Year: 1887

page_text: 1 JOHN THOMAS GUEST of Market Road Thrapston in the county of Northampton
Carpenter and Broker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
An evil is experienced in ladders and especially in short ladders and in steps of all
descriptions in that although the same are safe and solid or secure in the direction of
their lengths or in that direction to which they are inclined there is little or no
security and oftentimes a great danger that these ladders and steps may fall over on
their sides.
Now the object of this my invention is to fit these ladders and steps with a simple
and cheap appliance by the use of which this aforesaid danger will be entirely obviated
and perfect security will be given and this appliance is so made and fitted that the
same can easily and quickly be placed in position and as easily and quickly if required
be removed therefrom whereby the portability of these ladders and steps will be in no
wise lessened or interfered with.
To carry out this object I preferably make a recess in each of the uprights or
vertical parts of the ladder or steps near the bottoms thereof and at the same distance
or thereabouts from the ends wherein I can conveniently secure metal or other clips
or keepers. A rail preferably of wood is made of the desired length and of such a
diameter and shape in cross section as to somewhat tightly fit in these recesses and in
the clips or keepers therein if any. This rail may be so bent that the ends thereof
will rest on the floor or ground or otherwise on each side but I preferably make the
same straight and form feet on the ends thereof which will so rest as aforesaid and in
this case as the end of the rail cannot be inserted through the recesses and clips or
keepers if any I cut away two corresponding parts preferably on the upper edge of
the rail so that when the lower edge of the rail is duly inserted in the recesses and
clips or keepers if any the rail can be turned up and these parts so cut away will allow
the rail entirely to enter the recesses and clips or keepers if any when the rail can be
drawn therethrough a small distance either way and will be securely clasped therein

page_text: and thereby and the danger of the ladder or steps falling over on their sides will be
obviated as is desired. The procedure aforesaid can then be reversed and the rail can
be disconnected easily and quickly from the ladder or steps.
As is aforesaid I preferably make recesses in which this rail can be received but
when desired I can dispense with the recesses and secure the clips or keepers or blocks
for the same purpose on the uprights or vertical parts of the ladders or steps.
When the rail is placed as aforesaid in position for use the relative distances of the
feet thereof from the ladder or steps can be adjusted and altered as desired and thus
no impediment will be offered to the placing of the ladder or steps sideways close to
a wall or in any other desired position.
When the rail is not in use it can be attached to the side of the ladder or steps by
any usual or convenient appliances.

page_text: I JOHN THOMAS GUEST of Market Road Thrapston in the county of Northampton
Carpenter and Broker 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 :-
An evil is experienced in ladders and especially in short ladders and in steps of all
descriptions in that although the same are safe and solid or secure in the direction of
their lengths or in that direction to which they are inclined there is little or no security
and oftentimes a great danger that these ladders and steps may fall over on their
sides.
Now the object of this my invention is to fit these ladders and steps with a simple
and cheap appliance by the use of which this aforesaid danger will be obviated and
security will be given and this appliance is so made and fitted that the same can easily
and quickly be placed in position and as easily and quickly if required be removed
therefrom whereby the portability of these ladders and steps will be in no wise lessened
or interfered with.
In the accompanying drawing I have shewn the lower part of a ladder or steps fitted
with and for this my invention wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the same and
Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.
Preferably as shewn near or at the bottoms thereof I make in each of the uprights
or vertical parts A of the ladder or steps a recess B wherein I can conveniently secure
metal or other clips or keepers D. rail E preferably of wood is made of the desired
length and of such a size and shape in cross section as to fit somewhat tightly in these
clips D and this rail E is so bent or formed that the ends thereof rest on the floor or
ground or otherwise on each side preferably the rail E is straight and feet F are formed
on each end for this purpose as shown in the drawing in which case as the end of the
rail E cannot be inserted through the clips D I cut away two corresponding parts H
preferably on the upper edge of the rail E so that when the lower edge of the rail is
duly inserted in the clips the rail can be turned up and these parts so cut away will
allow the rail entirely to enter the clips when the rail can be drawn therethrough a
small distance either way and will be securely clasped and held therein and thereby.
Thus and in this manner as the ends of this rail rest on the floor or ground or other-
wise on each side the danger of the ladder or steps falling over on their sides will be
almost if not altogether entirely obviated as is desired.
The procedure aforesaid can then be reversed and the rail can be disconnected easily
and quickly from the ladder or steps and I then preferably secure the same to the side
of the ladder or steps by any usual or convenient appliances such for example as a
staple in the one part and a pin either bent or fitted in a recess in the other part and
thus the portability of the ladder or steps will in no wise be lessened as is desired.

page_text: The recesses B can obviously be dispensed with if desired and the clips D can
he secured in the desired positions on the uprights A or again the clips D can be
dispensed with and the, recesses B can be so formed as to clasp and hold the rail.
When the rail is placed as aforesaid in position for use the relative distances of the
ends thereof from the ladder or steps can be adjusted and altered as desired and thus
no impediment will be offered to the placing of the ladder or steps sideways close to a
wall or in any other desired position.
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
•
The combination with a ladder or steps of the rail E substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and declared..