Improvements in Trolley Carriers for Step Ladders and the like..
Year: 1894

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Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1895-Accepted, 31st Aug.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trolley Carriers for Step Ladders and the like..
'
I, WILLIAM JAMES SUMNER, of 13 Franklin Street, in the City of Holyoke,
County of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Manufacturing Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct improved trolley guides and carriers
for step-ladders, and other objects, which are designed to have a rolling engagement
with a track which is in the form of a bar or rod, preferably round, so that there
can be no cramping or binding of the carrier relative to the track even though the
track may have its course deflected, or curved.
Another object of the invention is to attain the embodiment in the devices of
constructions which are of great practicability and easily permit a high degree of
mechanical excellence and easy assemblage.
The track is in the form of a bar, or rod, round in cross section, and is horizontally
suspended from and below the ceiling or other overhead support by pendent
brackets. Each bracket preferably consists of bearing and attachment lugs
(through which to screw and support the bracket to the ceiling) and downwardly
converging portions which merge into the narrow lower extremity of the
pendant.
A long screw passes vertically and transversely through the track and through
the narrow part of the bracket upwardly between the converging portions
thereof and with a considerable extent of penetration into the ceiling.
The trolley, or carrier, comprises a longitudinal bar and cross-bars at the ends of
the longitudinal bar, each with upstanding studs or journals on which are mounted
rollers which rotate in horizontal planes and which have flanges to overlie and
engage the upper portions of the track.
Each horizontal cross-bar which carries the upstanding journal-studs for the
rollers is, by a headed bolt and nut, so connected upon the extremity of the longi-
tudinal bar, that it may have a swinging or swiveling movement in a horizontal
plane, although such movement, whenever it may be required, will be but slight
in degree.
Each upstanding stud which is firmly set into the extremity of its supporting
cross-bar, has the shoulder at a short distance above its bottom, also a shoulder at
quite a distance above the first shoulder; and near its upper extremity it is
screw-threaded.
A ring is set down over the stud to a rest upon the first shoulder, thereby
constituting in substance a sufficiently broad flange, or shoulder surrounding the
stud. This annular part has in its upper side a concentric annular groove which
forms the raceway for the balls which are comprised between said part and the
under side of the roller in which there is also an annular concentric ball-groove..
The depths of the ball-groòves in the ring and the roller are together less than
the diameter of the balls, so that the faces of said parts are not permitted to come
in contact the one with the other.
The roller has also within its upper side an annular ball-groove between which
and a second ring are a second series of balls, said second ring baving within its under
side also an annular ball-groove.
This upper ring is held against displacement from the journal-stud by a nut.

page_text: Each roller has its central opening considerably larger than the diameter of the
upstanding stud which it surrounds, and thus being without frictional engagement
with the stud, it derives its entire supporting and guiding contact from the two sets
of balls. The rollers are journaled at such distances apart that they have a free
rolling engagement sidewise upon the track.
The aforementioned longitudinal bar has the extremities thereof turned or twisted
a quarter way round from the intermediate portion, which latter stands vertically
edgewise, so that the said extremities are properly horizontal to support and receive
connection with the horizontal cross-bars.
The connection of the ladder with the longitudinal bar of the trolley which is in
the longitudinal median plane of the trolley and of the track is effected by the
means of a part which consists of a base-plate having separated upstanding ear-
pieces, and a central vertical depending stud. The stud passes downwardly through
a perforation therefor in the upper step of the ladder and receives the screw
engagement on the lower end thereof of a nut.
The upstanding ear-pieces embrace
the intermediate edgewise vertical portion of the bar and have their pivotal
engagement therewith by the cross-pin, or bolt. Thus the ladder may have
a degree of swinging movement relative to the trolley in the longitudinal plane
thereof, and as the trolley, as a whole, may have an oscillation or revoluble move-
ment about the track, the ladder becomes the better accommodated for its easy
mcvements and changes of position. And the aforementioned capability of the
horizontal cross-bars for swinging movements relative to the bar and each
independently of the other insures a more easy running of the trolley on the track,
especially where the track has a deflected course, as, for instance, where it rounds
a corner.
A very efficient trolley for some purposes might be acquired by the employment
of but one of the cross-bars which is equipped with the upstanding opposing rollers
which rotate in vertical planes.
The part to be guided, or supported, one or both, might be directly connected to
the cross-bar.
1004
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trolley Carriers for Step Ladders and the like.
I, WILLIAM JAMES SUMNER, of 13 Franklin Street, in the City of Holyoke,
County of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Manufacturing Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to construct improved trolley guides and carriers
for step-ladders which are designed to have a rolling engagement with a track
which is in the form of a bar or rod, preferably round, so that there can be no
cramping or binding of the carrier relative to the track, even though the track may
have its course deflected, or curved.
Another object of the invention is to attain the embodiment in the devices of
constructions which are of great practicability and easily permit a high degree of
mechanical excellence and easy assemblage.
The invention consists in constructions and combinations of parts, all substantially:
as will hereinafter fully appear and be set forth in the claims.

