US3026961A - Combination ladders and chutes - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1962 J. H. LEVERETT COMBINATION LADDERS AND CHUTES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1960 INVENTOR. zi/wa [15/5/6577 March 27, 1962 J. H. LEVERETT COMBIfiATION LADDERS AND CI-IUTES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1960 INVENTOR. 5,; A6 [176/6577 V Aime/ 5y COMBINATION LADDERS AND CHUTES Filed June 16, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. $601755 1%45V06677 March 27, 1962 J. H. LEVERETT 3,026,961

COMBINATION LADDERS AND CHUTES Filed June 16, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 g-u/s.

March 1962 J. H. LEVERETT 3,026,961

COMBINATION LADDERS AND CHUTES Filed June 16, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. JIM/5 hf 5 4 5/2577 United States Patent 3,026,961 7 COMBINATION LADDERS AND CHUTES James H. Leverett, 383 Haynes St., Hackensack, NJ. Filed June 16, 1960, Ser. No. 36,694 6 Claims. (Cl. 18221) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code.(1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to improvements in inter-level passageways, and more particularly pertains to improve" ments in combination ladders and chutes especially adapted for use on ships.

In the interest of conserving space on sea going vessels to increase the space available for freight and passengers, and on naval vessels not only for freight and crew, but also for equipment, armament, and the like, it has long been the desire to dispense with unnecessary equipment whenever possible. However, in the case of indispensable equipment such as ladders and chutes, the areas provided for ladders to enable travelling from one deck to another are generally also used for chutes to convey cargo from one deck to another. In such cases, either there are provided a separate chute and ladder which replaced one another according to the use required of the same and the item not used would then have to be stored away and occupy valuable space or else the ladder remain in place, and a separate chute or the like temporarily installed and then when not in use removed or stored away. This storage space, there fore, is necessary dead space which in the case of large vessels might call for several hundred cubic feet of space.

With the foregoing in mind, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a combination ladder and chute which dispenses with the retention of dead storage space which combination is characterized by movably mounted treads and intervening chute plates which can be actuated with facility in one position to serve as a ladder or staircase and in another instance serve as a chute merely by actuating the treads and intervening chute plates in one instance to have the treads positioned in successive parallel levels to be used as a ladder or staircase and in the other instance to be positioned with the intervening chute plates in substantial alinement with one another to produce a substantially plain face to serve as a chute.

It is also an object of the present invention not only to provide a combination ladder and chute in which treads and intervening chute plates may be actuated from a ladder position into a chute position and again into a ladder position according to the requirements but also to facilitate anchoring not only the treads in ladder position and in chute position but also anchor the apparatus at different levels possibly at a steeper grade for apparatus to be used as a ladder and a lesser grade when the apparatus is to be used as a chute.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the device in ladder forming position, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FZG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device in ladder forming position, partly broken away to show details of members;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the device in chute form- 3,026,961 Patented Mar. 27, 1 962 'ice ing position, partly broken away to show details of members;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device in chute forming'position, partly broken away to show details of members;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the device in raised position for a use as a chute, and showing the device in lowered position in broken lines.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly broken away, showing a modified form of tread construction;

FIG. 7 is a section taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a view of the members of FIG. 7 shown in chute position.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The device as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 comprises left hand and right hand stringer angle members 11 that are secured in spaced parallel relation by means of an upper bracket plate 13 and a lower bracket plate 15, the plates 13 and 15 spanning the distance between members 11 and being secured to the outwardly extending flange 16 of each member 11 as by fastening means 17. The lower end of each member 11 is adapted to be secured to a floor or deck '19 by means of a lug plate 21 and coupling fastener 23, and the upper end of each member 11 is adapted to be secured to a wall or bulkhead 25 by means of a lug plate 27 and coupling fastener 29, thereby providing a gangway between a lower and an upper level of a structure. Preferably, the coupling fastener 23 is a knockout pin, to permit varying the slope angle of the device in the manner hereinafter described.

A plurality of rest members 31 span the major portion of the distance between members 11. Each rest member comprises a box providing a tread 33, a front riser 35, a rear riser 37 and a chute plate 39, with side plates 41 completing the six sides of the box defined. The front riser 35 and the rear riser 37 are of reduced width, as shown particularly in FIG. 2, to facilitate access to the rest member securing means hereinafter described. Each rest member 31 is secured rotatably between mem bers 11 by rod 43, which passes successively through one stringer angle member 11, one side plate 41, the other side plate 41 and then the other stringer angle member 11, the rod 43 being further provided with spacing washers 45 to center the rest member between members '11, and with fastening means 47 at the ends of said rod. The rod 43 passes through each of plates 41 at apoint proximate tread 33 and proximate rear riser 37 (and remote from chute plate 39 and front riser 35), such positioning at a point'outside the axes of symmetry of'the plates 41 facilitating rotation of the rest members 31 as hereinafter described.

