Fire escape – ladder – or scaffold – Traversing – track-mounted – Ground- or floor-engaging
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-09
2001-05-15
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Fire escape, ladder, or scaffold
Traversing, track-mounted
Ground- or floor-engaging
C182S038000, C182S015000, C248S240000, C248S298100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230841
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to movable ladders mounted to shelving.
2) Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,307 to Kerr discloses a dual track mounted pivoting ladder assembly. This ladder assembly has several problems, namely, it requires substantial hardware to secure two carriages to each other. Further, the dual track mounted pivoting ladder assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,307 cannot be adjusted to fit between variably spaced shelving.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dual track mounted pivoting ladder assembly that is easy to assemble and can fit variable spaced tracking.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a ladder system for positioning a ladder relative to a storage rack having a front face and located at one side of an aisle, and includes a ladder having upper and lower ends, with the lower end being engageable with a horizontal support surface. An upper track is located near the front face of the storage rack and a lower track extends parallel and is vertically spaced below the upper track and located near the front face of the storage rack. A movable carriage assembly is attached to the upper track and lower track. The movable carriage assembly includes a first movable frame having a horizontal arm with first and second ends, the horizontal arm extends parallel to and is located slightly below the upper track. A pair of longitudinally spaced upper roller assemblies are engageable with the upper track. Brackets fixedly connect the roller assemblies to the first and second ends of the horizontal arm. The first movable frame also includes a generally cylindrically-shaped vertical strut with an upper end portion and a lower end portion. The upper end portion is connected to the horizontal arm generally midway between the first and second ends. The lower end portion of the vertical strut is provided with a pair of lower rollers which are engageable with opposing portions of the lower track.
The movable carriage assembly also includes a second movable frame having a horizontal ladder support arm with first and second ends and a vertical arm having an upper end portion. The first end of the horizontal ladder support arm is connected to and perpendicular to the upper end portion of the vertical arm. The vertical arm is a cylindrically-shaped sleeve slidably received by the cylindrically-shaped vertical strut. The vertical strut and vertical arm extend along the same vertical axis. A bushing or a spacer is received by the vertical strut and permits vertical adjustability of the height of the second movable frame. A lower end of the vertical arm rests on an upper surface of the bushing.
An arrangement is provided for mounting the upper end of the ladder on the horizontal ladder support arm. The vertical arm, which is pivotably received by the vertical strut, permits the second movable frame and the ladder to swing in a lateral direction relative to the first movable frame and thereby reposition the ladder relative to the front face of the storage rack. The upper roller assemblies and the pair of lower rollers are movable along the upper and lower tracks, respectively, as the carriage assembly and the ladder are moved in the longitudinal direction parallel to the front face of the storage rack.
The height of the second movable frame can be adjusted through the use of spacer sleeves received by the vertical strut.
The present invention is also a ladder that includes a ladder frame, a plurality of steps secured to the ladder frame and a carriage assembly secured to the ladder frame. The carriage assembly includes a sleeve and a rod slidably received by the sleeve. The carriage assembly extends along a longitudinal axis. One of the sleeve and the rod is secured to the ladder frame and the other rod and sleeve is configured to be secured to a structure, such as a storage rack. The ladder frame and the one of the sleeve and the rod secured to the ladder frame are adapted to pivot about a longitudinal axis relative to the other of the sleeve and the rod.
The ladder frame includes a lower end and an upper end. The carriage assembly is secured to the upper end of the ladder frame. A platform is secured to the ladder frame and is positioned above the steps. The steps extend along the longitudinal axis. Rollers are attached to the lower end of the ladder frame. The rollers are adapted to roll on a floor.
Preferably, the sleeve is secured to the ladder frame and the rod is secured to a moveable frame. The moveable frame includes an upper horizontal arm, a lower horizontal arm and two side arms. The upper horizontal arm is secured to the lower horizontal arm through the two side arms. The rod extends through the upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm. The sleeve is positioned between the upper horizontal arm and the lower horizontal arm.
A stop is secured to an upper end of the rod coacting with the upper horizontal arm. Preferably, the stop includes a flange. The moveable frame further includes a collar secured to the upper horizontal frame. The collar receives the rod and is positioned between the washer and the upper horizontal frame. The washer prevents downward movement of the rod relative to the moveable frame and the collar prevents upward movement and downward movement of the rod relative to the moveable frame.
Further, the ladder may include an adjustment sleeve slidably received by the rod and positioned between the sleeve and the moveable frame. The adjustment sleeve is positioned below the sleeve. The sleeve rests on the adjustment sleeve. The adjustment sleeve is configured to adjust the height of the sleeve relative to the floor.
Preferably, the upper roller assembly is attached to the moveable frame and the lower roller assembly is attached to the rod. The sleeve is positioned between the upper roller assembly and the lower roller assembly. The lower roller assembly is secured to a rod clamp.
A horizontal extending arm is attached to the sleeve and the ladder frame. An angled strut is secured to the horizontally extending arm and the sleeve. The angled strut is secured to the sleeve between the ends of the sleeve.
The present invention is also a track ladder incorporating the above identified ladder and further including an upper track extending in a horizontal direction, a lower track extending in the horizontal direction, the upper track and the lower track spaced apart from and parallel to each other. The upper roller assembly is received by the upper track and the lower roller assembly is received by the lower roller track. The present invention is also a track ladder system that further includes a storage rack having a front face wherein the upper track and the lower track are attached to the front face.
The present invention is also a kit for securing a track ladder to a storage rack, the kit includes a plurality of track segments for securing to a storage rack, a ladder having a ladder frame and a plurality of steps secured to the ladder frame, a carriage assembly configured to be secured to the ladder frame, the carriage assembly including a sleeve and a rod slidably received by the sleeve, a movable frame secured to the rod, an upper roller assembly configured to be attached to the moveable frame and a lower roller assembly configured to be attached to the rod.
The present invention is also a method for attaching the track ladder to a storage rack incorporating the above-identified kit. The method includes the steps of securing the plurality of track segments to the storage rack defining an upper track and a lower track wherein the upper track extends in a horizontal direction and is positioned above the lower track which extends in the horizontal direction and is parallel to the upper track; securing the upper roller assembly to the upper track and the lower roller assembly to the lower track; securing the moveable frame to the upper roller assembly; passing the rod through the sleeve; securing the rod to the lower roller assembly
Melfred Inc.
Stodola Daniel P.
Thompson Hugh B.
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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