US2423477A - Stepladder guard attachment - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1947. ,BRMBOEUF 2,423,477

S TEPLADDER GUARD ATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 23, 1943 Patented July 8, 194? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to stepladders and more particularly to a stepladder guard attachment and is an improvement on my prior Patent N0. 2,208,833, issued July 23, 1940, for Stepladder guard attachment,

An object of this invention is to provide a stepladder guard attachment which may be mounted on any stepladder, new or old, and extending upwardly from a stepladder to provide a support which may be held by a person on the stepladder, or against which a person on a stepladder may lean, while using the stepladder, also enabling the person to stand, even at the top end of the stepladder thereby instilling confidence and a sense of security, thus avoiding the hazard of accidents or falling off, and giving free movement of both hands while performing any kind of work ordinarily performed on stepladders; said attachments being further adapted to support a pail r basket or tools, or combination detachable shelf and tool box for use by painters, fruit pickers, electricians, housewives, etc.

Another object of this invention relates to the provision of said stepladder guard serving as a ladder extension and which is hinged to the top of the stepladder in such a manner as to lie against the same when not in use, and which when moved into operative position will provide a double platform at the top of the stepladder.

A further object of this invention relates to the provision of a rigid supporting brace arranged one on each side of the stepladder extending downwardly and outwardly from the top thereof, which braces may or may not be adjustable as to length, and which are further provided at their lowermost ends with ground engaging members whereby to prevent side-wise slipping or tilting of the stepladder as well as to prevent sinking of the stepladder when the same is placed on soft ground, or tipping of the stepladder when placed on a surface that is not level.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stepladder showing the stepladder guard and side supporting braces operatively attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stepladder and its attachments collapsed or in folded position.

' Figure 3 is a detail view of one form of the supporting side braces.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on line l-4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail view of one end of one of the stepladder guards locking braces.

Figure 6 is a detail view of another form of supporting side brace.

Referring to the drawing in detail, [0 denotes a conventional form of collapsible stepladder comprising a ladder portion ll provided at its upper end with a platform 12. Hinged to a part of the platform 12 as at I3 is a pair of supporting legs M, at least one of said legs being connected to the ladder ID by a folding linkage I 5 in the manner well-known. The part of the platform l2 mounting the hinge pins l3 consist of side bars l6 which are rigidly secured to the platform and the upper ends of the ladder l I.

The ladder guard and extension indicated generally by the reference character 20 comprises a platform 2| hinged in any suitable manner as at 22 to the rear edge of the stepladder platform I2, and an upright ladder 23 formed of legs 24 and rungs 25. Fixed to the underside of the ladder guard platform 2| are a pair of triangular bracket elements 26 arranged respectively in the same plane as the legs [4 and each having an edge 21 arranged to abut an outer edge 28 of said legs when the platform 2! is moved to horizontal operative position as clearly shown in Figure 1, said bracket elements 26 serving to brace the ladder guard platform 2! and to hold the same in its horizontal position which is co-planar with the stepladder platform 12. The ladder 23 is rigidly secured to the ladder guard platform 2| adjacent the edge thereof remote from its hinge edge, and the width thereof as well as that of the ladder guard platform corresponds, respectively, with that of the ladder l l and platform l2.

To brace the ladder guard 23 there is provided a pair of locking brace rods 30, each pivotally connected at its lower end as at 3! to the step ladder side bar l6, one at each side of the stepladder. Formed on the other end of each of the brace rods 30 is a bayonet slot 32 arranged to co-act with a threaded pin 33, there being one such pin on each of the ladder legs 24 adjacent the upper end thereof. Fitted on each of the pins 33 is a wing-nut 34.

" thereof a lateral brace 10.

In the collapsed position of the ladder guard 23, the platform 2| thereof rests on and overlaps the stepladder platform I2, such that the ladder 23 depends downwardly in front of the ladder portion II, as shown in Figure 2, and with the brace rods 30 extendin downwardly alongside of the legs of the ladder portion H.

