Improvements in Step Ladders.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st July 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
FROVISIONAL OFFUIFICATION.
Improvements in Step Ladders.
I, GEORGE HENRY CLIFF, of 233, Commissioner Street, Johannesburg, in the
South African Republic, Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to step ladders and is dosigned with the object of providing
same with a hand rail for purposes of safety, which will be automatically extended
or placed in position when the step ladder is opened or brought into position
for use.
It consists essentially in continuing or producing preferably one of the back
struts for a suitable distance abovo the point at which it is pivoted or hinged to
the front part of the steps and pivoting thereto at the upper extremity a rail which
at its other extremity is pivoted to the upper end of a support which support at
its lower extremity is in turn pivoted to the front part of the step ladder in any
desired and convenient position.
In carrying out the invention, the step ladder is constructed with the back struts
pivoted to the top of the front portion of the step ladder by means of the clamping
bolt preferably passing just under the top step. The top step may be mado
somewhat broader than the others so as to project backwards say about an inch
beyond the inner edge of the side pieces of the front portion of the step-ladder.
The top cross bar or brace of the struts comes against this projecting ledge of the
top step and thereby prevents the struts being opened out from the stops or front
portion of the step. ladder further than is necessary for maintaining the latter at
the proper inclination for use. By this construction all necessity for the uso of
ropes or cross stays between the struts and the steps proper is dispensed with and
their attendant risks thereby avoided.
Preferably the left strut is continued or produced for from say 18 inches to 2 feet
above and beyond the top of the ladder. To the top of this extension picce or
continuation of the strut a light hand rail is pivoted which rail is extended
downwards to say about the level of the third step, where its lower end is pivoted
to an arm or support the lower end of which support is in turn pinned or pivoted
to the side of the steps by means of a clamping bolt which passes through
preferably just under the second step.
When the steps are closed, the hand rail lies flat alongside the side piece of the
front portion of the steps, and as the steps are opened the extension piece acts as
a fever to automatically raise and extend the hand rail and to support it in its
extended position.
It will be evident that the step ladder might if desired be provided with a rail
at either side instead of at one side only as described and shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 28th day of December 1896.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant....

page_text: Improvements in Step Ladders.
I, GEORGE HENRY CLIPP, of Johannesburg, in the South African Republic,
Carpenter, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following description and by the accompanying drawings :-
This invention relates to step ladders and is designed with the object of providing
same with a hand rail for purposes of safety, which will be automatically extended
or placed in position when the step ladder is opened or brought into position
for use.
It consists essentially in continuing or producing preferably one of the back
struts for a suitable distance above the point at which it is pivoted or hinged to the
front part of the steps and pivoting thereto at the upper extremity a rail which at
its other extremity is pivoted to the upper end of a support which support at its
lower extremity is in turn pivoted to the front part of the step ladder in any desired
and convenient position.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which-
Figure 1. is a perspective view of the stop ladder closed!
Figure 2. is a perspective view of same extended or ready for use.
The step ladder A. is constructed with the back struts B. B¹ pivoted to the top
of the front portion of the step-ladder by means of the clamping belt a. preferably
passing just under the top step. The top step may be made somewhat broader
than the others so as to project backwards say about an inch beyond the inner edge
of the side pieces of the front portion of the step ladder as shown at b. The top-
cross bar or brace d. of the struts comes against the projecting ledge b. of the top
step and thereby prevents the struts being opened out from the steps or front
portion of the step ladder further than is necessary for maintaining the latter at the
proper inclination for use. By this construction all necessity for the use of ropes
or cross stays between the struts and the steps proper is dispensed with and their
attendant risks thereby avoided.
Preferably the left leg B. of the struts is continued or produced for from say
18 inches to 2 feet above and beyond the top of the ladder as shewn at C. To the
top.of this extension piece or continuation C. of the strut B. a light hand rail D..is
pivoted at h. which rail is extended downwards to say about the lovel of the third
step, where its lower end is pivoted at g. to an arm or support E. the lower end of
which support is in turn pinned or pivoted to the side A¹ of the steps by means
of the clamping bolt f. which passes through preferably just under the second step.
When the steps are closed, as shewn in Fig. 1, the hand rail D.lies flat alongside
the side piece A' of the front portion of the steps, and as the steps are opened
the extension piece C. acts as a lever to automatically raise and extend the hand
rail D. and to support it in its extended position, as shown in Fig. 2.
It will be evident that the step ladder might if desired be provided with a rail
at either side instead of at one side only as described and shewn in the drawings.
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 :-
A step ladder constructed with an extension piece or continuation of one of the
back struts and a hand rail pivoted thereto and to an arm or support pivoted to

page_text: the front portion of the step ladder, substantially as described and shewn in the
accompanying drawings.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.