Tri-foot, ladder and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10138682-B2
Application number	US-201615392020-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A ladder having a first rail having a bottom. The ladder having a second rail. The ladder having rungs attached to the first rail and second rail upon which a user climbs the ladder. The ladder comprises a ladder foot rotatably attached adjacent to the bottom of the first rail. The ladder foot having three distinct and different surfaces, with the first rail resting on one of the three surfaces at any one time the first rail is up right. The first rail changing to any of the three surfaces for the first rail to be upright upon by rotating the ladder foot. A method for placing a ladder. A ladder foot rotatably attached adjacent to a bottom of a first rail of a ladder. A method for making a ladder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ladder foot rotatably attached adjacent to a bottom of a first rail of a ladder comprising:
three surfaces that are distinct and different, and a bolthole through which a bolt extends to rotatably attach the ladder foot to the first rail, the ladder foot essentially has a shape of a triangle with a first face, second face directly connected to the first face, and a third face directly connected to the first face and second face, the first face has a first surface, the second face has a second surface different from the first surface, and the third face has a pick extending essentially perpendicular from it, the first surface is a first rubber tread, and the second surface is a second rubber tread, where the second rubber tread has larger and fewer grooves per inch than the first rubber tread which has smaller and more grooves per inch than the second rubber tread.

2. A ladder comprising:
a first rail having a bottom;
a second rail;
rungs attached to the first rail and second rail, the rungs configured to be climbed upon by a user to climb the ladder; and
a ladder foot rotatably attached adjacent to the bottom of the first rail, the ladder foot having three surfaces that are distinct and different, with the first rail resting on the foot, with one of the three surfaces in contact with ground when the first rail is upright, any one of the three surfaces of the foot can be configured to contact the ground at one time by rotating the ladder foot, the ladder foot essentially has a shape of a triangle with a first face, second face directly connected to the first face, and a third face directly connected to the first face and second face, the first face has a first surface, the second face has a second surface different from the first surface, and the third face has a pick extending essentially perpendicular from it, the first surface is a first rubber tread, and the second surface is a second rubber tread, where the second rubber tread has larger and fewer grooves per inch than the first rubber tread which has smaller and more grooves per inch than the second rubber tread.

3. The ladder of claim 2 wherein the ladder foot has a bolthole through which a bolt extends to attach the ladder foot to the first rail, the ladder foot able to pivot about the bolt so either the first, second or third surface can be chosen to rest upon, ground.

4. The ladder of claim 3 wherein the foot has a geometric center in the bolt hole with the bolt passing through the bolthole offset from the geometric center.

5. The ladder of claim 4 wherein the bolthole is located in the foot closer to the first face with the first rubber tread than the second face with the second rubber tread so the ladder foot is taller relative to ground when the second rubber tread is on ground and enables a user to level the ladder when the ladder is set up on uneven ground by using the second face on the uneven ground which is lower than the first face on the uneven ground on a second ladder foot on the second rail which is higher.

6. The ladder of claim 5 wherein each surface is rectangular shaped, each face is essentially flat, and the third surface is essentially flat.

7. The ladder of claim 6 wherein the foot has an interior with buttressing that holds the bolthole.

8. The ladder of claim 7 wherein the buttressing includes a first plate extending into the interior from the first face to the bolthole, a second plate extending into the interior from the second face to the bolthole, and a third plate extending into the interior from the third face to the bolthole, the first plate and third plate shorter than the second plate so the bolthole is held by the buttressing offset from the geometric center of the foot.

9. The ladder of claim 8 wherein the pick has a first portion that is rectangular shaped and directly extends from a top of the third face, and a second portion that is serrated and directly extends from the first portion.

10. The ladder of claim 9 wherein the first rail has an outer face and an inner face, the ladder foot is disposed on the outer face of the first rail, and including a second ladder foot rotatably attached to the inner face with the bolt.

11. A method for placing a ladder comprising the steps of:
moving the ladder to a desired location, the ladder having a first rail and a second rail and rungs attached to the first rail and the second rail, the rungs configured to be climbed upon by a user to climb the ladder;
rotating a ladder foot attached adjacent to a bottom of the first rail until one of three surfaces that are distinct and different of the ladder foot is facing ground, the ladder foot essentially has a shape of a triangle with a first face, second face directly connected to the first face, and a third face directly connected to the first face and second face, the first face has a first surface, the second face has a second surface different from the first surface, and the third face has a pick extending essentially perpendicular from it, the first surface is a first rubber tread, and the second surface is a second rubber tread, where the second rubber tread has larger and fewer grooves per inch than the first rubber tread which has smaller and more grooves per inch than the second rubber tread; and
setting the ladder onto the ground with the one of three surfaces of the ladder foot resting on the ground and the ladder is upright.

12. A method for making a ladder comprising the steps of:
placing a bolt through a bolthole of a ladder foot having three surfaces that are distinct and different; and
attaching the ladder foot to the first rail with the bolt, the ladder foot essentially has a shape of a triangle with a first face, second face directly connected to the first face, and a third face directly connected to the first face and second face, the first face has a first surface, the second face has a second surface different from the first surface, and the third face has a pick extending essentially perpendicular from it, the first surface is a first rubber tread, and the second surface is a second rubber tread, where the second rubber tread has larger and fewer grooves per inch than the first rubber tread which has smaller and more grooves per inch than the second rubber tread.

Assignees

• Mora Daniel C
• Beggs Robert D
• Werner Co

Inventors

• Mora Daniel C
• Beggs Robert D

Classifications

• E06C7/46

  Non-skid equipment · CPC title

• E06C7/42 Primary

  Ladder feet; Supports therefor (for scaffold elements E04G5/02) · CPC title

• E04G5/02

  Scaffold feet, e.g. with arrangements for adjustment · CPC title

• E06C7/44

  Means for mounting ladders on uneven ground · CPC title