GB2420819A

GB2420819A - Hoist for use with ladder

Info

Publication number: GB2420819A
Application number: GB0523505A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Ernest Baglin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-12-01
Filing date: 2005-11-18
Publication date: 2006-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 2025-11-18
Also published as: GB0426306D0; GB0523505D0; GB2420819B

Abstract

A hoist for use with a ladder comprises a slidably displaceable member 16 having means 14 for supporting a load to be elevated, and selectively releasable locking means 26 for locking the assembly against downward movement during a load lifting operation. Displaceable member 16 comprises a plate assembly 17, 18 which surrounds the ladder and has rollers 20 which bear against stiles 5: the locking means 26 comprises a hook-like plate 25 biassed toward rungs 6, and having a ring 28 to which is attached hoisting cable 30 which passes over an upper pulley and down to a winch 32 fixedly attachable at 15 adjacent the base of the ladder. The device may carry the load either at the outside of the ladder or between the ladder and a building against which it leans.

Description

APPARATUS FOR LIFTING LOADS

This invention relates to means for facilitating the lifting of various forms of loads to an elevated position from a first position to a higher position such as from the ground level to a higher position..

A very common mode of moving loads from one level to a higher level involves the use of a ladder.

Ladders are well known and are of various constructions and lengths.

Basically, a ladder can be regarded as incorporating two parallel elongate members commonly known a stiles maintained in secure spaced apart relation ships by a plurality of regularly spaced apart bars known as rungs.

It is extremely well known to use ladders by leaning them against the wall of, for example, a building for the purposes of raising a load such as, for example, a replacement window frame, a replacement window or other forms of load such as bags of cement, tools, lengths of timber, sheets of wood or other materials, bricks 1 5 etc., from ground level to an elevated position and/or an elevated position to a higher position.

In practice, the use of a ladder for such purposes, as is well known, frequently results in accidents happening for a wide variety of reasons including instability of the ladder rest upon its support surface; the nature of the load resulting in the person mounting the ladder with the load not being adequately balanced or not being fully capable of both supporting a load and at the same time being able to maintain adequate hand hold on the ladder when mounting the ladder; the person not correctly supporting the load whilst mounting the ladder and many more causes.

In view of the many accidents that are known to occur each year governmental regulations directed to highlighting user safety during the usage of ladders and to defining the manner of such usage and in particular the handling of loads whilst mounting and whilst standing upon a ladder have been produced with the intention that such regulations should be followed by all ladder users..

Unfortunately, in spite of the production of numerous official regulations and edicts relating to ladder usage many users of ladders fail to take note of them for a myriad of reasons.

In practice, accidents tend frequently to arise when a single operator requires to move a load to an elevated position and attempts so to do even though the actual ladder may be inadequately mounted to a supporting wall or the like.

In other situations the load itself may be inadequately and/or incorrectly supported thereby resulting in the user not having a hand free to enable the ladder user to hold onto the ladder stile whilst mounting and/or whilst handling the load at the elevated position.

It is an object of the present invention to provided an arrangement for facilitating the safe handling various forms/sizes of loads required to be raised from one level to a higher level particularly by a sole operator.

Broadly according to the present invention there is provided a multi-use load support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load/sizes, the assembly being adapted for attachment to a ladder or other elongate article in such manner that the assembly is slidably displaceable lengthways of the ladder or other elongate article, the assembly including means for mounting/supporting the load to be elevated, means for locking the assembly against reverse direction displacement during a load lifting operation, and means for enabling said person selectively to release the locking means when it is required to displace the load support assembly in the reverse direction.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention there is provided a multi-use load support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load/sizes, the assembly being adapted for attachment to a ladder or other elongate article providing a succession of spaced rungs, bars or the like upon which a person can mount, in such manner as to enable the assembly and a load supported thereby to be successively moved upwardly of the ladder or other article and retained in its elevated position by an operator, as he mounts the ladder or other article or without requiring to mount the ladder or article whilst the load is being elevated..

