Patent Application
20230203889
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The disclosure relates to ladder stabilizing device and more particularly pertains to a new ladder stabilizing device for securing a ladder stabilizer to a ladder.
The prior art relates to ladder stabilizing devices. Known prior art attaches to rungs or rails but provide for attachment in a manner which would benefit from improved stabilization and inhibition of movement during use.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a sleeve including an outer wall. The outer wall has an outer face, an inner face, an upper end, and a lower end. The lower end is open. A slot extends into the inner face from the lower end to receive a top end of a ladder side rail and an uppermost rung of the ladder into the slot. A top edge of the slot defines a stop whereby the stop rests upon the uppermost rung of the ladder. A coupler is mounted to the sleeve. The coupler releasably engages the uppermost rung of the ladder.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A coupler 40 is mounted to the sleeve 12. The coupler 40 is configured to releasably engage the uppermost rung 32 of the ladder 34 preventing the sleeve 12 from detaching from the ladder 34. The coupler 40 is pivotally mounted on the inner face 18 of the sleeve 12. The coupler 40 comprises a shaft 42 having an attached end 44 rotatably coupled to the sleeve 12 and a distal end 46 relative to the attached end 44. A projection 48 extends from the shaft 42 adjacent to the distal end 46 to define a hook 50 configured for extending under the uppermost rung 32 of the ladder 34. The projection 48 has ends 52 coupled to the shaft 42 to define an opening 54 in the coupler 40 adjacent to the distal end 46 of the shaft 42. The projection 48 comprises a bearing surface 56 extending away from the distal end 46 of the shaft 42 and towards the attached end 44 of the shaft 42. Thus, the bearing surface 56 is angled relative to the shaft 42 such that the coupler 40 is configured to pivot as the bearing surface 56 abuts the uppermost rung 32 of the ladder 34 as the sleeve 12 is positioned onto the ladder 34. An upper surface 58 of the projection 48 is concave to facilitate extension under the uppermost rung 32 of the ladder 34. The concavity of the upper surface 58 also inhibits pivoting of the coupler 40 out of engagement with the uppermost rung 32. A biasing member 60 is coupled to the sleeve 12 and engages the coupler 40 wherein the biasing member 60 is configured to urge the coupler 40 into engagement with the uppermost rung 32 of the ladder 34.
A first aperture 62 extends through a first one 24A of the opposed side faces 24. The first aperture 62 is threaded. A first locking member 64 is insertable through the first aperture 62 wherein the first locking member 64 is configured to engage the ladder side rail 30 to inhibit movement of the ladder side rail 30 relative to the sleeve 12. The first locking member 64 is threaded complementary to the first aperture 62. Similarly, a second aperture 66 extends through the first one 24A of the opposed side faces 24. The second aperture 66 is spaced from the first aperture 62. The second aperture 66 is threaded. A second locking member 68 is insertable through the second aperture 66 wherein the second locking member 68 is configured to engage the ladder side rail 30 to inhibit movement of the ladder side rail 30 relative to the sleeve 12. The second locking member 68 is threaded complementary to the second aperture 66. The second locking member 68. Each of the first locking member 64 and the second locking member 68 has a respective head 70 exposed outside of the sleeve 12.
Each of a plurality of guards 72 is coupled to the first one 24A of the opposed side faces 24. Each guard 72 is positioned proximate to an associated one of the first locking member 64 and the second locking member 68 such that each guard 72 is configured to inhibit unintentional contact with the head 70 of the associated one of the first locking member 64 and the second locking member 68. A distance each guard 72 extends from the first one 24A of the opposed side faces 24 is greater than a distance of the head 70 of the associated one of the first locking member 64 and the second locking member 68 when the associated one of the first locking member 64 and the second locking member 68 is inserted into a respective one of the first aperture 62 and the second aperture 66. Each guard comprises a pair of angle members 74. The angle members 74 are spaced on the first one 24A of the opposed side faces 24 and positioned on opposite sides of a respective one of the first aperture 62 and the second aperture 66.
A stabilizer mount 76 is attached to the sleeve 12. The stabilizer mount 76 extends outwardly from the outer face 16 of the outer wall 14 of the sleeve 12. The stabilizer mount 76 comprises a tube 78 having a bottom end 80 coupled to the sleeve 12. The tube 78 has a bend 82 such that an upper section 84 of the tube 78 extends spaced and parallel to the sleeve 12. A brace 86 is coupled to and extends between the outer surface 16 of the outer wall 14 of the sleeve 12 and the upper section 84 of the tube 78. A stabilizer 88 is couplable to the stabilizer mount 76 such that the stabilizer 88 is positionable on a roof 90 to stabilize the ladder 34. The stabilizer 88 extends upwardly and forwardly of the sleeve 12. The stabilizer 88 comprises an arm 92 attachable to the stabilizer mount 76 to extend forward and upwardly from the stabilizer mount 76. The arm 92 has a distal end 94 with respect to the stabilizer mount 76. A leg 96 is attached to the arm 92 extending forward and downwardly from the distal end 94. The leg 96 has a free end 98. A foot 100 is pivotally attached to the free end 98 for abutting the roof 90. A catch 102 is coupled to the stabilizer mount 76 and is configured to engage a gutter 104 positioned on the roof 90. The catch 102 includes a loop 106 extending around the tube 78 with an L-shaped extension 108 from the loop 106 such that the extension 108 can extend over and into the gutter 104.
In use, the sleeve 12 is placed onto the ladder 34 and the coupler 40 is positioned to secure the sleeve 12 on the ladder 34. To further stabilize the sleeve and prevent movement of the ladder side rail 30 within the sleeve 12, the first locking member 64 is tightened. Where present, the second locking member 68 is also tightened to further stabilize the ladder side rail 30 within the sleeve 12. The stabilizer 88 is attached to the stabilizer mount 76 and can be adjusted to fit the specific roof 90. A second sleeve 12 is placed onto a second ladder side rail such that a pair of the described devices 10 are used together to safely attach two stabilizers 88 to the ladder 34.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
