Improvements in Collapsible Ladders.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Collapsible Ladders.
I, MORITZ BARTH, of No. 8, Fruchtstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to a collapsible step ladder which at its upper end is
provided with a platform of such a size that said platform affords a safe and
convenient support to the person standing thereon and also forms a kind of bridge
between the front part of the ladder, or ladder proper and the rear part or
stay thereof. Said support or bridge is combined with a railing or balustrade by
which the workman or other person is secured against falling down from the
same. This ladder may be collapsed in a very short time and without difficulty
and is of so small a weight that it may easily be carried by one person.
A short distance behind the ladder proper a frame is arranged and connected
with the ladder by two stays. Each of the latter is composed of two parts which
are connected by a hinge in such a manner that the two parts of each stay move in
an upward direction when they are being laid one against the other; whilst at the
same time the frame moves in the direction towards the ladder proper and is then
placed crosswise against the same. As a further means for making the whole ladder
rigid, the latter is provided with stays which at their upper ends are connected
with the ladder proper by hinges and at their lower ends with the frame by
hinges.
The safe support mentioned in the preamble is formed by a bridge resting with
its rear part upon a projection of the frame, and connected at its front part with
the uppermost stay of the ladder proper by means of hinges. The upper ends of
the two lateral main parts of the ladder proper and the corresponding ends of the
frame are connected by chains or the like, these chains or the like affording a
means by which the workman or other person is prevented from falling down
from the bridge. Of course the chain may be replaced by a wood lath or the
like.
The hinges of the lateral stays are provided with a common connecting bolt,
which extends just below the bridge when the ladder is in its working position.
In order to collapse the ladder the stays are first moved slightly upwards by
hand and the frame is then pressed against the ladder proper. The ladder then
collapses and at the same time the bridge is moved upwards by means of the
connecting bolt and turns upon or around its hinge. If the bridge is sufficiently
long it remains standing in a raised position behind the uppermost connecting bar
of the frame.
One grasp or pull is sufficient to bring the ladder into working position, this
being effected by moving the frame away from the ladder proper. If desired the
bridge may be somewhat shorter in length so that it may be swung entirely around
the hinges and hang down at the front side of the ladder, or over or upon the
steps of the same respectively.
The ladder in one form of construction is especially intended for domestic
purposes or for light work. If the ladder is intended to be used for industrial
purposes it is sometimes desirable to adjust the bridge to various heights. In
such a case I prefer to make use of another form of construction, in which the
bridge, instead of being hinged to a step of the ladder proper is provided at its
front end with lateral pivots which may be mounted in one or other of recessed
projections or brackets secured at different heights and distances apart to the

page_text: lateral main parts of the ladder. The pivots are held fast in said projections or
bearings by the weight of the bridge itself. To the front end of the latter is
hinged a short ladder, the lower end of which rests upon the uppermost step of
dhe ladder even in the highest position of the bridge, and the steps of which form a
continuation of the steps of the ladder, and enable the workman to easily and
conveniently mount the bridge. An equal number of steps or stays is, of course,
secured to the frame to correspond with the number of the hearings of the ladder.
If the bridge is to be altered to another height it is completely turned upwards
so that it is placed against the short ladder. The ladder, together with the bridge
and the pivots of the same, is then taken out of the bearings and is pushed either
upwards or downwards as necessary and the pivots are then placed into the other
bearings, whereupon the bridge is again turned down into a horizontal position. In
some cases prefer to provide also the ladder at its lower end with lateral pivots,
which are, of course, correspondingly located in open bearings. In this case
the ladder is preferably provided with two stays or struts at each side.
Dated this 17th day of September 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord, Street, Liverpool.
Agents for the Applicant.
Cauters.
1, MORITZ BARTH, of No. 8, Fruchtstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, 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 a collapsible step ladder which at its upper end is
provided with a platform of such a size that said platform affords a safe and
convenient support to the person standing thereon and also forms a kind of bridge
between the front part of the ladder, or ladder proper and the rear part or
stay thereof. Said support or bridge is combined with a railing or balustrade by
which the workman or other person is secured against falling down from the
same. This ladder may be collapsed in a very short time and without difficulty
and is of so small a weight that it may easily be carried by one person.
Three forms of construction of this improved ladder are shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 being a front view of one form of construction.
Fig. 2 a side view in its working position,
Fig. 3 a side view when collapsed, and,
Fig. 4 a rear view when collapsed, whilst
Figs. 5 to 8 represent similar views of another form of construction, and
Figs. 9 to 11 show a modification of the connection of the frame with the actual
ladder, as used with the form of construction shown in Figs. 1-4, but which might
also be used with the form of construction with the adjustable bridge shown in
Figs. 5 to 8.
As shown in Figs. 1-4 of the first form of construction, a short distance behind
the ladder proper a a frame b is arranged to stand vertically or obliquely and
connected with the ladder by side stays c. Each of the latter is composed of two
parts which are connected by a hinge k in such a manner that the two parts of each
stay move in an upward direction when they are being laid one against the other;
whilst at the same time the frame b moves in the direction towards the ladder

