Improvements in Ladders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left. 28th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ladders.
I, PAUL SCHMAHL, of Biberach a/ Riss, Germany, Designer to the Fire-brigade
Appliances Manufactory of J. G. Lieb, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to ladders of the kind that are carried by a supporting
framework or carriage on wheels in a more or less horizontal position from which
when they are to be used they are moved into a nearly vertical position. The
framework or carriage is of triangular form and the ladder with its supporting
strut and cross bar forms another triangle and according to this invention the pivot
or centre of rotation of the ladder is situated on the carriage at such a height that
when the ladder is being moved from its recumbent into its operative position
and vice vers the lower end of the strut of the ladder passes over or clears the
axle of the carriage and furthermore the chain, rope or band by pulling or slacking
which the ladder is moved from one position to the other while it is connected to
the foot of the ladder, is so arranged as to be carried over the corner formed by
the struts or supports so that the pull of the chain acts first upon the said corner
and then afterwards upon the foot of the ladder. This arrangement enables the
pulling force to be so applied that the ladder can be easily erected.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 illustrates a ladder constructed according to this invention in its recumbent
position.
Fig. 2 illustrates the lower portion of the ladder in its partly erected position.
Fig. 3 illustrates the ladder completely erected.
The
At the apex d of the carriage def is pivoted the ladder a b c composed of the
ladder proper ab, the strut bc and the connecting piece or cross-bar a c.
erecting mechanism is mounted at i on the carriage shafts gh. Two chains extending
from the barrel of the erecting mechanism, pass over the connecting-piece which
connects the two corners c of the strut bc together to the foot a of the ladder, so
that the pull acts first on c and then on a.
The struts c are provided on their inside surfaces with ratchet teeth / in which a
cross rod m is placed so as to bear upon the side ef of the carriage and thus
support the ladder in its erected position. From Figs. 1 to 3 it will be seen that
the ladder is erected without the corner c coming in contact with the axle k of the
carriage triangle.
When the ladder is being transported from place to place, the outer ends
of the shafts h are raised and the ladder carriage pushed along on its front
wheels.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in which the chain of the erecting mechanism
is not led directly to the ladder, but is first led over a pulley at the lower end e of
the strut de of the carriage triangle and then to the foot of the ladder. This
arrangement enables the pull to be still more favorably applied.
Dated this 4th day of July 1894.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Ladders.
I, PAUL SCHMAHL, of Biberach a Riss, Germany, Designer to the Fire-brigade
Appliances Manufactory of J. G. Lieb, 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 :-
This invention relates to ladders of the kind that are carried by a supporting
framework or carriage on wheels in a more or less horizontal position from which,
when they are to be used, they are moved into a nearly vertical position. The
framework or carriage is of triangular form and the ladder with its supporting
strut and cross bar form another triangle. According to this invention the pivot
or centre of rotation of the ladder is situated on the carriage at such a height
that when the ladder is being moved from its recumbent into its operative
position and vice versa the lower end of the strut of the ladder passes over or
clears the axle of the carriage and furthermore the chain rope or band by
pulling or slacking which the ladder is moved from one position to the other
while it is connected to the foot of the ladder, so arranged as to be carried
over the corner formed by the struts or supports so that the pull of the chain
acts first upon the said corner and then afterwards upon the foot of the ladder.
This arrangement enables the pulling force to be so applied that the ladder can be
easily erected.
Referring to the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification,
Fig. 1 illustrates a ladder constructed according to this invention in its recumbent
position.
Fig. 2 illustrates the lower portion of the ladder in its partly erected position.
Fig. 3 illustrates the ladder completely erected.
At the apex d of the side frames def of the ladder carriage and between the said
frames is pivoted, as shown, the ladder a b c composed of the ladder proper a b, the
strut bc and the connecting piece or cross bar a c The erecting mechanisin is
mounted at i on the carriage shafts or handles 9 h. Two chains extending from the
barrel of the erecting mechanism, pass over the connecting-piece which connects
the two corners e of the strut be together, to the foot a of the ladder, so that the
pull acts first on c and then on a. The strut bc is provided on its inside surface
with ratchet teeth in which a cross rod m is placed so as to bear upon the
sides df of the carriage and thus support the ladder in its erected position. When
the ladder is being transported from place to place, the outer ends of the shafts gh
are partly raised and the ladder carriage def pushed along on its front and larger
wheels.
With the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3 it will be seen that the ladder can
be erected without the corners c coming in contact with the axle k of the ladder
carriage.
Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in which the chain of the erecting mechanism
is not led directly to the ladder, but is first led partly around a pulley at the lower
end e of the strut de of the ladder carriage and then to the foot of the ladder. This
arrangement enables the pull of the chain to be still more favorably applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
elaim is:-
1. A mechanically operated ladder wherein a ladder abc is pivoted at a
considerable height above the wheel axle k of the ladder carriage abc in such a
manner as to work above the said axle and between the side frames of the carriage,
and is raised into its operative position by the pull of a flexible connection such as

page_text: a chain, rope or band, which is connected to the ladder at its foot and is led to the
raising and lowering mechanism over the corner c formed by the ladder struts, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the example shown in
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
2. The modified construction of a ladder of the kind specified in Claim 1,
wherein the said flexible connection is led from the raising and lowering barrel
around a pulley e mounted at the lower end of the compression strat de of the
carriage frame and is thence led to the foot of the ladder substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the example shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings for
the purpose specified.
Dated this 29th day of September 1894.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.