US1205684A - Supporting means for inclined ladders. - Google Patents

Description

W. S. TOTHILL. SUPPORTING MEANS FOR INCLINED LADDERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOVH, 19! 5.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916..

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WILLIA-M S. TOTHILL, O-F GH ICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SUPPORTING MEAN SFOR INCLINE!) LADDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filedNovember 1, 1915. Serial No. 59,011.

To aZlw/zom it mag concern Be it known that- I WILLIAM S. To'rrnLL, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting Means for Inclined Ladders of which the following is a specification, reference'being hadto the accompanying-t drawings.

This invention relatesto inclined ladders for gymnasium'use'and it is'one of the objects of my invention to providenew and improved means-for supporting the upper end of the ladder in any one of a series of adjusted positions.

It is another object of my invention to providenew and improved means for'adj usting '3 the ladder as desired.

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this" type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and'arc hereinafter' specifically described.

That whiclrIbclieve to be new and desire to'cover by this application is set' forth in the claims.

lnthe drawings :-Figure lis a side view of a device embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a vertical-section'taken'online22 of Fig. 3, showingin sideelevationthelad der and the standardforisupportingthefree end of the ladder, and showing inxdotted lines the adjusted position of the ladder; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a horizontal cross-section taken on line i& of F ig'. 3; Fig. 5 is a front view of the auxiliary standard shown in Fig. 2; Fig; 6 isa' fragmentary horizontal crosssectional view showing a modified form of construction, being a crosssectional view taken substantially on"- line (S -6 0i Fig. 7 and Fig.- 7 is :a'fragmenta'ry View of the parts'shown in Fig." 6 as seen from the right in' said figure. I

ReferringtoFigs. 1- to 5 oftheidrawings in which corresponding parts. are indicated by thesame reference characters-10 indi catcs a ladder of any 'approved type the upper ends ofwhich are pivotally connected by means of couplingdevices 11 with an ad justable supporting." means 12 supported as hereinafter described. The ladder 10 isprovided atits'free end with brackets 13 which carry rollers 14 by reason of which the handlingof the ladder is facilitated. A standard comprising uprights 16-17 rising from a base 18 may be employed as desired for supporting the free end of the ladder above the floor by means of a pin 19 extending through suitable alined openings 20 in the uprights 1617. As is shown in Fig. 2, the baselS is preferably wide enough to enable the standard to maintain its upright position under normal conditions of use.

The means for holding the supporting 111eans 12 in adjusted position vertically is madein the construction shown in the form of a standard comprising uprights 21-22 secured in vertical position adjacent to a wall23 by means of clips 24. Upon the inner faces of the uprights 2122 are secured 5 channel-irons 2526 respectively, between 1 which the adjustable supporting means 12 is slidable vertically. .The supporting'means12 comprises two side-plates or brackets 2728and a cross-plate 29 fixedly secured betweensaid side-plates. Asis best shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, the side-plates 27-28are provided with vertically-extendingribs 30 having a sliding fit in the channel-irons 2526 whereby the supporting means is readily movable up and down relative to the uprights'2122. Means is pro vided for moving the supporting means 12 up and down, comprising a cable 31 secured at one 'end to a cross-beam 32 mounted upon the uprights2l22, said cable passing from thecross-beam 32 under a pulley 33 carried by thecross-plate 29, and thence over pulleys" 34-35 journaled upon the crossbeam 32.

The means for holding. the supporting means 12 in'adjusted position upon the uprights 2l22*comprises pins 36-37 slidably mounted in" suitable sockets 38 extending throughthe plates2728 respectively. The inner'ends of the pins3637- are pivotally connected witha lever 39 which is pivoted upon'the cross plate 29, the construction beingisuch=thatupon a stroke of the'lever 39 in. clockwise direction in" Fig. 3 the pins lid -37 are drawn inward toward each other, while upon a stroke of the lever in the opposite'direction the pins are projected laterally from the outer faces of the ribs 30. A spring serves to hold the lever yieldingly in such position as to cause the pins 3637 to extend outward from the ribs 30. A cable 41 is attached to the lower end of the lever 39 whence it extends over a suitable pulley 42. As will be readily understood, a downward pull upon the downwardly-extending end of the cable 41 serves to move the lever 39 to the left in Fig. 3 against the action of the spring 40 for retracting the pins 3637 from their extended positions. As best shown in Fig. 3, each of the pins 36-37 is adapted to engage at its outer end any one of a series of sockets 43 formed in the uprights 2122 and extending through the webs of the channel-irons 2526.