A further aspect of the invention provides a multi-use load support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load/sizes, the assembly including a load support section/unit adapted for attachment to a ladder or other elongate article in such manner that the load support section/unit is slidably displaceable lengthways of the ladder or other elongate article, means for automatically locking the support section/unit in a required position lengthways of the ladder or other elongate article and means for enabling selective override of the locking means for enabling displacement of the load support section/nit in a reverse direction.

Preferably, means are provided for automatically preventing reverse direction movement during lifting of the load.

In a preferred construction the means for automatically locking the support section/unit in a requited position includes catch means adapted automatically to latch onto an adjacent rung of the ladder or with means on the elongate article with which the catch means is able to engage during load lifting operation thereby to prevent undesired reverse direction displacement of the support section/unit.

Preferably, the catch means includes a plate connected at each end of a lower part thereof support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load/sizes, the assembly being adapted for attachment to a ladder or other elongate article providing a succession of spaced rungs, bars or the like upon which a person can mount, in such manner as to enable the assembly and a load supported thereby to be successively moved upwardly of the ladder or other article and retained in its elevated position by an operator, as he mounts the ladder or other surface For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to cany the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1, very schematically illustrates in side view an assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms/sizes of loads, the assembly being adapted for attachment to a ladder or like elongate article, the Figure illustrating a first mode of usage of the assembly; Figure 2 is a view to an enlarged scale of the assembly of Figure 1 as seen from the front and side; Figure 3 is a view of the assembly as seen from a direction opposite to that of Figure 2 and illustrating some additional detail; Figure 4 is a sectional side view of a detail of the assembly of Figure 1 when in a first position of operation; Figure 5 is a sectional side view of the detail of Figure 4 when in a second position of operation; Figure 6 is a view illustrating a detail of the assembly Figure 7 schematically illustrates a pulley arrangement included in the assembly; For convenience the following discussion will refer to ladders and other elongate articles collectively as ladders. In addition such ladders will be regarded as comprising two parallel stiles maintained in spaced relationship by a series of uniformly spaced bars/rungs.

Referring now to the Figures a ladder 1 is shown resting on the ground 2 and leaning against a wall 3 of a building schematically depicted in outline form in 1 5 Figure 1 as an end on view of a house with the wall 3 and roof region 4 of conventional construction. The ladder 1 incorporates stiles 5 and rungs 6.

In the Figure the ladder i is shown to be provided with ladder height adjustment 7 involving a foot unit telescopically connected one to each associated stile 5 and an angularity adjustable floor engaging part to facilitate ladder levelling. The upper region 8 of the ladder is provided with a so-called ladder stand-off unit 9 having arms the ends 10 of which are intended to rest against the house wall 3 and thus maintain the tops 11 of the stiles 5 away contact with the wall.

In addition the upper region 8 of the ladder 1 is provided with means 34 whereby the top of the ladder may be suitably secured, for safety reasons to the building.

Furthermore each stile of the ladder is provided with steadying back legsl2 that incorporates ladder bottom tie down facilities 13.

Since the construction of the top and bottom tie down facilities and the back legs are of conventional purpose additional description is not thought necessary.

The load raising assembly of the invention broadly includes a load support section 14 and a hoist section 15 that operationally interrelate, each such section being adapted for mounting to the ladder, are mounted to the ladder 1.

The load support section (illustrated in some'detail in Figure 2) includes a main body 16 comprising a rectangular base plate 17 with side walls 18 spaced by a distance slightly wider that the overall width of the ladder 1. The side walls 18 are shaped so as effectively to form a box like formation 19 within which are mounted rolls 20 whose axes of rotation are parallel to the plane of the base plate 17 and which are intended rotatably to engage with the front and rear surfaces 21 of the stiles 5 of the ladder whereby the load support section 14 is readily 1 displaceable lengthways of the ladder I using the stiles 5 as guides.

