US3136384A

US3136384A - Detachable ladder handrail

Info

Publication number: US3136384A
Application number: US211494A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sweeney Alexander; Meyer Richard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-07-23
Filing date: 1962-07-23
Publication date: 1964-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 1981-06-09

Description

June 9, 1964 A. SWEENEY ETAL DETACHABLE LADDER HANDRAIL Filed July 23, 1962 50 w FIG.4.

INVENTORS FIG.3.

Alexander Sweeney 8 Richard Meyer ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,136,384 DETACHABLE LADDER HANDRAIL Alexander Sweeney, 15 Bailey Drive, and Richard Meyer, 18 Bailey Drive, both of Amityville, N.Y. Filed July 23, 1962, Ser. No. 211,494 Claims. (Cl. 182--106) This invention relates to ladder handrail attachments employed in connection with ship-boarding ladders and more particularly to a detachable ladder handrail which may be temporarily secured to the side of a ship-boarding ladder to provide additional steadying support for a person embarking upon or leaving the upper rungs of the ladder, the height of the handrail portion extending above the top of the ladder being readily variable by inversion of the vertical position of the rail attachment.

Whereas elderly, enervated or obese persons often encounter difiiculties in ascending and descending shipboarding ladders, a new and useful safety rail attachment is herewith provided to assist such persons especially while standing on the upper rungs or upon the top of the ladder. Further convenience is provided by the feature enabling the variance of the height of the handrail with respect to the top of the ladder, notwithstanding the absence of movable, adjustable or telescoping parts which may otherwise bind due to saline and humid environmental conditions. The removability of the handrail attachment further lends to the practicability thereof inasmuch as it may be retired to storage when its use become unnecessary.

Consonant withthe foregoing, the instant invention has for an object the provision of a detachable ladder handrail which may be instantly positioned with respect to the side of a step-ladder and removed therefrom equally readily.

Another object of the present invention is toprovide a handrail attachment of the foregoing character wherein adjustment may be readily made with respect to the up wardly extending height of the handrail, without the utilization of movable parts for that purpose.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a detachable ladder handrail accomplishing the objectives noted above, which handrail is of extremely simple construction, economical of manufacture, and highly reliable in operation.

Further and additional objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the detachable ladder handrail, operationally positioned at the side of a ship-boarding ladder;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevation view of a step-ladder showing the detachable handrail'secured to the side thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end elevation view of the illustration of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevation view as shown in FIGURE 2, the handrail, however, being inverted thus providing additional height with respect to the extension thereof above the top of the ladder.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 show the detachable ladder handrail designated generally by numeral 1, said handrail being a member of elongated configuration and preferably, although not necessarily, of tubular cross-section. Essentially said member is seen to be comprised of a pair of equal

length arm portions

2 and 4, said arm portions having ends 6 and 8, respectively, and a centrally disposed oft-set portion 10,

said off-set portion being integral with respect to said arm portions.

Bolt receiving openings 12, 14 adjacent end 6 of arm portion 2 and

bolt receiving openings

16, 18, relatively distant with respect to said centrally disposed olf-set portion 10, provided locations upon said arm portion whereat hook-

connectors

20 and 22 are respectively secured. Similarly, it will be observed, hook-

connectors

24 and 26 are secured at

bolt receiving openings

28, 30 and 32, 34 located upon arm portion 4, said

openings

28, 30 being adjacent said centrally disposed oif-set portion 10, said

openings

32, 34 being relatively distant with respect to said end 8 of arm portion 4. That is, distances a and b, adjacent end 6 and off-set portion 10, are relatively shorter thandistances c and d, as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. 7 I

Hook-connectors, generally designated 20, 22, 24 and 26, are, it will be observed, similarly Z-shaped. More specifically, connector 24, e.g., is typically comprised of

legs

36 and 38 and a central off-set portion 40,leg 36 being contiguously attached to arm portion 4 by

bolts

42 and 44 which are secured through said

openings

28 and 30. Leg 38 is parallel spaced with respect to said arm portion 4, thus enabling slidable reception thereof into socket member 46, said socket being secured to the side of step-ladder 48. Socket member 50, secured to said step-ladder, at a position spaced beneath socket member 48, provides additional vertical and lateral support for the handrail I, hookconnector 26 being slidably received therein concomitantly with the mating of hook-connector 24 and socket member 46.

It will be further observed that distance 2 and 7 separating hook-

connectors

20, 22 and 24, 26 are equal, thereby enabling registry of either said pairs of connectors with socket-

members

46 and 50, inversion of said detachable ladder handrail merely being required to accomplish securement of either arm portion within said socket members.

