GB2306548A

GB2306548A - Ladder stabilizer

Info

Publication number: GB2306548A
Application number: GB9622040A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Winter
Original assignee: WINSTAB Ltd
Current assignee: WINSTAB Ltd
Priority date: 1995-10-23
Filing date: 1996-10-23
Publication date: 1997-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2016-10-23
Also published as: GB2306548B; GB9622040D0; GB9521670D0

Abstract

A ladder stabilizer comprises a pair of stabilizer members (6) and connecting means (8) for clamping the stabilizer members (6) to a ladder. The stabiliser members (6) are each formed of a plate having a surface engaging portion (10) and a ladder engaging portion (12). The ladder engaging portion (12) comprises a slot (14) for receiving the connecting means (8). The surface engaging portion (10) comprises a permanent non - slip surface (16) and an attachment non - slip surface (18). The stabilizer may be attached to the upper or lower part of a standard ladder or to the supporting struts of a step - ladder.

Description

APPARATUS FOR STABILIZING A LADDER This invention relates to apparatus for stabilizing a ladder.

There are many different types of apparatus for stabilizing ladder. Generally, the known types of apparatus are of a complIcated construction which makes them expensive to manufacture and sometimes also difficult to fit.

It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus for stabilizing a ladder, which apparatus comprises a pair of stabilizer members and connecting means for clamping the stabilizer members to the ladder, the stabilizer members being such that they are each a plate member having a surface-engaging portion and a ladder-engaging portion which extends at 900 to the surface-engaging portion, the ladder-engaging portion being apertured for receiving the connecting means and enabling the connecting means to clamp the stabilizer members to the ladder, and the apparatus being such that when it is clamped to the ladder there are no component parts of the apparatus other than the connecting means positioned between the ladder and the ladder-engaging portions.

The apparatus of the present invention has a minimum of component parts which enables the apparatus to be simply and inexpensively manufactured. The simplicity of the apparatus with the minimum of component parts makes the apparatus light and easy to use. The connecting means enable the apparatus simply to be connected to a ladder. Any suitable and appropriate type of ladder can be provided with the apparatus of the present invention including single section ladders, multi-section ladders and step ladders.

Preferably, the apparatus is one in which the stabilizer members are bent to form the surfaceengaging portion and the ladder-engaging portion. The bending of a plate member to form the surface-engaging portion and the ladder-engaging portion is a simple way of providing the stabilizing members with good inherent strength and at minimum cost.

Preferably, the surface-engaging portion is rectangular in shape. Other shapes may however be employed.

The surface-engaging portion preferably has a non-slip surface. The non-slip surface may be formed by ridges for gripping a hard surface such for example as a paving surface or a tarmac surface. The non-slip surface may be made of rubber, a plastics material or a metal.

If desired, the non-slip surface may be formed by spikes for digging into a soft surface such for example as grass or earth.

In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus is one in which the surface-engaging portion has two of the non-slip surfaces, the non-slip surfaces being such that a first one of them forms a permanent part of the surface-engaging portion and is suitable for gripping a hard surface, whilst the second one of them forms a releaseable attachment to the surface-engaging portion and is suitable for digging into a soft surface. In this case, the apparatus may be one in which the surface-engaging portion with the first one of the non-slip surfaces is apertured for receiving fixing means for releaseably fixing the second one of the non-slip surfaces to the surface engaging portion.

The fixing means may be pins or screw bolts. Other types of fixing means such for example as clips may be employed.

The apparatus may be one in which the connecting means is a bar and at least one nut for screwing on to the bar. If desired, there may be two of the nuts for screwing one on to each end of the bar. The or each nut is preferably a wing nut for ease of finger operation. Other types of nut may of course be employed. When the connecting means includes a bar, the bar is advantageously such that it is able to pass through a hollow rung of the ladder. Such an arrangement provides a very neat and stable way of securing the apparatus of the invention to the ladder.

When the connecting means includes a bar, then the ladder-engaging portion may be apertured by being provided with a slot, which slot allows adjustment of the apparatus on the ladder for the purpose of providing optimum stability for the ladder.

If desired, the connecting means may be a pair of U-bolt clamps. The U-bolt clamps may each be tightened by wing nuts. Other types of nuts may be employed.

When the connecting means is a pair of U-bolt clamps, then the ladder-clamping portion of the apparatus may be apertured by being provided with a pair of holes for receiving the legs of one of the Ubolt clamps.

The apparatus of the invention will usually be made of a metal. The metal is preferably a light metal that does not rust. Thus the apparatus of the invention is preferably made from the aluminium alloy material that is used to make ladders.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows first apparatus for stabilizing a ladder; Figure 2 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 stabilizing a lower part of a ladder; Figure 3 shows the apparatus of Figure 1 stabilizing an upper part of a ladder; and Figure 4 shows second apparatus for stabilizing a ladder.

Referring to Figures 1 - 3, there is shown apparatus 2 for stabilizing a ladder 4. The apparatus 2 comprises a pair of stabilizer members 6 and connecting means 8 for clamping the stabilizer members 6 to the ladder 4.

The stabilizer members 6 are such that they are each a plate member having a surface-engaging portion 10 and a ladder-engaging portion 12 which extends at 900 to the surface-engaging portion 10. The ladderengaging portion 12 is apertured by being provided with a slot 14. The slot 14 is for receiving the connecting means 8 as shown so that the connecting means 8 is able to clamp the stabilizer members 6 to the ladder 4.

