US2589079A - Combination ladder - Google Patents

Description

March 11, l952 c. R. HEAlvlLlN COMBINATION LADDER 2 SHEETS--SHEET l Filed Sept. 17. 1948 March 11, 1952 c. R. HEAxvlLlN 2,589,079

COMBINATION LADDER Filed sept. 17, 1948 2 sHEETs--sHEETz Patented Mar. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE COMBINATION LADDER Charles R. Heaivilin, Indianola, Iowa, assignor to Wallace L. Speicher and Gerald W. Speicher, both of Indianola, Iowa Application September 17, 1948, Serial No.`49,801

2 Claims. (Cl. 22S-25) The principal object of my invention is to provide an easily operated ladder that may be quickly changed for use as a stepladder, an extension ladder, an incline supported ladder, and an ordinary ladder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a combination ladder that is rigid and stable in any of its various adjustments.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a combination ladder that is economical in manufacture, durable 1n use and refined in appearance.

Theseand other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my combination ladder adjusted for use as a stepladder.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the locking means used with ladder when it is adjusted as a stepladder, and is taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a side view of my ladder adjusted for use as an extension ladder, and with a section cut away to more fully illustrate its construction.

Fig. 4 is a side view of my ladder adjusted for a supporting surface that is not level or is inclined or variable such as on stair steps.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of my ladder when folded, or when adjusted for use as an ordinary ladder.

Many types of ladders have been developed and marketed in the last few years. The chief objection to such ladders, if they are of the stepladder type, is that they are not rigid or stable, and therefore result in serious accidents to the user as Well as property damage. Obviously, a stepladder is of constant height and often is found to be either too short or too high. The only solution to this problem heretofore has been to purchase several stepladders having diiferent heights. In many instances no present type stepladder will suiiice, such as on stairways. I have overcome such problems by providing a combination rigid ladder that even a child can operate, and which I will now describe.

