Improvements in Ladders.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
Improvements in Ladders.
THOMAS ARCHER 11, Regent Terrace Gateshead do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for Improvements in Ladders to be as follows:-
I cover the higher parts of step ladders with wire or other fencing so as to
encircle persons on the ladder and prevent them falling from any part thereof when
set up for use.
Dated this 20th dor of June 1805
THOMAS ARCHER.
Improvements in Ladders.
I, THOMAS ARCHER of 11 Regent Terrace, Gateshead, County of Durham
Engineer, 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 :-
I cover the higher parts of step ladders with wire or other suitable fencing so as
to encircle persons on the ladder, and prevent them falling from any part thereof
when set up for use. My invention is specially applicable to such ladders as are
used with semaphore signal posts at railway signal stations, altho' it is applicable
to any case in which there may be peculiar danger. It will be manifest on con-
sideration that it may be carried out in a considerable variety of ways. That
which I prefer I have illustrated in the drawings hereto attached. Fig. 1 repre-
sents part of an ordinary semaphore signal ladder, wherein the upper part is shewn
with my invention applied to it. For the sake of clearness I have shewn this in
skeleton form only. The ribs A, A, A, which are seen I prefer to cover with
wire netting not shewn in the drawing, so as to avoid needless complexity, and
obscurity of drawing. The wire netting is secured to the ribs shewn, in any
convenient manner, and each part that is to say the netting and the rib helps to
stiffen and maintain the other part in its true position. Fig. 3. represents another
form in which my invention may be applied, where what I have called the ribs
marked again A, A, A, are made to act independently of any netting. If without
netting such ribs are cach of greater strength than those I use with wire netting.
They may however be connected for extra security one to another by one or more
wires or bars. Each of these ribs may be made in the form shewn in Fig. 2. or in
any other convenient form, and the number of ribs used, and the spacing of the
ribs, may be varied according to circumstances so long as they form an effective
guard at and near such part of the ladder, as are dangerous or where the hands
must be withdrawn more or less from hold upon the rungs or sides.
I may form a wide step at such part of the ladder where the workman may be
required to stand, and I may widen what I have called the ribs, or the ribs and
netting, and modify the shape of the same, at that part so as to enable the workınan
to stand quite erect and at the same time to have entire facility of movement, and
I can thus produce a very cheap, convenient and safe description of platform."

page_text: I do not confine myself to the details described which I regard merely as
illustrations of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be operated, I declare that what I
claim is
The use of wire guards or other suitable fencing attached to step ladders, so as
to encircle persons using the same, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this Seventh day of March 1896.
THOMAS ARCHER.