Combination extension and step ladder rungs therefor

• US 4,182,431 A
• Filed: 03/13/1978
• Issued: 01/08/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harold R. Wing
• Original Assignee: Litle Giant Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Wing, Harold R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Machado, Reinaldo P.
• Application Number:
  US05/885,837
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 182/22, 182/23, 182/24, 182/228, 182/166, 182/167, 182/209, 182/207, 182/27
• US Class Current: 182/23
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/12 extensible, e.g. telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 1/32 Ladders with a strut which is formed as a ladder and can be secured in line with the ladder
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/086 with a connecting piece inserted in a hollow rung E06C7/088 takes precedence

Abstract

A combination step and extension ladder is disclosed. Hinges are provided on each of the side rails of the ladder so that the ladder may be folded and unfolded from a step ladder configuration to a straight extension ladder configuration and vice versa. Additional side rails are provided which are telescopically mounted so that the ladder can be extended to increase its height in either of the step ladder or extension ladder configurations. Each of the ladder rungs are provided with two flat stepping surfaces which are symmetrically angularly oriented with respect to the side rails of the ladder so that at least one of the surfaces of each rung will present an essentially horizontal stepping surface whenever the ladder is in an upright position, either as a step ladder or as an extension ladder, and irrespective of which end of the side rails the ladder is standing on.

Claims

1. In a ladder having a first pair of side rails slidably mounted in telescopic relation within a second pair of side rails, a plurality of improved ladder rungs, each rung comprising:

a first tubular bar joined at the ends thereof to the side rails of said slidably mounted first side rail pair;

at least two flat stepping surfaces each of which is integrally joined at one end to said bar by a bracket formed between said bar and the flat stepping surface joined thereto, each said stepping surface being supported at the other end by a rod extending from the side rails of said first side rail pair through a bend formed in the end of said stepping surface, said stepping surfaces being essentially symmetrically angularly disposed between said first side rail pair such that at least one of said stepping surfaces will be essentially horizontally oriented whenever the ladder is placed in an upright position; and

a second tubular bar joined at the ends thereof to the side rails of said second side rail pair, the upper and lower surfaces of said second bar being configurated to form flat stepping surfaces that are essentially coplanar with the stepping surfaces joined to said first bar, said second bar being mounted to the second side rail pair so as to permit telescopic extension of the first side rail pair.