Step-up stool

Details Step-up stool Step-up stool

2000-08-15

2002-08-06

Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)

Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold

Unitary foldable, rigid scaffold or ladder

Trestle

C182S165000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06427804

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a step-up stool with extendible legs, and in particular to a step-up stool that is collapsible such that it can be flat-packed, while maintaining its rigidity when in use.
2. Description of Related Art
The majority of tradesman such as painters, plasterers, decorators, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, carpenters and the like, often need to reach up to, and work at, places that are high off the ground. Commonly, these tradesman use step ladders which they either need to carry around with them, or which have to be borrowed at the site at which they are working. Step ladders are, however, very cumbersome and awkward to use, particularly on uneven surfaces.
Alternatively, the tradesman will use a simple hop-up of some sort, such as a milk crate or a wooden horse, examples of which can be seen in FIG.
1
. Such hop-ups are similarly awkward to use, requiring good balance and little movement when being stood upon.
UK Patent Application No. 9723169.0 discloses a step-up stool with extendible legs. The stool providing a safe platform, due to the fact that each leg is individually extendible, for a tradesman to step onto and work from, even when the ground below is uneven. The stool disclosed, however, is not collapsible and is, therefore, quite awkward to carry around and store with the rest of the tradesman's tools.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to alleviate the aforementioned disadvantages by providing a step-up stool comprising a platform, and at least three legs extending downwardly from the platform, wherein the length of each leg is individually and/or separately adjustable, and wherein the stool is collapsible to a substantially flat state.
Advantageously, the platform is generally rectangular, and there are four legs positioned respectively adjacent to the comers of the platform.
Preferably, the step-up stool has at least two elongate members extending between two of the legs, each elongate member being hingedly attached to at least one of the legs.
It is preferred that the platform is hingedly attached to at least one leg.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:
FIGS.
1
(
a
) and
1
(
b
) show examples of prior art items used as step-up stools;
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of a first form of a step-up stool constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3
is a side view of the step-up stool of
FIG. 2
, illustrating its
15
collapsibility;
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of the step-up stool of
FIG. 2
in its collapsed form;
FIGS.
5
(
a
),
5
(
b
) and
5
(
c
) illustrate how legs of the step-up stool can be extended;
FIGS.
6
(
a
),
6
(
b
) and
6
(
c
) show the step-up stool of FIGS.
1
(
a
) and (
b
) used in conjunction with an adjustably attachable board;
FIGS.
7
(
a
),
7
(
b
),
7
(
c
),
7
(
d
),
7
(
e
),
7
(
f
) illustrate how the step-up stool can be used in various trades;
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of a second form of step-up stool constructed in
25
accordance with the invention;
FIGS.
9
(
a
) and
9
(
b
) are a perspective view of the step-up stool of
FIG. 8
illustrating its collapsibility;
FIG. 10
is a perspective view of a third form of step-up stool constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 11
illustrates the collapsible feature of the step-up stool of
FIG. 10
; and
FIGS.
12
(
a
) and
12
(
b
) are perspective views of the step-up stool of
FIG. 10
in its collapsed form.


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