US1460252A - Stepladder - Google Patents

Description

Jwm 26, E923, TEA-@QZSZ c W. KRATHWOHL STEPLADDER Filed April 27, 1921 A TTORNE Y5.

Patented June 26, 1923.

unirsn STATES CHARLES W. KRATHWOHL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEPLADDER.

Application filed April 27, 1921. Serial No. 464,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLEs W. KRATH- WOHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stepladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to step ladders which are provided with pivoted legs or props whereby they are held in upright position when in use.

The invention has for its object to provide novel and improved means cooperating with the leg structure, whereby the ladder is securely held and effectually prevented from collapsing when in use.

The object stated is attained by means of a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ladder;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away of the shelf-supporting means.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the side bars of the ladder are each composed of two parallel bars 5,positioned one behind the other to produce a longitudinal slot 6. These side bars are connected in laterally spaced relation by cross rails 7 which latter support the steps or rungs 8 positioned transversely between the side bars. At the top and bottom of the bars 5 are spacer strips 9. The top step 10 of the ladder 1s mounted on the upper ends of the side bars, and beneath said step, the outer faces of the side bars carry strips 11 projecting rearwardly therefrom and positioned beneath the projecting ends of the top step.

To the rearwardly projecting ends of the strips 11 is pivoted, as shown at 12, the upper end of the prop or supporting leg of the ladder, the same being composed of laterally spaced bars 13 connected by suitable cross braces 14.

To the lower ends of the leg members 13 are pivoted, as shown at 15, stay bars 16 which extend forwardly and upwardly when the ladder is set up ready for use, their outer ends being connected to the ladder side bars 5. This connection is a sliding one in order that the leg members and the stay bars may be folded inthe usual manner to lie close to the ladder side bars. The sliding connections between the stay bars and the ladder side bars are made by fitting the outer ends of the bars 16 with rollers 17 which seat in the slot 6. When the ladder is unfolded and set up for use, the rollers 17 seat down against one of the steps 8, which latter therefore limits the downward travel of the rollers in the slots 6, and thereby prevents further spread of the leg members and I consequent collapse of the ladder.

The rollers 17 are journaled on pins 18 carried by the stay bars 16, and said pins also carry straps 19 which straddle the side bars 5 loosely and are slidable thereon, and as they are swiveled on the pins they work freely'without any tendency to bind. The

straps 19 are also engageable with one of the ladder steps 8, as shown in Fig. 1, to limit the spread of the legs.

The ladder is also provided with the usual shelf 20 for supporting a pail or other object. This shelf is carried by laterally spaced and parallel supporting bars 21 which are pivoted, as shown at 22, to the leg bars 13. The bars 21 extend rearwardly from the pivots 22 a sufficient distance to have their rear ends seat beneath one of the steps 8 when they are swung to horizontal position to place the shelf in position for use, whereby the shelf is held in such position and prevented from tilting downwardly. Y I

The rear ends of the shelf-supporting bars 21 are also connected by links 23 to the ladder side bars 5, said links being pivoted at one end to the bars 21, as shown at 24, and at their other ends to the bars 5, as shown at 25.

The links 23 and the bars 21 constitute a toggle connection between the side bars 5 and the leg bars 13, and when the shelf 20 is in horizontal or supporting position, the pivot point 24 is slightly higher than the pivot points 22 and 25. It will therefore be seen that the leg bars 13 are now locked in spread or supporting position and prevented from swinging inwardly or in the direction of the ladder side bars, and as the stay bars 16 hold the leg bars from spreading beyond their normal supporting position, the ladder is securely held in upright position with no possibility of collapse. Before the ladder can be folded, the toggle connection between the side bars 5 and the leg bars 13 must be flexed downwardly, after which the folding operation may be effected. The shelf 20 and its supporting bars fold between the leg bars 13.

6 I claim:

The combination With a ladder composed of laterally spaced side bars and steps 6X- tending therebetween; of a supporting leg pivoted to the upper portion of the ladder,

10 said leg consisting of laterally spaced bars and connections therebetween, stay bars pivoted at one end to the leg bars, and straps pivotally'connected to the other ends of the stay bars and slidably straddling the ladder side bars, into the path of which straps a step of the ladder extends to limit the down- \VZLId travel of thestraps on the ladder side bars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES WV. KRATHWOHL.

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