GB2378977A

GB2378977A - Equipment support which passes through a hollow rung of a ladder

Info

Publication number: GB2378977A
Application number: GB0201883A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Peter Causton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-22
Filing date: 2002-01-28
Publication date: 2003-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2022-01-28
Also published as: GB2378977B; GB0201883D0; GB0120424D0

Abstract

A support comprises a shaft (120), which in use is located inside a rung (85) of a ladder (80), and means for supporting painting equipment (150, 160). The shaft may be fixed to the ladder by removable clamping means which abut the inside or outside of the stiles, preferably a fixed annular flange (164) is provided at one end of the shaft and a threaded clamp (130) is provided at an opposite end. Alternatively the support may be provided with a second shaft which, in use is located inside a second rung. The shafts may be releasably joined by two rigid members (30, 40 Figure 3), one on each side of the ladder.

Description

"A Support" This invention relates to a support for use with, and which aids, painting and decorating.

When painting or decorating areas that are more than about 2 metres above ground level, it is common to use a ladder. However, it is difficult for a painter who has ascended a ladder to safely and conveniently hold a paint brush or paint roller and a supply of paint. This is particularly problematic where the painter is painting the outside of a building and has need of a large quantity of paint, which is often held in a large, unwieldy container, or"scuttle".

It is an object of this invention to address this problem According to an aspect of this invention there is provided a support for fitting to a ladder of the type that has hollow rungs, the support including means for supporting painting equipment and also including a member for placing inside a rung of the ladder, the arrangement being such that, in use, the support can be angularly located relative to the ladder thereby.

Angular location of the support relative to the ladder is advantageous in

maintaining painting equipment supported by the support in an upright orientation.

The support may include releasable fixing means arranged to releasably fix the support to the ladder. The releasable fixing means may include abutment means arranged to abut structure of the ladder such that removal of the support from the ladder is prevented thereby. The releasable fixing means may include clamping means arranged for clamping the support to the ladder. The clamping means may be arranged to be braced between structure of the ladder or to be clamped around structure of the ladder The clamping means preferably include first and second ladder-engaging members arranged such that the distance therebetween is adjustable. Preferably, one of the ladder-engaging members is fixed with respect to the support and the other ladder engaging member is moveable with respect to the support. The ladder-engaging member that is moveable may be so moveable by being rotatably mounted about structure of the support and by having a screw thread formed therein and arranged for cooperation with a cooperating screw thread formed in the structure of the support about which that ladder-engaging member is rotatably mounted. Preferably, the support is arranged such that each of the ladder-engaging members is for engaging an outside of a respective one

of the siderails of the ladder and preferably around a respective entrance to the hollow rung through with the member passes. The ladder-engaging member that is fixed with respect to the support may be an annular flange.

The support may include a second member for placing inside a second rung of the ladder, thereby providing angular location of the support with respect to the ladder about an axis of the first-mentioned rung.

The first-mentioned member will hereinafter be referred to as the"first member".

The first member and/or the second member may, in use, pass all the way through the respective rung.

Preferably the first member and the second member are rigid tubes or bars. The first member and the second member may be joined to each other by at least one rigid side member positioned, in use, to a side of the ladder. Preferably the first member and the second member are joined to each other by two side members, each side member being positioned, in use, to a respective side of the ladder, such that lateral movement of the support relative to the ladder is resisted thereby.

Preferably at least one of the side members is releasably attachable to at least one of the first and second members so that the support can be fitted to and removed from the ladder. The at least one side member that is releasably attachable may be pivotally attached at one end to one of the first and second member and releasably attachable at its other end to the other of the first and second member. The at least one side member that is releasable attachable may be so by the provision of a removable pin that is insertable through that side member and the first or second member to which it is releasably attachable.

Each of the first and second members and the side members may be releasably attachable to the respective members to which it is attached.

The support means may include means for holding a supply of paint, for example the support may include, or include means for holding, one or more paint pot and/or one or more paint tray or scuttle. The support means may include means for holding one or more paint brush and/or paint roller.

