Patent ID: 8701830

Claim:
A folding step ladder foldable from an operative condition to an inoperative condition, said step ladder including lower and upper treads; an upper riser extending between said treads and pivotal relative to both of said treads, front and back side panels extending downward from opposite sides of said lower and upper treads respectively, said front and back side panels on each side of said treads being pivotal relative to each other; a lower riser pivotal relative to said lower tread and extending downward therefrom, said lower riser being pivotal relative to both of said front side panels; a rear panel pivotal relative to said upper tread and extending downward therefrom, said rear panel being pivotal relative to both of said back side panels, further including forward elevating means for raising said step ladder selectively at a location at which said upper tread pivots about said upper riser, raising of said forward elevating means while said step ladder is in said operative condition causing said front and back side panels on each side of said treads to pivot toward each other while said risers and rear panel advance inward toward each other until said upper riser, lower tread and lower riser form one substantially linear component while said upper tread and said rear panel form a second substantially linear component, said two components being substantially parallel to one another and adjacent thereto such that said step ladder is in said inoperative condition.