GB2099063A

GB2099063A - Hooking platform for ladders

Info

Publication number: GB2099063A
Application number: GB8112875A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: RICHARDS MARTIN DAVID
Current assignee: RICHARDS MARTIN DAVID
Priority date: 1981-04-27
Filing date: 1981-04-27
Publication date: 1982-12-01

Abstract

A device for attachment to a conventional ladder comprises a platform (10) which rests on one rung and hooks (28 and 30) at the upper end of elongate struts (24 and 26) which hook over a higher rung on the ladder. The elongate struts (24 and 26) may be hinged to the platform (10) to allow the device to be laid flat for packaging and storage. In addition, or alternatively, the struts and supports may be detachable from the platform. The size and position of the hooks (28 and 30) may be made such that a second device may be fitted on the same rung as the hooks that are engaging to allow for two or more such devices to be fitted to a single ladder one above the other. Alternatively a self-supporting series of steps may be constructed by fitting one device to the underside of the next one up by bolts or rivets or interlocking means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to ladders Field of Invention This invention concerns ladders and in particular fitments for attachment to ladders and the like to render the ladder more comfortable or easier to use for specific purposes.

Background to the Invention A conventional ladder comprises two parallel side cheeks and a plurality of equally spaced generally circular cross-section rungs transversely extending therebetween along the length of the ladder. The rungs are quite adequate to allow a person to climb up a ladder but tend to be very uncomfortable if the user has to stand on any one rung for any extended period of time as during decorating or repair work requiring the use of a ladder.

It is known to provide ladders having step-like treads but these tend to be bulky and heavier and not so practical for general use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which can be attached to a standard ladder at any position therealong to provide a greater degree of confort and safety in use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an alternative device which with other similar devices can be fitted to a ladder so as to convert an ordinary runged ladder to a structure more akin to steps.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a device which if required can be folded away for packaging and/or storage.

Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention a device for attachment to a ladder comprises: 1 ) a generally horizontal platform; 2) at least one hook member extending upwardly from the rear of the platform; 3) at least one downwardly protruding abutment below the platform; 4) the size and location of the hook means and the platform and downwardly depending abutment being selected so that if the underside of the platform rests on the rung of a ladder, the hook means can be hooked'over and around a higher rung up the ladder and the downwardly depending abutment engages the front of the rung on which the platform rests.

Most conveniently the hook means is adapted to extend around the next rung up from that on which the platform rests. Preferably the platform is sufficiently deep from front to back as to constitute a step on which a person can stand with greater comfort and ease and a greater degree of security than the rung over which the step lies.

Preferably at least one further abutment is provided on the underside of the platform which engages to the rear of the rung on which the platform rests so as to securely position the platform relative to the rung.

The hook means may be in the form of a panel member which extends across the whole width of the platform. Alternatively and preferably, however, two hooks are provided, one at the lefthand and the other at the righthand end of the platform and the space between the hooks is completely open so that the toes of the foot can protrude beyond the rear edge of the platform.

Where a particularly deep platform (i.e. large dimension from the front to the rear edge) is required, hooks may be longer so as to engage around the next but one rung of the ladder. On the basis of similar triangles it will be seen that since the vertical length of the hooks is now twice that of those which are required to engage the next rung up, so that front to back dimension of the platform on which the user stands can also be twice the size of the platform which would have otherwise have been possible.

Preferably a non-slip substance is coated or secured to the upper face of the platform.

Conveniently this comprises ribbed or otherwise profiled sheet material of rubber or plastics or a composite thereof.

The platform and hooks and abutments may be formed from metal or plastics or wood or any combination thereof.

Conveniently the hook means provide supports for the underside of the platform and are formed from elongate material which is bent or otherwise formed into the shape of a hook at its upper end and in the form of a bracket, with a downwardly depending finger at the lower end of an elongate length, the dimensions of which are commensurate with the number of rungs which the hook is intended to span. The downwardly depending finger then constitutes the rear abutment below the platform.

Typically the forward downwardly depending abutment for the platform is provided by forming the platform from a piece of sheet material which is bent to form a letter L with the longer length of the L section serving as the platform and the shorter length as the downwardly depending forward abutment.

The platform may be secured to the hook means and/or other members forming the device by means of nuts and bolts or screws or rivets or the like or may be welded thereto. Where the step is formed from a plastics material the whole of the platform and hooks and abutments may be formed as a moulding in one or more pieces.

According to another aspect of the invention, the hook means extend from the platform in such a manner as to not interfere with the underside of another similar device if fitted to the next rung up.

In this way two or more such devices may be attached to adjoining rungs of a ladder so as to produce two or more steps akin to a step-ladder.

This aspect of the invention may be achieved by, for example, bending the elongate sections of the hooks protruding from the platform in a generally inward or outward direction so that the hooks which actually extend over and around the next rung up are themselves spaced from the side walls of the ladder by an amount at least equal to the width of the hook means so that there is space on the next rung from the rearward downwardly depending abutment of the next device up.

This second aspect of the invention allows a normal runged ladder to be converted into a series of steps which may be of a semi-permanent nature and a relatively quickly assembled staircase can be formed. This is a particular application in temporary structures where the cost of installing a permanent staircase would not be justified but where the traffic would not normally admit an ordinary runged ladder to serve as the means for going between two different levels.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the hook means may be pivotally hinged to the platform means in each device so as to allow the upstanding hooks to be laid flat for packing and storing. Means may be provided for locking the upstanding hook means in one position or the other or both.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the hook means may be adapted to be secured to the forward region of the underside of the platform of another such device to allow steps to be assembled from a series of individual units the number of which are joined together as dictated by the distance through which the steps are to extend.

