Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 2nd July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th Aug., 1887.
RESERV
I, ROBERT BAIRD of Braeside, St. Germans Road Forest Hill in the County of
Kent Draper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in step ladders, and has for its object, to
combine in one article both a pair of steps and a ladder.
My invention consists of a step ladder jointed or hinged in the middle-underneath
the top step of the bottom or first half of the ladder are two sliding bolts fastened
together in a straight line by a spiral spring-small knobs or points project from
each bolt at right angles near the spring, the outer ends of the bolts pass out through
holes in the sides of the ladder and also through metal eyes which are fastened to the
corresponding parts of the sides of the top or second half of the ladder. The ladder is
thus kept firm and straight and it can be placed against a wall or other solid object
in the same manner as an ordinary ladder.
When this ladder is required to be used in the form of a pair of steps or self
supporting ladder, the bolts are drawn in by drawing the two knobs or points
together with the thumb and finger thus releasing the eyes in the top or second
half of the ladder and allowing the ladder to be brought down in the form of a
capital A. Flat metal arms are fastened to the sides of the top or second half of the
ladder a short distance from the joints or hinges, these arms are curved upwards and
have openings in the middle running nearly the whole length of them sufficiently
wide to admit of the bolts mentioned above passing through them. When the
openings in the arms arrive opposite the holes from which the bolts are shot out,
the spring is released and the bolts pass through them the two halves of the ladder
are thus prevented from being opened wider than a certain limit and can be used as a
pair of steps.

page_text: When the ladder is not required for use the two halves may be closed together and
in order to economise the space when closed, the sides of the ladder are made
narrower than the steps and the steps on one half of the ladder are arranged to
overlap the steps on the other half when the two halves are closed together.
Small angular pieces of wood or metal are fastened to the bottom of the sides of the
bottom or first half of the ladder to prevent its being turned over and across the end
of the top or second half of the ladder a bar a little longer than the width of the
ladder is fixed, this bar answers the purpose of steadying the ladder when used as a
pair of steps and is convenient for placing against window frames when used as
a straight ladder.

page_text: I, ROBERT BAIRD of Braeside St. Germans Road, Forest Hill, in the County of
Kent, Draper, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in step ladders and has for its object the
combination in one article of both a pair of steps and a ladder in a novel manner.
My invention consists of a step-ladder jointed or hinged in the middle. Underneath
the top step of the lower half of the ladder are two sliding bolts fastened together in
a straight line by a spiral spring, small knobs or points project from each bolt at
right angles near the spring, the outer ends of the bolts pass out through holes in the
sides of the ladder and also through metal eyes which are fastened to the corresponding
parts of the sides of the upper or second half of the ladder. The ladder is thus kept
firm and straight and it can be placed against a wall or other solid object in the same
manner as an ordinary ladder.
When this ladder is required to be used in the form of a pair of steps or self
supporting ladder, the bolts are drawn in by drawing the two knobs or points
together with the thumb and finger thus releasing the eyes in the top or second half
of the ladder and allowing the ladder to be brought down in the form of an
inverted V. Flat metal arcs or arms are fastened to the sides of the top or second
half of the ladder a short distance from the joints or hinges; these arcs or arms are
curved upwards and have openings or slots sufficiently wide to admit of the bolts
mentioned above passing through them. When the openings in the arcs arrive
opposite the holes from which the bolts are shot out, the spring is released and the
bolts pass through them, the two halves of the ladder are thus prevented from being
opened more than a certain limit and can be used as a pair of steps.
When the ladder is not required for use the two halves may be closed together and
in order to economise the space when closed, the sides of the ladder are made
narrower than the steps, and the steps on one half of the ladder are arranged to
overlap the steps on the other half when the two halves are closed together.
Small angular pieces of wood or metal are fastened beneath the sides of the bottom
or first half of the ladder, to prevent its being turned over, and across the end of the
top or second half of the ladder, a bar, a little longer than the width of the ladder is
fixed, this bar answers the purpose of steadying the ladder when used as a pair of
steps and is convenient for placing against window frames when used as a straight
ladder.
The accompanying drawing illustrates a convenient mode of performing my
invention. Fig. 1 being a side elevation and Fig. 2 a front view of step ladder
arranged as a ladder and Figs. 3 and 4 corresponding views of said ladder arranged

page_text: as steps. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the bolt mechanism and Fig. 6 a cross
section of same. In all the figures like letters indicate like or corresponding parts,
A being the upper side members of the steps, B the lower, C metal arcs or arms,
DD slots in said arcs, in and through which the bolts E work.-E draw bolts, F knobs
thereto G actuating spring. H horizontal slots in bolt case for passage of neck of
knobs The drawings will speak for themselves; the bolts E are shot into the
circular slot D' when used as in Figs. 1 and 2 and into the curved slot D when used
as steps serving to keep the upper and lower members or parts in their respective
positions as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
In convertible ladders and step ladders the combination of the arcs or arms C,
slots D, D¹, and draw bolts E or equivalent fastening device capable of being operated
with regard to said arcs all substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1887.