Whenever it is desired to adjust the ladder 10, the downwardly-extending end of the cable 31 is grasped, and the cable 41 is drawn downward for releasing the pins 3637 from the uprights 2122. While holding the cable 41 in tightened condition for preventing the pins 3637 from entering the sockets 43, the ladder is drawn to the desired position by means of the cable 31. As soon as the ladder has reached its desired position or approximately the desired position, the cable 41 is released, permitting the outer ends of the pins 3637 to engage the inner faces of the webs of the channelirons 2526. Whenever thereafter, in the continued upward or downward movement of the supporting means 12, the pins 3637 are brought opposite two sockets 43 in the uprights 2122, the pins are forced outward by the spring 40 into engagement with such sockets, whereupon the ladder is held securely in position. As will be appreciated from the above description, the adjustment of the ladder is very easily accomplished without the necessity for securing the cable 31 in any manner. Moreover, after an adjustment is made there is no likelihood of the holding means working loose as is always a possibility when the ladder is held in position by a cable. When supported by the pins 3637, the ladder is very securely held without yielding unduly under the stress of any weight normally put upon the ladder.

In Figs. 6 and 7 which show a modified form of supporting means, tubular uprights 44-45 are used in lieu of the wooden beams 2122 of the construction of Figs. 1 to 5. A supporting means is provided in lieu of the supporting means 12 of Figs. 1 to 5 com prising a cross-plate 46 and side-plates 47-48 formed integrally with the plate 46, being provided with hooks 49 embracing the tubular standards 4445. The crossplate 46 is provided with a pulley 50 corresponding to the pulley 33.

The latching means for holding the crossplate 46 adjustably in position upon the uprights 44-45 comprises pins 51 extending through the plate 46 and into suitable sockets 52 in the front faces of the tubular uprights 4445. The pins 51 are mounted upon the rear face of a bracket 53 which is pivotally mounted upon the plate 46, being held yieldingly in operative position by means of a spring 54. A cable 55 extends downward from a forwardly-extending portion of the bracket 53 for turning the bracket 53 against the action of the spring 54 for withdrawing the pins 51 from the sockets 52 for permitting an adjustment of the plate 46 and the ladder connected therewith.

By reason of the use of a bracket having an extended vertical bearing upon the standard for pivotally connecting the upper end of the ladder with the standard so as to be adjustable relative thereto, and by reason of disposing the pivot at some little distance in front of the standard, I have provided a construction by which any toggle action is prevented between the inclined ladder and the standard. Moreover, by reason of the extended vertical bearing of the bracket upon the standard, the strength of the standard is utilized to much better advantage than if contact were effected through a single bearing point, rendering it feasible in this way to employ a relatively weaker construction of standard without unduly diminishing the margin of safety. By reason of the use of a bracket slidably mounted upon the standard carrying the means by which the ladder is held fixed in adjusted position and adapted to maintain such securing means constantly in the desired operative position relative to the standard regardless of the changing angular position of the ladder relative to the standard, I have avoided the necessity for disposing such securing means precisely at the axis upon which the ladder is pivotally connected with the standard, in the construction I have employed being able to position the securing means at any convenient point upon the bracket.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a standard fixed in upright position, a bracket slidably mounted upon said standard and having an extended vertical bearing thereon whereby it is held securely against angular movement relative to the standard, means carried by said bracket for securing the bracket in adjusted vertical position upon the standard, a ladder pivotally connected with said bracket, and means comprising flexible connections having operative connection with the ladder for moving the ladder and the bracket vertically relative to the standard.

2. The combination of a standard fixed in upright position, a bracket slidably mounted upon said standard and extending for- Ward therefrom, said bracket having an extended vertical bearing upon said standard, a ladder pivotally connected at its upper end with the forwardly-extending portion of said bracket, means carried by said bracket in rear of the pivotal connection of said ladder with the bracket for securing the bracket in adjusted vertical position upon the standard, and means comprising flexible connections having operative connection With the bracket for adjusting the bracket vertically relative to the standard.

WILLIAM S. TOTHILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. V

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