US2508915A - Foldable ladder - Google Patents

Description

May 23, 1950 J. H. HARDIE 2,508,915

FOLDABLE LADDER Filed Nov. 18, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN R JAMES HECTOR HARDXE J. H. HKfiDiE FOLDABLE LADDER M May 23, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 18, 1948 FIGS IPIIIII FIGHT NVENTOR JAMES, HECTOR HAZDIE ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1956 1 FOEDABLEeLADDER JamesHectorIHardie, Montreal, 'Q'uebec',Canada,

,assig npr to The Robert Mitcfhelfcompany Ifim- 'ite'il,*Moxitrea1,tQ1rebec, Canada i'ippl-icatiorfmovember 18,r1-948,Serial- N 0. 69;723

w iClaims. (613228- 36) :1 g I V This invention relates to improvements in -c ated-at 8 and gbeing fof any suitable construcroldableladders =equipped with zsupport engagtionli'The ladder also includesan additional top ing hooksgprojectingabove thenpper endlof the \step or platform 9.havingitslforward'portion ladder and-adapted"to be engaged with a supfittedlbetween and. pivotallysecm'ed tothe' front wrport to hold the ladderr-i-n-either a-vertical or 57 uprights '6 as hereinafter "described. "Whedthe aninclined position with-reference to-the supladder isin the unfolded positionshown'in Figs. iport-and the grounder -fioor surface. 7 Ladders Land 2 the top steporjplatformfi issupp'orted ofthis type are-usedlin railway'sleeping-cars-for in a horizontal position by means 'of a support- -the convenience ofthe occupants ofvupperberths; ing rod. Iii mounted in brackets H' carried by' the -in stores for the convenience of-clerks in :reach- ,npper portions of the rear uprights "i. The rod -=;inghigh shelves-fortheremoval or placement fimrnerely serves as a support .for the"top step 10f merchandise;-and ainzvar ious' other relations. ---e1-' plat'f0rm 9 and is not attachedthereto.

'Iheooject of the present invention is to pro 'The pivotal connection between -tl'i'e'iront up- 'vide a generally improved ---ladder of the type "rights iand' the top 's'teperfplatform 91 is shown trefer-red to embodying hook:operatingmeanior to advantage ixi'Figs. 4 to'f'inclusive. As here automatically turning the support-engaging sihowneach lpivotalconnection comprises .'a tu- {hooks-to a: folded position during the 'fold-ingoi @buiar'bearing member 12 extending"inward1y 'atheladder and to an :uniolded position during from oone'ioi thelupright'syfithrough'anopening athe unfolding'ofthe ladder. its-provided in' the adjacent s'i'de' wan-m t'ofthe Other objects -advantages andcharacteristic -rtopste orplatforrn 9. A bar'ifi, secured to a --*;fea-turesof -the-invention-will lbe more readily rear wall' it io'flthe "step or platform "9, is prcapparent-from the iollow-ing detailed description iiided lwith. cylindrical terminal extensions "1 loom -taken- -in connection with theaccompanying -stitutingpivots which are 'rotatalolyireceivje'd in --drawings,=inwhich 3 the tubular bearings 1'2 ofhthe vvuprights E to :Fig. vl is airontviewpfa "ladder embodying 25. provide pivotal connections about'which 1311617010 --1the invention. N step .or platform 9 is swingable "froznthefliori- Fig.- 2 is aside iew of theladder as it appears zontal position shown inFig's'. 2 and 4'to'.theverits unfolded condition. wticai...posi tion shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

"Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryside view showinglthe .n0k members, generally.indicatedhtilii, are anner.in-whichthe components-parts :of'ithe vslidab'lysand-rotatably mountediin the: upper ladderassembly-are folded toan inoperative-posimportionslo'f .the front 111pri'g hts 6 which, asfslrown --t-ion. .-in Figs. 4 and 5, are of? hollowv tubular construe- Fig-.4 is a-secti0na1 -View--takensubstantially t'ion. Eachh'ookmember' w comprises 'a'hillj'p'or- ---a long-the line- 4 -4 of Fig.2. tionI-I2*@1and a shank portion '21.