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Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trolley or carrier, shown as having its rolling
engagement with the track and having connected therewith the upper part of the
ladder.
Figure 2 is a vertical cross section on a larger scale taken on line 2-2,
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the carrier,-the track and ceiling from which the
track is suspended appearing in vertical cross section.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1 with a portion of the
track broken away.
The track a, is round in cross section and is horizontally suspended from and
below the ceiling, or other overbead support, by the pendent brackets b. Each
bracket consists of the bearing and attachment lugs 6, 6, (through which to screw
and support the bracket to the ceiling) and the downwardly converging
portions 6, 6, which merge into the narrow lower extremity 64, of the pendant.
A long screw d, passes vertically and transversely through the track and through
the narrow part of the bracket upwardly between the portions 3, 6, thereof and
with a considerable extent of penetration into the ceiling.
The trolley or carrier is represented by A, and comprises the longitudinal bar B,
the cross-bars C, C, at the ends of the bar B, each with the upstanding studs or
journals, on which are mounted the rollers y, g, which rotate in horizontal
planes and which. have flanges 9, 9, to overlie and engage the upper portions of
the track a.
Each horizontal cross-bar C, which carries the upstanding journal-studs for the
rollers 9, y, is, by the headed bolt and nut seen at e, so connected upon the extremity
of the bar B, that it may have a swinging or swiveling movement in a horizontal
plane, although as will be more readily apparent, hereinafter, such movement,
whenever it may be required, will be but slight in degree.
Each upstanding stud f, which is firmly set into the extremity of its supporting
cross-bar C, has, as is clearly seen in Figure 2, the shoulder 10, at a short distance
above its bottom, also a shoulder 12, at quite a distance above the shoulder 10;
and near its upper extremity it is screw-threaded, as seen at 13. A ring h, is set
down over the stud f, to a rest upon the shoulder 10, thereby constituting in
substance a sufficiently broad flange or shoulder surrounding the stud. This
annular part h, has in its upper side the concentric annular groove 14, which forms
the raceway for the balls i, which are comprised between said part h, and the
under side of the roller g, in which there is also the annular concentric ball-
groove 15.
The depths of the ball-grooves 14, 15, are together less than the diameter of the
balls, so that the faces of parts g and h, are not permitted to come in contact the
one with the other. It will be seen that the roller g, has also within its upper
side the annular ball-groove 16, between which and the ring j, are the balls, said
ring j, having within its under side the annular ball-groove 17. This ring i, sets
down upon the aforementioned shoulder 12, and is held against displacement by the
nut k.
Each roller g, as seen in Figure 2, has its central opening 1, considerably larger
than the diameter of the upstanding stud f, which it surrounds, and thus being
without frictional engagement with the stud, it derives its entire supporting and
guiding contact from the two sets of balls i, . The rollers are journaled at such
distances apart that they have a free rolling engagement sidewise upon the
track a.
The bar B, has the extremities thereof turned or twisted a quarter way round
from the intermediate portion m, which latter stands vertically edgewise, so that
the said extremities are properly horizontal to properly support and receive
connection with the horizontal cross-bars C, C, as shown.
The step-ladder is indicated at G, Figure 1, of which, represents the
uppermost step, and the connection of the ladder with the bar B, which is in the

