Improvements in Portable Collapsable Ladders.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Collapsable Ladders.
I, ANSEL LEO, of No. 18, Maclise Road West Kensington Park, in the County
Middlesex, Sculptor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in portable collapsable ladders adapted
for use as fire escapes.
The sides are made of sections of strong, light and incombustible material, and
are pivotted together by the ends of the rungs. The latter are of metal and
tubular to allow of the air flowing through them, and are covered by a tubular
tread or grip made of a bad conductor, e.g., wood. Both tubes are held together
in any convenient way and to the sections by tongues projecting from the latter
which enter the treads, or pins may be driven through the sections.
For ladders to be used from buildings which are without bold projections such
as verandahs, I provide a special head of triangular shape in side elevation. This
is pivotted to the top rung and will take two bearings, one against the sill, and the
other lower down the front of the building.
Additional sections are pivotted by one end to the sides of the ladder at suitable
distances and are to be used for the purpose of forming set-offs adapted to establish a
bearing against the front of the building. Two adjacent pairs of sections imme-
diately below a pair of additional sections are pushed backwards, i.e., in the direction
of the front of the building, and the pair respectively above and below are then
connected by the additional sections, the loose ends of which are bolted to the rung
below by passing a bolt through them.
Suitable fastening devices are provided for both ends of the ladder.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Collapsable Ladders.
I, ANSEL LEO, of No. 18, Maclise Road, West Kensington Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Sculptor, 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 portable collapsable ladders, and its
special object is to provide, by combining lightness with incombustibility and porta-
bility with steadiness and strength, a ladder better adapted for use as a fire escape
after it has been paid out or dropped from an upper storey, than those hitherto
proposed or manufactured.
It consists in combining with a collapsable ladder, a steadying head adapted to
hold the ladder away from the wall front, as well as improved steadying stays and
rungs.
I attain the said special object by the mechanism and devices illustrated in the
accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part of this Specification and read
therewith.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ladder with a rigid head and without stays made
according to my invention, shewing it folded up or collapsed,

page_text: Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a ladder with a rigid head and stay-sections, fixed
and hanging from points of suspension to which it has been made fast.
Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation illustrating the connection between a pair
of ladder-sections and a rung.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of an inside ladder-section and its
rungs, illustrating the connection between the rungs and the section.
Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, detail side and front elevations illustrating a
modification of such connection.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a ladder made according to my invention and hung
from an upper window so as to be used as a fire-escape. The dotted lines 1, 1
illustrate the process of extension by the ladder's own weight, while the dotted
lines 2, 2 illustrate how the ladder can be fixed so as to offer an oblique as
distinguished from a vertical descent to the user of it.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a ladder constructed according to my invention
and fixed in an oblique direction from an open window on the second storey to the
pavement beneath.
Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a ladder made according to my invention hanging
vertically from the sill of a second floor window and steadied by a series of rigid
stays which bear against the front wall of the building.
Fig. 10 is a detail front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of two adjacent rungs 2
and a rigid stay.
Fig. 11 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the top portion of a ladder
fitted with a folding head and folding stays. The holding chains are broken off
short.
Fig. 12 is a detail front elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating the same 2
type of stay.
a, a' are, respectively, the outside and inside ladder-sections. They are made of
any light, but tough or strong, metal, because of the incombustibility of this
material, and are all of equal length. As many as may be necessary to provide
the desired length of ladder-side are pivotted together end to end as hereinafter 3
described.
" is to
The ladder-sections of one side are, respectively, opposite those of the other.
Not only so, but the four ends of any pair of sections-by "pair of sections
be understood two sections opposite to each other-are either outside or inside the
adjacent four ends of the two pairs of sections above and below them. The pairs 3
are therefore alternately outside and inside for the entire length of the ladder. This
alternation provides for the ladder being collapsed or folded up into a comparatively
small space in an exceedingly convenient way, and one which will have the effect
of leaving it in the best condition for extending itself and assuming, by its own
weight, the position proper for the purpose of my invention. All the sections of a 4
side are in two planes which are parallel with and adjacent to each other. Con-
sequently, when the ladder is folded together, or collapsed, each of the sections
rests for its full length upon the one immediately underneath it.
