GB2058685A

GB2058685A - Vehicle cab ladder

Info

Publication number: GB2058685A
Application number: GB8029383A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Motor Panels Coventry Ltd
Current assignee: Motor Panels Coventry Ltd
Priority date: 1979-09-15
Filing date: 1980-09-11
Publication date: 1981-04-15
Also published as: GB2058685B

Abstract

A ladder is provided whose side members 8 are L-shaped. The shorter limbs 11 of the side members are provided with latches to engage an anchorage on the roof 4 of a vehicle cab to secure the ladder and facilitate access to the roof of the cab. The ladder has wheels at the bend in the side members 8 so that, when removed from the vehicle, it can be used as a hand truck. The longer limbs 12 of the side members may be hinged or telescopic so they may be reduced to a convenient length for use in the hand truck mode. A bearing member 6 towards the free ends of the longer limbs engages a wall of the cab when the ladder is secured to the cab. The wheels may have pulley grooves to facilitate raising a load to the roof of the cab. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to vehicle cab ladders This invention relates to vehicle cab ladders of the kind used for gaining access to the roof of a vehicle cab.

According to the present invention there is provided a ladder which comprises two laterally spaced generally L-shaped side members connected together at intervals therealong by rungs, means fitted to the shorter limbs of the side members adapted to engage an anchorage on or adjacent to the roof of a vehicle cab whereby the ladder is secured to the cab or able to be secured to the cab, a bearing member provided at or towards the free ends of the longer limbs of the side members which, when the ladder is secured to the cab, is directed towards the cab and engages against a wall thereof, and a pair of aligned laterally spaced wheels, said wheels being rotatably secured to the ladder at or adjacent the junction of the two limbs of the side member whereby the ladder, when removed from the cab, is able to be used as a hand truck for carrying sacks or other articles.

The bearing member may be pivotally mounted on the side members to facilitate alignment with the wall of the vehicle cab when the ladder is secured to the cab.

The longer limbs of the side members may be formed in two or more parts which are pivotally or slidably interconnected whereby the length of the side members may be adjusted, usually to reduce the length, by folding or sliding movement to a suitable length to facilitate use of the ladder as a hand truck. Adjustment to reduce the length of the side members facilitates stowing of the ladder on or in the vehicle when not in use.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with a ladder in accordance with the invention secured to the cab; Figures 2 and 3 show attachment of wheels of the ladder and details of means to engage an anchorage on the cab roof; Figure 4 is a section on line A-A of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows the engaging means and the anchorage; Figure 6 shows a bearing member, and Figure 7 shows the ladder in use as a hand truck.

Referring to Figure 1, a vehicle generally indicated at 1 has a cab 2 to the roof 3 of which is fitted an anchorage in the form of a mounting rail 4. This rail may constitute one member of a roof rack.

A ladder 5 has its upper end secured to the rail 4 and its lower end has a bearing member 6 which abuts against the side wall 7 of the cab.

The ladder 5 comprises two laterally spaced side members 8 which are connected together at spaced intervals by rungs 9.

The side members 8 are formed from metal tube and are each of generally L-shape having an upper end part 11, constituting the shorter limb of the L, bent forwardly so that the included angle is of the order of 900. At the lower end of the ladder the side members 8 include parts8a which are pivotally connected to the side members at 12.

As shown in Figure 2, the upper end part 11 of the ladder has aligned mountings 1 3 secured, as by welding, inside the side members 8. At and outwardly of the bend in the side members are secured aligned pairs of brackets 14. A wheel 1 5 is rotatably mounted between each pair of brackets. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 1, the wheels may be mounted on short stub shafts secured to the side members 8.

Figures 3 and 4 show in greater detail a mounting 13 of one of the side members 8. The mounting 1 3 comprises a sheet metal casing having a side 16, a top 17, and two ends 18, 19.

The ends 18, 19 are contoured as at 21 to conform to the periphery of the tube of the side member 8 to which they are secured, as by welding.Top 1 7 is secured, as by welding, along its longitudinal edge 22 to the tube of the side member. Latches 23, 24 are pivotally mounted on pins 25 at each end of the mounting between the mounting and the side member tube, the pins passing through aligned holes in the mounting and the tube and a registering hole in the latch. The pins are headed and may be secured by screw threaded engagement with the tube or any other suitable means.

Referring now to Figure 5, the upper end part 11 is shown with the latches 23, 24 in position for engagment with the rail 4, which is of generally Isection, securing the ladder to the cab.

A bracket 26, as shown in Figure 6, is secured to the inner side of part 8a of each side member.

The bearing member 6 comprises a flat elongated plate 27 having a lug 28 secured to it at or towards each end.

