Feb. 12, 192 D. F. MCGILL 2,8,1 LADDER STEP Filed Nov. 30, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET l //v4 M7 A7R DANEL F. McGill 8-4-4-4. 1777 a 7 r^va Y-12
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Patented Feb. 12, 192 2,8,1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,8,1 LAODER STEP Daniel F. McGill, Portland, Oreg. A Application November 30, 1946, Serial No. 713,334 (C. 304-31.) 4. Claims. This invention relates to a ladder step and has particular reference to an auxiliary flat step for use on ladders having round or narrow rungs. Ladders with round or narrow rungs are un comfortable to stand on and do not provide a Suitable supporting surface for buckets and small articles frequently used on a ladder. Although the conventional step ladder is made with flat steps and possesses the requisites of comfort and Convenience in Supporting such objects, it is nec essarily heavy and awkward to handle and conse quently its height is quite limited if it is to be manipulated by one person. The general object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary flat step for use with a ladder having narrow rungs in Order to obtain the comfort and con venience of a step ladder in a light weight and relatively inexpensive rung ladder of simple con struction. Other objects are to provide an aux iliary step which may be placed upon any rung of the ladder to form a flat supporting surface which is strong and solid when so placed but which may readily be moved from one rung to another as desired, to provide a step which is adjustable for use on ladders of different widths and on ladders having rails of different sizes, to provide a flat step which is directly supported by the ladder rung, and to provide efficient and novel means for removably securing the auxiliary step in place without the use of special fixtures which would be awkward to adjust and likely to catch in a person's clothing. The present auxiliary step comprises a pair of end brackets for holding a flat step plate on a ladder rung. The brackets have horizontally ex tending portions which may themselves consti tute an extensible step plate or which may be adapted to slidably receive the ends of a separate step plate for relative movement in installing and removing the device and for providing length adjustment to fit ladders of different widths. These brackets also include upstanding guide channels to embrace the legs or rails of the lad der to prevent the step plate from rocking on the rung. Sliding wedges or other clamping means are contained in the upstanding channels to fit the different thicknesses of rails on ladders on which the device may be used. The auxiliary Step may be maintained rigidly in a fixed posi tion by the action of the wedges or clamps, but the device may readily be moved from one step O Weight ladder which is often built to considerable 2 height. The rungs are not necessarily round, 30 40 2 two preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of auxiliary step in place on a narrow rung ladder; Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the ladder and step shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation view with certain parts shown in Section; Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the end brackets; Figure is a perspective view of the board or step plate which rests upon the ladder rung; Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of adjustable ladder step; Figure 7 is a front elevation view of the con struction shown in Figure 6; s..... Figure 8 is a side elevation view of the con struction shown in Figure 6; and Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 6. In the drawings the numeral 0 indicates a pair of legs or side rails interconnected by a series of round rungs i? in the form of the usual light but to illustrate the purpose of the present in vention they are shown as being relatively nar row whereby they are uncomfortable to stand upon for a long period of time, and, of course, lacking in a flat supporting surface for pails and other equipment frequently used on ladders. The rails in Such ladders are of various stand ardized dimensions in different parts of the country, having proportions approximately as shown and they may be Spaced in parallel rela tion or they may converge toward the top of the ladder. In a tapering ladder the rails are usually curved at their lower extremities to provide a broad base of support so that in the upper part of the ladder the rails are substantially parallel. The present auxiliary step can be applied to lad ders with either parallel or converging rails. The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to comprises a flat board or step plate 3 and a pair of brackets, 4 for holding the step plate in a fixed position on the ladder rung. The brackets 4 may take various forms but as illustrated they are provided with horizontal inwardly extending flanges f forming two opposed channels which together constitute a socket for slidably receiving an end of the step plate f3. The Step plate may to another when desired. s be fixedly secured in one of the brackets 4 if With these and other objects in view the in desired, but in the present illustration it is slid Vention resides in the construction and combi ably received in both brackets to provide a tele nation of parts illustrated by way of example in scopic length adjustment at each end of the step.