Two specific supports which embody this invention are now described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a first one the supports; Figure 2 is a plan view of the first support;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the first support fitted to a ladder; Figure 4 is a plan view of a second one of the supports in a disassembled state; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the second support fitted to a ladder.

With reference to Figure 1, the support 10 includes a first member in the form of a long bar or long strip 20 of metal such as aluminium. The long strip 20, which is about 1 metre long, has a three-sided arrangement 25 of other steel strips 30,40 attached to it. The three-sided arrangement 25 is positioned about midway along the length of the long strip 20 so as to form an oblong with a mid portion of the long strip 20.

The three-sided arrangement 25 includes a short, straight strip 30 and a rightangled strip 40. One end of the right angled strip 40 is attached, for example by welding, to the long strip 20. The short, straight strip 30 is pivotally attached at one of its ends to the other end of the right angled strip 40. The other end of the short, straight strip 30 includes a hole (not shown) that lines up with another hole 22 in the long strip 20. The two holes are arranged to receive a removable pin 24 so as to releasably attach the short, straight strip 30 to the long strip 20.

One end of the long strip 20 has attached thereto a kettle holder 50. This is shown more clearly in Figure 2. The kettle holder 50 includes a ring 52 with a collar portion 54 projecting radially therefrom. The kettle holder 50 is also fabricated from aluminium strip. The internal diameter of the ring 52 is such that it can receive and hold a kettle of paint (not shown in Figure 2), a kettle of paint being a large, frusto-conical can of paint with a base that is of lesser diameter that its top. Alternatively, it is envisaged that the ring 52 may have an axial length and that the internal diameter of the ring 52 may taper along that length, such that the ring 52 can hold conventional cans of paint of different sizes. Alternatively a bucket (not shown) may be substituted for the ring 52 and a can of paint may be placed in that bucket.

The collar portion 54 fits onto the end of the long strip 20. The collar portion 54, and hence the kettle holder 50, is releasably attached to the end of the long strip 20 by a known method such as screwing or bolting.

Figure 2 also shows a scuttle holder 60 at the other end of the long strip 20.

The scuttle holder 60 is a rectangular frame formed of aluminium strip and arranged to receive and hold a painter's scuttle (not shown in Figure 2), a scuttle being a container for holding a large quantity of paint. The scuttle holder 60 also includes a collar portion 64, similar to that of the kettle holder

50, for attaching the scuttle holder 60 to the other end of the long strip 20.

The scuttle holder 60 also includes a roller holder 70. The roller holder 70 is an integrally-formed ring. The internal diameter of the roller holder 70 is such that the handle of a conventional paint roller (not shown in Figure 2) is a clearance fit therein.

In use, and with reference to Figure 3, the straight, short strip 30 is released from the long strip 20, by removing the pin 24 from these two strips 20,30.

The short, straight strip 30 is pivoted relative to the right-angled strip 40 so as to be aligned with a proximal portion thereof. The kettle holder 50 is then removed from the end of the long strip 20 and the support 10 is presented laterally to a ladder 80. The ladder 80 is an aluminium ladder with hollow, tubular rungs 85. The support 10 is presented to the ladder 80 such that the long strip 20 lines-up with one rung 85 and the straight, short strip 30 lines-up with another, adjacent, rung 85. The support 10 is advanced until the straight, short strip 30 has passed all the way through the respective rung 85, whereupon that strip 30 is pivoted relative to the right-angled strip 40 and re-attached to the long strip 20 by means of the pin 24. The kettle holder 50 is then reattached to the end of the long strip 20. Thus, the support 10 is fitted to the ladder 80.

With the support 10 fitted to the ladder 80 in this way, a kettle of paint 90 can be placed in the kettle holder 50, a scuttle 100 can be placed in the scuttle holder 60 and a roller 110 can be placed in the roller holder 70.

In the fitted position, the long strip 20 and the portion of the right-angled support 40 parallel thereto respectively correspond to the aforementioned first and second members and provide longitudinal, perpendicular and angular location of the support 10 relative to the ladder 80. The straight, short strip 30 and the portion of the right-angled strip 40 parallel thereto correspond to the aforementioned side members of the support 10 and provide lateral location of the support 10 relative to the ladder 80.

