Year: 1888

page_text: I, JOHN BEREY PARRY, of 51 South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of.
Lancaster, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
The Invention relates to that type of ladder in which the parts, namely, the rungs
and side members are constructed and arranged in such a manner, that the ladder can
be extended to its full length-or any part thereof or closed, or drawn up and
rendered capable of being stowed or packed within a small space.
According to my Invention a ladder of the type above specified is so constructed
that the stages of the ladder,-a stage consisting of a rung and the two side members
used to support that rung-are capable of being folded, or made to approach each
other and so closed up or parted from each other in the line of the length of the
ladder at will, and without the introduction therein of working pin joints, such as
exist in the usual form of ladder of the above specified type. I construct each stage.
of such a ladder, by preference of iron, steel or equivalent malleable metal wire and of
a single piece of such wire so "worked" or formed or bent that the one stage is held
by and slides or folds upon another. As in most cases it is desirable to provide
ladders of this type with means for keeping the rungs and side members from the
wall or other surface against which they would or may come; when in use, I use a
portion of the wire forming a stage for this purpose. I do this by bending the wire
in such a manner as to project at right angles to the line of length of the ladder; and
at a point in this portion I connect together the two ends of the wire piece forming
the stage.
The connection by which one stage is fastened or secured to another is most
conveniently made by bending the wire into loops embracing the side members of the
adjacent stage, whereby the side members of each stage form the support and slides or
folding joints as the case may be for the loops of the next stage to slide and bear upon
or fold unon
t

page_text: To form stops upon the side members for supplying the stage next below when
extended, the wire may be provided with second loops or bent or both.
If the wire used be of such a guage or size that the rungs would become strained
under the weight of the user of the ladder I fit over the treads a tube by which the
required strength would be given to the treads to resist the weight.
E
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Ladders of the Extendible and
Closing Type.
I, JOHN BEREY PARRY, of 51 South John Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
•
This Invention relates to that type of ladder in which the parts, namely the rungs
and side members are constructed and arranged in such a manner that the ladder can
be extended to its full length-or any part thereof-or closed, or drawn up, and
rendered capable of being stowed or packed within a small space.
According to my invention a ladder of the type above specified is so constructed
that the stages of the ladder-a stage consisting of a rung and the two side members
used to support that rung-are capable of being folded or made to approach each
other and so closed up, or parted from each other, in the line of the length of the
ladder, at will, and without the introduction therein of working joints, such as exist in
the usual form of ladder of the above specified type. I construct each stage of such a
ladder by preference of iron, steel or equivalent malleable metal wire or bar inetal,
and of a single piece of such wire or bar, so "worked" or formed or bent that one
stage is held by and slides or folds upon another.
As in most cases it is desirable to provide ladders of this type with means for
keeping the rungs and side members from the wall or other surface against which
they would or may come ; when in use I use a portion of the wire or bar forming a stage
for this purpose. I do this by bending the wire or bar in such a manner as to project
at right angles to the line of length of the ladder; and at a point in this portion I
connect together the two ends of the wire piece or bar forming the stage.

