Patent ID: 8230971

Claim:
A ladder support apparatus, the apparatus including a support body, one or more clamping mechanisms, operatively mountable to the support body, for mounting the support body to a structure and a retention assembly operatively connected to the support body and, in use, being adapted to limit relative movement between a ladder and the support body, the or each clamping mechanism including a clamp arm mounted for movement relative to the support body in a clamping direction and a release direction, an actuating lever operable to control the operation of the clamp arm, the clamping mechanism being arranged so as to be able to adopt a preset mode in which the clamp arm is substantially freely moveable in both the clamping direction and the release direction, a set mode in which the clamp arm is resisted in either direction but can be moved incrementally in the clamping direction by operation of the actuating lever and a pre-release mode in which the clamp arm is inhibited from movement in either direction, but upon operation of the actuating lever when in the pre-release mode the clamp arm can return to the preset mode, said clamping mechanism including a brake device which in a braking position, when the mechanism is in the set mode, provides resistance to movement of the clamp arm, a control arm pivotally movable so that when the clamping mechanism is in the preset mode, the brake device is caused to adopt a non-braking position, a catch element operable to engage the control arm when in the set mode so as to hold it in the set mode, a drive link operatively associated with the control arm, and said actuating lever and said drive link operable to cause said incremental movement of said clamp arm when in the set mode.