Improvements in or connected with Rolling Step Ladders.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1892—Accepted, 19th Mar. 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Rolling Step Ladders.
I CHARLES HEROULE DAMASE SINCENNES of No. 39 Jurors Street in the
City of Montreal in the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec Dominion
of Canada Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my 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 rolling step ladders which are arranged to travel along
the face of store shelving or the like the improvements consisting in means whereby
the permanent inclined outward projection of the ladder from the face of the
shelving or the like can be avoided.
The present invention is an improvement upon the invention which is described
in the Specification of my application for Letters Patent No. 1217 dated 21st day
of January 1892. In the rolling step ladder there described which carries top and
bottom rollers travelling against the bottom and top edges respectively of upper
and lower guide rails and confined between them under some circumstances for
instance where the shelving or the like has little or no counter ledge so as to
require the ladder to be provided with permanent outwardly projecting inclined
and curved side boards such outward projecting boards are objectionable as great
inconvenience is caused when the ladder is situated behind a counter.
My present invention consists in making the rolling step ladder moveable
laterally that is in a direction transverse to that of its movement along the face of
the shelving or the like so that it can be made to lie back out of the way or be
lifted outward to avoid obstacles.
In order that my invention may be well understood reference is made to the
annexed drawings in the several figures of which like letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
Figure 1 is a front view of the rolling step ladder applied to a set of shelving
without any counter ledge.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same parts being broken away and
shewing the ladder in position to be used, the reverse or normal position being
indicated by dotted lines.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 shewing the ladder applied to shelving
with a counter ledge, and
Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 2 but of the ladder and parts shewn in
Figure 3.
In carrying out my invention I use a rigid back frame A constructed in any
desired way for instance with vertical and horizontal bars, and carrying upper
and lower grooved rollers a abb adapted to travel along the under and upper
sides respectively of upper and lower guide railings a b' attached to the shelving
after the manner of the ladder as described and shewn in my aforesaid prior
Specification.
C is the step ladder portion constructed (separately from the frame A) of side
bars C C and steps c c.
Where the ladder is to be applied to shelving as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 the
back frame is made the full height of the ladder and carries the rollers at top and
bottom whilst in the arrangement shewn in Figures 3 and 4 the back frame is the
height only of the counter portion.
The connection of the step ladder portion with the back carrier frame can be
effected in a variety of ways but I prefer a pivotal or hinge connection D as
shewn; the connection in the arrangement Figures 1 and 2 being at the top of
step ladder portion and in the arrangement Figures 3 and 4 about midway of its
1

page_text: length, a prop E (preferably in the form of a curved ratchet bar) being pivotted
at one end to the step portion C and adapted to lock at various points upon a pin e
carried by the back frame so that the angle of inclination of the said step portion
can be varied.
In the arrangement shewn in Figures 3 and 4 there is also a bar E and pin e
for securing the ladder in position for use. In some cases the arrangement
Figures 3 and 4 requires the use of a holdfast at the bottom, which holdfast I
prefer to make in the form of a counterbalanced treadle F pivotted to the hack
frame and carrying a ratchet tooth F' on its front portion engaging the barf which
arrangement allows the step portion to swing inward and be locked, and released
when the said tooth is depressed the upper end of the ladder being provided with a
bearing plate c² to rest against the shelving when in use.
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 rolling step ladder, the combination with a travelling carrier frame of a
moveable or swinging step portion substantially as hereinbefore explained.
2. In a rolling step ladder, the combination with a travelling carrier frame, of a
pivotted step portion and means for holding it when in use at the required
inclination substantially as hereinbefore explained.
3. In a rolling step ladder, the combination with a travelling carrier frame, of
a step portion pivotted at its upper end to the said carrier frame, and a pivotted
prop adapted to hold such step portion at the required inclination for use substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a rolling step ladder, the combination with a vertical travelling carrier
frame, of an inclined step portion substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In a rolling step ladder, the combination with a travelling carrier frame, of a
pivotted step portion and devices for retaining the ladder in its normal position or
at an angle for use substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 3
and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of February 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.