US3332514A - Ladder platform - Google Patents

Description

' y 25, 1967 w. J. HORNUNG 3,332,514

LADDER PLATFORM Filed Jan. 14, 1966 INVENTOR WILLIAM J. HORNUNG M AW/ i ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,332,514 LADDER PLATFORM William J. Hornung, 518 Walnut St., Ashland, Pa. 17921 Filed Jan. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 520,764 4 Claims. (Cl. 182-122) This invention relates to improvements in ladder platforms of the type used for attachment to a ladder.

For people who have to work for considerable periods of time while standing on ladders (such as painters and other workmen), the advantages of ladder platforms are apparent. Such platforms enable these workmen to have a wider latitude of area and prevent physical discomforts which often accompany standing on a rounded rung for long periods of time. Ladder platforms can also be used to support scaffolds when there are adjacent ladders supporting platforms at the same level.

Ladder platforms in general are known in the art. However, the known ladder platforms leave much to be desired in providing the requisite features of high weight capacity, large platform area, lightweight, and safety.

This invention provides a ladder platform which is light enough in weight that it may be easily held and moved 7 from place to place by a workman using one hand. The platform can be assembled while the ladder is erected or on the ground and the platform has a great weight capacity because of a bracing arrangement where the weight applied to the platform is braced against the rails of a ladder and not against the rungs of a ladder. This additional weight capacity is also a safety feature as is a platform extension which extends on the opposite side of a rung of a ladder enabling weight to be placed on both sides of the rung without tilting or upsetting the platform. The platform can also slide to one side of the ladder so that it can be passed by one climbing the ladder or it can be easily removed.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ladder platform of this invention showing it assembled to a ladder; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the ladder platform of this invention as assembled on a ladder.

In the drawings, ladder platform 10 of this invention is shown assembled on a ladder 12 which is illustrated in phantom lines. Ladder 12 is a conventional ladder including a pair of parallel spaced side rails 14 and 16 and a plurality of cross rungs, such as those illustrated at 18 and 20. In ordinary ladder construction the side rails 14 and 16 are conventionally heavier and have much greater load bearing capacity than do the individual rungs, such as rungs 18 and 20.

The ladder platform 10 includes a platform supporting framework 22 formed of side angle irons 24 and 26 and a suitable front crosspiece 28. Rigidly attached to the platform supporting framework is a bracing framework 30, including angle irons 32 and 34 secured together by suitable bolts or rivets 36 and secured to the platform supporting framework 22 by similar bolts, rivets or the like, 38 and 40.

The platform supporting framework 22 carries on its upper surface a load supporting platform 42 for a user to stand on. This platform may be formed of wood pieces 44 and 46 and the entire platform including the wood pieces and supporting framework is of less width than the spaced apart ladder rails 14 and 16. The spacing of the platform 44 and 46 leaves a gap 48 which may conven- 3,332,514 Patented July 25, 1967 iently be used as a hand hold for a workman or other user to carry the ladder platform in one hand. Of course, other suitable hand holding arrangements may be utilized.

The platform 42 includes a platform extension 50 adjacent the platform piece 46. As shown in FIG. 1, the platform extension is wider than the other portions of the platform and is such a width that it is greater than the spacing between the ladder side rails 14 and 16. In this manner the front edge 51 of the platform extension 50 hooks behind the side rails 14 and -16 of ladder 12 when it is erected.

Secured to the underside of the platform supporting framework 22 is a rung stop member 52. This rung stop member is positioned in front of the platform extension 50 suflicient distance to enable it to engage rung 18 on the front side thereof, as shown in FIGS. 1 and Secured to the lower end of the bracing framework 30 is a rail bearing cross member 54 having a width as shown in FIG. 1 somewhat greater than the spacing between the ladder rails 14 and 16, so that this member may bear against the rails of the ladder when the platform is in use.

Attached to the rail bearing cross member 54 is a hook 56 for hooking around the backside of rung 20. Hook 56 may be attached to member 54 by means of a bolt 58 and wing nut 60, or any other suitable arrangement.

The platform extension 50 may also be provided with a safety stop or guide 62 attached to one end thereof. In the embodiment illustrated, safety stop 62 is attached to the end of extension 50, which extends a lesser distance from the side of platform piece 46 than the other end of platform extension 50. This prevents the ladder platform from being dislodged from its erected posit-ion as it is slid from side to side if the extension to which the safety guide is attached is not sufficiently wide.

