GB2046825A - Improvements in ladder attachments - Google Patents

Abstract

A ladder attachment is disclosed which consists basically of an elongate beam 11 one end of which carries two hooks 12, 13 adapted to engage respectively one over and one under two separate rungs of a ladder, the other end of the beam 11 carrying a pallet or tray 14. The two hooks 12, 13 secure the beam to the ladder in a position in which it projects from the ladder in a direction generally parallel to the ladder rungs to maintain the pallet or tray 14 in a substantially horizontal attitude to one side of the ladder. The hooks and tray are preferably attached to the beam in a releasable manner, e.g. by wing nuts 15, 23, so that the device may be reversed end for end to project from the left hand or right hand side of the ladder as desired. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in ladder attachments The invention relates to improvements in ladder attachments.

Ladder attachments are known. For example, the so called ladder irons are one form of such attachment. These are basically brackets which hook around the rungs of a ladder extended up against a wall of a building, in such a way that they present a flat surface extending from the ladder towards the adjacent wall. When two such brackets are hooked around the rungs of two respective ladders placed side by side against the wall, a plank can span the gap between the two ladders and will rest securely on the flat surface presented by the ladder irons.

In recent years there has been an increasing tendancy for householders to do their own exterior maintenance work. In most cases they do not have ladder irons, planks, multiple ladders and all the other specialised equipment of the professional maintenance man.

When carrying out maintenance work from one extended ladder, they are very often denied the full use of both their arms since one arm must permanently be available for holding and balancing cans of paint, mortar trays and so on.

This practice is not only inefficient. It can also be dangerous. There is therefore a need for a ladder attachment which the average householder might buy and which would serve to ease his task.

To that end, and in its broadest aspect, the invention provides a ladder attachment which consists basically of an elongate beam, one end of which carries two hooks adapted to engage respectively one over and one under two separate rungs of a ladder, the other end of the beam carrying a palette or tray, the beam being of sufficient length and the arrangement in general being such that the two hooks can secure the beam to a ladder in a position in which it projects from the ladder in a direction generally parallel to the ladder rungs to maintain the palette or tray in a substantially horizontal attitude at one side of the ladder.

Preferably the attachment is so constructed that it may be reversed end for end. The tray can then project as desired from either side of the ladder.

One ladder attachment embodying the invention is shown, by way of example only, in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings. It will now be described with reference to those Figures, in which: Figure 1 shows the attachment in perspective; Figure 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows in perspective the tray of the attachment; and Figure 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow B of Fig. 1.

The attachment consists basically of an elongate wooden beam 11. The beam is of square cross-section. At one end, it carries two metal strap hooks 12, 1 3 respectively. At the other end, it carries a palette or tray referenced 14. As Fig. 1 shows, the beam in use is secured by the strap hooks 12, 1 3 to an extension ladder which, in Fig. 1, is partly indicated by chain lines.

It will be seen that the hook 1 2 engages over the top of one rung of the ladder, whilst the strap hook 1 3 engages round the bottom of the next rung down. The effect is to secure the beam 11 to the back of the ladder so that it projects horizontally out of the left hand side of the ladder and holds the tray 14 in a substantially horizontal attitude.

The hook 1 2 is double sided, and is secured firmly to the top surface of the elongate beam 11. The hook 1 3 is releasably held by a bolt and wing nut assembly 15, so that it can if necessary be swivelled round to project from the beam 11 in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 1. This, together with the double sided nature of the hook 12, means that the beam 11 can be reversed end for end and then be secured to the ladder so as to project from the right hand side thereof instead of (as shown in Fig. 1) from the left hand side.

The tray 14 incorporates slots 16, 17, 1 8 in which trowels, rollers, paint brushes etc, can be temporarily held whilst work proceeds.

It also incorporates a circular aperture 1 9 sized to hold a can of paint. Figs. 2 and 3 will show that part of the tray lying beneath the recess 1 9 is of box like construction in order to support any size of can capable of fitting within the circular aperture 1 9. The end walls 21, 22 are each of equal height and length.

The entire tray is releasably and pivotally secured to the beam 11 by a second bolt and wing nut assembly 23. As Fig. 4 shows particularly, the end walls 21, 22 of the box portion of the tray 1 4 are so positioned that when the tray pivots about the axis of the bolt and wing nut assembly 23 the walls 21, 22 clear the left hand end of the beam 11. The tray 1 4 can therefore be swung round until an end of-one of the walls 21, 22 abuts the side of the beam 11. Fig. 4 shows an end of the wall 22 abutting the beam 11, whilst wall 21 clears the left hand end of the beam. When the tray is pivoted from its Fig. 4 position, it swings anti-clockwise (as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4) so that the end of the wall 21 which is visible in Fig. 4 will eventually abut the side of the beam 11 visible in Fig. 4.

