Patent Publication Number: US-2015083521-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for ladder shoulder rest

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application claims the priority of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/880,876, titled “LADDER SHOULDER SAVER”, filed on Sep. 21, 2013. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning ladders. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Anyone carrying a step ladder or extension ladder for short or long periods know the pain caused on the shoulder with the metal edges bearing down on the shoulder. The prior art does not solve this problem. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One or more embodiments of the present invention provides a method and/or apparatus which alleviates the discomfort in carrying ladders of all kinds, particularly metal ladders. 
     One or more embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus comprising a device including a first section which has a first slot; and a second section having a second slot. The first section may be attached to the second section so that the first section is substantially at a right angle with respect to the second section. The first slot and the second slot may meet at a first junction. The first section and the second section may be made of an elastic material. 
     The apparatus may include a ladder having first and second posts joined by a plurality of steps including a first step. A part of the first step of the ladder may fit into the first slot of the first section while at the same time a part of the first post may fit into the second slot of the second section. The first and the second section may be joined together at a second junction; and the second junction may have an inner surface which is curved. 
     In at least one embodiment a method is provide which includes attaching a first device to a ladder. The first device may be a device as previously described. A second device and a plurality of further devices may be attached in a similar manner or an identical manner to the first device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  shows a rear, top, and right side perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  shows a front, top, and right side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  shows a front, bottom, and left side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1D  shows a rear, bottom, and left side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1E  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1F  shows a rear, top, and left side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  shows a front view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2B  shows a rear view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2C  shows a bottom view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2D  shows a top view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2E  shows a left side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2F  shows a right side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 3A  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A  next to a ladder, with the apparatus of  FIG. 1A  not attached to the ladder; 
         FIG. 3B  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A  attached to the ladder of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 3C  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the ladder of  FIG. 3A  and a rear top and right side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1A , with the apparatus of  FIG. 1A  attached to the ladder of  FIG. 3A ; 
         FIG. 4A  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of another ladder for use with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  shows a top view of a post portion of the ladder of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4C  shows a bottom view of a step portion of the ladder of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4D  shows a top view of a first further insert inserted into a gap or recess of the post portion of the ladder of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 4E  shows a bottom view of a second further insert inserted into a gap or recess of the step portion of the ladder of  FIG. 4A ; and 
         FIG. 4F  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the ladder of  FIG. 4A  with the first further insert and the second further insert of  FIGS. 4D and 4E  respectively attached to the ladder of  FIG. 4A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1A  shows a rear, top, and right side perspective view of an apparatus  1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 1B  shows a front, top, and right side perspective view of the apparatus  1 .  FIG. 10  shows a front, bottom, and left side perspective view of the apparatus  1 .  FIG. 1D  shows a rear, bottom, and left side perspective view of the apparatus  1 .  FIG. 1E  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the apparatus  1 .  FIG. 1F  shows a rear, top, and left side perspective view of the apparatus  1 .  FIGS. 2A-2F  show front, rear, bottom, top, left side, and right side views, respectively of the apparatus  1 . 
     The apparatus  1  may be a solid, one piece object made of polyurethane rubber or some other elastomeric material. The apparatus  1  may the described as being comprised of a first section  1   a  and a second section  1   b,  which are at a right angle or a substantially at a right angle with respect to each other, as shown in  FIGS. 1A-B . The apparatus  1  may also be described as being L-shaped. Referring to  FIGS. 1A-2F , the apparatus  1  may include a rear surface  2 , a front surface  4 , first and second rails or protrusions  6  and  8 , a slot  10  between rails  6  and  8 , a flat surface  12 , a curved surface  14 , a flat surface  16 , a bottom surface  18 , rails or protrusions  20  and  22 , and a slot  24 . The slots  10  and  24  come together at junction  26 , so that there is effectively a continuous slot comprised of slots  10  and  24 . The rails  8  and  22  come together at junction  28 , so that there is effectively a continuous railing comprised of railings  8  and  22 . The rails  6  and  20  come together at junction  30 , so that there is effectively a continuous railing comprised of railings  6  and  20 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the apparatus  1  may be formed out of one piece of injected molded neoprene rubber or such related material. Each of the slots  10  and  24  may have a width W 1 , which may be ¼ of an inch, as shown by  FIGS. 2E and 2F . Each of the slots  10  and  24  may have a depth D 1 , which may be ¾ of an inch, as shown by  FIGS. 2E and 2F . The apparatus  1  may have an overall length L 1 , which may be about twelve inches and an overall width D 2 , which may be about twelve inches as shown in  FIG. 2A . The apparatus  1  may have an overall thickness, T 1 , which may be four inches, as shown in  FIG. 2F . The dimensions of the apparatus  1  may be changed depending on the application. 
       FIG. 3A  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the apparatus  1  next to a ladder  100 , with the apparatus  1  not attached to the ladder  100 . The ladder  100  may be a known ladder such as a metal ladder. The ladder  100  may include a plates  102  and  104  which are at attached at a right angle to one another to form one post and plates  106  and  108  which are attached at a right angle to one another to form a second post. The post formed by plates  102  and  104  is connected to the post formed by plates  106  and  108  by a plurality of plates, such as plates  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116 . The plates  110  and  112  are connected at a right angle to one another and plate  110  is used by an individual to step on with his or her foot to go up the ladder  100 . The plates  114  and  116  are connected at a right angle to one another and plate  114  is used by an individual to step on with his or her foot to go up the ladder  100 . 