Thus, as shown in Figure 2 the brackets 4 may be moved close together on the step plate for use on relatively narrow ladders or at the narrow top of a tapering ladder, or the parts may be ex tended out to a maximum width adjustment for use on unusually wide ladders or near the wide bottom of tapering ladders. The brackets 4 have upstanding guide channels 6 to receive the ladder rails and approximately the minimum width adjustment of the device is illustrated by the positions of these rail channels shown in broken lines at 6a in Figure 2. The flanges then substantially abut each other as indicated at a and the ends of the step plate extend throughout the length thereof, the combined length of the flanges being approximately equal to the length of the step plate. When the device is fully extended it is capable of reaching from the left-hand guide channel 6 to the right hand position indicated in broken lines at 6b without pulling the step plate too far out of the brackets. The horizontal parts of the brackets thereby form continuations of the supporting surface offered by the step plate 3 to provide a flat step from rail to rail on top of the ladder rung. - Each guide channel has a substantially ver tical front fange and a sloping back fange f8 Set at an angle corresponding approximately to -the usual slope of the ladder in use. The bracket f4 is preferably formed from relatively heavy gauge sheet metal whereby the various angles and flanges are sufficiently stiff - to pro vide a rigid non-rocking Support for the step on a round ladder rung or on one edge or corner of a rectangular rung. - - A Wedge member 2 is arranged to fit between the vertical front fange and the front Sull face of the ladder rail to Snugly engage the ladder rail between the inner Surface of the wedge and the back-flange 8. as clearly shown in Figure 3. Means are provided for retaining the Wedge in place while, at the same time, permitting ver tical sliding movement, this means in the present embodiment constituting a screw 2? secured in the wedge member and passing through a vertical slot 22 which is wide enough to loosely receive the shank of the screw but not wide enough to allow the head to pass therethrough. Thus, the wedge members may be raised to release the brackets from the ladder rails, but when they are allowed to drop by gravity they fall into Snug Wedging positions to allow for adjustment for various size rails and to prevent relative move ment between the brackets and the rails. The slot 22 has ample length to accommodate suffi cient vertical movement of the wedge to grip ladder rails of different thickness. When the Wedge is dropped in place as shown in Figure 3, it will be seen that the step 3 is thereby rigidly Supported against rocking movement on the ladder rung, and that the frictional engage ment with the ladder rails prevents the brackets from being accidentally released therefrom. When it is desired to remove the auxiliary step, it is only necessary to lift both wedges and move the upright channels. f6 inwardly to the relative positions shown at 6a, to clear the ladder rails, whereupon the device is immediately entirely free of the ladder. The maximum width adjustment of the device is limited only by the necessity for having adequate bearing for the ends of the step plate in the respective bracket channels. The variation in the length of the step in this manner is adequate for use with 3. 2,8,1 () 30 0. 4 60 70 s 4. most conventional sizes of ladders, but the di mensions and proportions may, of course, be altered to suit the type of ladder with which the device is to be used. The Step plate 3 may be made of plywood Which will not split lengthwise when supported by line contact on a round rung, or it may be made of a light-weight metal casting or stamping lhaving Sufficient Strength for the purpose. Figures 6 to 9 illustrate a modified all metal Construction in Which the end brackets them Selves telescope together to form a step plate of variable length which will accommodate it Self to ladders of different widths. In this con Struction there are two parts 30 and 3 which telescope together to form a flat, variable length Step plate. The part 30 has channel edges 32 Slidably receiving the similarly shaped channel edges 33 of the part 3. Longitudinal and trans verse raised ridges 34 are formed in the part 30 to stiffen the member and to provide a non slip tread on its supporting surface, and similar ridges are raised on the lower or under side of the part 3 as shown in Figure 9, so as not to interfere with the sliding fit of the two parts. The stiffness provided by these ridges, if prop erly formed, enables these two parts to be made of sheet metal and still have sufficient strength to prevent bending over a ladder rung on which the step is supported. The length of the parts 30 and 3 is such that when they are telescoped together the step may be applied to the narrow est ladder on which it is intended to be used, While at the same time being capable of suffi cient extension to fit a wide ladder without sep arating the two parts. It is preferred that the two parts should telescope at least several inches on the widest ladder on which the step is to be used. Each of the parts 30 and 3 carries at its outer end a bracket 4) adapted to embrace one of the rails of the ladder to hold the step steady and rigid in a Substantially horizontal position on a round or angular rung. Each bracket 40 com prises an upstanding plate 4 to abut the inside Surface of the ladder rail, a substantially verti cal front plate or flange 42 and an inclined rear plate or flange 43 conforming with the slope of the ladder as it is generally used. The plate and the flanges 42 and 43 are shown to be formed from the same piece of sheet metal used to make the telescoping step portion, so that these parts will all be integral, but other forms of construction having sufficient strength and rigidity will suggest themselves. The vertical front fiange 42 carries a nut 44 held in position behind an opening in the flange to receive a thumb screw 4. The nut 44 is pref erably Secured by some means such as a spot weld directly to the flange 42, but if the latter is of sufficiently thick material the threads may be formed directly therein without the use of a nut. The clamp screw 4 is provided with a reduced end 46 which is peened over or riveted to confine a pair of spaced washers 4 loosely engaging op posite faces of a clamping plate 48 which is adapted to be tightened against the front face of the ladder rail. This clamping plate is formed with a central part 49 perpendicular to the screw 4 and substantially parallel with the front flange 42, and end portions disposed parallel with the inclined rar flange 43, so that when the Screw is tightened the end portions will lie fiat against the ladder rail as shown in Figure 8. This clamping means is intended to take the place of