In practice, as will be discussed hereinafter the hoist section is so mounted to the * ladder that in event that during a hoisting operation a required upwards movement * of the support section is either intentionally or accidentally ceases the load support section is arranged automatically to lock onto the nearest ladder rung.

The load support section 14 thus includes as a user safety means a resiliently loaded catch member 23 so pivotally mounted upon a support 24 mounted on the to the load support main body and so resiliently loaded that, as the load support section is displaced upwardly length ways of the ladder I the catch member 23 is able automatically to latch onto that rung 6 of the ladder that is in the immediate vicinity thereof in the event that upwards movement ceases..

The catch member 23 includes a plate 25 connected at each end of the lower part thereof with a bracket 26 that is mounted to the support 24 that bridges the aforesaid side walls whereby the plate 25 can pivot about the axis of the support.

The free edge region 27 of the upper part of the plate is deformed relative to the remainder of the plate 27 to provide a region extending the full width of the plate that is latchingly engageable with any immediately adjacent rung 6 in such manner that when the plate 25 is engaged with the rung 6 the load support section 14 is prevented further movement in a downwards direction lengthways of the stiles. In other words the latch plate 25 is so resiliently loaded as to have a rest position corresponding to the rung engaging/latching position. This is the position shown in Figure 4.

The catch plate 25 is provided with a ring member 28 adjacent to the free edge region thereof. This ring member is intended to be engaged by an appropriate connection element 29 provided at one end of a strap 30 that travels upwards from 1 5 the support section 14 over a pulley arrangement 31 (Figure 7) provided at the top 8 of the ladder I and travels downwards to connect with the hoist section 15, the latter incorporating a hoisting strap drum 32 shown in dotted lines in Figure 2,.

This drum is rotated in either sense by means of a handle 33 rotating the drum through a gear transmission not shown.

With this arrangement as lifting tension is produced in the strap 30 the latter pulls on the ring 28 in such manner as to retract the catch member away from engagement with the ladder rungs.

As has been been discussed the hoist arrangement is able to lift various forms and sizes of loads such as roof panels/sheeting, plywood panels, window frames, replacement sheets of glass, and double glazing units etc. For the purposes of handling such large area loads the loading support section 14 is provided to each side thereof with brackets 34 directed towards a wall as indicated in Figure 1 or away from the wall as is indicated in Figures 2 and 3 and thus away from a wall with which the ladder co-operates. That is to say when the load is required to be located between the ladder I and the wall 3 and a second position (not shown) in which the load 10 is required to be located to the side of the ladder I that is remote from the wall 3. Suitable stop means (not shown) are provided for setting the operational positions of the brackets.

Each bracket comprises an elongate bar section 35 terminated by a upriglit part 36 whereby the bracket has a generally Tee shaped form such that the elongate parts support a load with the uprights positionally locating the bottom region of a load when supported by the brackets.

When raising extended area loads such as window frames it is necessary to maintain the position of the upper part of the load closely adjacent to the ladder in such manner as to prevent the load tilting relative to the ladder as a result of being caught by a gust of wind or in the case where the load is located between the wall and the ladder whereby the actual weight of a load tends to tilt the load away from close proximity to the ladder and thus enable the load to break free.

In order positionally to locate the upper part of the load with respect to the ladder what ever the the mode of positioning the load relative to the ladder means are provided for controlling the positioning of the upper regions of an extended area load such as a window frame.

As shown in the Figure 6 the upper part of the load is held in place by an arrangement a load engaging hook member 37 as is shown in Figure 6 in combination with an arrangement of lengthways adjustable straps 38 serving to pull the hook member 37 into finn contact with the upper part of the load.

As may be seen from Figure 6 the hook member 37 comprises a elongate channel member of sufficient length as to be able to bridge the stiles 5 of the ladder and to extend outwardly of the stiles. The end regions of the hook member 37 are each provided with a connection means 39 whereby a hook or the like arrangement 40 provided at the free end of a strap 38 can be connected thereto The being one such hook arrangement and strap for each said end region.

