder to support material.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide two similar arms slideable and lockable in a hollow rung of a ladder that can be adjustably held in various positions by a safety strip engaging knob pins on the retaining and manipulating knob means.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a material supporting means that is simple in structure, easy and cheap to manufacture, yet effective.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1972064 (1934-08-01), Mouslon
patent: 3160383 (1964-12-01), Camm
patent: 3223369 (1965-12-01), Benninger
patent: 3784139 (1974-01-01), Ellis
patent: 3822846 (1974-07-01), Jesionowiski
patent: 3980264 (1976-09-01), Tomasik
patent: 4099693 (1978-07-01), Blann
patent: 4702446 (1987-10-01), Brown
patent: 4884931 (1989-12-01), Revol
patent: 5279389 (1994-01-01), Crockett
patent: 5316251 (1994-05-01), McGraw
patent: 5636886 (1997-06-01), Jensen
patent: 2211236 (1989-06-01), None
LandOfFree
Ladder arms does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Ladder arms, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ladder arms will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2446387