US1322869A - A corpora - Google Patents

Description

P. M. BENEDICT.

POLE STEP.

APPLICATION FILED APR; 3. 1916.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

W1 TNESSES pisrrnn smarts PATENT orator PAUL M. BENEDICT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARNES &

KOBERT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MILLDALE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION OF CONNECTICUT.

POLE-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25,1919.

Application filed April 3, 1916. Serial No. 88,593.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL M. BENEDICT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city and county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pole- Steps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to pole steps such as used on, telegraph poles, and more particularly to that type of .pole step'which is composed of a metal attaching plate adapted to be permanently secured to the pole and a metal footrestor step proper adapted to be attached to the plate when the lineman desires to climb the pole, and to be removed from the plate after he is through with his work, so that the step cannot be used by unauthorized persons.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide improved means for securing the footrest or step to the attaching this character owing plate or bracket so that the footrest or plate is prevented. from turning about its longitudinal axis. Heretofore considerable difficulty has been encountered with devices of to the fact that the step or footrest will turn in the attaching plate, underwhich conditions it affords a very precarious footing, but by my improvements this disadvantage is overcome, for the construction is such that a heavy man may obtain a reliable footing on a pole step which is comparatively light and inexpensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pole step in which the supporting plate is soformed as to prevent the average person from obtaining a foothold thereon when the step or footrest is removed.

The invention also has in view the general improvement of devices of the class mentioned.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pole step embodying my improvements, showing a portion of the pole in sect1on;.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the pole step; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the step;

Fig. 4: is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3; and r Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawing, my improved pole step comprises two main parts, first, a supporting plate 6 adapted to be secured to the pole, and second, a footrest or step portion 7 which is adapted to be detachably connected with the plate 6. The plate 6 is preferably made of pressed steel, and provided at the upper-and lower ends with perforations, through which suitable screws 8 are passed for securing the plate to the pole. The plate 6 is elongated and arranged vertically on the pole, the upper and lower extremities beingfiat against the pole, and the intermediate portion of theplate being bowed or bulged outwardly, as shown at 6*, in order to provide a space 6 between the part 6 and the opposing face of the pole, as shown in Fig. 1. The outwardly bulged or bent portion 6 is joined with the fiat ends 6 of the plate by inclined portions 6 which are arranged at a considerable angle to the horizontal. In this manner, the portion 6 which is uppermost presents a surface which slants downwardly at such an angle that it will not afiord a foothold. Thus, the attaching plate by itself does not afford a footing for an unauthorized person who attempts to climb the pole.

The footrest or step proper 7 is preferably made of pressed steel. In the form shown, it comprises a plate 9 which is longitudinally corrugated in order to reinforce the same. At the inner end of the plate, the same is provided with a T-shaped head 10 (Fig. 6) which is adapted to be secured in a T-shaped opening or slot 11 in the intermediate portion of the supporting plate. The slot or opening 11 iswider at the top than at the bottom so that the T-shaped head 10 may be inserted into the top portion of the slot, after which, as the head is caused to descend in the slot, shoulders 12 at the side edges of the lower portion of the slot engage notches 18 at the neck portion of the shaped head. At the same time, an abutment member 14, which depends from the plate 9, engages its edge portion 14 with the front face of the portion 6 below the the pole 9 by welding, the side edges 'ofth'e abutment being welded to the, respectlve side 14. is of U-shape and the supporting plate is 1 'of the step in. the slot. p boss or projection 15 will be formed by CllS- provided with a-proj eetion 15 extending outward-from the front face thereof at a point below the slot ll, and entering and engaging the lower part of the .U-shaped member 14: in such a manner as to prevent the turning By preference, the

' placing aportion ofthe metal of: the supporting plate in a forward direction. It will be noted" from Fig. 4, that the boss or projection 15' corresponds in contour to a ,por tion of the U-shaped member 14:, and that L the latter conformsrather closely tothe boss or projection. Asthe member 1a catches un der' the lower edge of the boss, the step is effectively prevented from tipping laterally "toany appreciable extent. The greater the weight imposed on'the step, thetighter will be'the engagement of the abutment let with theboss or projection 15, and therefore the greater will be the resistance -to turning movement. Thus I overcome afdefect which has given considerable trouble 1n the case of other pole steps with which I am familiar.

In the particular form shown, the abutment 14.- is applied to the under surface of edges of the plate. The supporting plate is in thenature of a strap, arranged vertically,

.and'having its ends formed to engage a: pole,

or the like, the intermediate portion of the strap being offset in a'forward direct1on:relatively to the pole or other support,.-so as to leave a space between the latter and the intermediate part of the strap. The slotZin the strapiorplate is rovided in this intermediate portionso t at the head of the step proper may be received in the space between the pole and strap. The means for-prevent- :ing turning movement of, the step proper is, however, arranged at the front of the strap, and-is composed of a part 15, or the like, at the front surface of the strap, slightly below the step proper, arranged to engage the depending abutment on the step proper, which is usually in the form of a any hand on the loop,-"as described, so that it engages the part of projection15 on opposite sides of the member detachably secured to a support.

Various changes in the-details of the-construction may be. adopted-without departing from the scope of the invention asdefined in the claims. p

What I claim is 1. In adevice such asdescribed', the com-. bination ofa straplike supporting member having an outwardly bulged or off-set inter-- mediate portion, said intermediate portion having a slot extending therethrou'gh, a footrest member having a head extending through said slotand interlocked with said. straplike member, a'projection on the front face of said straplike member, and as'loopshaped part on said footrest member engaging said projectionto prevent turning move-1 mentof the footiest member andpositively prevent the, foot rest from rising in a. ;vertical position while the loop-shaped engagement withthe'projection. o v

2. In: a device such as described, thejconr, bination of a strap-like member having its end portions lying in the same plane and its intermediate portion slightly displaced relatively to this" plane, said intermediate porpart is in tion having a 'slotformed therethrough,a Q

foot rest memberhaving a part extending through said slot andinterlocking with said strap-like, member, and a. projectiohon the Y front face of said intermediate portion. of

the strap-like member adapted to be received 1n a cooperating openmg'formed- 1n-a portion of said footrest member; substantially 7 asdescribed. g r

3. In a dev cesuch asdescribed, the com:

bination of a supporting member having I slot extending therethrouglna second member extendingsubstantially-at right anglesto said firstmember and having a T-head extending through said slot and -interlocking with said first member,a projectionformedl. upon the outer face ofsa d SUPPOI'lJHIg memher, and an abutment formed on said, second .member, comprising a U-shaped shell-l ke ,member pos tioned to be moved into n closing engagement with said projection, whereby said second member is held against movement bodily in any direction by saidprojection and cooperating U-shaped member.

I11 witness whereof,I have hereunto set 1st day of AprihflSlG. I ..PAUL M. BENEDICT. I

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