It is envisaged that the kettle holder 50 and the scuttle holder 60 may be rotatable relative to the remainder of the support 10 such that each remains in a plane that is substantially horizontal, regardless of the angle of the ladder 85.

It is also envisaged that the kettle holder 50 and the scuttle holder 60 may be removable and interchangeable to accommodate the preferences of a painter (not shown).

It is further envisaged that some or all of the support 10 may be fashioned

from moulded plastic, or from tubular metal or from some such other suitable material.

Figure 4 shows a second support 100. The second support 100 includes a first member in the form of a hollow tube 120. The hollow tube 120 is formed from metal and includes an externally threaded portion 122 around a first one of its ends. A hole (not shown) is provided adjacent the first end of the hollow tube 120.

The support 100 also includes a rotatable handle 130. The rotatable handle 130 is comprised of a nut portion 132 and a handle portion 134. The nut portion 132 is a conventional nut arranged for fitting to the first end of the tube 120 so as to be screwable onto the threaded portion 122 therearound. The handle portion 134 is a pair of arms that are diametrically opposed and that project obliquely with respect to the axis of the nut portion 132.

At its other end, the hollow tube 120 includes a nipple 124. The nipple 124, which is not integrally formed with the tube 120, projects through a hole formed in the tube 120. The nipple 124 is spring-biased by a spring (not shown) located inside the tube 120 so that a base of the nipple 124 abuts the inside of the tube 120 around the hole. The nipple 124 is depressible against

the spring. Such spring-biased nipples 124 are known.

The second support 100 includes a kettle holder 150, similar to that 50 of the first support 10. However, rather than be provided with a collar portion, the kettle holder 150 includes a spigot 154 projecting radially outwards from a kettle-receiving ring 152 of the kettle holder 150. The external diameter of the spigot 154 is such that it is a sliding fit inside the first end of the hollow tube 120. The spigot 154 includes a spring-biased nipple 156 similar to that 124 at the second end of the hollow tube 120. The spring biased nipple 156 of the spigot 154 is for locating in the hole adjacent the first end of the hollow tube 110, when the spigot 154 is fitted therein.

The second support 100 also includes a scuttle holder 160 similar to that 60 of the first support 10. The scuttle holder 160 includes a roller holder 170 and a collar 164. The collar 164 is for receiving the second end of the hollow tube 120 as a sliding fit. The collar 164 includes a hole (not shown) in which the spring-biased nipple 124 of the hollow tube 120 is locatable when the tube 120 is fitted inside the collar 164. The collar 164 includes a radially outer, annular flange 166 around the end thereof that is remote from the body of the scuttle holder 160.

Use of the second support 100 will be described with reference to Figure 5.

Figure 5 shows the second support 100 fitted to the ladder 80 of Figure 3. In fitting the support 100 to the ladder 80, the hollow tube 120 is inserted through one of the rungs 85 of the ladder 80. Insertion is such that the first end of the hollow tube 120, with the rotatable handle 130 therearound, projects from one siderail 87 of the ladder 80 and the second end of the hollow tube 120 projects from the other siderail 87 of the ladder 80.

The scuttle holder 160 is then fitted to the second end of the hollow tube 120.

This is achieved by inserting the second end of the hollow tube 120 into the collar 164 of the scuttle holder 160 such that the spring-biased nipple 124 of the tube 120 is located in the hole provided in the collar 164. It may be necessary to initially depress the spring-biased nipple 124 in order to achieve this insertion. With the scuttle holder 160 fitted to the hollow tube 120, the annular flange 166 of the collar 164 is adjacent the other siderail 87 of the ladder 80. It will be appreciated that, once the hollow tube 120 is inserted into the collar 164 as described above, the two components may not be easily separated without first depressing the spring-biased nipple 124 of the hollow tube 120.