Each such strap 38 is engaged with a strap guide roll/drum arrangement (not shown) including a ratchet type winding mechanism 41 mounted to the upper regions of the side waIls 18 of the load section 12.

The operation of the ratchet winding mechanism 41 is such that once the hook member 37 has been engaged with the upper part of a wide load 43 i.e. , illustrated as a window frame and the straps connection means 39 are connected to the hook member 37 the ratchet winding mechanism 41 is actuated in such manner as to exert pull upon the straps 38 so as to pull the hook member 37 both downwards and towards the ladder thereby to pull the load 43 in the sense towards the ladder.

In the case where the load 43 is located on the side of the ladder I remote from the wall 3 a component of the weight of the load 43 is directed towards the facing surfaces 21 of the stiles 5. It will be noted that in both modes of load positioning relative to the ladder stiles in view of the channel formation of the hook member 37 the hook member bears against the ladder surfaces so that during the hoisting of the load does not rub against the ladder stiles contacting the ladder. In practice the tightening of the ratchet mechanism 41 is arranged to be sufficient to hold the load 43 towards the ladder stiles 5 without crushing/deforming the load.

As has been mentioned the hoisting section and the load carrying section are interconnected by a strap that is operationally connected there between with the strap engaging with the puley arrangement 31.

The pulley arrangement 31 includes a main plate 44 connecting with an inverted elongate hook region 45 that is intended to engage Over a ladder rung 6 adjacent to the upper ends of the styles. The hook region 45 IS maintained in its rung engaging position be locking pins 46 engaging in bores 47 provided in the hook region. These pins 46 are conveniently attached to chains 47 connected to the hook region to ensure that the pins remain available for use.

The main plate supports an inverted U shaped bracket 48 whose arms serve to mount a shaft 49 for a pulley 50.

The hoist section 15 comprises a rectangular box structure that is provided with means (not shown) whereby the hoist section can be securely attached to a rung of the ladder so that when the hoist section 15 is in use it is so firmly attached to the ladder that it cannot be dislodged by the weight of a load 43 being supported by the hoisting strap 30.

A strap drum 51 is provided within the box the drum being rotatable about an axis N 15 that iS perpendicular to the general plane of the ladder.

In order to ensure that the strap 30 during its winding onto the drum 51 follows a non-twisting path guide rollers (not shown) are provided for controlling the strap position during winding.

As has been indicated the hoisting strap 30 passes from the winding drum upwards of the ladder to engage with the pulley wheel 50 with the free end connection link 29 of the strap 30 connecting with the ring member 28 associated with the hoist section -1 1- The above discussed load raising assembly can be used in a variety of modes. A first of such modes is that indicated in Figure 1 in which the support brackets face towards the wall 3 and the load is located between the ladder and the wall. In this mode of operation the hoisting strap passes over the pulley in the direction from the front of the ladder to the rear.

A second mode of using the assembly is where the load 43 is located to the front of the ladder. In this case the portion of the strap connecting with the load lifting section connecting with the hoisting section passes to the rear of the ladder upwards of the wall side of the ladder and passes over the pulley in the direction from the wall side thereof to the front of the ladder to connect with the load section.

As a further mode of use the loads to be hoisted can be lifted directly by attaching the load to be lifted directly to the hoisting strap and this by-passing the load support section 14. With this arrangement the load would be required to travel between the ladder and the waIl 3 and upwardly through the space produced by the construction of the ladder stand off unit 9. It will be appreciated that, in practice, the extent of stand off will set a working limit to the bulk of a load to be raised in this manner.

The assembly of the invention can be used for lifting small items such as roof tiles, bricks or similar articles by mounting a a support box or the like (not shown) to the hoisting section. For example a so-called hod unit comprising an open faced carrier box is adapted to be secured to the support brackets. The box being such that any load such as for example roof tiles can be placed therein in the manner of a conventional builders hod and held in place by a retaining strap that is tightened to hold a load in place by an associated strap ratchet mechanism provided on the carrier.

