Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-15
2001-06-12
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C052S011000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244551
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rain gutters which protrude from the roofline of house roofs are subject to damage when ladders are placed against them, particularly when workmen climb up and down the ladders carrying heavy loads. In particular, the gutters are distorted in shape and/or squeezed together so that they no longer function as effectively or efficiently as intended. In some cases joints between sections of gutters may be broken so that the gutters leak and it is even possible in extreme cases for the gutters themselves to leak, particularly if left in their distorted position because paint and other protective coating tends to be cracked or broken off, leaving bare metal exposed to corrosion, such as rust, which may leak through the sheet-metal leaving a hole.
Even if the gutters are still functioning, the damage to the gutters destroys their appearance and disrupts the smooth lines of the house at roof level.
As a result of these problems various solutions have been proposed. One of the solutions is to provide extensions transverse to the ladder which may be bolted to the ladder temporarily when it is to be used with a roof having a protruding gutter. The extensions are designed to rest against the shingles of the roof, thus keeping the ladders spaced away from the gutter itself. The disadvantage of devices of this sort occurs because the individual pieces have to be carefully attached to the ladder sides and must be moved in some cases when the height of the roof changes. Some workers are uncomfortable with a ladder spaced away from a roof by extensions. Extensions themselves may do damage to certain types of shingles. The pre-attachment of the extension may also make it difficult to place the ladder both against the roof and on the ground particularly where the ground is suitable for supporting the ladder only in limited locations.
THE NATURE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a ladder securing device that fits into and is supported by a rain gutter. The device itself is very simple having two essentially board like members fixed together at a generally a right angle or “L” shape configuration. One member is vertically oriented to essentially the depth of the gutter so that its bottom rests against the gutter and supports the other member at the level of the gutter lip. The vertical member also is preferably arranged to rest against the back of the gutter to distribute forces imposed by a ladder leaning against and supported by the device on the horizontal member over the back lateral surfaces of the vertical member to a corresponding area of the gutter back wall. The horizontal member extends out over the front lip of the gutter, which therefore aids in maintaining proper orientation of the device during use. The horizontal member has a cutout portion from the edge that extends beyond the gutter. This cutout portion needs to be as wide as the maximum width of any ladder to be used and no deeper than where the edge of the front lip of the gutter can be seen. The horizontal member is held in place by the vertical member, on another downward extension of the horizontal member which rests against the back of the gutter. Holes for tie attachments may be provided so that ties can secure the device to the ladder if desired. It may be desirable to have the vertical member extend beyond the ends of the horizontal member to provide more area for support. In some instances users may wish to use screws through the back member, the gutter back wall and the supporting eaves for greater stability. Providing vertical support beyond the ends of the horizontal support gives a less obstructed area for screws.
More specifically, the present invention provides a ladder securing unitary sized to fit gutters within a particular range of dimensions, said device; device having first and second elongated members joined together along at least part of an elongated edge of one of said members in the direction of elongation of the other so that said members are generally oriented at right angles to one another. When the first member rests on the bottom of a gutter, the second member will rest atop the front lip of the gutter and extend beyond said lip away from the first member. The second member is longer than the ladder is broad and is provided with at least one recess from its outer edge extending inward toward but not as far as the gutter lip to accommodate the ladder side rails. The recess provides lateral shoulders to limit the lateral movement of the ladder side rails. At least one of said members provides a lengthwise extending stop member to engage at least a part of the inside surface of the back wall of the gutter to hold the unitary device against slippage toward or beyond the back wall.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3915418 (1975-10-01), D'Amato
patent: 4185421 (1980-01-01), Robinson
patent: 4272370 (1981-06-01), Cunning
patent: 4331217 (1982-05-01), Stecklow
patent: 4369860 (1983-01-01), Beane
patent: 4601365 (1986-07-01), Davis
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patent: 4823912 (1989-04-01), Gould et al.
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patent: 5497848 (1996-03-01), Travis
patent: 5509500 (1996-04-01), Delagera
patent: 5628381 (1997-05-01), Maerkovich et al.
patent: 5911659 (1999-06-01), Serano
patent: 5971100 (1999-10-01), DeLeon et al.
patent: 6000497 (1999-12-01), Kain et al.
Dann Dorfman Herrell and Skillman, P.C.
DeLuca J.
Ramirez Ramon O.
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