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longitudinal median plane of the trolley and of the track is effected by the means
of the part shown at H, which consists of the base-plate t, having the separated
The said
upstanding ear-pieces u, u, and the central vertical depending stud w.
stud w, passes downwardly through the perforation therefor in the ladder step x,
and receives the screw engagement on the lower end thereof of the nut or nuts y.
The upstanding ear-pieces u, u, embrace the intermediate edgewise vertical
portion m, of the bar B, and have their engagement there with by the cross-pin, or
bolt z.
Thus the ladder may have a degree of swinging movement relative to the
trolley in the longitudinal plane thereof, and as the trolley as a whole may have
an oscillation or revoluble movement about the track a, the ladder becomes thé
better accommodated for its easy movements and changes of position; and the
aforementioned capability of the horizontal cross-bars C, C, for swinging movements
relative to the bar B, and each independently of the other, insures a more easy
running of the trolley on the track, especially. where the track has a deflected
course, as, for instance, where it rounds a corner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :―
1. In a step-ladder and trolley therefor, a longitudinal member having horizontal
cross-bars supported at the ends thereof, each provided with paired rollers mounted
axially vertical in opposition for rotation in horizontal planes, and the ladder
connected to an intermediate portion of the said longitudinal member, substantially
as described.
2. In a trolley, a horizontal longitudinal member and the horizontal cross-
bars C, C, having their middle portions jointed to the extremities of the
longitudinal member for horizontal swinging, inovements, and each bar C. having
the axially vertical rollers journaled in opposition thereon, substantially as
described.
3. The combination with a trolley-track which consists of a single horizontally
supported bar, of a trolley comprising the longitudinal member B, and the
horizontal cross-bars supported at the ends thereof and each provided with paired
rollers, mounted axially vertically thereon in opposition, which are widened or
flanged at their upper portions and which bear sidewise against the said track-bar
with their flanges extending over upper portions thereof, substantially as described.
4. The trolley comprising the horizontal longitudinal member B, the transverse
horizontal bars C, C, which intermediately thereof are pivotally connected to the
member B, for horizontal swinging movements and each having the paired axially
vertical opposing rollers g, y, and the part H, united to an intermediate portion
of member B, by a horizontal pivot bolt, which is adapted to receive the
connection therewith of the ladder or like part which is to be trolley-guided,
substantially as described.
5. A trolley comprising a transverse horizontal bar C, with upstanding journals
on which are mounted a pair of rollers for rotation in a horizontal plane and
which rollers are widened or flanged at their upper part, substantially as
described.
6. A trolley comprising a horizontal bar C, having the two upstanding studs,f,
each with a flange or shoulder at a lower portion with the concentric groove 14,
the roller g, having a concentric groove 13, in its under face, and a like groove 16,
in its upper face, the two sets of balls i, i, the ring j, with the groove 17, and
means for holding it against displacement on the upper extremity of the stud,
substantially as described.
7. The combination with the trolley-track a, which consists of a single bar or
rod, the supporting bracket which comprises upper attachment lugs 6, and the
downwardly converging and joining portions 3, 3, and the long screw transversely
penetrating both the track and the united meeting portions of the members

page_text: and entering the overhead support, of a trolley comprising one or more pairs of
upstanding transversely opposite and axially vertical rollers the upper portions
of which are widened or flanged and which engage the single trolley-track,
substantially as described.
8. The combination with a trolley track which consists of a single horizontally
supported bar, of a trolley which comprises a body with which the ladder or
like object may have its guiding or supporting engagement and which body is
equipped with opposing rollers which project above it, and which are vertically
journaled and formed with their upper portions widened or flanged, substantially
as described.
9. A trolley comprising longitudinal bar B, with horizontal end portions, and
edgewise vertical intermediate portion m, the cross-bars C, C, which have the
upstanding journals on which are the rollers g, g, in combination with the
attachment part for the ladder comprising the upstanding ear-pieces u,
the transversely connected bolt, substantially as described.
u, and
10. The combination with a step-ladder and the trolley-track, or rod a, of the
part H, comprising base-plate t, upstanding ear-pieces u, u, and the depending
stud to, passing through and protruding below a perforation in the top step of
the ladder, a nut to screw upon said protruding portion of the stud against the
under side of the ladder-step, the trolley comprising the longitudinal horizontal
bar B, which has its intermediate portion embraced by, and pivoted to, said ear-
pieces u, u, and the horizontal cross-bars C, C, provided with the upstanding
journals on which are mounted the opposing pairs of rollers g, 9, substantially as
described.
T.1 1005
WILLIAM JAMES SUMNER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.