The bracket 26 and lug 28 are provided with registering holes to receive a pivot pin. This is duplicated on the other part 8a whereby the bearing member 6 is pivotally mounted between aligned brackets 26, one one each part 8a. The plate 6 is fitted with a sheath or cover 29, desirably of rubber or plastics material so as to bear against the wall 7 of the cab without damaging its surface finish.

Referring now to Figure 7, the ladder has been removed from the cab by lifting to disengage the latches 23, 24 from the rail 4 and lowering to the ground. The pivotally mounted parts 8a of the side members together with the rungs 9 which join them have been hinged forwardly to lie along the side members 8, and the bearing member 6, which is shorter than the distance between the side members, has passed between them. The latches have pivoted into a housed position within the mountings 1 3 (as shown in dot and peck lines in Figure 5) and the ladder has converted to a hand truck mounted on the wheels 1 5 and the free ends of the side members providing handles.

The folding of the parts 8a also reduces the overall length of the ladder and so facilitates its storage on the vehicle or within the cab.

It will be observed from Figure 5 that the ends 18, 19 of each mounting 13 provide stops to limit pivoting movement of the latches when in their lowered positions to engage with the rail 4, and that the one latch 24 has a surface 31 which is adapted to engage against a face 32 of the rail 4 in the event that the top end of the ladder is moved inwardly relative to the cab.

The top 17 of each mounting 13 may be solid as shown in Figure 3 or it may be provided with openings through which the ends of the latches 23,24 may pass, as shown in Figure 5.

The rim (or the tread of the tyre where fitted) of one or both wheels may be grooved to receive a cable or rope to guide and facilitate the raising of a load, for example cargo sheets, from the ground by an operator on the roof of the cab so that the paint surface of the cab is not damaged by the rope. Alternatively an additional wheel or wheels, in the form of a pulley wheel or wheels, may be fitted to the ladder adjacent to or integral with the wheels for the same purpose.

Claims

1. A ladder comprising two laterally spaced generally L-shaped side members connected together at intervals therealong by rungs, means fitted to the shorter limbs of the side members adapted to engage an anchorage on or adjacent to the roof of a vehicle cab whereby the ladder is secured to the cab, or is able to be secured to the cab, a bearing member provided at or towards the free ends of the longer limbs of the side members which, when the ladder is secured to the cab, is directed towards the cab and engages a wall thereof, and a pair of aligned laterally spaced wheels, said wheels being rotatably secured to the ladder at or adjacent the junction of the two limbs of the side members whereby the ladder, when removed from the cab, is able to be used as a hand truck for carrying sacks or other articles.

2. A ladder as claimed in Claim 1 in which the bearing member is pivotally mounted on the ladder so as to facilitate alignment with the wall of a vehicle cab when the ladder is secured to the cab.

3. A ladder as claimed in Claim 2 in which the bearing member is pivotally mounted on the side members of the ladder.

4. A ladder as claimed in any preceding claim in whidh that part of the bearing member which is adapted to engage the wall of a cab is fitted with, or is constituted by, a protective material to minimise damage to the finish of the cab.

5. A ladder as claimed in any preceding claim in which the length of the longer limbs of the side members is adjustable.

6. A ladder as claimed in Claim 5 in which each longer limb is in two parts which are pivotally connected whereby those parts remote from the shorter limbs may be pivoted between an extended position for use in the ladder mode and a retracted position for use of the ladder in the hand truck mode.

7. A ladder as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the bearing member is secured to the said parts which are remote from the shorter limbs.

8. A ladder as claimed in any preceding claim in which the means fitted to the shorter limbs comprise latch means adapted to engage with an anchorage on the roof of a vehicle cab.

9. A ladder as claimed in Claim 8 in which the latch means comprises a pivotally mounted latch carried by each side member and movable between an anchorage engaging position for securing the ladder to a vehicle cab and a retracted position in which it lies flush with or below a load carrying support provided by the shorter limbs when the ladder is used as a hand truck.

10. A ladder as claimed in Claim 9 in which the latch means includes a second pivotally mounted latch carried by each side member spaced from and opposed to the respective said latch and adapted td engage a surface of the anchorage opposed to that surface engaged by the said latches.

11. In combination a ladder as claimed in any one of Claims 8, 9 or 10 and a vehicle cab having an anchorage comprising a generally I section member fitted to the roof thereof and with which the latch means engages.

12. A ladder as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10 in which at least one of the wheels, or a tyre fitted thereto, has a peripheral groove adapted to receive a flexible hauling element to facilitate raising of articles when the ladder is fitted to a vehicle cab.

13. A ladder as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10 including at least one rotatably mounted pulley wheel fitted adjacent to, or integral with one of the wheels and adapted to receive a flexible hauling element to facilitate raising of articles when the ladder is fitted to a vehicle cab.

14. A ladder substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

.15. In combination a ladder and vehicle cab substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.