     The plate  112  has an edge  112   a  having a thickness T 2 , shown in  FIG. 3A . The plates  104  and  106  have edges  104   a  and  106   a,  respectively, having a thickness T 2 , shown in  FIG. 3A . The combination of the thickness of the plate  112  and the plate  106  (two times T 2 ), in at least one embodiment, is less than the width W 1  of the slots  10  and  24  of the apparatus  1 , shown in  FIGS. 2E and 2F . This allows the apparatus  1  to be attached to the ladder  100  as in  FIG. 3B  so that part of the plate  112  and part of the plate  104  fits into the slots  10  and/or  24  of the apparatus  1 . Alternatively, the width W 1  of the slots  10  and  24 , shown in  FIGS. 2E and 2F  may be slightly smaller than the combined thickness of the plate  112  and the plate  104 , and the apparatus  1  may be made of an elastic material which deforms to allow attachment of the apparatus  1  to the ladder  100  as in  FIG. 3B . Alternatively, the width W 1  of the slots  10  and  24 , may be slightly smaller or slightly larger than the thickness of plate  112  by itself (i.e. T 2 ), if the ladder  100  is constructed so that plate  112  does not overlap plate  104 . 
       FIG. 3C  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the ladder  100  of  FIG. 3A  and a rear top and right side view of the apparatus  1  of  FIG. 1A , with the apparatus  1  of  FIG. 1A  attached to the ladder  100 , such that the plates  106  and  112  are inserted into the slots  10  and  24 . The apparatus  1  slips onto the plates  112  and  104  or onto plates  112  and  106  of the ladder  100  to provide a cushion between a human&#39;s shoulder and the metal plates  112  and  106 . This allows someone to carry ladder  100  without hurting their shoulder, and also if the ladder  100  slips downwards, the cushion or apparatus  1  protects the person&#39;s shoulder. 
     In at least one embodiment, an adhesive is placed in the slot  10  between the rails  6  and  8 , and in the slot  24  between the rails  20  and  22 . The adhesive may be placed both on the bottom of the U-shaped slots  10  and  24  and on the sides of the U-shaped slots  10  and  24 . Removable cover papers may be placed over both the U-shaped slots  10  and  24 . The removable cover papers may be removed and the apparatus  1  may be attached to the ladder  100  as in  FIGS. 3B  and/or  3 C. A plurality of apparatuses  1  may be provided to attach to all corner areas of ladder  100  or other ladder. For example, for the ladder or ladder portion  100  in  FIGS. 3A-3C , four apparatuses  1  may be provded and attached to ladder  100  for the corner formed by plates  112  and  106 , the corner formed by plates  112  and  104 , the corner formed by plates  116  and  106 , and the corner formed by plates  116  and  104 . 
       FIG. 4A  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of a ladder  200  for use with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4B  shows a top view of a post portion  202  of the ladder  200  of  FIG. 4A .  FIG. 4C  shows a bottom view of a step portion  212  of the ladder  200  of  FIG. 4A .  FIG. 4D  shows a top view of a first further insert  300  inserted into a gap  210  or recess of the post portion  202  of the ladder  200  of  FIG. 4A .  FIG. 4E  shows a bottom view of a second further insert  302  inserted into a gap  220  or recess of the step portion  212  of the ladder  200  of  FIG. 4A .  FIG. 4F  shows a front, top, and left side perspective view of the ladder  200  of  FIG. 4A  with the first further insert  300  and the second further insert  302  of  FIGS. 4D and 4E  respectively inserted and attached to the ladder  200  consistent with  FIGS. 4D and 4E . 
     The ladder  200 , shown in  FIG. 4A , includes post portion  202  which has a U-shaped plate structure comprised of plates  204 ,  206 , and  208  and gap or recess  210  as shown by  FIGS. 4A and 4B . The ladder  200  further includes post portion  222  which may be a mirror image of the post portion  202 , and may have an identical U-shaped plate structure. The ladder  200  further includes step portion  212  which has a U-shaped plate structure comprised of plates  214 ,  216 , and  218  and gap or recess  220  as shown in  FIG. 4C . The ladder further includes a step portion  232  which may be identical to the step portion  212  but located lower down the ladder  200 . The step portions  212  and  232  may be connected to the post portions  202  and  222  by welding or in any other known manner. The ladder  200  may be a known ladder. 
     In accordance, with an embodiment of the present invention, the first further insert  300  may be inserted into the gap  210  and the second further insert  302  may be inserted in the gap  220  as shown by  FIGS. 4D-4F . In at least one embodiment, the first further insert  300  and the second further insert  302  may be inserted by foam injecting into the gaps  210  and  220 . The first and second further inserts  300  and  302  may be made of polyurethane rubber or foam rubber, or some other elastomeric material. 
     In at least one embodiment, the first further insert  300  and the second further insert  302  are inserted substantially at a right angle to each other. A plurality of further inserts may be inserted into each gap of each step portion and each gap of each post portion of a ladder, such as ladder  200 , so that someone can carry the ladder on their shoulder without having a hard edge, such as a hard metal edge of the ladder hurt their shoulder. 
     In at least one embodiment, the first further insert  300  is inserted into the first gap  210  in a manner so that the first insert  300  protrudes out from the first gap  210 , a distance as shown in  FIG. 4D  so that the insert  300  will rest on a person&#39;s should carrying the ladder  200 , instead of the hard metal edges  208   a  and  204   a.  Similarly, the second insert  302  is inserted into the second gap  220  in a manner so that the second insert  302  protrudes out from the second gap  220  as shown in  FIG. 4E , so that the insert  302  will rest on a person&#39;s shoulder carrying the ladder  200 , instead of the hard metal edges  214   a  and  218   a.  A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may include a person carrying either ladders  100  or  200  with the inserts  1  and/or  300 , and  302  inserted and/or attached to the ladder  100  and/or  200 , and the apparatus  1  and/or  300  and  302  contacting a shoulder of the person. 
     Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention&#39;s contribution to the art.