GB2281935A

GB2281935A - Support device

Info

Publication number: GB2281935A
Application number: GB9318944A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Denis Robert Hill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-09-14
Filing date: 1993-09-14
Publication date: 1995-03-22
Also published as: GB9318944D0

Abstract

A contact member e.g. 11A for a ladder comprises: a body member; a padded surface located on or incorporated in the body member so as to provide for low contact pressure between the padded surface and a surface with which the padded surface is in contact; and securing means, e.g. straps providing for the attachment of the body member to a ladder while allowing a degree of aligning movement of the surface relative to the ladder when in use. A roof ladder equipped with such members may also carry wheels, e.g. 29, on the other face of the ladder, whereby it can be moved over a roof before being rotated to bring the members 11A, 11B into contact with the roof. <IMAGE>

Description

SUPPORT DEVICE This invention relates to a support device and in particular to a support device for a ladder.

There are widely available various attachments for facilitating use of a ladder. These include: a stabiliser for the foot of the ladder incorporating extending legs; an outrigger attached near the top of the ladder and serving to increase the effective width of the ladder for contact with the wall against which it rests; a wheeled hook for attachment to the top of the ladder to enable the top of the ladder to run up a roof surface by manipulation of the opposite end of the ladder to allow for the ladder hook to be pushed over a roof ridge to retain the upper end of the ladder; a carrier for the top of the ladder to support tools or containers; and an auxiliary step to provide a more comfortable standing surface for a user.

Locating the top of a ladder against a robust vertical surface by manipulating the lower part of the ladder can usually be readily undertaken without causing damage to the contact area. However and event leading inadvertent damage can arise when moving a part of a ladder ladder in contact with a surface such as when the lower part of a ladder is manoeuvred to slide the upper part of the ladder over a tiled roof surface.

In such an event tiles can be displaced or damaged. Such an event can also be dangerous since it is usually carried out by a user standing on a ladder in a relatively unstable stance and the unexpected snagging of the ladder being moved can cause an unexpected reaction on the user leading to injury or accident.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided for use with the upper end of a ladder a contact member comprising: 1 a body member; 2 a padded surface located on or incorporated in the body member so as to provide for low contact pressure between the padded surface and a surface with which the padded surface is in contact; and 3 securing means providing for the attachment of the body member to a ladder while allowing a degree of aligning movement of the surface relative to the ladder when in use.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provide a ladder equipped with at least one contact member according to the first aspect.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing of a ladder equipped with a contact member of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a contact member; Figure 2 is a side view of a ladder equipped with the contact member described in connection with Figure 1 located on a vertical surface; Figure 3 shows a ladder in use on a sloping surface equipped with two contact members described in connection with Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows the components of Figure 3 in a working configuration.

Figure 1 Contact member 11 has a padded surface 12 and a backing 13 on which are mounted a pair of straps 14 and buckles 15 to enable the member II to be secured at or near the top of a ladder to function as will be described hereafter in connection with Figure 2 and 3. In plan view the padded surface 12 is of generally rectangular shape about 250 mm by 550 mm. The body of the member 11 is filled with fragments of a plastics material. The surface area of the padded surface 12 is sufficient to provide for very low surface loading of a surface with which the member 11 is in contact when supporting the weight of a ladder to which it is attached.The edges of the padded surface (such as edge 16) are curved so that when the member 11 is slid over a building surface in a direction parallel to padded surface 12 the member skates readily along without catching on, or displacing, projections from the building surface such as a tile or fascia edge.

Figure 2 Ladder L is shown equipped with the contact member described in relation to Figure 1. Ladder L has an upper end 20 to which contact member 11 is secured by straps 15 and buckles 16. With the ladder in use the contact member 11 is located against a vertical surface having as its outermost layer a relatively fragile fascia panel 21. The area of the contact member 11 is sufficient to keep the contact pressure with the panel 21 at a low value even with a user standing on the ladder L. Curved edge 16 of the contact member 11 and corresponding curved side edges enables the upper end 20 of the ladder to be readily skated over the fascia panel 21 when the ladder L is to be moved without displacing or defacing the panel 21.

Figures 3 and 4 Ladder M is for use on sloping surface such as a roof. Two contact members 11A, 11B in use on a conventional tiled roof surface 23 with rows of tile edges, typically edge 24, facing downwardly.

Upper end 25 of the ladder M is equipped with a parallel pair of parallel hooped sections 26, 27, only section 26 being shown as it conceals section 27. Each hook section 26, 27 is equipped with a wheel respectively wheels 28, 29 to enable the end of the ladder, as shown in Figure 3, to be readily run up the roof surface 23 without damage to the roof until the wheels 28, 29 are at the ridge R of the roof at which point the ladder is rotated about its longitudinal axis so that the hoops 26, 27 lie over the ridge tiles R as shown in Figure 4 to hold the ladder M in place in a known manner.

As shown in Figure 4 the ladder M contacts the roof only by way of contact members 11A, 11B and so user can readily move up and down the ladder to undertake an operation such as decorating or repairs without hazarding the roof. Once the operation is completed the user moves off the ladder M, rotates the ladder M about a longitudinal axis so that the wheels 28, 29 again engage with the roof surface 23 (as shown in Figure 3) permitting the ladder to be drawn over the roof and then be lifted clear. In addition the size of the contact area between the members 11A, 11B and the roof surface 23 is such as to ensure that under normal working loadings no high contact pressure is ifrtposed on individual tiles.

The use of straps and buckles to connect the contact member 11 with the ladder L allow for a degree of movement of the member 11 relative to the ladder L while maintaining a substantial contact area between the contact member 11 and the surface on which it rests despite relative angular movement between the contact member 11 and the ladder L.

Claims

CLAIMS 1 A contact member for a ladder comprising:

1 a body member;

2 a padded surface located on or incorporated in the body member so as to provide for low contact pressure between the padded surface and a surface with which the padded surface is in contact: and

3 securing means providing for the attachment of the body member to a ladder while allowing a degree of aligning movement of the surface relative to the ladder when in use.

2 A ladder equipped with at least one contact member as claimed in Claim 1.

3 A ladder as claimed in Claim 2 equipped at one end with the contact member on one side and provided on the other side of the ladder to the one side at the one end with rolling or sliding means whereby the one end can be rolled or slid over a surface, the ladder being rotatable about a longitudinal axis so that the contact member or the rolling or sliding means can be located on a surface to support the one end.

4 A contact member as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1.

5 A ladder as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2, 3 or 4.