Patent Publication Number: US-6702066-B1

Title: Ladder leveling device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES AND RELATED SUBJECT MATTER 
     This application is a continuation of utility patent application Ser. No. 09/877,504, filed in the United States Patent Office on Jun. 11, 2001, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a ladder leveling device and more particularly pertains to attaching to legs of a ladder to allow a height of the legs to be individually adjusted to insure that the ladder is level on a recipient surface. 
     The use of adjustable ladders is known in the prior art. More specifically, adjustable ladders heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of adjusting to accommodate certain situations are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, these patents do not describe a ladder leveling device for attaching to legs of a ladder to allow a height of the legs to be individually adjusted to insure that the ladder is level on a recipient surface. 
     In this respect, the ladder leveling device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of attaching to legs of a ladder to allow a height of the legs to be individually adjusted to insure that the ladder is level on a recipient surface. 
     Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved ladder leveling device which can be used for attaching to legs of a ladder to allow a height of the legs to be individually adjusted to insure that the ladder is level on a recipient surface. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of adjustable ladders now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved ladder leveling device. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved ladder leveling device which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. 
     To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a gripping plate having an inner surface and an outer surface. The gripping plate has an elongated central slot therethrough that corresponds with a vertical slot extending through the bottom portion of each ladder leg. The central slot has a pair of threaded bolts adjustably disposed therein and extending outwardly therefrom. The outer surface has gripping teeth disposed thereon. The gripping plate has a plurality of apertures therethrough. The inner surface is positionable against the leg of the ladder with the apertures receiving screws therethrough to secure the gripping plate to the leg of the ladder. A leg extension is provided having a generally rectangular configuration. The leg extension has inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface has gripping teeth disposed thereon. The leg extension has a pair of apertures therethrough in a spaced relationship. The leg extension is adjustably coupled with the gripping plate with the gripping teeth thereof engaging the gripping teeth of the gripping plate with the pair of apertures receiving the threaded bolts therethrough and secured with wing nuts. The number gripping plates and leg extensions corresponds with a number of legs of the ladder. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention 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, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ladder leveling device which has all the advantages of the prior art adjustable ladders and none of the disadvantages. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ladder leveling device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ladder leveling device which is of durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ladder leveling device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such a ladder leveling device economically available to the buying public. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ladder leveling device for attaching to legs of a ladder to allow-a height of the legs to be individually adjusted to insure that the ladder is level on a recipient surface. 
     Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ladder leveling device including a gripping plate having an inner surface and an outer surface, The gripping plate has an elongated central slot therethrough. The central slot has a pair of threaded bolts adjustably disposed therein and extending outwardly therefrom. The outer surface has gripping teeth disposed thereon. The gripping plate has a plurality of apertures therethrough. The inner surface is positionable against the leg of the ladder with the apertures receiving screws therethrough to secure the gripping plate to the leg of the ladder. A leg extension is provided having a generally rectangular configuration. The leg extension has inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface has gripping teeth disposed thereon. The leg extension has a pair of apertures therethrough in a spaced relationship. The leg extension is adjustably coupled with the gripping plate with the gripping teeth thereof engaging the gripping teeth of the gripping plate with the pair of apertures receiving the threaded bolts therethrough and secured with wing nuts. The number gripping plates and leg extensions corresponds with a number of legs of the ladder. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention 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: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the ladder leveling device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention. 
     The same reference numerals refer to the same parts through the various figures. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular, to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, the preferred embodiment of the new and improved ladder leveling device embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Specifically, it will be noted in the various figures that the device relates to a ladder leveling device for attaching to legs of a ladder to allow a height of the legs to be individually adjusted to insure that the ladder is level on a recipient surface. In its broadest context, the device consists of a gripping plate and a leg extension. Such components are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain the desired objective. 
     The present invention is designed for use on all types of ladders  12 , such as extension ladders, step-ladders, etc., the ladder  12  having a plurality of rungs, the plurality of rungs having a lowest rung. The present invention will correspond with the number of legs  14  that the ladder  12  has. Each ladder leg  14  has a bottom portion  14 B, an inside surface  14 A, an outside surface  14 C, and a vertical slot  15  extending through the leg bottom portion  14 B, from the outside surface  14 C to the inside surface  14 A. The rungs are ositioned horizontaly between two of the ladder legs  14 , and the lowest rung is situated above the ladder leg bottom portion  14 B. The ladder leveling device  10  is selectively attachable to one of the ladder legs  14  at the bottom portion  14 B of the leg outside surface  14 C. FIG. 1 illustrates the use of the present invention on a ladder having four legs. 
     The gripping plate  16  has an inner surface and an outer surface. The gripping plate  16  has an elongated, longitudinal central slot  18  therethrough, said slot  18  corresponding with the vertical slot  15  extending through the bottom portion  14 B of the ladder leg  14 . The longitudinal central slot  18  has a pair of threaded bolts  20  adjustably disposed therein and extending outwardly therefrom. The outer surface has gripping teeth  22  disposed thereon. The gripping plate  16  has a plurality of apertures  24  therethrough. The inner surface is positionable against the outside surface  14 C of the leg bottom portion  14 B of the ladder  12  with the apertures  24  receiving screws therethrough to secure the gripping plate  16  to the bottom portion  14 B of the leg  14  of the ladder  12 . The gripping plate slot  18  and the ladder leg vertical slot  15  each extend no higher than the lowest rung of the ladder. Note FIG.  2 . 
     The leg extension  26  has a generally rectangular configuration. The leg extension  26  has inner and outer surfaces. The inner surface has gripping teeth  28  disposed thereon. The leg extension  26  has a pair of-apertures  30  therethrough in a spaced relationship. The leg extension  26  is adjustably coupled with the gripping plate  16  with the gripping teeth  28  thereof engaging the gripping teeth  22  of the gripping plate  16  with the pair of apertures  30  receiving the threaded bolts  20  therethrough and secured with wing nuts  32 . The wing nuts  32  can be loosened to allow the leg extension  26  to be adjusted with respect to the gripping plate. The number gripping plates  16  and leg extensions  26  corresponds with a number of legs  14  of the ladder  12 . 
     The gripping teeth  28  of the leg extension and the gripping teeth  22  of the gripping plate  16  preferably are triangular in cross section, and form triangular shaped valleys therebetween. Accordingly, when the gripping plate  16  is pulled tightly against the leg extension, the gripping teeth  28  and  22  securely prevent the gripping plate  16  from sliding with respect to the leg extension. 
     As to the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the 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 the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention 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 invention.