Fig. 5-=isa view similar to Fig hbut showing lThe sha'nkepertion"2'! of each hookfe extends the top stepof theJadder-inits folded position downwardlyrthroiigh acap"'22 clos'ing'ithejjupper as-compared with the unfolded position shown Mend oflone.of..-the uprights5 and through an anin Figr4. nular spacer -.member'2'3"fitted in theupper' end -Fig. 6 is a sectional view --taken substantially -,.of .tl-leli-iizright. in contact with the top portion alcng lthe section line 65 of Fig..4. 40f the cap Z; the cap and spacerlbeingvsecured Fig. 7 15 a sectional view taken substantially 11in. pl ce lbyescrews 52 1. as shown/in Fig';"7.""' Ihe along-the section-line 1-1 of Fig.,-5. lowernendiof-ithe'lshankffl iofaeac'h hook "19 is FigsB. is a fragmentary-side=elevational' view Lfittedinithe; upper vportion of a tubular guide ot thefilower portionof-=one of the hook memuneniberlZ-E. .a'ndiisfrig-idly secured to sai'dag'uide hers; I g N H memher byha fastening pin 2'6.""The guide mem- Fig. -9:is asectionalview take -substantially -Joer 25 is sliclably and rotatably fitted inlt'henphe section line -9 -9'of Figw8. :::-rights figand is provided, belowth'eiloweriend of As shown in these drawings, my improved the hook shank 2!, with aldrillediopening 21 ladde comprises-Ia O a y p d wfiank'ed Coy two-communicating recesses ,28 and steps-S having their forward vportions fitted "be- :29' disposediat right angles to aeh ther. "Th

--tween andpiyotallysecured to laterallyspaced Jrecess-I28an'd partiof the,openingfilare'formed ufrontrruprigh-ts Bandhavingtheirrear portions by-forcinga.drillfthroughithe wallefthe tnbiilar fitted between-andpivotally secured todaterally guide memberf25.asindicatedlbydotted lines A .s-.; :spa'ced *rearuupri'ghts 1-, the pivotal connections min l fig. 9.- Tilhe recess zlilandwthe remainingpor i'lnctween the steps andcthe uprights heingindb ssl tion -oi the opening. 2? .are theniforniedby drilling through the wall of the guide 25 in a direction at right angles to the first drilling operation as indicated by dotted lines A in Fig. 9. A pair of pin-carrying blocks 3| are arranged within the top step or platform 9 adjacent the side walls l4 and are provided, at their outer ends, withoutwardly directed hook operating pins 32. These pins 32 extend outwardly through openings in the side walls M of the step or platform 9 and into the tubular guide members 25 through the openings 21 provided in said guide members.

When the ladder is in its unfolded operative condition the component parts thereof are arranged as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6, the front uprights 9 being spaced from the rear uprights I by the steps 5 and 9 which are disposed in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 and the hooks I9 being arranged with their hook bills 29 directed rearwardly and overlying the top step or platform 9. In this condition of the ladder the hooks H! are in their lowermost position and the hook operating pins 32 of the top step or platform 9 are disposed in the recesses 28 of the tubular guide members 25 attached to the shank portions 2| of the hooks. In this condition of the ladder the hook bills are disposed to be engaged over a support such aS the side rail or other support running along the side of an upper berth or bunk. If the hooks l9 are engaged over a support to position the ladder so that it inclines downwardly and outwardly from said support the engagement of the lower ends of the uprights 6 and l with the floor surface will cause the rear uprights I to be displaced upwardly with reference to the front uprights 3 and, in this case, the pivotal connections between the uprights and the steps 5 and 9 will permit the ladder to take up a horizontal position with reference to the floor line.

When the ladder is not required it is folded to a compact condition by shifting the rear uprights l upwardly and inwardly to a folded position against the front uprights 6 as shown to advantage in Fig. 3. During this shifting of the rear uprights I the rear portions of the steps 5 and 9 swing upwardly in an anti-clockwise direc-' tion about their pivotal connections to the front uprights 6.

