Collapsible safety attachment for ladder

Abstract

 An improved safety attachment (10) for a ladder (11) in which the attachment is collapsible to render it more compact for storing and handling purposes yet the attachment can be readily expanded for use on a ladder. The attachment includes a pair of spaced sides (14) which are coupled together by a pair of vertically spaced cross-pieces (36) with the cross-pieces being either or articulated with respect to the sides so that the sides can be moved toward and away from each other or the cross-pieces can be coupled to the sides when the sides are collapsible, so as to form a compact unit to facilitate storage and handling of the attachment.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates to improvements in safety features for ladders, and more particularly, to an attachment for a ladder to allow a person to work more safely on a pitched roof of a building structure.

Description of the Prior Art

[0002] In U.S. Patent Nos. 4,770,272 and 4,860,855, both entitled, "Safety Attachment for Ladder", there is disclosed a safety attachment for a ladder to permit the user of the attachment, when the attachment is on the ladder, to be locked onto the ladder so that the user will be more positively and safely connected to the ladder. The attachment also permits the person to move laterally on the ladder when the ladder is on a pitched roof so as to allow the person to perform certain tasks, such as cutting a hole in the roof with a chain saw or an axe to ventilate the roof when the roof is on fire.

[0003] The attachment set forth in the above patents includes a frame having hook-shaped means thereon for removably coupling the frame to the rungs of a ladder to which the attachment is to be coupled. The frame has a pair of cross-pieces or rods which are secured to the sides of the frame and are spaced apart sufficiently to allow one leg of the user to extend partially about one of the rods while the foot or shin of the leg engages the other of the rods. In this way, when the attachment is coupled to the rungs of the ladder, the user is effectively locked onto or anchored by the attachment so that the person can move laterally of the ladder to perform certain tasks while being confident that the attachment will not separate from the ladder.

[0004] The frame disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,770,272 is rigid and the cross-pieces are rigidly coupled to the sides of the frame. The frame disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,860,855 is collapsible by hinging the rods at their central parts. The frame is more easily handled and stored if it can be collapsed or made compact, such as being reduced in size, until ready for use; whereupon it can be expanded into a condition in which is operative on the ladder for the purposes described above.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention is directed to a safety attachment for a ladder of the type described in which the attachment has improved collapsible features to render it more compact for storing and handling purposes yet the attachment can be readily expanded for use on a ladder. Thus, the attachment is usable in a situation of the type described above in which the user is to be safely locked onto the ladder while performing certain tasks which are required, such as cutting a hole in the roof with a chain saw or an axe.

[0006] In one embodiment of the improved attachment of the present invention includes a pair of spaced sides which are coupled together by a pair of vertically spaced, rigid cross-pieces or rods which are hinged at their ends to the respective sides of the attachment. The lower parts of the sides have hook-shaped members for removable attachment to the adjacent rungs of a ladder. The hinges at the ends of the cross-pieces allow the attachment to collapse as one side moves parallel to and toward the side. However, the sides are held against collapse when the hook-shaped members are coupled to the rungs of a ladder.

[0007] In another embodiment of the attachment, the attachment is hinged at certain points so that it can be collapsed on and lay along a ladder as the attachment remains removably attached to the ladder. Thus, the attachment can be moved from place to place with the ladder and need not be removed therefrom.

[0008] The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved safety attachment for a ladder in which the user of the attachment can be quickly and easily locked to the ladder when the ladder is on a pitched roof wherein the attachment has improved collapsible features to render it more compact for storage and handling purposes yet the attachment can be readily expanded into an operative condition and made ready for use in a minimum of time without sacrificing the safety features associated with the attachment.

[0009] Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings for an illustration of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] 

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a first embodiment of the attachment of the present invention shown in its expanded, operative position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the attachment in at least a partially collapsed condition;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the attachment of Figs. 1 and 2 with the attachment being expanded as is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a second embodiment of the attachment of the present invention in its expanded condition; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of the attachment of Fig. 4 with the attachment shown in a collapsed condition partially attached to and extending along a ladder.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

[0011] A first embodiment of the safety attachment of the present invention is broadly denoted by the numeral 10 and includes a frame 12 having a pair of opposed, generally parallel sides 14 (Figs. 1 and 2) which are substantially identical in construction. For instance, each side 14 is comprised of a rigid tube 16, such as a tube of aluminum, Fiberglass, plastic, steel or some other lightweight material chosen for strength purposes.

[0012] Each side 14 has an A-shape in which the tube 16 of the side has a pair of inclined segments or legs 18 which converge toward each other at the upper ends thereof, and a top segment or bar 20 integral with the upper ends of segments 18. Thus, segments 18 and 20 of each side are integral with each other and form a one piece tube 16.