The scuttle holder 160 and the hollow tube 120 are then rotated together inside

the rung 85 such that the scuttle holder 160 lies substantially in a horizontal plane. The rotatable handle 130 is then rotated relative to the hollow tube 120 so as to reduce the distance between the rotatable handle 130 and the collar 164. This is continued until each of the rotatable handle 130 and the collar 164 abut a respective one of the side rails 87 and such that the side rails 87 are clamped therebetween. Thus, the hollow tube 120 and the scuttle holder 160 are fixed relative to the ladder 80, with the rotatable handle 130 and the collar 164 constituting ladder-engaging members.

The kettle holder 150 is attached to the hollow tube 120 by inserting the spigot 154 in the first end of the hollow tube 120 such that the spring-biased nipple 156 of the spigot 154 is located in the hole in the first end of the hollow tube 120. It may be necessary to initially depress the spring-biased nipple 156 of the spigot 154 in order to achieve insertion. It will be appreciated that the kettle holder 150 and the hollow tube 120 may not then be easily separated without first depressing the spring-biased nipple 156 of the spigot 154.

The positioning of the spigot 154 with respect to the ring 152 of the kettle holder 150, the positioning of the hole in the first end of the hollow tube 120 and the spring-biased nipple 124 at the second end of the hollow tube with respect to the tube 120, and the positioning of the hole in the collar 164 with

respect to the remainder of the scuttle holder 160 are all such that, once assembled, the kettle holder 150 and the scuttle holder 160 lie in the same plane.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A support for fitting to a ladder of the type that has hollow rungs, the support including means for supporting painting equipment and also including a member for placing inside a rung of the ladder, the arrangement being such that, in use, the support can be angularly located relative to the ladder thereby.
2. A support according to claim 1, including releasable fixing means arranged to releasably fix the support to the ladder.
3. A support according to claim 2, wherein the releasable fixing means includes abutment means arranged to abut structure of the ladder such that removal of the support from the ladder is prevented thereby.
4. A support according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the releasable fixing means includes clamping means arranged for clamping the support to the ladder.
5. A support according to claim 4, wherein the clamping means is arranged to be braced between structure of the ladder or to be clamped around structure of the ladder

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6. A support according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the clamping means includes first and second ladder-engaging members arranged such that the distance therebetween is adjustable.
7. A support according to claim 6, wherein one of the ladder-engaging members is fixed with respect to the support and the other ladder engaging member is moveable with respect to the support.
8. A support according to claim 7, wherein the ladder-engaging member that is moveable is so moveable by being rotatably mounted about structure of the support and by having a screw thread formed therein and arranged for cooperation with a cooperating screw thread formed in the structure of the support about which that ladder-engaging member is rotatably mounted.
9. A support according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the support is arranged such that each of the ladder-engaging members is for engaging an outside of a respective one of the siderails of the ladder and preferably around a respective entrance to the hollow rung through with the member passes.
10. A support according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the ladderengaging member that is fixed with respect to the support includes an annular flange.

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11. A support according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support includes a second member for placing inside a second rung of the ladder, thereby providing angular location of the support with respect to the ladder about an axis of the first-mentioned rung, the first-mentioned member being hereinafter referred to as the"first member".
12. A support according to claim 11, wherein the first member and/or the second member, in use, pass all the way through the respective rung.
13. A support according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the first member and the second member are joined to each other by at least one rigid side member positioned, in use, to a side of the ladder.
14. A support according to claim 13, wherein the first member and the second member are joined to each other by two side members, each side member being positioned, in use, to a respective side of the ladder, such that lateral movement of the support relative to the ladder is resisted thereby.
15. A support according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the side members is releasably attachable to at least one of the first and second

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members so that the support can be fitted to and removed from the ladder.
16. A support according to claim 15, wherein the at least one side member that is releasably attachable is pivotally attached at one end to one of the first and second member and releasably attachable at its other end to the other of the first and second member.
17. A support according to claim 16, wherein the at least one side member that is releasable attachable is so by the provision of a removable pin that is insertable through that side member and the first or second member to which it is releasably attachable.
18. A support according to any preceding claim including means for holding a supply of paint.
19. A support according to any preceding claim including means for holding one or more paint brush and/or paint roller.
20. A support substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawings and as shown in those drawings.