Patent Publication Number: US-6986403-B1

Title: Sleeve for covering a ladder rung

Description:
BACKGROUND 
   The present application is related, generally, to a sleeve for covering a ladder rung. In the telecommunication and other industries, service personnel are routinely dispatched to various field sites to work on equipment that is located relatively high above the ground. When working on equipment located relatively high above the ground, service personnel often use a ladder to access the equipment. The service personnel frequently travel to the field site via a van or truck and transport a ladder to a field site by stowing the ladder on the top of the van or truck. The rungs of the ladder are usually fabricated of aluminum and include a plurality of grooves. 
   When service personnel are dispatched to a field site during icing conditions, a stubborn sheath of ice can quickly form between the plurality of grooves and around the rungs of the ladder. The sheath of ice can be resistant to chemical de-icers and can be extremely difficult to remove. The iced-up rungs may adversely affect the productivity of service personnel using such a ladder. 
   SUMMARY 
   In one general respect, the present invention is directed to a sleeve for covering a ladder rung. According to one embodiment, the sleeve includes a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a first surface that defines an opening extending from the first end to the second end. The first surface is adapted to contact the ladder rung. 
   In another general respect, the present invention is related to a ladder. According to one embodiment, the ladder includes a first side rail, a second side rail opposite the first side rail, a rung connected to the first and second side rails, and a sleeve that covers the rung. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a sleeve for covering a ladder rung; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a cross-section of the sleeve of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates another embodiment of a sleeve for covering a ladder rung; and 
       FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a portion of a ladder. 
   

   DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a sleeve  10  for covering a ladder rung such as the one shown in  FIG. 4 . The sleeve  10  is a cylindrical sleeve having a predetermined length and a predetermined diameter. The sleeve includes a first end  12  and a second end  14  opposite the first end  12 . The sleeve  10  also includes a first surface  16  and a second surface  18  concentric with the first surface  16 . The first surface  16  may be considered the inner surface and the second surface  18  may be considered the outer surface of the sleeve  10 . The first surface  16 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , may, in one embodiment, include a plurality of grooves  20 . Thus, in one embodiment the first surface  16  is a grooved surface that includes both grooved portions and ungrooved portions. The grooves  20  may be spaced apart such that the ungrooved portions of the first surface  16  may coincide with a grooved portion of a ladder rung when the sleeve  10  covers the ladder rung. The first surface  16  defines an opening  22  that extends from the first end  12  to the second end  14 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the cross-section of the opening  22  may be generally circular. 
   According to one embodiment, the sleeve  10  may be fabricated from solid rubber. The solid rubber may include, for example, natural rubber or synthetic rubber, and the solid rubber may be vulcanized or cross-linked. According to another embodiment, the sleeve  10  may be fabricated from cellular rubber, and the cellular rubber may be vulcanized or cross-linked. The cellular rubber may be a closed cell rubber or an open cell rubber and may include, for example, natural rubber or synthetic rubber. The open cell rubber may be a foam such as, for example, a vinyl nitride foam. 
   The sleeve  10  may further comprise a slit  24  that extends from the first surface  16  to the second surface  18 . The slit  24  also extends from the first end  12  to the second end  14  of the sleeve  10 , and may be used to place the sleeve  10  around a ladder rung such as the one shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     FIG. 3  illustrates another embodiment of a sleeve  30  for covering a ladder rung such as the one shown in  FIG. 4 . The sleeve  30  is similar to the sleeve  10  of  FIG. 1  and also includes a fabric layer  32  connected to the second surface  18 . The fabric layer  32  may be fabricated from a waterproof material. The sleeve  30  also includes a fastener  34  connected to the fabric layer  32 . The fastener  34  may be any suitable type of fastener such as, for example, a hook and loop fastener, and may serve to secure the sleeve  30  around a ladder rung. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the slit  24  may extend from the first surface  16  to the fabric layer  32  for this embodiment. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a portion of a ladder  40 . The ladder  40  may be any type of ladder such as, for example, a straight ladder or an extension ladder. The ladder  40  includes a first side rail  42  and a second side rail  44 . The second side rail  44  is positioned opposite of and in parallel with the first side rail  42 . The first and second side rails  42 ,  44  may be configured to include, for example, a web portion and a flange portion as is known in the art, or may be configured as box-type or tubular rails. The first and second rails  42 ,  44  may be fabricated from any suitable material such as, for example, wood, fiberglass or aluminum. 
   The ladder  40  also includes a rung  46  and a sleeve  48  that covers the rung  46 . The rung  46  is connected to and in a perpendicular relationship with the first and second rails  42 ,  44 . The rung  46  may be connected to the first and second rails  42 ,  44  in any suitable manner known in the art such as, for example, by ferrules or by preformed annuli or flanges. The rung  46  may be fabricated in any suitable shape such as, for example, a generally cylindrical shape having a circular cross-section, and the rung  46  may include a plurality of grooves (not shown) as is known in the art. The rung  46  may be fabricated from any suitable material such as, for example, aluminum. 
   The sleeve  48  may be similar to the sleeve  10  of  FIG. 1  or to the sleeve  30  of  FIG. 3 . The sleeve  48  has a predetermined length that approximates the length of the rung  46  and the opening  22  defined by the first surface  16  has a predetermined diameter that approximates the diameter of the rung  46 . When the rung  46  is covered by the sleeve  48 , the first surface  16  of the sleeve  48  is in contact with the rung  46  and, in one embodiment, the ungrooved portions of the first surface  16  may coincide with the grooved portions of the rung  46 . The sleeve  48  may serve to restrict the formation of ice on the rung  46 . 
   In one embodiment, the sleeve  48  is a removable reusable sleeve that may be placed around the rung  46  and subsequently removed and reused. For example, when icing conditions are expected, the sleeve  48  may be placed around the rung  46 , then subsequently removed when the ladder  40  is being used or when the icing conditions cease to exist. The cycle of placing the sleeve  48  around the rung  46 , removing the sleeve  48 , placing the sleeve  48  around the rung  46 , etc. may be repeated any number of times. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the ladder  40  may include a plurality of rungs  46  and a corresponding plurality of sleeves  48 . Each of the rungs  46  may be connected to the first and second side rails  42 ,  44  as described hereinabove, and each sleeve  48  may cover a different rung  46 . 
   While several embodiments of the invention have been described, it should be apparent, however, that various modifications, alterations and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the art with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the present invention. It is therefore intended to cover all such modifications, alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.