Patent ID: 8069948

Claim:
A rail assembly for a ladder comprising: an inner rail assembly comprising a first inner rail, a second inner rail spaced apart from, and being substantially parallel to, the first inner rail, and at least one inner rung extending between and coupled to the first and second inner rails; a first discrete sleeve adjacent the first inner rail and slidable along at least a portion of a length of the first inner rail; a second discrete sleeve adjacent the second inner rail and slidable along at least a portion of a length of the second inner rail; a substantially straight first outer rail having a first end fixedly coupled to the first discrete sleeve, wherein at least a portion of the first discrete sleeve is disposed within a channel defined by the first outer rail; a substantially straight second outer rail having a first end fixedly coupled to the second discrete sleeve, wherein at least a portion of the second discrete sleeve is disposed within a channel denied by the second outer rail; and at least one outer rung extending between and coupled to the first and second outer rails so as to maintain a constant, acute angle between the first outer rail and the second outer rail wherein the at least one outer rung includes a plurality of outer rung, each of the first and second discrete sleeves are each directly coupled to at least one outer rung of the plurality of outer rungs, wherein the first discrete sleeve is aligned substantially parallel with the first inner rail, the second discrete sleeve is aligned substantially parallel with the second inner rail; the first outer rail extends from the first discrete sleeve at an acute angle relative thereto; and the second outer rail extends from the second discrete sleeve at an acute angle relative thereto.