bare the rungs. They are of a substantial thickness and are made out of some
material which is light and does not readily get very hot, such as wood or paper, 4
for when my improved ladder is to be used as a fire-escape, it is desirable that the
rungs should keep tolerably cool. If the rungs are made of combustible material
they must be fire-proofed by any suitable process. The rungs and sections are
held together, and the pairs of sections pivotted to the adjacent pairs, by light but
strong metal tubes c. Each of the latter is passed through a rung and the ends of 5
the respective two inside and two outside ladder-sections, the rungs being bored or
otherwise made tubular according to the material used, and the ends of the ladder-
sections having eyes e punched in them accordingly. The tube c fits so tightly
upon the rung that the two are incapable of independent motion. The rung is
made fast to the respective ends of the inside ladder-section for the purpose of 5
preventing it turning about its axis. This may be done in any convenient way, e.g.,
by driving a pin or screw c¹ through the end of the ladder-section into the rung, as

page_text: illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 10; or by forming a tongue c³ on the edge of the eye c³
which is punched in each end of the ladder-section, bending it inwards and so
causing it to enter the rung when the latter and the ladder-section are brought
together, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The tubes are therefore held fast to the
inner ladder-sections, and as the ends of a tube pass through the respective four
eyes and are burred over washers c, the outer sections are pivotted upon the
said ends.
The head or top of the ladder consists of a pair of rigid triangles, each being
built up of three bars d, d', which are conveniently of the same size as the
ladder-sections. The head is preferably of the same width as the ladder, and the
two triangles are held together by transverse ties d³ which connect their respectively
corresponding angles. I prefer to hold them together in the same way as are the
sides of the ladder. The head is pivotted to the ladder by one of these ties, the
one in which the bars d, d meet, while the holding chains e, e are made fast to
the one in which the bars d, d¹ meet. These chains are shewn as terminating in
hooks e, e', but this is a detail which may be modified as may be convenient,
provided that the chains are firmly and securely fixed to the wall under the
window (or to a balcony floor if there be one) if the ladder is to be used as a fire-
escape. If it is intended for other than life saving purposes, the connection
between the holding chains and the wall-front may be a detachable one of any
convenient type.
The function of the ladder-head is to project and hold the top rung of the ladder
at a sufficient distance away from i.e., in front of, the window sill, to provide for
the ladder itself dropping and hanging clear of any projections, such as window-
heads or sills or ornamental protuberances which it may have to pass on its way
down.
The two bars d', d¹ with their transverse ties form a base of a sufficient depth to
take two bearings according to the style of architecture of the building from which
the ladder is to be used. Fig. 7 shew these as being the faces of two members d
of the window frame. The bearings in the case of a plain building, as that in
Figs. 8 and 9, are the edge of the sill and the face of the wall. In any case there
must be two bearings. These need not, as will be seen from a comparison of the
two figures last mentioned, be vertically one above the other, but unless there are
two, the ladder-head would rock with the naturally more or less hurried tread of
those descending the ladder.
When the ladder is pushed out of the open window, the weight of it will forth-
with adjust the head in the position described above and then begin to pull itself
towards the pavement opening the sections out in the manner illustrated by the
dotted lines i, 1 in Fig. 7.
The ladder-head illustrated in Figs. 1, 7, 8 and 9 is a rigid one, i.e., it cannot be
folded down or collapsed. Consequently, when the ladder is standing upon a floor,
collapsed and out of use, the head is almost necessarily at the top, the foot of the
ladder being next the floor with the rest of the ladder upon it. According to the
modification illustrated in Fig. 11 each of the bars marked in the four figures
last mentioned consists of two links d, do pivotted together at d. There may be
more than two links in each bar. The holding chains e are consequently connected
to the head at the junction of the pivotted bars with the opposite bars d' instead of
at the junction of the bars d with the bars d. This alteration is inevitable,
inasmuch as provision must be made for the jointed bars being in tension when the
ladder is fixed for use.
When the head is made to fold down or to collapse as described above, it becomes
practicable for the collapsed ladder to stand upon a floor upon its head. This
position facilitates the act of paying the ladder out, inasmuch as, the foot of the
ladder being uppermost, instead of underneath, it is not necessary to turn the ladder
upside down, nor to lift it bodily. Instead of being lifted bodily, the ladder is paid
out gradually, beginning with the foot, as a sailor pays out a rope.
I do not confine myself to the use of a head, inasmuch as the presence of a

page_text: sufficient projection from the building such as a wide sill or a balcony might render
the use of one unnecessary.
Whether one is advisable or not is to be decided by
the special circumstances of the particular case to which the invention is to be
applied.
Due and improved provision is made by my invention for steadying a vertical
ladder by stays adapted to bear against the wall front. These are of two kinds
one rigid and the other folding. The former is illustrated in Figs. 2, 7, 9 and 10,
and the latter in Figs. 11 and 12.
