Patent ID: 8074771

Claim:
A safety ladder that is mountable to a structure, upwardly collapsible to a first storage configuration, and downwardly extendible to a second climbing configuration, the safety ladder comprising: a first link comprising a rung portion positioned between a first upwardly extending member having an end for mounting the ladder to the structure and a second upwardly extending member having an end for mounting the ladder to the structure; and a second link comprising a rung portion positioned between a first upwardly extending member and a second upwardly extending member, the first upwardly extending member of the second link having an end with an eye slidingly connected to the first upwardly extending member of the first link, the eye of the first upwardly extending member of the second link having an extending portion canted at a first angle relative to the first upwardly extending member of the second link as viewed from a first direction and canted at a second angle relative to the first upwardly extending member of the second link as viewed from a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the second upwardly extending member of the second link having an end with an eye slidingly connected to the second upwardly extending member of the first link, the eye on the end of the second upwardly extending member of the second link also being canted relative to the second upwardly extending member of the second link, the first and second angles being such that a weight of a person ascending the ladder rigidly locks the first link to the second link, inhibiting movement of the ladder from a vertical orientation.