Accordingly, inversion of said detachable handrail, as shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, fulfills the purpose of increasing the extended height of said handrail with respect to top rung 52 of the step-ladder.

Thus, it will be appreciated that consonant with the foregoing, a detachable ladder handrail attachment is herewith provided which can readily be attached, removed and varied with respect to the vertical height level thereof when employed in combination with a conventional shipboarding ladder, there being no adjustable or movable parts employed in conjunction therewith.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has form details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the

combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A detachable ladder handrail for a step-ladder comprising a tubular member having a pair of equal length arm portions, each arm portion having an end and a centrally disposed off-set portion, said off-set portion being integral with respect to said arm portions, one arm portion having a first pair of bolt receiving openings adjacent its end and a second pair of bolt receiving openings relatively distant with respect to said centrally disposed olfset portion, the other arm portion having a first pair of bolt receiving openings relatively distant with respect to its end and a second pair of bolt receiving openings adjacent said centrally disposed off-set portion, the first and second pairs of bolt receiving openings of each arm portion being respectively equally spaced, a pair of hook-connectors interchangeably securable to said bolt receiving openings, said pair of hook-connectors being secured to the bolt receiving openings provided on one of said arm portions, a pair of socket members attached to one side of said step ladder, said hook-connectors being removably receivable with said socket members to thus removably secure said tubular member to said step-ladder.

2. A detachable ladder handrail for a step-ladder comprising socket members attached to the side of said stepladder and a tubular member having upper and lower equal length arm portions, said arm portions disposed in end to end off-set relation, connector means fastened to said arm portions, socket means fastened to the side of said step-ladder, said connector means being adapted to secure either said arm portions to said step-ladder in parallel relation with respect to the side thereof, either said upper or said lower arm portion extending above the top of said step-ladder.

3. A detachable ladder handrail for a step-ladder according to claim 2 wherein said connector means is comprised of a pair of Z-shaped hook members, each hook member having two legs and a central oil-set portion, one said leg being contiguously attached to said arm portion, the other said leg being parallel spaced with respect to said arm portion.

4. A detachable ladder handrail for a step-ladder, a tubular member having upper and lower equal length arm portions, connector means fastened to said arm portions, socket means fastened to the side of said step-ladder, said connector means being adapted to secure either said arm portions to said step-ladder in parallel relation With respect to the side thereof, either said upper or said lower arm portion extending above the top of said step-ladder.

5. A detachable ladder handrail for a step-ladder according to claim 4 wherein said connector means is comprised for a pair of Z-shaped hook members, each book member having two legs and a central off-set portion, one said leg being contiguously attached to said arm portion, the other said leg being parallel spaced with respect to said arm portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 325,441 Pearson Sept. 1, 1885 FOREIGN PATENTS 205,412 Great Britain Oct. 18, 1923

Claims

1. A DETACHABLE LADDER HANDRAIL FOR A STEP-LADDER COMPRISING A TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF EQUAL LENGTH ARM PORTIONS, EACH ARM PORTION HAVING AN END AND A CENTRALLY DISPOSED OFF-SET PORTION, SAID OFF-SET PORTION BEING INTEGRAL WITH RESPECT TO SAID ARM PORTIONS, ONE ARM PORTION HAVING A FIRST PAIR OF BOLT RECEIVING OPENINGS ADJACENT ITS END AND A SECOND PAIR OF BOLT RECEIVING OPENINGS RELATIVELY DISTANT WITH RESPECT TO SAID CENTRALLY DISPOSED OFFSET PORTION, THE OTHER ARM PORTION HAVING A FIRST PAIR OF BOLT RECEIVING OPENINGS RELATIVELY DISTANT WITH RESPECT TO ITS END AND A SECOND PAIR OF BOLT RECEIVING OPENINGS ADJACENT SAID CENTRALLY DISPOSED OFF-SET PORTION, THE FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF BOLT RECEIVING OPENINGS OF EACH ARM PORTION BEING RESPECTIVELY EQUALLY SPACED, A PAIR OF HOOK-CONNECTORS INTERCHANGEABLY SECURABLE TO SAID BOLT RECEIVING OPENINGS, SAID PAIR OF HOOK-CONNECTORS BEING SECURED TO THE BOLT RECEIVING OPENINGS PROVIDED ON ONE OF SAID ARM PORTIONS, A PAIR OF SOCKET MEMBERS ATTACHED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID STEP LADDER, SAID HOOK-CONNECTORS BEING REMOVABLY RECEIVABLE WITH SAID SOCKET MEMBERS TO THUS REMOVABLY SECURE SAID TUBULAR MEMBER TO SAID STEP-LADDER.