[0013] For the lower end of each segment 18, a generally C-shaped hook or hook member 24 is rigidly secured. Each hook 24 has an open rear end 26 for receiving an adjacent rung of a ladder when the attachment 10 is to be used with the ladder. Hooks 24 can be rigidly secured in any suitable manner, such as by welding, to segments 18, and the spacing between the hooks is such as to permit a pair of spaced rungs 13 of the ladder 11 to be received in the hooks to couple the attachment 10 to the ladder. For purposes of illustration, the spacing between each pair of adjacent rungs of a ladder is 14 inches; thus, for a particular configuration of attachment 10 as shown in Fig. 1, the distance between hooks 24 is about 28 inches. Other rung spacings can be used, if desired.

[0014] Generally, when attachment 10 is to be used with a ladder 11, the ladder will be on a pitched roof of a building so that the open ends 26 of hooks 24 will be at the rear of the hooks to permit the force of gravity to seat the hooks on the adjacent rungs 13 of the ladder. In such a way, attachment 10 is positively connected to the ladder and the attachment 10 cannot be separated from the ladder except by movement of the attachment longitudinally of the ladder in a direction to cause the rungs to move out of the interiors of respective hooks 24.

[0015] For safety purposes, a pin 28 is insertable into holes 30 and 32 in at least one hook 24. Each pin 28 is held loosely in a sleeve 32 near the lower end of the corresponding segment 18 and a flexible wire or string member 34 retains the pin 28 on segment 18. Lifting of the pin out of holes 30 is required to allow clearance of the rungs and passage of the rungs out of the interior spaces of the hooks.

[0016] A top rigid cross-piece or rod 36 is coupled by end hinges 37 to top segments 20 as shown in Fig. 3. Cross-piece 36 is pivotal from the extended, operative position of attachment 10 shown in Fig. 1 to the collapsed position of the attachment shown in Fig. 2. When collapsed, sides 14 are relatively close together as shown in Fig. 3; whereas, when the cross-piece 36 is expanded as shown in Fig. 2, sides 14 are relatively far apart and cross-pieces 36 are parallel with the adjacent rungs of the ladder.

[0017] Each side 14 has a bar 66 which is near the lower ends of segments 18 (Fig. 3) and is rigidly secured at the ends thereof to segments 18. Each bar provides a support for an end of a second rigid cross-piece or rod 70 (Fig. 4). The cross-piece 70 is coupled at its ends by hinges 71 to respective bars 66. Cross-piece 70 hinges in the same manner as cross-piece 36 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and remains parallel with cross-piece 36 at all times.

[0018] In use, attachment 10 is removably coupled to a ladder when the ladder 11 is in any suitable operative position, such as on a pitched roof of a building. The attachment 10 can be carried in a collapsed condition to the ladder, whereupon the attachment can be expanded from the collapsed condition of Fig. 2 to the expanded condition of Fig. 1 by forcing sides 14 apart. At the desired location along the ladder where the attachment 10 is to be located, hooks 24 are placed over adjacent rungs 13 of the ladder 11 and the attachment is allowed to move slightly rearwardly to seat the rungs in the hooks. Pin 28 is then inserted into holes 30 of the adjacent hook 24 for locking the attachment to one of the rungs of the ladder. The attachment is then locked to the ladder and cannot be collapsed because one side cannot be moved parallel to and toward the other side so long as the hooks 24 are coupled to adjacent rungs.

[0019] With attachment 10 in place on the ladder, the user places one leg over cross-piece 36 and places the lower part of the same leg against and behind cross-piece 70 while the shoe or boot of the leg is supported on a rung of the ladder. For instance, the leg will be the left leg if the user plans to perform certain acts at the right side of the ladder, whereupon the right leg will be supported on the roof part to the right of the ladder while the left leg will be anchored to attachment 10 by virtue of the fact that the upper cross-piece 36 will be behind the knee and the lower cross-piece 70 will be in front of the shin. This effectively supports the leg and thereby stabilizes the body of the user for movements in a lateral direction since the attachment cannot be separated from the ladder except by being moved forwardly of the ladder after pin 28 has been lifted from holes 30 of the adjacent hook 24. The user can then perform many different types of jobs, such as using an axe to chop a hole in the adjacent roof portion near the location where his right leg is supported, assuming that the left leg of the user is anchored by attachment 10.

