Year: 1897

page_text: A Dalety Stan
I, HENRY VICTOR CHANDLER of 11 Gorst Road, Wandsworth Common, in the
County of Surrey, Builder do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention relates to a safety stand or support for ladders.
It is well known that ladders and especially tall ladders are liable to slip at the
foot upon
the surface on which they are erected with the risk of serious injury to a
workman mounted thereon, and in order to prevent accidents arising from this cause
it is a common practice to station a man at the foot of the ladder in order to steady
the same.
Another trouble with tall ladders is that they are liable to laterally cant especially
when standing upon soft ground, and this a man at the foot of the ladder is powerless
to prevent.
Now the object of the present invention is to obtain a simple and inexpensive
device which will prevent, either the slipping or canting of the ladder and thus
obviate the dangers above pointed out.
In carrying the invention into effect instead of standing the ladder directly upon
the ground or other surface as heretofore it is according to the present invention
placed upon a stand, support, or platform of considerable area.
This stand which may take the form of a cross or may be otherwise shaped to give
the required extended base is formed of wood or other suitable material and is.
provided with two transverse bars formed with returned ends to engage longitudinal
grooves in the stand or the bars are otherwise rendered laterally adjustable and if
desired provided with means for fixing them at any desired point.
Upon the bars are formed or fixed or pivotally mounted sockets into which the
feet of the ladder are received, and these sockets by traversing the bars may be
regulated to the width of any ladder.
The feet of the ladder are fixed in the sockets by means of pins passing through
the sockets and corresponding holes formed in the ladder, or the feet of the ladder
may be otherwise fixed therewith.
In order to steady the ladder several guys or stays are employed and these guys or
stays are at one end attached to the extremities of the stand or support whilst at the
other end they are provided with hooks or the like to engage the rounds of the
ladder, whilst they are provided with suitable tightening devices for example screw
lanyards so that when the ladder is by these means held at the front back and sides
it will be perfectly rigid with the stand or support.
The under surface of the stand or support is coated with rubber or provided with
spikes or roughened surfaces in order to prevent the possibility of slipping.
As a modification of the device hereinbefore described the separate sockets to receive
the feet of the ladder are dispensed with and in lieu thereof holes are formed in the
transverse bars whilst the stand is provided with a longitudinal recess in the face.
thereof to receive the feet of the ladder and the latter rest upon the base of the
hollow

page_text: In order to provide for the lateral adjustiñent of the transverse bars the latter are
provided with pegs pissing through holes therein and the stand is provided with a
corresponding row of holes to receive the ends of the pegs.
It will be obvious that the details of construction may be further more or less
varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.
By the means hereinbefore described a simple and inexpensive device is obtained
which will enable the usual attendant at the foot of the ladder to be dispensed with,
whilst at the same time the ladder will be securely held against slipping or
canting.
Dated this 5th day of January 1897
1, HENRY VICTOR CHANDLER, of 11 Gorst Road, Wandsworth Common, in the
County of Surrey, Builder, 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 invention relates to a safety stand or support for ladders.
As is well known, ladders, especially tall ones, are liable to slip at the foot when
placed in position. They are also liable to cant sideways such as when the ladder is
stood upon soft ground.
A man is sometimes placed at the bottom of the ladder to hold same, but he is not
always able to prevent the slipping of the ladder.
In order to overcome these disadvantages I have designed a simple and inexpensive
device as hereinafter described.
In carrying the invention into effect, the ladder is placed upon a stand or base, and
not upon the ground as heretofore. The stand may be of any desired shape, and
preferably such as to give the largest possible area in contact with the ground. It is
also provided with recesses to receive the lower end of the ladder. Guys, screw
lanyards or the like may be attached to the stand, their upper ends embracing the
sides of the ladder, which is thus firmly held in position.
It is obvious that several modifications are possible, and several are shewn in the
drawings hereunto annexed in which :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a ladder with the safety attachment affixed thereto.
Fig. 2 is a plan of a modified stand or base.
Fig. 3 is a wedge for adjusting the level of the stand or base.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew modified forms of stands on a reduced scale.
Fig. 6 shews a method of adjusting the ladder without shifting the stand from the
ground.
Fig. 7 is an arrangement for keeping the ladder in a perpendicular position.
A is the ladder, the feet of which rest in recesses a, a¹, formed in the stand or
base B. One of the recesses a approximate to the same size as one of the feet of
the ladder, and the other recess a¹ is formed in the shape of a slot, to allow different
sized ladders to be used with the same stand or base. The stand or base B can be
made of any preferred material, and shape such as shown in Figs. 1. 2. 4 and 5. The
undersides of the stands are preferably roughened, serrated or spiked to prevent their
slipping, or may be coated with indiarubber, lead, or other non-slipping material for
the same purpose.
C are guys or screw lanyards attached at one end to the stand B by hooks or

page_text: screws c, their other ends embracing the sides of the ladder A, and firmly holding
same from slipping sideways. Cords, ropes, or chains provided with a suitable
tightening device, could be employed for the same purpose.
In the form of stand shewn in Fig. 2, four supporting guys can be used, attached
at c, thus obtaining an advantage over the other forms of stands shewn.
Fig. 3 shews a wedge a² for adjusting the level of the stand B. The wedge a² is
provided with side guide-plates 3 to engage with the sides of the stand B thus
keeping the wedge in place. It may also be provided with adjustment screws.
In Figs. 4. and 5 the stands may be metallic of H, channelled, or other preferred
section.
Referring to Fig. 6. D is a detachable plate, provided with side plates d to fit
over the sides of the stands B. It is also provided with a recess a to receive one
foot of the ladder. Through the upper side of the plate D pass one or more adjust-
able screws the lower ends of which butt against the top of the stand B underneath.
Thus when the screws d¹ are turned the plate D will be raised or lowered and adjust
the ladder.
Referring to Fig. 7.
E is a specially shaped casting which can be placed in one
or either of the recesses of the stand, so that the side plates e embrace one or both
feet of the ladder, thus holding it perpendicularly.
For further security a hole may be bored through the feet of the ladder, to receive
pins passing through corresponding holes in the stand.
66
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. A safety appliance for ladders or the like consisting essentially of an extended
base or stand, in which are formed recesses to receive the feet of the ladder, sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
2. In combination with a safety appliance for ladders or the like, consisting of
an extended base or stand roughened on its lower surface to prevent slip, guys,
screw lanyards, or any equivalent thereof, firmly secured at one end to the said stand,
and embracing the sides of the ladder at the other end, substantially as described
and shewn.
3. In combination with a safety appliance for ladders or the like as above claimed,
the wedging devices for adjusting the ladder and stand, and the device or devices
for keeping the ladder in a perpendicular position, all substantially as described and
shewn with reference to Figs. 3 6. and 7.
T
J
shan 100-