US229552A

US229552A - Extension step-ladder

Info

Publication number: US229552A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1880-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1897-07-06

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. PHELPS, OF MARSHALL, MICHIGAN.

EXTENSION STEP-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,552, dated July 6, 1880.

Application filed July 22,1878.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. PHELPs, of Marshall, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Extension Fruit and Step Ladders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in Jche art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a combined step or fruit ladder so hinged in the center that it can be readily converted into an extension-ladder, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing the ladder extended. Figs. 3 and 4 are views showing the fastening of the joints.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several ligures.-

My improved ladder is divided into two equal sections, A and B, and fastened together by two malleable hinges. Section A, I usually make tapering-that is, wider at the baseand with ilat steps for greater convenience when my invention is used as a step-ladder. Said section is properly braced by one or more cross-pieces, R. Section-B is furnished with rounds. The hinges C C are castvwith turnedup ends let into and either screwed or bolted to the sections A and B, as shown in Figs. l and 3.

D is a platform, hinged in any suitable manner to section B, so as to rest on a round, F, placed at the upper end of section A.

E is a hook, fastening the two sections of the step or fruit ladder together to keep them from spreading when in use; and J J are hooks engaging pins or staples K K, for holding the ladder extended, as shown in Fig. 2. The hinges C are fastened on the under side of the ladder, and by means of the bentup ends entering or holding in mortises or gains in the sections are adequate to sustain the strain which necessarily comes upon the hinge when the sections abut end to end, as shown, the hooks J being merely used to keep the ladder extended while it is being shifted from one position to another.

My invention being invaluable for fruit-picking, tree-trimming, cleaning oflarge windows, 821e., it can as handily be used for any purposes for which any ordinary ladder may be.

My invention placed beside a fruit-tree, two pickers can stand upon opposite sides of the ladder and gather the fruit handily and easily, untrammeled by a basket or a pail, which may rest upon the platform.

I am aware that ladders hinged in two sections, With their ends abutting and held by a fastening device, are not new, and such I do not claim, broadly; but

What I do claim is- In a folding ladder whose sections abut end to end, the combination, with said sections, of hinges C, applied thereto, as shown, and having bent-up ends entering and holding in mortises or gains in the said sections, all as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. PHELPS.

Witnesses:

OTTO LEE J oHNsoN, GEO. A. J oHNsoN.