Referring to Figs. 2, 7, 9 and 10, ff are a pair of sections. They are preferably
of the same dimensions and material as the ladder-sections already described, but
are, for the purpose of preventing confusion, hereinafter referred to as stay-sections.
They are fixed to the outsides of the ladder one opposite each other by means of a
bolt which is passed through them and the tube of the rung immediately above
where the stay is to be produced. This is done not when the ladder is made, but
at the premises or house where it is to be used, in order that the stays may be fixed
in the best positions along the ladder so as to miss windows, and to conform with
the architectural details of the façade generally. After as many pairs of stay-
sections as the circumstances of the case may require have been fixed to the
ladder-sides by bolts f', the ladder is collapsed and placed in the position ready for
use. When the ladder is wanted for use the stays are set-commencing with the
bottom stay in the following way which will be best understood by a reference to
Figs. 9 and 10. The pair of stay-sections f₁f will be hanging from their bolt f¹.
The rung immediately below-the middle one in Fig. 10-is pulled or pushed back-
wards out of the plane of the ladder until the next lower rung and the bottom eyes
of the stay-sections coincide, when a bolt f' is passed through the three, holding the
stay-sections to the ladder in the same way as already described with reference to
the bolt f. Care of course is to be taken that the stay is set in the proper
direction for bearing against the façade and not for sticking out from the opposite
side of the ladder. The other stays are to be set out in the same way in the
required position, the ladder being paid out as they are set one by one.
bolts f² must all be taken out before the ladder can be collapsed again. When this
has been effected, the stay-sections hang from their respective bolts f¹ close up to
the sides of the ladder.
The
Folding stays have this advantage over those just described, viz., that as they
can be folded with the ladder, they can be fixed permanently to it, thereby
dispensing with the above described setting out of the stays each time the ladder is
wanted and the subsequent taking out of the bolts f. The difference in respect of
construction between a rigid stay and a folding one is that the stay-sections of the
latter consist of links pivotted together.
Referring to Figs. 11 and 12, two stay-sections are shewn by the full lines as
consisting of three links g, g', 9' pivotted together by eyelets g or their equivalents.
The united length of the three links is preferably equal to that of one ladder-
section. I do not confine myself to the number of links in each of a pair of
stay-sections so long as they will fold up. The dotted lines it illustrate one of a
two link section. If the stays are required close together along the length of the
ladder, two-link sections are preferable and may be necessary, as they fold together
more closely than those made up of three lengths. These folding stays are attached
to the ladder in the same way as the rigid ones, but, as already pointed out,
permanently so. In Fig. 11 the major portion of the ladder shewn is closely
collapsed, the top stay being folded up also. The bottom portion-the last three
pairs of ladder-sections-is shown as dropping, the stay-sections belonging to it
being half-extended. Fig. 12 shews the formed stay, the folding stay-sections being
fully extended.
The triangle formed by any stay will be either equilateral or isosceles according
to the relative length of the stay-sections.
The ladder having descended within reach of any person standing ready, or the
person coming down it having reached the ground, it is by either made fast to the

page_text: pavement in the following manner. Two eyes h, h are let into the pavement at a
distance apart equal to the width of the ladder, and to these the ladder-sides are
respectively, made fast by means of pieces of cord or chain i, i which hang ready
from the foot of the ladder for that purpose. The eyes are of any suitable type
and the cords may be replaced by any device adapted to effect the rapid and firm
fixation of the foot of the ladder to the pavement. The eyes are placed according
to the position in which the ladder is to be used, whether vertically as illustrated
in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, or obliquely as illustrated by the dotted lines 2 of Fig. 7 as
well as in Fig. 8.
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. The combination in a collapsable ladder, of pairs of ladder-sections, tubular
rungs and central tubes holding the sections and rungs together.
2. The combination in a collapsable ladder, of tubular rungs, central tubes passed
through the respective rungs and sections and holding them together, and devices
for preventing the rungs moving about their respective axes.
3. The combination in a collapsable ladder of any adjoining pairs of sections,
their three rungs and a pair of stay sections attachable to the rungs to form a stay
by connecting the terminal rungs of the three by the stay sections, the intermediate
rung and the ends of the sections adjoining thereto being offset from the plane of
the ladder, as set forth.
4. The combination with a collapsable ladder of a collapsable head pivotted
thereto, said head consisting of a pair of triangles each made by pivotting three
bars to each other at their respective ends and three transverse ties holding the said
triangles rigidly together in parallel planes by their respective angles, the bars
forming two opposite sides of the face of the head which is in tension when the
ladder is in use consisting of shorter bars of links pivotted together by their ends,
as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of January 1893
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.