As can be seen from Figure 1, when the apparatus 2 is clamped to the ladder 4, there are no component parts of the apparatus 2 other than the connecting means 8 positioned between the ladder-engaging portions 12. It will thus be appreciated that the apparatus 2 is of a simple construction which is easily and inexpensively manufactured. Also, because the apparatus 2 has a minimum of component parts, the apparatus 2 is light and therefore easy to carry and fit to the ladder 4.

The stabilizer members 6 are bent to form the surface-engaging portion 10 and the ladder-engaging portion 12. The surface-engaging portion 10 is rectangular in shape as shown in Figure 1.

The surface-engaging portion 10 has two non-slip surfaces 16, 18. There non-slip surface 16 forms a first non-slip surface which is a permanent part of the surface-engaging portion 10 and which is for gripping a hard surface such for example as paving or tarmac. The non-slip surface 18 forms a second surface which is a releaseable attachment to the surface-engaging portion 10 and is suitable for digging into a soft surface such for example as grass or earth. The surface-engaging portion 10 is provided with apertures in the form of two holes 20 for receiving fixing means 22 for releaseably fixing the non-slip surface 18 to the surface-engaging portion 10. As shown in Figure 1, the fixing means 22 are a pair of pins which upstand from a plate portion 24 and which extend through the holes 20. During use, gravity then keeps the fixing means 22 in the holes 20.

The connecting means 8 is formed by a bar 26 and two wing nuts 28 for screwing on to threaded portions 30 at each end of the bar 26. The wing nuts 28 are easily tightened and loosened by hand. During use of the apparatus 2, the bar 26 is able to pass through a hollow rung of the ladder 4 if the ladder 4 has hollow rungs. The slot 14 enables the bar 26 to be moved up and down in the slot for the purpose of providing optimum stability of the ladder 4 prior to final tightening of the wing nuts 28.

Figure 2 shows the apparatus 2 of Figure 1 in use on a ladder 4 and stabilizing a lower portion 32 of the ladder 4. The ladder 4 is a single storey ladder which is resting on a hard surface 34 and is leaning against the side of a building 36.

Figure 3 shows the apparatus 2 on the ladder 4 whilst stabilizing a top portion 38 of the ladder 4.

In Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the ladder 4 is a single section ladder of the type which rests against the side of a building 36. This ladder 4 may alternatively be a multi-section ladder if desired. In Figure 4, it will be seen that a ladder in the form of a step ladder 40 is being stabilized.

More specifically, the step ladder 40 has a main ladder portion 42 and a supporting leg arrangement 44 comprising a pair of spaced apart legs 46, only one of which is shown in the side view of Figure 4.

In Figure 4, the apparatus 2 comprises two of the stabilizer members 6 with one of the stabilizer members 6 being fitted to each one of the legs 46.

The ladder-engaging portion 12 is secured to its leg 46 by connecting means 8 in the form of a U-bolt. The U-bolt has a U-member which passes around the leg 46 and then through a pair of holes 48 in the ladderengaging portion 12. Fixing means in the form of wing nuts (not shown) screw on to the ends of the U-bolt that have passed through the holes 48 and thus clamp the stabilizer member 6 to its leg 46.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected.

Thus, for example, the pin fixing means shown in Figure 1 could be replaced by nut and bolt arrangements. Also, the ladder-engaging portions 12 have been shown as triangular but they may be of other shapes if desired.

Claims

1. Apparatus for stabilizing a ladder, which apparatus comprises a pair of stabilizer members and connecting means for clamping the stabilizer members to the ladder, the stabilizer members being such that they are each a plate member having a surface-engaging portion and a ladder-engaging portion which extends at 900 to the surface-engaging portion, the ladderengaging portion being apertured for receiving the connecting means and enabling the connecting means to clamp the stabilizer members to the ladder, and the apparatus being such that when it is clamped to the ladder there are no component parts of the apparatus other than the connecting means positioned between the ladder and the ladder-engaging portions.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the stabilizer members are bent to form the surfaceengaging portion and the ladder-engaging portion.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the surface-engaging portion is rectangular in shape.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the surface-engaging portion has a non-slip surface.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the nonslip surface is formed by ridges.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5 in which the non-slip surface is made of rubber, a plastics material or a metal.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the non-slip surface is formed by spikes.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the surface-engaging portion has two of the non-slip surfaces, the non-slip surfaces being such that a first one of them forms a permanent part of the surface-engaging portion and is suitable for gripping a hard surface, whilst the second one of them forms a releaseable attachment to the surface-engaging portion and is suitable for digging into a soft surface.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the surface-engaging portion with the first one of the non-slip surfaces is apertured for receiving fixing means for releaseably fixing the second one of the non-surfaces to the surface engaging portion.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the fixing means are pins or screw bolts.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the connecting means is a bar and at least one nut for screwing on to the bar.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the ladder-engaging portion is apertured by being provided with a slot, which slot allows adjustment of the apparatus on the ladder for the purpose of providing optimum stability for the ladder.

13. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 - 10 in which the connecting means is a pair of U-bolt clamps.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which the ladder-clamping portion of the apparatus is apertured by being provided with a pair of holes for receiving the legs of one of the U-bolt clamps.

15. Apparatus for stabilizing a ladder, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.