The numeral Il) designates in general, one section of my ladder which may be compared to an ordinary ladder having the usual two spaced apart uprights I I and I2 and the usual horizon- 2 tal rounds I3. The numeral I4 designates in general, the other section of my ladder, also having the usual spaced apart uprights I5 and I6 and the usual horizontal rounds I1. The two uprightsvof the second section I4 are spaced closer together than are the uprights of the section I0, so that the former will nest inside the latter, as shown in Fig. 1. The numeral I8 designates a flat based U-bracket member secured to the upper inner sides of the two uprights, respectively, of the section II). This U-bracket member extends transversely of the section l0 and normally loosely embraces the upper ends of the uprights of the section I4, when the ladder is folded, as shown in Fig. 5. A sleeve roller I9 may embrace the bottom Vofthe U-bracket if desired. The numeral 20 designates a plurality of horizontal pairs of notches cut in the inner side of the uprights of the section I4, respectively. One such pair of notches is near the top end of the section I4 as shown in the drawings. To spread the two ladder sections IIJ and I4 to create a stepladder it is merely necessary to place the upper pair of notches onto and around the upper round of the section I0 and move the bottom ends of the two sections away from each other, ras shown in Fig. 1. notches will tighten onto the upper round of the section I 0 by virtue of the outer sides of the two uprights of the section I4 engaging and binding on the U-shaped bracket member. The more the two sections are spread apart at their bottoms, the tighter will be the binding action, on the upper end of the section I4 between the U-bracket and top round of the section I0. The notches prevent any longitudinal movement of the two sections relative to each other when the lower ends of the sections are spread. The confining U-sh'aped bracket prevents this. On the other hand, when the two sections are folded, as shown in Fig. 5, the U-shaped bracket is not confining and acts merely as a guide. Obviously, when folded the sections may be manually longitudinally slid relatively to each other. This is desirable when assembling, or when it is desired to separate the two sections into two ordinary ladders, or when it is desired to form an extension ladder, or when it is desired to use the stepladder on uneven surfaces, such as stairways. Obviously, on any supporting surface that is not in a horizontal plane, the stepladder could not possibly function, unless one section was shorter than the other section. However, in my device this is easily accomplished by merely sliding the section I4 upwardly until a lower pair of Obviously, these notches are adjacent the top round of the section I and then spread the two sections into a, stepladder. While this arrangement brings the top of the section I4 above the top of the section I0, it also raises the bottom plane of the section I4 above the bottom plane of the section I0, as shown in Fig. 4. By placing the section I4 on the higher supporting surface and the section I0 on the lower supporting surface, the stepladder will be supported in proper upright position. In Fig. 4 this is illustrated by placing the shortened section I4 on the stair step 2| and they section I0 at a lower level. The inclination of the supporting surface will determine which pair of notches will be used to engage the top round of the section I0. Regardless of whether the ladder is adjusted to the form shown in Fig. lor the form shown in Fig. 4, I use an auxiliary l,brace member 22. This brace 22 has at each end a strap iron 23, which extends outwardly and then downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, to make a ladder round engaging hook 24. After the ladder sections are spread, this brace is hooked at one end over a round of one section, and at its other end over a round of the other section, as shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, this braces the two sections of the ladder against spread or contraction in either direction. A spring-loaded pawl 25 may be securedfin 'each end of the brace, as shown in Fig. 2, for yieldingly engaging the underside of `auladder round and thereby prevent the accidental'removal of the brace from its position on the twofrounds. When this brace is not needed, it -is unlatched from the rounds and stored on the upper outer side of the section I0, by being hooked over retaining fingers 26, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. To make an extension ladder out of my device, the brace 22 is stored, the ladder collapsed as shown in Fig. 5, and the section I4 slid upwardly the desired distance, at which time the two downwardly extending hook bars 21 are hooked over one of the rounds of the section I0, Vas shown in Fig. 3. These hook bars 21 are secured to the lower inner sides of the two uprights of the section I4, respectively, and when engaging a round of the section I0, will rigidly prevent the spreading of the two ladder sections'. To change the ladder from an adjustable extension one, it is merely necessary to move'` the section I4 slightly upwardly to unlatch the hook bars from the round of the section I.V When the two sections are folded, as shown in Fig. 5, the hook bars 21 should engage the bottom round of the section I0, thereby successfully holding the two sections together. To make two separate ordinary ladders from my device, it is merely necessary to remove the section I4 from under the U-shaped bracket on the section I0. The two sections are as easily reassembled. The usual ltie rods 28 may be used in each section.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my combination ladder without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a combination ladder, a section having two uprights and a plurality of connecting rounds, a second section having two uprights and a plurality of connecting rounds; said two uprights of said second section being closer together than are the two uprights of said first section, a horizontal U-shaped bracket on the upper end portion of said first section capable of embracing said second section, a friction reducing member rotatively embracing the major portion of said horizontal U-shaped bracket, and semi-circular notches in the two uprights of said second section capable of selectively engaging the uppermost round of said first section at times.

2. In a combination ladder, a section having two uprights and a plurality of spaced apart connecing step members, a second section having two uprights and a plurality of spaced apart connecting step members; said two uprights of said second section being closer together than are the two uprights of said rst section, a bracket means on the upper end portion of said rst section capable of limiting the movementof said second section away from said rst section and notches formed in the two uprights of said second section capable of selectively engaging the uppermost step member of said iirst section.

CHARLES R. HEAIVILIN.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 329,922 Lyon Nov. 10, 1885 725,377 Sturgeon Apr. 14, 1903 340,636 Lillow Jan. 8, 1907 967,252 Shields Aug. 16, 1910 1,035,770 Blair Aug. 13, 1912 '1,588,295 Berman June 8, 1926 1,837,187 Allen Dec. 22, 1931 2,223,911 Garnette Dec. 3, 1940 2,488,461 Wysocki Nov. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 496.267 Germany Apr. 22. 1930

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