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 device constructed as one embodiment of the invention, and Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 with the outline of a ladder superimposed thereon showing how the device fits over an adjoining pair of rungs of the ladder.

In the Drawings Figure 1 shows a step-converter for a ladder which comprises a platform 10 having a downwardly-turned front edge 12 and a ribbed rubber mat 14 to give better grip. The platform 10 is conveniently formed from aluminium sheet or the like.

The platform 10 is secured by means of rivets 16 and 18 and 20 and 22 to a pair of hooked supporting members 24 and 26 respectively. Each such member includes an elongate section the upper end of which is turned over to form a hook generally designated 28 and 30 respectively and the lower end of which is bent around through approximately a right-angle to form a platform support section one of which can be seen in Figure 1 and is denoted by reference numeral 32.

This latter is itself bent around to form a downwardly depending abutment 34 parallel to the bent over front edge 12 of the platform 10.

As best seen in Figure 2, the hooks 28 and 30 are adapted to be hooked over a rung 36 of a ladder one side of which is denoted by reference numeral 38 whilst the platform 10 rests on the next rung down denoted by reference numeral 40, the front edge 12 and the abutments such as 34 serving to locate the platform 10 on the rung 40.

As shown the device is intended to extend between two adjoining rungs but it is within the ambit of the invention that the elongate sections 24 and 26 are made twice the length so as to span two rung spacings so as to allow for a larger platform.

In the embodiment shown, it is not intended that the device co-operate with any other similar device so as to form a succession of steps. However it is to be understood that the two elongate sections 24 and 26 may be bent towards one another so that the hooks 28 and 30 are spaced from the side cheeks one of which is shown at 38 in Figure 2, of the ladder, to accommodate the rear abutments such as 34 of a similar device located on the next rung up. In this event the bending inwards of the elongate sections 24 and 26 is sufficient to allow for the width of the downwardly depending abutments 34.

In another embodiment the front to back spacing between the downturned lip 1 2 and the downwardly depending abutments such as 34 is increased so as to accommodate the external dimensions of a hook such as 28 or 30 and means is provided for such as aligned holes and nuts and bolts whereby one platform may be secured to the hooks 28 and 30 of another platform located below the first mentioned platform and a succession of such devices may be secured together one above the other to form a series of steps.

Although not shown the sections 24 and 26 may be hinged where they bend around to form the platform supports such as 32 so that the device can be packed almost flat. Locking pins or other locking means may be provided (not shown) to retain the elongate sections 24 and 26 in the upright position as shown in Figure 1 and 2.

Where a quick assembly step-ladder is required without the requirement for a supporting ladder, the mechanism for securing the hooks 28 and 30 to the underside of the next above platform may involve quick release means or may provide for a sliding engagement between the hooks on the one hand and the underside of the platform on the other.

Claims

1. A device for attachment to a ladder or to another device to form steps comprising: 1) a generally horizontal platform; 2) at least one hook member extending upwardly from the rear of the platform; 3) at least one downwardly protruding abutment below the platform; 4) the size and location of the hook means and the platform and downwardly depending abutment being selected so that if the underside of the platform rests on the rung of a ladder, the hook means can be hooked over and around a higher rung up the ladder and the downwardly depending abutment engages the front of the rung on which the platform rests.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the hook means is adapted to extend around the next rung up from that on which the platform rests.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the platform is sufficiently deep from front to back as to constitute a step on which a person can stand with greater comfort and ease and a greater degree of security than the rung over which the step lies.

4. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which at least one further abutment is provided on the underside of the platform which engages to the rear of the rung on which the platform rests so as to securely position the platform relative to the rung.

5. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in which the hook means is in the form of a panel member which extends across the whole width of the platform or in in the form of two hooks, one at the lefthand and the other at the righthand end of the platform and the space between the hooks is completely open so that the toes of the foot can protrude beyond the rear edge of the platform.

6. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which a non-slip substance is coated or secured to the upper face of the platform.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which the substance is ribbed or otherwise profiled sheet material of rubber or plastics or a composite thereof.

8. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 in which the platform and hooks and abutments are formed from metal or plastics or wood or any combinations thereof.

9. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 in which the hook means provide supports for the underside of the platform and are formed from elongate material which is bent or otherwise formed into the shape of a hook at its upper end and in the form of a bracket with a downwardly depending finger, at the lower end of an elongate length, the dimensions of which are commensurate with the number of rungs which the hook is intended to span, and the downwardly depending finger constitutes a rear abutment below the platform, and the forward downwardly depending abutment is provided by bending over the sheet material from which the platform is formed.

1 0. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the platform is secured to the hook means and/or other constituent members by means of nuts and bolts or screws or rivets or the like or may be welded thereto.

11. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 in which the step is formed from a plastics material and the whole of the platform and hooks and abutments are formed as a moulding in at least one piece.

12. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the hook means extend from the platform in such a manner as to not interfere with the underside of another similar device fitted to the next rung up along the ladder so that two (or more) such devices may be attached to adjoining rungs of a ladder so as to produce two or more steps akin to a step-iadder.

1 3. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the hook means are pivotally hinged to the platform means so as to allow the upstanding hooks to be laid flat for packing and storing.

14. A device as claimed in claim 1 3 in which means is provided for locking the upstanding hook means in one position or the other or both.

1 5. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the hook means is adapted to be secured to the forward region of the underside of the platform of another such device to allow steps to be assembled from a series of individual units the number of which is joined together as dictated by the distance through which the steps are to extend.

1 6. A device for attachment to the rungs of a ladder or another device to form steps constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described and with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.