Abstract:
A stabilizing device for ladders which are positioned in a variety of corners, and which has a pair of arms which can be adjusted to fit different corners and which has an adjustable bar to lock the arms in position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates, in general, to ladders, and, in particular, to a means for stabilizing ladders. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     In the prior art various types of devices have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,238 to Farmer discloses a ladder standoff for inside and outside corners that uses suction cups to engage the corners. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,790 to Brewer et al discloses a ladder standoff with pivoting arms to engage corners. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,424 to Laug discloses a ladder standoff with telescoping arms to fit outside corners, inside corners or poles. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,643 to Taylor, Jr. discloses a ladder standoff with adjustable arms to fit rectangular objects. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a stabilizing device for ladders which are positioned in a variety of corners, and which has a pair of arms which can be adjusted to fit different corners and which has an adjustable bar to lock the arms in position. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved stabilizing device for a ladder. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved stabilizing device for a ladder which is easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved stabilizing device for a ladder which improves ladder safety by adding stability to a ladder when in use. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of the present invention showing the position for an outside corner. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention showing the position for an inside corner. 
     FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention showing the position for engaging a straight side of an object. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the present invention showing, the tool rest. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the tool rests of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a top view of the present invention  1 . In FIG. 1 the ladder standoff is positioned to engage an outside corner with the angle between the arms  10 , as shown by the arrows AA, at approximately 9°. As shown in FIG. 1, the ladder standoff  1  has a a first U-shaped support  2  (see also FIG. 4) which slides over a rung  3  positioned between the upright supports  4  on a conventional ladder. As shown in FIG. 4, the standoff has a second U-shaped support  15  which slides over a lower rung on the ladder. This will attach the standoff  1  to the rungs of a ladder. The fit between the U-shaped supports  2 ,  15  should be snug so they cannot rotate with respect to the rungs of the ladder. A brace  16  is attached between the support  15  and the arm  9  in any conventional manner to provide stability between the support  15  and the arm  9 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of arms  5  are connected at one end to the support  2  in any conventional manner. The arms  5  are connected at the other end at  13  to a second pair of arms  10 . The arms  10  are pivotally connected at  7  to a center arm  6 ,  8  (see FIG.  2 ). 
     The arms  10  have a series of keyhole slots  11 ,  12  extending along the length of the arms  10 . Each of the arms  5  have a headed pin  13  which can be moved along the series of keyhole slots (compare FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 ). By moving the pin  13  into different portions of the series of keyhole slots  11 ,  12  the arms  10  can be pivoted around pivot  7  so the arms can assume the position shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or the position shown in FIG.  3 . The position of the arms  10  shown in FIG. 1 allows the ladder to be positioned against an outside corner. The position of the arms  10  shown in FIG. 2 allows the ladder to be positioned against an inside corner. The position of the arms  10  shown in FIG. 3 allows the ladder to be positioned against a straight surface such as the side of a house. 
     The ends of the arms  10  can be fitted with protective pads or caps  14  to prevent the arms from damaging the surface they are placed against. The pads or caps are preferably extruded cylinders of polyethylene foam which can be replaced if wear on the pads becomes excessive. 
     The center arm is comprised of two telescoping arms  6 ,  8 . Each arm  6 ,  8  has a plurality of apertures  9  along their lengths. In order to adjust the length of the arms  6 ,  8 , apertures in each arm would be aligned and a pin (not shown) would be inserted into the aligned apertures to secure the arms in position. 
     As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, tool rests can be attached to the ladder standoff to hold a variety of tools that the user may need. A tool rest for a caulk gun is shown having a pair of tabs  19  which slide into slots  18  in arm  9 . It should be noted that while the tool rest is shown as being secured to arm  9 , it could be secured to one of the other arms as well. Also, a plurality of the tool rests could be used which are all secured to one of the arms or to different arms. The tool rest has a first surface  20  (see FIG. 6) to which the tabs  19  are secured, and a circular surface  21  which will accept a standard caulking gun. The triangular aperture  22  in surface  21  will accept the handle of the caulk gun in a secure position should the user want to move the ladder without unloading the tools first. 
     The arm also has a plurality of spring clips  17  (only one of which is shown in FIG. 5 for purposes of clarity. The user can snap tools into the clips  17  in order to hold the tools in a convenient position when on the ladder. 
     Although the Ladder Standoff and the method of using the same according to the present invention has been described in the foregoing specification with considerable details, it is to be understood that modifications may be made to the invention which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims and modified forms of the present invention done by others skilled in the art to which the invention pertains will be considered infringements of this invention when those modified forms fall within the claimed scope of this invention.