Ladder stabilizing and standoff devices.
Various ladder stabilizing and standoff devices have been provided in the prior art. The purpose of a ladder stabilizing device is to provide stability when leaning against a building so that various tasks may be accomplished safely. The purpose of a ladder standoff is to prop the top of a ladder away from the vertical surface against which it is leaning. Therefore, the prior art has recognized a need in providing structure between the ladder and a building, which will help stabilize and/or standoff the ladder with respect to the building.
Prior art ladder stabilizing devices have been more or less effective in providing stability and standoff devices have been more or less effective in keeping the ladder apart from the buildings, but they suffer from defects that make them less than optimal.
Applicant has found, in part through experimentation, the effectiveness of the novel system set forth herein to address at least some of the shortcomings of the prior art. Applicant believes his system will set a new standard for safety and simplicity, offering one system to address many different scenarios.
Applicant's ladder stabilizing and standoff system includes a base. The base is comprised of a straight leg receiving member having a pair of removed ends and a U-shaped member attached to the straight leg receiving member through lateral members. (See
A multiplicity of base engaging leg member pairs are provided. Each leg member of a pair has a straight near end that will telescopically engage the removed ends of the leg receiving member. The base includes a U-shaped member for receiving a ladder thereon, the U-shaped member spaced apart from the straight leg receiving member. The U-shaped member is fastened tight and flush against the rails of the ladder with brackets, clamps, nuts, bolts or other means of fastening.
At least one leg member pair is straight and at least one leg member pair has curved removed ends. Each of the near ends of each leg member of each leg member pair is straight so as to telescopically or otherwise engage the straight removed ends of the straight leg receiving member of the base.
A multiplicity of fastener holes are provided in one or both the removed ends of the straight leg receiving member and the near ends of the leg member pairs, which fastener holes can be aligned, and when a fastener is slipped through the aligned holes, will adjustably set the leg members with the base, the adjustment being the distance between the removed ends of the leg members.
By adjustably setting the distance of the removed ends of the leg member pairs that have a radius angle greater than 90 degrees, one can adjustably set the system against the curvature of a wall to give excellent stability, seeing as how the straight leg receiving member and the removed ends of the curved leg member pairs should contact the surface. (See
By using the straight leg member pairs, one may increase the stability of a ladder against a flat wall even more, because the entire length of the straight leg receiving member and the removed ends of the straight leg member pairs should contact the surface. (See
By using the leg member pairs that have a 90 degree angle, which are also telescopically adjustable, the system offers flexibility in that it can bridge windows or other obstructions, up to typically, but not necessarily, eight feet wide. (See
By using the leg member pairs that have an approximate 45 degree angle, one may have access to the corner of buildings. (See
The system may also be used without any leg member pairs in place, which means that the straight leg receiving member would rest against the building, offering excellent stability and standoff. This is suitable for flat walls.
The ladder stabilizing and standoff system may include engagement structure for telescoping engagement of paired leg members to removed ends of straight leg receiving member.
In one preferred embodiment, the paired leg members are received within the straight leg receiving member, and in another embodiment, the straight leg receiving member is adapted to slide within the larger diameter of the near ends of the paired leg members. Both embodiments are designated telescoping engagement.
In another alternate preferred embodiment of Applicant's system, adjustable feet are provided at the removed ends of the paired leg members, usually the ones that have an approximate forty five degree angle, and the removed ends of the paired leg members that have an approximate ninety degree angle. The feet typically being provided to adjust or pivot along an axis parallel to an axis defined by the plane of the base. Among other advantages, the adjustable feet may provide a more secure engagement to the wall.
In an alternate preferred embodiment, Applicant may provide for an adjustable distance between the U-shaped member of the base and the leg receiving member of the base, by providing for adjustable lateral members. (See
In an alternate preferred embodiment, Applicant may provide sets of paired leg members with differing lengths. For example, paired leg members 42a, 42b may come in lengths of one foot six inches or two foot six inches, or any other lengths.
Attached to the leg receiving member 14 as seen in
Leg receiving member 14 being straight is adapted to both lay generally flush against a straight wall Wa, for example as seen in
A multiplicity of different shaped paired leg members 24a/24b; 30a/30b; 36a/36b; and 42a/42b are illustrated in
Further, it is seen that both removed ends 14A and 14B of leg receiving member 14 have at least one, and may have a multiplicity of fastener holes 27. Fastener holes 27 are designed to engage fastener holes 29 in the various straight near ends of the paired leg members so as to in one embodiment, adjustably set the distance that the removed ends of the paired leg members are spaced outward from base 12.
By having fastener holes 27 in base along with fastener holes 29 in straight near ends of the various paired members, one can telescopically adjust and set removed ends selectively from the base to accomplish a necessary span. Telescopic adjustment is helpful, for example, with a curtain wall, where you have structural metal and glass, the metal being spaced apart at various widths. With adjustment, you can set the removed ends of the straight paired leg members to contact the structural metal only.
Fasteners 31 such as bolts and nuts, ball lock pins or the like may be engaged with or without a lanyard 33 to base 12, and are intended to engage the aligned paired holes 27/29 to achieve the desired span for the selected leg members.
In one preferred embodiment, Applicant's system provides paired members 42a/42b and at least one of the remaining paired members (that is, paired members having curved removed ends). In another embodiment, Applicant's system may include any one of the various pairs.
Turning now to paired leg members 30a/30b, it is seen that these paired leg members may be provided with straight near ends 32a and 32b, but have removed ends 34a and 34b that transcribe approximately ninety-degree angles with the near ends. Paired leg members 30a/30b in this configuration may be suitable for spanning windows, for example, see
Paired leg members 36a and 36b are seen to have straight near ends 38a and 38b. Removed ends 40a and 40b typically transcribe an angle greater than ninety degrees, but less than one hundred eighty degrees, with the straight near end, for use on a wall with a curvature as seen in
Paired leg members 42a and 42b have straight near ends 44a and 44b. Removed ends 46a and 46b make an angle of one hundred eighty degrees with the near ends, that is to say paired leg members 42a and 42b are straight. These leg members can be used in a variety of scenarios, flat walls, curtain walls, or to bridge over an obstacle as seen in
Turning now to
As seen in
The removed ends of the leg members of the pairs may have resilient cushion members 54, such as cushion members made of rubber, foam or any other material, dimensioned to slide on to, in to or attach to the removed ends of the leg members. Also, alternatively, adjustable feet may be provided, as seen in
Applicant's system 10 may be comprised of any suitable material, for example, aluminum tubing, round, square or other suitable shape or cross-section. The aluminum may be aircraft quality seamless aluminum, such as 6061 T-6 aluminum, which may be anodized.
The spacing of the holes in paired leg members is designed to achieve a distance between the tips of the removed ends that can vary as needed.
At least two sets of paired leg members 24a/24b, 30a/30b, 36a/36b, and 42a/42b may be provided, wherein they differ from one another in the length of straight near ends 26a/26b, 32a/32b, 38a/38b, and 44a/44b as seen in
Applicant's system, in one embodiment, may include a pair of straight leg members and a pair of curved members. Applicant's system may also include more than one pair of leg members having curved removed ends. Any of the removed ends of Applicant's leg members may be provided with adjustable feet or cushions. Applicant's system may include, in one embodiment, pairs with curved ends, for example 30a/30b which may be reversed from the position as seen in
Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the amended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.