US1245073A - Combination-ladder. - Google Patents

Description

W. l. WALTERS,

COMBINATIONLADDER. APPucmou mm on. 9. 191a.

Patenwd Oct. 30, 1917.

. WILLIAM J. VVALJZIEIRS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

GOMBINA'I ION-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented.- Oct. 30, 1917.

Application filed October 9, 1916'. Serial No. 124,489.

To all whom it may concern. 7 Be it known that LWVILLIAM J. WAL'rnns,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Detroit, in the county of 'lVayne and, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Ladders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

To combine an extension ladder, step ladder, and a trestle, is the object of, my invention and the same is accomplished a simple, durable and inexpensive construction possessingconsiderable rigidity, light in weight without sacrificing strength, andeasy to foldand manipulate. r

A detail construction of the ladder will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now behad to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the ladder in an extended position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the article as a step ladder;

Fig. A is a side elevation of the ladder folded;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the folded ladder.

The ladder is composed of an intermediate section generally designated A and end sections generally designated C and D, said sections being articulated to fold one within the other as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

The intermediate section A comprises side rails 1 and connecting these rails are transverse tread members 2 and a flat round or tread member 8. The rails 1, at one end of the section A are reduced to provide apertured ears 4 and pivotally connected to the apertured ears 4 by bolts 501' other pivotal means are the side rails. 6 of the end sections C. The side rails 6 are connected by transverse fiat rounds or tread members 7, and adjacent the pivoted ends of the rails 6 is a pivoted shelf 8 having arms 9 adapted for engagement with the edges of the rails 1 so that the shelf will be maintained in a horizontal position when the ladder is used as a small step ladder as shown in Fig. 3. The shelf is pivoted so that it may swing in between the rails 6 and occupy a position in a plane of said rails, particularly when the ladder is folded.

The section B comprises parallel rails 10 having the ends thereof pivotally connected to the inner sides of the rails 1, as at 11,

. so that the end section'B'may be swung upwardly between the rails 1 and permit of the rails 6 of the section B being swung into parallel registration with the outer sides of the rails 1 c The rails 10 of the section B are connected by flat rounds or tread members 12 and said rails are notched, as at13, to engage the edge of one of the flat rounds or tread members 7 of the section C in order that the sections A, B and C may be maintained as a small step ladder shown in Fig. 3. The rails 10 are furthermore notched, as at 14, to provide clearance for Y certain of the fiat rounds or tread members 7 of the section C, and in order that the secti'onsB' can be swung into the section A, the tread pieces 2 of the section, A are cut away at the ends thereof, as at 15, to provide clearance for the rails 10 of the section B. With the flat rounds or tread members 7 of'the section C at the edges of the rails 6 of said section, there is sufiicient clear' ance for the rails 10f the section A, when the ladder is folded, as shown in Figs. 4:, 5 and '6. The intermediate section A, adjacent the reduced ends of the rails thereof, has latch members 16, and these latch members have offset portions adapted to extend on to the ends of the rails 6 of the section C to maintain said rails in longitudinal alinement with the rails 1 of the section B. Similar latch members 17 are pivoted upon the ends of the rails 10 of the section B, so thatsaid latch members may be swung on to the ends of the rails 1 of the section A to maintain the section B in longitudinal alinement therewith. The latch members are clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as maintaining the sections A, B and C in longitudinal alinement to form an extension ladder, and these latches do not interfere with the ladder formation shown in Figs. 3 or 4.

The ladder in its entirety is made of light and durable wood and at such places where the rail sections A, B and C are notched, or provided with latches and tread members, it is preferable to reinforce the wooden rails by metallic straps or wear plates 18, which are best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In this same figure the latches 16 and 17 are shown as preventing the sections C and B from being folded in one direction, and it will be noted that the fiat rounds or tread members of the sections A and C are in proximity to the reduced ends of the sections A and B respectively and therefore prevent the sections B and C from being folded in the opposite direction. The latch members therefore cooperate with the re- 7 duced ends and rounds of certain sections in maintaining all of the sections in longitudinal alinement as an extension ladder.

l/Vhile the combination ladder may be advantageously used as a household article, yet it may be conveniently used by window washers and others requiring a light portable ladder. It is thought that the manner of folding the ladder will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my-invention it is to be understood that the structural elements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claim. i

' hat I claim is A foldable ladder comprising a section A having side rails connected by tread members and some of said tread members notched adjacent the side rails; a section C having side rails connected by tread members and ends of said side rails pivotally connected to the outer sides of the rails of the section A, with the rails of the section A cutaway to provide clearance for a tread member of the section. C, so that said section maybe swunginto alinement with the section A,

latch members pivoted on the edges of the rails of section A adapted to be swung on to the rails of the section G to hold said sections in alinement; a section 13 having rails connected by tread pieces and ends of said rails pivotally connected to inner sides of the rails of section A so that the rails of the section B may be swung into the notched tread members of the section A, the rails of section B having notches with some of said notches providing clearance for tread pieces of section C when the lad ler is folded,

other notches adapted to receive a tread piece of section G to maintain section A at an angle to section C, and still other notches adapted to provide clearance for a tread piece of section Awhen section B is swung into longitudinal alinement therewit-ln latch members on the rails of sectionB. adapted to be swung on to therails of section A to maintain said sections in alinement; a pivoted shelf between the rails of section C adjacent the section A adapted to occupy a po-v sition between said rails, the end of section B and an endtread member of section C and ada Jted when oven to en 'a e the rails of section A and be maintained in a horizontal position thereby; and metallic wear plates on notched portions of section B and at tread pieces of all of said sections.

In testimony whereof I afiiX mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLlAhLl J. WALTERSL Witnesses KARL H. BUTLER, ANNA M Donn.

Copies of thispatent may be obtained for'five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

" Washington, D. E. i

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