page_text: :
The connection by which one stage is fastened or secured to another is most
conveniently made by bending the wire or bar into loops embracing the side members
of the adjacent stage, whereby the side members of each stage form the support and
slides or folding joints as the case may be for the loops of the next stage to slide and
bear upon, or fold upon.
If the wire or bar used be of such a gauge or size that the rungs would become
strained under the weight of the user of the ladder, I fit over the threads a tube by
which the required strength would be given to the treads to resist the weight.
In the Drawings which serve to illustrate the invention above generally described,
are given various views of a ladder, substantially as above described, formed of round
steel wire.
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the ladder in its extended state; Figure 2
shows it in side elevation in a closed state; Figure 3 is a cross section in the
horizontal plane of the ladder at the line xx Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a cross section
in the horizontal plane of the bottom stage of the ladder.
Figures 5 and 6 show alternative methods of forming the bends of the side members
and rungs.
Figure 7 is a side elevation of a casting that may be employed in the angles where
the side members are bent, in lieu of bending the metal into loops.
Figure 8 is a plan of the casting shown at Figure 7.
With reference to the Drawings, A designates the side bars of the ladder; Bare
the steps; and C prop bars which keep the ladder from the surface against which it
may come, in use. A step B is of a twin form, and composed of two bearers, one b¹
being the horizontal bar constituting the top bar of a stage (hereinafter defined) and
the other, 62, being a bar supported by and connected to the prop-bars C. E is a
chain by which the ladder is to be suspended when in use.
A stage in the ladder illustrated is made of a single piece or length of wire of, say
for example, from about 25 to 5 of an inch in diameter, and comprises the top bar b¹
(which constitutes one of the bars of a step B when the ladder is extended); the
loops g-adapted to allow the side bars A of the next or upper stage to pass through
and move in; and the prop bars C,-which are bent at right angles to the bars B
and provided with loops linked with and adapted to hold corresponding loops i
provided on the ends of the step bar 2. It is preferred to arrange the wire in making
the ladder so that the two ends meet in the centre of the prop bars C, and these ends
in the example illustrated are inserted into the short tube c¹, and soldered or otherwise
fixed therein.
It will be observed that when the stages are in their extended position and the
ladder suspended from its top stage, each stage hangs by its loop g, which surround
the bar of and rest upon the stage next above it, and it will also be observed that the
loops g are free to slide up and down the bars A.
The bars 6 and 12 are encased in a piece of metallic tube t. These tubes are
provided to render the bearing surface of the hand or foot of the user, larger and
more agreeable to use. As a fire escape this provision is particularly serviceable, as
the diameter of the bar being only small the effect of such a small area upon the bare
foot, or even if the foot be covered with a stocking, would in most cases be painful.
The bar 62 is provided chiefly to mitigate this effect, and both bars 61 and 62 being
encased by the tubes t, a considerable bearing surface for the foot is afforded.
When the ladder is closed up it assumes the form shown in Figure 2; all the top
bars 6' of the stages coming close together at the top, and the bars 62, coming close
together at the bottom.
In opening the ladder when closed it is suspended from the top by a chain, such
as E, or by other means whereupon the stages fall into the position shown in
Figure 1.
The loops g may be formed by bending the wire as shown in Figures 5 or 6 or in
any other equivalent way.
In lieu of providing the loops g, I may provide castings g on the angles where the
bars 6¹ and A are bent, see Figures 7 and 8, such castings having each holes in it'

page_text: adapted to take the bars A and allow them to slide up and down therein in the
manner above set forth with reference to the loops g.
The ends a of the side members or bars A are fixed in the castings g and the ends
of the bars or rungs 6' are also fixed in the castings g, holes being provided in the
castings for this purpose, the ends of the side members and rungs being riveted or
otherwise fastened therein.
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. An extendible ladder, composed of a plurality of stages adapted to move up and
down upon or in connection with each other; as, or substantially as described.
2. An extendible ladder, composed of a plurality of stages, said stages being
adapted to hold each other together and to move up and down upon each other; as,
or substantially as described.
3. In an extendible ladder composed of a plurality of stages, the construction of the
stages herein set forth, consisting of side bars A, top bars b¹, loops g, and with or
without prop bars C; substantially as described.
4. An extendible ladder, composed of a plurality of stages each of which is
constructed of wire (such as of the nature specified) bent to the shape or configuration
required.
5. An extendible ladder, composed of a plurality of stages each of which is con-
structed of wire (such as of the nature specified), bent to the shape or configuration
required, and adapted to hold each other together.
6. An extendible ladder composed of a plurality of stages, each of which is con-
structed of a single or continuous length of wire, bent to the shape or configuration
required; substantially in the manner described.
7. An extendible ladder composed of a plurality of stages as described, wherein the
side bars of one stage are provided with loops or equivalent devices, adapted to slide
on or in the side bars of another stage.
8. An extendible ladder composed of a plurality of stages as described, said stages
being composed of wire, and bent to forms such as described, and the side members
of one stage being adapted to move up and down, on or in the side bars of another
stage.
9. The use, in combination, in an extendible ladder composed of a plurality of
stages, of one or more bars such as b¹ and b², constituting the steps of the ladder
when extended; substantially as and for the purposes described.
10. In an extendible ladder composed of a plurality of stages as described, the
combination with the side bars A of said stages, of a bar b¹, said bar being adapted
to serve as the step or part of the step between said stages; substantially as set
forth.
11. An extendible ladder constructed and operating substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.
12. The construction of stages of extendible ladders substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.
Dated this 8th day of April 1889.
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