Thus, if the attachment as a whole is reversed end for end so that it projects in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 1, the tray 14 can also be swung round.

The hooks 12, 13 are set to engage ladder rungs spaced apart by a standard amount.

Either or both of these hooks may however be made adjustable in either or both of the directions indicated by the arrows X and Y in Fig. 1. The attachment can then be secured to ladders of non-standard rung spacing.

The beam and tray of the attachment could be made in materials other than wood. For example moulded plastics canstruction or fabricated metal parts could be used. The remaining Figures of the drawings accompanyingthis Specification illustrate other embodiments which the invention might take.

All the illustrated embodiments are basically similar to the embodiments of Figs. 1 to 4.

Parts which correspond to those already illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 have therefore been given the same reference numerals as in those original figures.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing an attachment in which the tray 14 is simply pivoted at 23 on the top surface of the beam 11. In addition, the double hook 1 2 is slotted so at to be adjustably securable at selected positions in' the direction of the arrow X in Fig. 5. As Fig. 5a shows, the distance d between the rung of any given ladder and the edge of the ladder side can vary quite considerably. By contrast, the rung spacing D (Fig. 5) is usually constant for most ladders. It is therefore advantageous to provide facility for adjusting the hook 1 2 (or the hook 13) in the direction of the arrow X.

The tray 14 of the Fig. 5 attachment is of simpler construction than the corresponding tray 14 shown in Figs 1 to 4. It is simply attached to the top surface of the beam 11, and is releasable by the bolt and wing nut 23 so that it can be pivotally reversed end for end as illustrated in Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c. The tray shown in Figs 7a, 7b and 7c is more closely allied to the tray of Figs. 1 to 4, but is of course nevertheless reversable in exactly the same way.

It has already been mentioned that moulded plastics construction could be used to make any or all of the parts of the attachment. Fig.

8 shows in perspective a moulded plastics tray which incorporates a fairly shallow but spacious dish 24. This tray also has moulded onto its underside a channel in the form of an inverted U. The walls of the channel 25 clip onto the side walls of the beam 11 as Fig. 8 shows, and the tray is simply clipped in place at 23. It cannot be pivoted about the pin 23, because the channel 25 prevents if from pivoting. However, in order to reverse the tray end for end it is only necessary to withdraw the pin 23, unclip the tray, turn it round through 180 , clip it back onto the beam, and replace the pin 23.

Finally Fig. 9 shows in perspective another form of tray made from moulded plastics material, in which the tray itself is made from fairly thin plastics but the base of the tray is corrugated to give extra rigidity. This tray is again pivotally secured by a bolt and wing nut assembly 23, as in the embodiments of Figs.

1 to 4, Figs. 5 to 6c, and Figs. 7a, 7b and 7c.

Claims (7)

1. A ladder attachment which comprises an elongate beam, one end of which carried two hooks adapted to engage respectively one over and one tinder two separate rungs of a ladder, the other end of the beam carrying a pallet or tray, the beam being of sufficient length and the arrangement in general being such that the two hooks can secure the beam to the ladder in a positin in which it projects from the ladder in a direction generally parallel to the ladder rungs to maintain the pallet or tray in a substantially horizontal attitude to one side of the ladder.

2. An attachment according to claim 1 in which the beam is of square cross-section and the hooks are metal strap hooks, the bight of one being adapted to engage a ladder rung from below and one side of the ladder, and the bight of the other being adapted to engage a higher rung of the ladder from above and from the other side of the ladder.

3. An attachment according to claim 2 in which the hooks are pivotally or releasably secured to the beam so as to be reversable and allow the beam to project from one side of the ladder or the other.

4. An attachment according to any of claims 1 to 3 in which the tray or pallet is releasably attached to the beam so that it may be reversed.

5. An attachment according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which the pallet or tray has molded or machined holes for depressions capable of receiving and supporting trowels, rollers, paint brushes, and/or paint cans.

6. An attachment according to any of claims 1 to 5 molded from plastics material.

7. A ladder attachment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, Figs. 5 and 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8, or Fig. 9.