Claims

1. A multi-use load support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load/sizes, the assembly being adapted for attachment to a ladder or other elongate article in such manner that the assembly is slidably displaceable lengthways of the ladder or other elongate article, the assembly including means for mounting/supporting the load to be elevated, means for locking the assembly against reverse direction displacement during a load lifting operation, and means for enabling said person selectively to release the locking means when it is required to displace the load support assembly in the reverse direction.

2. A multi-use load support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load/sizes, the assembly being adapted for attachment to a ladder or other elongate article providing a succession of spaced rungs, bars or the like upon which a person can mount, in such manner as to enable the assembly and a load supported thereby to be successively moved upwardly of the ladder or other article and retained in its elevated position by an operator, as he mounts the ladder or other article or without requiring to mount the ladder or article whilst the load is being elevated..

3 A multi-use load support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load/sizes, the assembly including a load support section/unit adapted for attachment to a ladder or other elongate article in such manner that the load support section/unit is slidably displaceable lengthways of the ladder or other elongate article, means for automatically locking the support section/unit in a required position lengthways of the ladder or other elongate article and means for enabling selective override of the locking means for enabling displacement of the load support section/nit in a reverse direction.

4. A multi-use load support assembly for facilitating the handling/raising of various forms of load, as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein means are provided for automatically preventing reverse direction movement during lifting of the load.

5. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 4, and wherein the means for automatically locking the support section/unit in a requited position includes catch means adapted automatically to latch onto an adjacent rung of the ladder or with means on the elongate article with which the catch means is able to engage during load lifting operation thereby to prevent undesired reverse direction displacement of the support section/unit.

6 A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 3, 4 or 5, ad wherein, the catch means includes a plate connected at each end of a lower part thereof with a bracket that is mounted to the support section/unit 5. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 1,2,3 or 4, and wherein 1 5 the support assembly is adapted for supporting a load in such manner that the load during the lifting thereof is positioned between the ladder or other elongate article and an adjacent wall or other surface 6. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 1,2,3 or 4, and wherein the support assembly is adapted for supporting a load in such manner that the load during the lifting thereof is positioned on the ladder or other elongate article and an adjacent wall or the like so that it is remote from an adjacent wall or other surface.

7. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and wherein the support unit incorporates load support elements having a first load support setting in which the load is supported between the ladder or other elongate article and a supporting wall or the like and a second load support setting in which the load is located on the side of the ladder or other elongate article remote from the supporting wall or the like.

8 A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and wherein the assembly includes a load support section and a hoist section operationally interrelated one with the other with each such section adapted for mounting upon the ladder or other elongate article.

9. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 8, and wherein the operational connection between the load support section and the hoist section includes a strap or the like provided upon a winding drum housed in the hoist section, and wherein the free end of the strap is connects with the load support connection

10. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 8 or 9, and wherein the load support section includes a main body comprising a base plate having side 1 walls spaced wider than the width of the ladder and shaped so as effectively to form a box-like formation within which are provided rolls whose axes of rotation are parallel to the plane of the base plate and which are intended slidably to engage with the front and rear surfaces of the stiles of the ladder whereby the load support section is displaceable lengthways of the ladder utilising the stiles as a displacement guide

11. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10, and wherein the load section includes a resiliently loaded catch member that is adapted automatically to lock with a ladder rung in the event of cessation of upwards displacement of the load section.

12. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein means are provided for coupling the catch member for displacement against the resilient loading whenever a load is being earned by the load support section.

13. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the catch member is operationally connected with the strap or the like intercoupling the load support section and the hoisting section.

14. A multi-use load support assembly as claimed in as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 13, and wherein the load support section includes load support brackets have two load carrying positions, a first for supporting a load between the ladder and the wall or other surface, and a second in which the load is located on the side of the ladder that is remote from the wall or other surface.

15.. A multi-use load support assembly constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.