Left hand and right hand stringer angle'members 49 are positioned parallel to members 11, the members 49 being secured to each rest member 31 by fastening means 51 coupling one face 53 of member 49 to side plate 41, such fastening means 51 permitting rotation of rest members 31 relative members 49. Preferably, members 49 are positioned laterally so as to be movable to a location wherein face 53 lies between a side plate 41 and member 11, and the other face 55 is adapted to be seated on member 11. Further, the fastening means 51 pass through each of plates 41 at a point proximate chute plate 39 and front riser 35 (and remote from tread 33 and rear riser 37), such positioning at a point outside the axes of symmetry of the plates 41 facilitating rotation of the rest members as hereinafter described.

A handle 57 is secured to each member 49 to facilitate manual translation of members 49 relative members 11, whereby the rest members 31 are rotated. Rapistan type brace 59 includes a bracket 61 attached to members a 11, a telescoping leg 63 depending rotatably from said bracket 61, means 65 to lock said leg in selected angular relation to member 11, and means 67 to lock the inner and outer telescoping portions of the leg relative to each other in selected position, whereby the device can be fixed and braced in selected angular position relative the deck 19, as shown in FIG. 9.

The ladder position of the device is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the treads 33 in a substantially horizontal plane. When it is desired to convert the device to use as a chute, handles 57 are grasped and pulled upward and away from the operator, the members 49 thus rotating on the axes defined by rods 43. Upon continued rotation, members 49. are moved to a position substantially between members 11, the faces 55 of member 49 then being seated on members 11 to form a limit stop for such rotation. The axes defined by rods 43 and fastening means 51 are in such relative position that the full translation of members 49 relative members 11 will rotate the rest members 31 somewhat more than 90 until the chute plates 39 are substantially parallel to members 49 and 11, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Preferably, however, the chute plates do not define a single plane. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear portion 69 of chute plate 39 is lower than the plane defined by the next higher chute plate 39, to assist in retarding the rate of descent of a package and to decrease the possibility of a package being caught in the gap between adjacent chute plates.

A modified form of tread and chute plate rest member is shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. Such modified rest member 71 comprises a plate member having a tread face 73 and a chute face 75, and side plates 77 extending from said plate member. Each rest member 71 is secured rotatably to stringer angle members 11 and to stringer angle members 49 by bolts 79 and 81 respectively, at points outside the axes of symmetry of said plates 77. The leading edge 83 of each rest member is rolled to provide a smooth rounded surface for packages to impinge upon when the device is in the chute position, further aiding in preventing a package from being caught in the gap between rest members.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show rest members 71 in the ladder position. When rest members 71 are rotated by means of translation of members 49 on the axes of bolts 79, such rest members assume the position shown in FIG. 8, with chute faces 75 uppermost.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A combination ladder and chute comprising a first pair of spaced stringers, means to secure one end of said stringers rotatably at a first level and means to secure the other end of said stringers releasably'at a second level, a second pair of spaced stringers, a plurality of rest members, each rest member having a tread, front riser, chute plate and rear riser plate and a pair of side plates, first and second fastening means securing one of said side plates rotatably to one of said first and to one of said second stringers respectively, third and fourth fastening means securing the other of said side plates rotatably to the other of said first and second stringers respectively, said first and second stringers having a relative lateral displacement sufficient to permit rotation of said rest members from a position wherein said treads are horizontal to a position wherein said chute plates are substantially parallel to the length of said stringers.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said first and third fastening means are proximate said tread and said rear riser plate and said second and fourth fastening means are proximate said chute plate and said front riser.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said second stringers include a longitudinal flange providing a limit stop for rotation of said rest members.

4. The combination of claim 2 further comprising means secured to said first stringers to vary the angle of inclination of the device.

5. The combination of claim 2 in which rotation of said rest members from horizontal position of said treads to substantial parallelism of said chute plates and the length of said stringers passes beyond the position at which said chute plates define a plane.

6. A combination ladder and chute comprising a first pair of spaced stringers, means to secure one end of said stringers rotatably at a first level and means to secure the other end of said stringers releasably at a second level, a second pair of spaced stringers, a plurality of rest members, each rest member comprising a plate having a tread face, an opposed chute face and side plates extending normal to the chute face of said plate, first and second fastening means securing one of said side plates rotatably to one of said first and to one of said second stringers respectively, third and fourth fastening means securing the other of said side plates rotatably to the other of said first and second stringers respectively, said first and third fastening means being proximate said tread face and the rear edge of said plate, said second and fourth fastening means being remote from said tread face and proximate the front edge of said plate, said first and second stringers having a relative lateral displacement sufiicient to permit rotation of said rest members from a position wherein said tread faces are horizontal to a position wherein said chute faces have passed the orientation in which they are substantially parallel to the length of said stringers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 421,914 Dormitzer Feb. 25, 1890 963,918 Miller July 12, 1910 1,791,330 Sprague Feb. 3, 1931 2,864,542 Marryatt Dec. 16, 1958

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