In use of the ladder platform, it may either be attached to a ladder 12 while the ladder is on the ground before it is erected, or it may be carried up a ladder by a workman and, by turning the platform extension 50 at an angle, can be assembled on the ladder with the platform extension 50 behind the rails of the ladder with the edge 51 bearing against the back of the rails of the ladder, the rung stop member 52 positioned in front of rung 18 and the cross bearing member 54 bearing against the front of the rails of the ladder. H-ook 56 can be hooked over the lower rung 20. In use, when a person is standing on the ladder platform, especially on the outer portion such as piece 46, force will be applied to the front side of both ladder rails 14 and 16 by hearing member 54 and to the backside of the ladder rails by extension 50 where it bears against the rails at its front edge 51. Little of the total weight will be borne by rung 18. Since a person standing on the platform can move around as desired, if the greater weight is applied to platform extension 50, a moment will be created about rung 18 tending to dislodge the ladder platform, but this is prevented by hook 56 hooking around the backside of rung 20. In case wide ladders are used, the safety stop 62 prevents the platform from falling off of the ladder.

The device can be conveniently constructed with the platform and rail bearing cross member and rung stop of wood and the other components of metal angle irons secured together with conventional fasteners. This provides a lightweight device having a great load bearing capacity. Further, one can stand anywhere on the device Without tipping it over and the surface includes portions of the platform on both sides of its support by the top rung 18. Since a good portion of the weight applied in normal use of'the ladder platform is borne by the ladder rails instead of the rungs and since the rails are stronger than the rungs, the platform provides extra load bearing capacity and a bonus safety feature.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A ladder platform for attachment to a ladder, the ladder comprising: a rigid platform surface having a front major portion thereof of less width than the distance between the ladder rails and having a rear extension thereof of greater width than the ladder rails, the rear extension of the platform surface being located on the opposite side of the ladder from the major portion of the platform so as to bear against the rear surface of the rails and provide a weight supporting platform surface on both sides of the ladder, a rung stop member secured to the underside of said front major portion of the platform and spaced from the rear extension a sufficient distance to engage a rung while said rear extension engages the rear surface of the rails, and a rail bearing member having a width greater than the distance between the rails and attached to the underside of said major portion of the platform by a downwardly extending bracing framework.

2. A ladder platform as defined in claim 1 further including a guide member extending from one end of the platform extension in the direction of the rung stop member.

3. A ladder platform as defined in claim 1 further including a single spacing between two pieces at the front end of the platform sufficient for placing the hand therethrough for grasping one piece of the platform.

4. A ladder platform as defined in claim 1 wherein the rail bearing member has attached thereto a single hook and bolt device extending in the direction of the platform extension so as to hook over a ladder rung and prevent tilting of the platform.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,423,725 7/ 1922 Mohr 182-120 1,820,315 8/1931 Miller 182-122 2,439,185 4/1948 Patt 182-121 2,804,355 8/1957 Bartley 182-120 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A LADDER PLATFORM FOR ATTACHMENT TO A LADDER, THE LADDER COMPRISING: A RIGID PLATFORM SURFACE HAVING A FRONT MAJOR PORTION THEREOF OF LESS WIDTH THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LADDER RAILS AND HAVING A REAR EXTENSION THEREOF OF GREATER WIDTH THAN THE LADDER RAILS, THE REAR EXTENSION OF THE PLATFORM SURFACE BEING LOCATED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE LADDER FROM THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE PLATFORM SO AS TO BEAR AGAINST THE REAR SURFACE OF THE RAILS AND PROVIDE A WEIGHT SUPPORTING PLATFORM SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LADDER, A RUNG STOP MEMBER SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID FRONT MAJOR PORTION OF THE PLATFORM AND SPACED FROM THE REAR EXTENSION A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO ENGAGE A RUNG WHILE SAID REAR EXTENSION ENGAGES THE REAR SURFACE OF THE RAILS, AND A RAIL BEARING MEMBER HAVING A WIDTH GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE RAILS AND ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID MAJOR PORTION OF THE PLATFORM BY A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING BRACING FRAMEWORK.

Images