[0020] At the end of the use of the attachment 10, the leg is unlocked or separated from the attachment, whereupon the attachment is moved forwardly to cause hooks 24 to move off of the adjacent rungs of the ladder. Then the attachment can be collapsed and safely and easily carried down the ladder and the ladder can be removed from the roof in a normal fashion.

[0021] A second embodiment of the attachment of the present invention is broadly denoted by the numeral 10a and includes a frame 12a having a pair of opposed generally parallel sides 14a which are substantially identical in construction. Each side 14a is comprised of a rigid tube 16a and each side 14a has an A-shape in which the side includes inclined segments or legs 18a which converge toward each other at the upper ends thereof near a top segment 20a.

[0022] A generally C-shaped hook 24a is rigidly secured at the lower end of each segment 18a. Each hook 24a has an open rear end 26a for receiving an adjacent rung 13a of the ladder 11a when the attachment 10a is to be used with the ladder. The hooks are of substantially the same size and shape and for the same purpose as the hooks 24 of attachment 10 shown in Figs. 1-3.

[0023] Each side 14a has a bar 66a which is near the lower end of segments 18a. Bars 66a provide supports for respective ends of a rigid cross-piece or rod 70a. Similarly, top segments 20a provide support for the respective ends of a rigid cross-piece or rod 36a. Rods 36a and 70a are provided for the same purposes as that described above with respect to rods 36 and 70 of attachment 10.

[0024] Each top segment 20a is hingedly coupled at its central portion by hinge or pivot device 21a. Similarly, each bar 66a has a central hinge or pivot device 67a and end pivots or hinges 69a. Thus, top segments 20a and bars 66a can pivot from the expanded, operative position shown in Fig. 4 to a collapsed, retracted position shown in Fig. 5, whereby the attachment 10a can be carried with the ladder from place to place and set up quickly and easily on the ladder with the hooks 24a coupled to respective, adjacent rungs 13a of ladder 11a. Thus, the collapsed attachment 10a extends along essentially the length of the ladder 11a and thus is in a compact form for carrying purposes. The attachment 10a when expanded into its operative position as shown in Fig. 4 is ready for use immediately and is used in the same manner as that described above with respect to attachment 10. When it is in its collapsed condition, attachment 10a is coupled by a pair of hooks 24a to an adjacent rung 13a of ladder 11a as shown in Fig. 5 or is coupled by all hooks 24a to adjacent ladder rungs. Thus, the attachment 10a remains coupled at least partially to the ladder when the attachment is collapsed.

Claims

1. A safety device for use with a ladder having a plurality of spaced rungs comprising:
      a frame having a pair of spaced sides and a number of hook members for each side, respectively, for removably coupling the frame to at least a pair of the rungs of the ladder with the sides of the frame extending outwardly from the ladder, said frame having a pair of spaced, generally parallel, rigid cross rods spanning the distance between the sides for allowing a leg of the user to be locked onto the ladder, when the frame is coupled to the rungs of the ladder, the spacing between the cross rods and the distance between each cross rod and an adjacent rung of the ladder being sufficient to permit one of the cross rods to engage the leg near the foot and the other cross rod to engage the leg near the back of the knee, whereby the user can extend laterally of the ladder while remaining locked to the frame when the frame is coupled to the ladder, said rods being pivotally mounted at their ends to respective sides so that the sides can be moved toward each other to permit the frame to be collapsible to reduce the size thereof.

2. A safety device as set forth in Claim 1, wherein each side has upper and lower bars, the cross rods being pivotally attached at the ends thereof to respective bars of respective sides of the frame.

3. A safety device for use with a ladder having a plurality of spaced rungs comprising:
      a frame having a pair of spaced sides and a number of hook members for each side, respectively, for removably coupling the frame to at least a pair of the rungs of the ladder with the sides of the frame extending outwardly from the ladder, each side having a pair of spaced legs, an upper bar and a lower bar, said frame having a pair of spaced, generally parallel rigid cross rods spanning the distance between respective upper and lower bar, the spacing between the cross rods and the distance between each cross rod and an adjacent rung of the ladder being sufficient to permit one of the cross rods to engage the leg near the foot and the other cross rod to engage the leg near the back of the knee, whereby the user can extend laterally of the ladder while remaining locked to the frame when the frame is coupled to the ladder, said bars being provided with central pivot devices and said lower bars having end pivot devices coupled to legs of the respective sides whereby the legs can be moved from expanded conditions spaced from each other to collapsed conditions adjacent to each other to thereby permit the collapse of the frame to reduce the size thereof.

4. A safety device as set forth in Claim 3, wherein the legs of each side are convergent as the upper ends of the sides is approached and when the legs are in their expanded conditions.

Drawing