Ships' Ladder.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
Ships' Ladder.
I, MAURICE DEANE, Ship's Carpenter of the City and County of San Francisco
and State of California, United States of America, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to improve ship's ladders, by providing thein
with steps, which may be adjusted to a horizontal plane in the ladder frame
regardless of the angle of inclination at which the ladder is placed.
This can be done in various ways, but I have devised a simple mechanism by
which the steps are automatically compelled to assume this horizontal position by
the simple adjustment of the ladder to the desired angle, the simple act of raising
or lowering the free end of the ladder serving to bring into action the mechanism
necessary to retain the steps in a horizontal plane as the frame of the ladder varies
its inclination.
My invention also includes the necessary mechanism for automatically keeping
the stanchions which support the guard rope at the side of the ladder in a
permanent vertical position, regardless of the angle of inclination at which the
ladder frame stands, all as hereinafter more fully described.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. is a side elevation of the ladder in position ;
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the platform and its connections with the steps,
showing outer rail removed;
Figure 3 is a cross section taken through one of the stanchions; and
Figure 4 is an underside view of the step, showing the bar and connections.
Let A A represent the side rails of a ship's ladder, the upper ends of which
are hinged to the platform or landing B, in the usual way. Transverse rods, CC
at intervals, connect them together at different points of their length, thus
preserving a positive parallelism of the two rails.
The steps D D are each of them provided with a journal e at each end, and the
side rails A have holes made in or through them directly opposite each other, in
which the journals of the steps are received, and serve as bearings and supports
for the steps.
Underneath the steps of the ladder, and extending the entire distance from the
lower step to the uppermost one, is a strong bar or rod F, to which is attached a hinged
has
strap or link
g, opposite the rear edge of each step. This hinge or strap
strong arms, which project out and are firmly secured to the underside of each
step in front of the bar, so that the entire series of steps is connected by a hinge
joint with the rod or bar F. It is now apparent that the plane of each and every
step in the series is controllable by and through the bar or rod F.
Extending downward from the underside of the upper platform or landing B,
and directly in rear of the ladder, are two lugs h h. The distance between these
legs is somewhat less than the width of the steps C and they are so located that a
direct connection can be made from each to one of the steps of the series. One
end of a link is hinged to the lower end of each lug h; while another link or
rod k has one end firmly secured to the underside of one of the steps D, and its
opposite end is hinged or jointed to the lower end of link j thus forming toggle
lever connections between the lugs h, and one of the steps of the series. The
length of these links or rods will be regulated according to which of the steps in
the series the connection is made with.

page_text: By this toggle lever connection with one of the steps of the Indder the true
horizontal position of that step is insured in whatever position or angle of
inclination the ladder may be placed, and as this step is connected with all the
other steps by means of the bar or rod and the hinge connections, all the steps
will mova
unison and be firmly fixed and held in the position assumed when the
ladder is at rest.
The small platform R at the foot of the ladder, is secured upon the lowermost
step, thus subjecting it to the same parallel movement and conditions that govern all
the other steps of the ladder.
In order to secure a symmetrical appearance, and also to insure convenience and
confidence to persons who are ascending or descending the ladder, I apply the
same movement to the sockets for the stanchions which sustain the guard rope on
the outside of the ladder. These sockets are secured to an extended journal of
one of the steps, so that they move with the step, but I secure the stanchions in
the sockets at a right angle to the plane of the steps, so that they will always
maintain a vertical position as the angle of inclination of the ladder is changed.
By this means I provide a ship's ladder that will be easy to ascend or descend,
and avoid the awkward and unpleasant conditions which make the present ladder
objectionable.
The steps and lower platform will always stand in a horizontal plane, no
difference what the angle of inclination of the ladder may be, thus increasing its
safety and convenience.
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:
1. In a ship's ladder, the combination of the ladder pivotally hung in position
and having the pivoted steps, the rod or bar arranged under, and extending the
length of the ladder, the hinge-straps fixed to the steps and bearing in said bar
or rod, and the jointed or flexible rod or lever connection, one end of which is
connected to one step and the other end connected to a fixture, substantially as set
forth.
2. In a ship's Indder, the combination of the pivotally hung ladder having the
pivoted steps, the sliding rod or bar arranged below, and extending the length of
the Indder, the hinge-straps or loops secured to said steps and having their arm-
uniting portions passing through apertures in said bar or rod, and the jointed or
flexible connections consisting of a rod and link pivoted together, the rod being
secured to a step and the link being hung in lugs depending from a Innding or
platform, substantially as specified.
3. In a
ship's ladder the combination of the guard-ropo stanchions and their
sockets, the pivotally hung Indder, with its pivoted steps having their pivots or
journals passing through the side-rails of the ladder and carrying said sockets,
the jointed rod or lever connections between one step of the ladder and a landing or
platform, and the sliding bar or rod arranged below said steps and hinged to said
steps, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of October 1895.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.