Patent ID: 6874598

Claim:
A stepladder comprising: a step assembly and two independently articulated legs pivoted from a top cap, the step assembly having two side rails pivotally connected to the top cap along a common axis and one or more steps affixed therebetween; a center post with an upper end and a lower end, the upper end fixed to the top cap, the center post extending downwardly and vertically from the top cap; a sliding collar journaled on the center post; leg braces, each leg brace pivotally affixed at a first end to the sliding collar and pivotally affixed at a second end to a respective one of the legs, the leg braces of a length that the center post is at equal angles vertically to each leg; an A-brace pivotally affixed at a first end to the sliding collar and pivotally affixed at a second end to the step assembly; means on the sliding collar for maintaining the planes of extension for the legs and step assembly at equal radial angles with respect to each other; the stepladder having an operable position defined by the sliding collar in a lowest position on the center post causing the rear legs and step assembly to be fully extended and a closed position defined by the sliding collar in a highest position on the center post causing the rear legs and step assembly to be substantially touching; wherein the plane of extension for one of the legs is a vertical plane formed by the respective leg brace, the respective leg and the center post and the plane of extension for the step assembly is a vertical plane extending through the center post and a bisector of a plane formed by the side rails, whereby the planes of extension are at 120° angles with respect to each other.