When the top step or platform 9 is swung upwardly, either by hand or by the pushing action of the rod H], from the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 to the vertical position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the hook operating pins 32 carried by the step or platform 9 travel upwardly and forwardly in arcuate slots 34 provided in the uprights 6. The slots 34 are curved about a center a coinciding with the center of the pivotal axis afforded by the bearings i2 and the pivots I7 and are positioned as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. As the hook operating pins 32 travel upwardly and forwardly in the slots 34 they act against the top and rear wall portions of the openings 21 of the hook guides 25 to move said guides upwardly in the uprights 6 and to simultaneously cause the guides to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 5. This rotation of the guides 25 causes the attached hooks 49 to rotate relatively to the uprights 6 so that the hook bills 20 are turned from the operative position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 to the folded position shown in Figs. 3 and 7. In their last mentioned position the hook bills 20 are directed inward toward each other and lie parallel with the uprights 6. When the ladder is again unfolded to the operative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the hook operating pins 32 of the top step or platform 9 travel downwardly and rearwardly in the arcuate slots 34 as the step or platform 9 is swung downwardly and rearwardly from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. During this downward and rearward movement thereof the hook operating pins 32 act against the rear and bottom portions of the openings 21 of the tubular hook guides 25 and causes said guides to move downwardly in the uprights 6 and to simultaneously revolve relatively to the uprights in a direction opposite that indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4. and 5. This causes the hook attached to the guides 25 to revolve so that the hook bills 29 are returned to the operative position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable ladder comprising front and rear pairs of laterally spaced uprights, a vertical series of steps having their forward portions pivotally secured to the uprights of the front pair and their rear portions pivotally secured to the uprights of the rear pair, said ladder being foldable by swinging the steps and one pair of uprights upwardly and inwardly about the pivotal connections between the steps and the other pair of uprights, a pair of hooks rotatably carried. by certain of said uprights and hook operating means functioning automatically to turn the hooks to a folded position in response to the folding of the ladder and to an unfolded position in response to the unfolding of the ladder, said hook operating means interlocking the hooks with a part of the ladder which moves relatively to the hook carrying apparatus during folding and unfolding of the ladder.

2. A ladder comprising a front pair of laterally spaced uprights, a rear pair of laterally spaced uprights, a plurality of steps having their forward portions pivotally secured to the front uprights and their rear portions pivotally secured to the rear uprights, an additional step arranged above the first mentioned steps and having its forward portion pivotally secured to the front uprights, said ladder being foldable by shifting the rear uprights and the first mentioned steps upwardly and inwardly about the pivotal connections between said first mentioned steps and the front uprights and being unfoldable by reverse shifting of said rear uprights and said first mentioned steps about the said pivotal connections between the first mentioned steps and the front'uprights, supporting means carried by the rear uprights for supporting the rear portion of said additional step in the unfolded condition of the ladder, a separate hook rotatably associated with the upper portion of each front upright and hook operating means interconnecting said hooks and said additional step and operable to automatically turn the hooks to a folded position in response to folding movement of said additional step and to an unfolded position in response to unfolding movement of said additional step.

3. A ladder comprising a front pair of laterally spaced tubular uprights, a rear pair of laterally spaced uprights, a plurality of steps having their forward portions pivotally secured to the front uprights and their rear portions pivotally secured to the rear uprights, an additional step arranged above the first mentioned steps and having its forward portion pivotally secured to the front uprights, said ladder being foldable by shifting the rear uprights and the steps upwardly and inwardly about the pivotal connections between the steps and the front uprights and being unfoldable by shifting the rear uprights and the steps in the reverse direction about said pivotal connections, means carried by the rear uprights for supporting said additional step in the unfolded condition of the ladder, a separate hook associated with each of the front uprights, each hook having the lower portion of its shank slidably and rotatably fitted in the upper portion of the associated front upright, and hook operating means interconnecting said additional step-and the shank portions of said hooks and functioning to automatically turn the hooks to a folded position in response to the folding of the ladder and to an unfolded position in response to the unfolding of the ladder.

4. A ladder as set forth in claim 3, in which the hook operating means comprises tubular members secured to and projecting below the lower ends of the shank portions of the hooks, each of 6 said tubular members being provided below the associated hook shank with an opening piercing the wall of said tubular member and communicating with flanking recesses lying at right angles to each other, hook operating pins carried by said additional step and extending into the front uprights through arcuate slots which are formed in the walls of said uprights and are curved about a center coinciding with the axis of the pivotal connections provided between said additional step and the front uprights, said pins extending into the tubular members of the hooks through the openings of said members.

JAMES HECTOR HARDIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 34,314 Monson Feb. 2, 1862 1,205,594 Close Nov. 21, 1916

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