the sliding wedges 2 shown in the first embodi ment, and it is to be understood that either form of clamping means may be used in either of the two step constructions herein described. In either case the clamping means has enough adjustment to accommodate ladder rails of dif ferent thickness and is intended to clamp the rail with sufficient firmness to avoid accidental disengagement therefrom and to hold the Step firmly in a horizontal position to prevent rock ing on the rung. Still other clamping arrange ments capable of fulfilling these conditions may be employed. By using two auxiliary steps on a conventional rung ladder the advantages of a step ladder are combined with the advantages of a rung ladder to provide greater utility and convenience than either type of ladder possesses in itself. One of the steps may be used to stand on and the other used to support articles being used. Both steps may readily be moved up and down from time to time as the work requires. The device is of particular advantage in working above the height Ordinarily attainable on the usual step ladder. Warious other changes will occur to persons Skilled in the art for providing different equiva lent means of length adjustment in the step and different rail clamping means in the end brackets, and all such changes in the construction and arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims are included in the invention. Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. A ladder step comprising a step plate, a pair of brackets carried by said plate at opposite ends thereof and adjustable therewith to vary the dis tance therebetween, each of said brackets having an integral upturned end portion to engage the inside face of a ladder rail, each of said upturned end portions having front and back flange por tions to extend over the front and back faces of the ladder rail, one of said flange portions ex tending upwardly at an angle approximately nor mal to said brackets and the other upwardly ex tending flange portion diverging from the first flange portion, and a wedge slidable between each of the flanged portions extending upwardly at an angle approximately normal to said brackets and the adjacent ladder rail to hold said step plate in a Substantially horizontal position on a ladder rung. 2. A ladder Step comprising a pair of members interconnected for relative lengthwise movement 2,8,1 to form a variable length step plate, each of said ; member having a transverse integral upturned end portion to engage the inside face of a ladder rail, each of said upturned end portions having front and back flange portions to extend over the front and back faces of the ladder rail, one of said flange portions extending upwardly at an angle approximately normal to said members and the other upwardly extending fange portion di verging from the first flange portion, and a clamping member bearing against the Said flange 6 portion extending upwardly at an angle approxi mately normal to said members to engage the ladder rail and clamp it against the other flange portion. 3. A ladder step comprising a pair of inter connected brackets, each of said brackets having an integral upturned end portion to engage the inside face of a ladder rail, each of said upturned end portions having front and back flange por tions to extend over the front and back faces of the ladder rail, One of said flange portions ex tending upwardly at an angle approximately nor mal to the said members and the other flange portion extending upwardly and diverging from the first flange portion, a member bearing against the said flange portion extending upwardly at an angle approximately normal to said brackets to engage the ladder rail and clamp it against the other flange portion, and said brackets being movable toward and away from each other. 4. A ladder step comprising a pair of members interconnected for relative lengthwise movement to form a variable length flat step, each of said members comprising a flat plate having down wardly and inwardly turned side edge portions to form a double channel cross Section of greater longitudinal stiffness than said plate, a transverse upturned integral end portion on each plate to stiffen the plate transversely and engage the in side face of a ladder rail, integral front and back confronting flange portions connected with the front and back edges of said upturned end por tion to project over the front and back faces of the ladder rail, and a clamping member bearing against One of Said flange portions to engage the ladder rail and clamp it against the other fiange portion, said clamping member and other flange portion having vertically extended flat bearing surfaces to clamp the ladder rail securely and rigidly over extensive areas of its front and back faces for a distance above the step. DANIEL F. MCG.ILL. 0. 2 40 4 60 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 3,01 Ayres -------------- Jan. 26, 1886 1,28,817 Sklar -------------- Nov. 26, 1918 197, Tolmie ------------ Aug. 24, 1926 1714,028 Knuth ------------- May 21, 1929 2,103,603 Voigt -------------- Dec. 28, 1937 2,182,47 Herline ------------- Dec., 1939 2,237,216 Dubreuil ----------- Apr. 1, 1941 2,389,17 Kotteman ---------- Nov., 194 2,41,327 Yothers ------------- Feb. 4, 1947 2,488,633 Linder et al. -------- Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Nunner Country Date 29,77 Australia ----------- Nov. 24, 1931 36,146 France -------------- Feb. 7, 1922