US349370A

US349370A - springer

Info

Publication number: US349370A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1886-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 1903-09-21

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LoRm CJSPRINGER, OFDARLINGTON, INDIAN TERRITORY.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,370, dated September 21, 1886.

Application filed May 11, 1856.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it-known that I, LORIN G. SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Darlington, in the county of Upper Arkansas, Indian Territory, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in an improved extensible ladder, which possesses great advantage in the point of convenience in handling and transporting it from place to place, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved extensible ladder, showing the same partly extended. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the ladder extended to its full length. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line as m, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken 011 line y y, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 3.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A represents the upper half-ladder or section, and B the lower half-ladder or section, which together form my improved extensible ladder; and each of these sections may be from ten to twenty feet in length, making the complete ladder, when extended, .twenty to forty feet in length, as may be desired. The lower ends of the side pieces of the lower ladder are shod with metal, as shown at O O, to prevent the ladder from slipping, and to the upper ends of the side pieces of the lower ladder are secured the metal guide-pieces D D, the. free ends of which are bent around the lower edges of the upper ladder, A, as clearly'shown in the crosssectional view, Fig. 5, of the drawings, the 'said lower edges sliding in these guides; and the lower ends of the side pieces of the upper ladder have secured to them similar metal guide-pieces, E E, the free bent ends of which inclose the upper edges of the side pieces of the lower ladder, as shown; and it will be seen that by means of these guide-pieces the two sections of my extensible ladder are held firmly together, while at the same time they are permitted to slide readily in extending and closing the ladder.

In the upper end of the upper ladder are journaled, preferably on the top round of the Serial No. 201,853. (No model.)

same, as shown, two friction-wheels, F F, which are made of gum or other suitable wood which is not liable to split, and these wheels should be from one to two inches thick and large enough in diameter to carry the npperend of the ladder clear of the siding of a house and 'of sufficicnt diameter to pass or roll easily over the inequalities of the siding itself. I use wooden friction-wheels instead of metal, as the metal would be more liable to slip or scar the surface of the siding.

Near the lower end of the lower ladder, within convenient reach of a man standing on the ground, is journaled between the side pieces a Windlass, G, which I prefer to make of iron, and which is provided at one end with an operating-handle, H, and has formed through it near each of its ends an aperture, I, and through these apertures pass the lower ends of the hoisting-ropes, J J, which are thus secured to the Windlass to prevent them from slipping, and these ropes pass up to the upper ends of the side pieces of the lower ladder over groovepulleys K K, which are j ournaled in bearings L L on the inner sides of the upper ends of the side pieces of the lower ladder, and then extend down and have what I will denominate their upper ends firmly secured to the lowermost round of the upper ladder, and it will be seen that by turning the Windlass by means of its operating -handle the lower portions of the hoisting-ropes will be wound upon the windlass and thereby raise the upper ladder, which may be thus raised to any requisite height, or until the ladder is fully extended.

In order to secure the upper ladder in its adjusted position,I employ the following automatic mechanism: The second round, N, from the top of the lower ladder is made of metal or very tough wood, and is journaled in the side by spiral springs O 0, one end of each spring being secured to the side piece of the ladder, while its other end is secured to the round itself or the base portion of the hook on its side of the round, these springs being so arranged as to normally hold the hooks M out at right angles to the side pieces of the lower ladder, between the side pieces of the upper ladder, the hooks M being of such a length that when standing out at right angles the upwardlycurved hooks at their free ends will extend beneath the rounds of the upper ladder, and by this arrangement, no matter at what point the upper ladder is raised, one of its rounds will be caught by the upwardlycurved ends of these hooks M, and the ladder held firmly and safely in its extended position. One end of the round N is extended through the side piece of the lower ladder, and has a short rigid arm to the free end of which is secured the upper end of a cord, 0, which extends down to the ground, and by drawing upon this cord the hooks M M can be swung back out of their operative position when. the ladder is being raised or lowered, and the lower end of the cord is formed with a loop to adapt it to be caught on a pin, 1, on the side of the lower ladder, so that the cord may be thus caught and held to hold the hooks out of operative position, and enable the operator to use both hands in raising or lowering the upperhulder. A cord, Q, may be fastened at its upper end to the lower end of the upper ladder, and by means of this cord the operator can readily draw the upper ladder down, when it is desired to lower the same, although as a rule the weight of the upper ladder will serve to lower it when the hooks llI have been drawn back out of operath'c position.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of myimproved extensible ladder will be readily understood. It will be seen that it is strong and simple in construction, and is exceedingly convenient, especially where one man has to carry and handle it, as it is very difficult for one man to handle a ladder more th'airsixteen or eighteen feet in length, while an extensible ladder of from twenty to forty feet in length when extended can be readily and easily handled by one man. It will be further observed that when the hooks are ongaged with the upper ladder they relieve the upper guides of a greater portion of the strain, and the more weight or strain that is exerted on the upper ladder the firmer the hooks eugage and draw the contiguous ends of the ladder together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with the lower ladder having the guide-pieces at its upper end and the round journaled near the said upper end, and having the hooks rigidly secured to it, the coiled springs, arranged as described, and the arm secured to the outer end of the said round and having the operating-cord, of the upper ladder having the guide-pieces at its lower end, and means, substantially as de' scribed, for raising and lowering the upper ladder.

2. The combination, with the lower ladder having the guide-pieces at its upper end and the round journaled near the said upper end, and having the hooks rigidly secured to it, the coiled springs, arranged as described, and the arm secured to the outer end of the said round and having the operating-cord, of the upper ladder having the guide-pieces at its lower end, and having the anti-friction rollers journaled at its upper end, as described, and means, substantially as described, for raising and lowering the upper ladder.

3. The combination of the lower ladder having the guide-pieces at its upper end and the round journaled near the said upper end, and having the hooks rigidly secured to it, the coiled spring, arranged as described, and the arm secured to the outer end of the said round and having the operating-cord, the u pperladder having the guide-pieces at its lower end, and having the anti-friction rollers journaled at its upper end, as described, the Windlass journaled in the lower portion of the ladder and having the transverse apertures and the operating-handle, the grooved rollers journaled in bearings at the inner upper end of 0 the lower ladder, and the ropes secured at their lower ends through the apertures of the Windlass, passing up over the said grooved rollers, and secured at their upper ends to the lower portion of the upper ladder.

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

LORIN O. SPRINGER.

\Vitnesses:

G. D. WiLLiAMs, WM. 1). I-Iononrss.