When it is desired to place the ladder guard 28 in operative position, the same ,isswung'upwardly untilflthe bracket elements 26 engagethe supporting legs Id. The brace rods 30 are moved up and the bayonet slots 32 hooked into position on the pins 33 and locked in place thereon by setting up on the wing-nuts 34. "In this-manner the ladder guard 20 is securely-locked and braced to the stepladder In, which latter of course must be opened for .useas shown-xin Fig ure 1. It will be observed that the ladder guard 20 thus provides a double platform |2-2| at the top of the step-ladder providing a more roomy and substantial foot'support for a person standing-thereon; the la'dder23serving as a- 'gu a rd, support and a-ladder all as described "in' the above statement -ofthe invention.

The above described ladder guard is easy to'assemble and adjust, requiring only a detachment and attachment of the brace-rodstl] to move the same "-into -inoperative and operative position.

To prevent tilting or sidewise tipping'of the combined stepladderandladderguard as well as to brace the same-thereis provided on each side Each lateral brace comprises a rod 4| having its upper end portion -'bent -angularly as;- at:42 for insertion into a suitable-opening 43 formed in the side bar 16, there being provided on the end of said angular connecting end-42, a head for retaining said rod 9 4 lsecured against accidental displacement. The 'loweriend-of therod 41 is'telescoped in a sleeve 45 provided wi-th a setiscrew 46 for securing the ,same in adjusted position therein. "Pivotally connecte d'tothe lower end, of the sleeve 45 through the medium-ofthegpins 41 is aground engaging plate or shoe-48.

some instances the adjustable feature of the lateral brace! maybe dispensed with and "the re d-4la, see Big-ure 6, may be provided at its lowerend-with a'rubber boot-51) adapted to enga ei ter und- ;'-Both forms of lateral braces will function to -prevent'sidewise tilting-on tipping of the comfbinedstepladderand' guard as well as slipping thereof. Wherethe stepladder is used on soft 'ground, the adjustable lateral brace 40 with ground engaging plate 48 will prevent the step- --ladder from--sinl -ing into the ground.

Both formspf bracesare further useful in supporting the-stepladder when the same rests on an :uneven surface, as a pavement, forexample. Thelateralbraces maybe used. with or without the ladd'erguard attachment.

iHavingithus" described the-invention, what is ;claimed is:

" form; a-supporting legportion hinged at its up- :per-end-to-said side bars and a folding linkage "comprising a guard platform, hinge means connecting said guard platform to the rear edge of said stepladderplatform, a ladder secured to said guard platform and normal thereto, bracket elements fixed to the underside of said guardzplatform and. adapted to abut said supporting leg portion to brace and support said ladder guard, a pair of lateral brace elements arranged one on each side of said stepladder and each-connected to a side bar, and a ground .en-

gaging member onthe lower end of each brace element.

:2. In combination, a ladder having a series of steps and a platform above the steps, an extension hinged to the side of the platform to pro- ;vide in open :position a "horizontal extension thereof, side bars connected with said extension and provided with a series of steps rising above said extension, said extension being adapted to fold against the platformand said side bars and stepsbeing adapted to fold against the ladder and toalign the steps of said side bars with the steps of the ladder, and braces connected to the platform of the ladder and tothe sides of the sidebars to support said side bars and the steps legs pivotally connected to the upper 'endof the thereof in an elevated position over the ladder.

-;3.,In combination, a ladder including uprights and steps connecting the uprights to'each other and a platform at the top of the uprights, side uprights, a folding bracefor supporting the side --legs;in an'gular relation to the ladder, amexten- .sion hinged to one side of the platform andprovided with brace members adapted to restagainst sthe side legs in open position to support said extension in approximately the'same-plane as the platform, side bars-carried by the extension, steps carried. by the "side bars ,and having a spacing corresponding to that of the spacing ofthe ladder steps, .brace -members :pivotally connected with the sides of the upper end oftheladder,

and means for detachably connecting the brace members with the side bars to support said side bars in elevated position over the ladder and the side legs.

GASTON BRIMBOEUF.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name ,Date

666,099 Kepler .Jan. 15, 1901 1,610,596 Bird Dec. 14,1926 1,914,297 Sample June 13,1933 2 ,208,333 'Brimboeuf July 23, 1940

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