page_text: As a further means for
making the whole ladder rigid, the latter is provided with stays which at their
upper ends are connected with the ladder proper a by hinges and at their lower
ends with the frame by hinges m.
proper a and is then placed crosswise against the same.
The safe support mentioned in the preamble is formed by a bridge e resting with
its rear part upon a projection of the frame b, and connected at its front part
The upper
with the uppermost stay of the ladder proper aby means of hinges o.
ends of the dwo lateral main parts of the ladder proper a and the corresponding
ends of the frame bare connected by chains or the like, these chains or the like
affording a means by which the workman or other person is prevented from falling
down from the bridge. Of course the chain may be replaced by a wood lath or the
like, or may be omitted.
The hinges
י
bolt
position.
of the lateral stays are provided with a common connecting
which extends just below the bridge e when the ladder is in its working
In order to collapse the ladder the stays e are first moved slightly upwards by hand
The ladder then
and the frame b is then pressed against the ladder proper .
collapses and at the same time the bridge c is moved upwards by means of the
connecting bolts and turns upon or around its hinge If the bridge e is
sufficiently long it remains standing in a raised position behind the uppermost
connecting bar n of the frame b, as shown in Figure 3.
0.
One grasp or pull is sufficient to bring the ladder into working position, this
being effected by moving the frame away from the ladder proper . If desired
the bridge e may be somewhat shorter in length so that it may be swung entirely
around the hinges and hang down at the front side of the ladder, when in a non-
working position, or over or upon the steps of the ladder respectively, as shown in
Fig. 1 in dotted lines.
0
The ladder in the form of construction shown in Figures 1-4 is especially
intended for domestic purposes or for light work. If the ladder is intended to be
used for industrial purposes it is sometimes desirable to adjust the bridge e to
various heights. In such a case I prefer to make use of another form of con-
struction shown in Figures 5-8, in which the bridge e, instead of having hinges
at one end has lateral pivots y which may be mounted in one or other of recessed
projections or brackets secured at different heights and distances apart to the
lateral main parts of the ladder a. The pivots are held fast in said projections
or bearings by the weight of the bridge itself. To the front end of the latter is
hinged a short ladder f at the points g, the lower end of which rests upon the
uppermost step of the ladder a éven in the highest position of the bridge e, and the
steps of which form a continuation of the steps of the ladder a, and enable the
workman to easily and conveniently mount the bridge. An equal number of
stays n is, of course, secured to the frame to correspond with the number of the
bearings or brackets of the ladder a.
F
If the bridge e is to be altered to another height it is lifted out of the stays
and completely turned upwards so that it is plac à against the short ladder f. The
ladder f, together with the bridge and the pivots of the same, is then taken out
of the bearings r and is pushed either upwards or downwards as necessary and the
pivots are then placed into the other bearings r, whereupon the bridge e is again
turned down into a horizontal position. In particularly heavy continuations I
prefer to provide also the adjustable ladder fat its lower end with lateral pivots q,
which are, of course, correspondingly located in open bearings r of the ladder a.
In this case the ladder is preferably provided with two stays or struts e at
each side.
In another form of construction shown in Figures 9-11, the frame b is directly
hinged at the points to the actual ladder, the long connecting bars or struts
being dispensed with. The frame is extended on the left hand side beyond
the point and forms a projection and the actual ladder a has on each side a
prolongation a¹ connected with one another by means of a stay or strut.
The

page_text: extension of the frame b is also connected with the prolongation a¹ of the actual
iadder a which lies on the same side, by means of a chain or band i. Instead of
the divided stays e shown in Figures 1-4 being arranged on both sides and
connected by a common bolt, two suitable middle stays c are arranged at a suitable
distance apart, of which the upper one has its hinge joint kp directly arranged
under the bridge e in such a way that it automatically lifts the latter when the
ladder is collapsed. The upper divided stay c has thus a double object. It serves
both for holding the ladder together, and, by its position, for automatically
lifting the bridge when the ladder is collapsed. For this object in the form of
construction shown in Figures 9-11, the central hinge or joint kp is arranged
somewhat higher than the two side hinges or pivots on the frame and on the actual
Jadder respectively. The advantage of this is that when the ladder is collapsed
the central hinge or joint kp at once automatically lifts the bridge e without it
being necessary to first bend up the central hinge by hand. The same arrangement
may of course also be employed for the struts or stays shown in Figures 1-4.
The method of connecting the frame with the actual ladder shown in
Figures 9-11 may also be employed in the form of construction with the adjustable
ladder shown in Figures 5-8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A collapsible step ladder, characterized by the arrangement of a platform or
bridge (e) and a frame (b) standing vertically or obliquely and pivotally connected
with the actual ladder (a) by means of a strut or stay () and hinges (lm) with the
object of affording a firm support to the ends of the platform or bridge (e) which is
supported on the ladder by means of horizontal connecting bars or projections (n)
and of allowing the ladder to be easily collapsed by the arrangement of the pivotally
connected stays () substantially as described.
2. In a collapsible ladder such as described, the arrangement by which the
bridge (e) is adapted to be placed at suitable heights on the ladder by means of
pivotal hinges and to be automatically raised by means of the centre hinge, or
the hinge bolt of a divided strut (c) lying beneath it, on the collapsing of the ladder
substantially as described.
3. A collapsible ladder such as described, in which the bridge which may be
adjusted to various heights is pivotally connected with a short adjustable
ladder (f) which rests with its lower end on the steps of the main ladder (a), and
forms an extension of the same to allow of the platform (e) being easily mounted
substantially as described.
4. A collapsible ladder such as described in which the supporting frame (b) is
hinged or pivotally connected directly to the ladder and in which the bridge may
be automatically raised by means of a divided strut (e) lying beneath it, and a
balustrade or railing for securing the workman against falling is formed by
extensions (a b¹) of the actual ladder and of the frame projecting above the hinge
substantially as described.
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1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool.
Agents for the Applicant.