Ladders including rope and pulley system and fall protection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988842-B2
Application number	US-201414490496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2014
Priority date	Sep 18, 2013
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A ladder is provided which may include a positioning system, a fall arrest system, or both. In one embodiment, a rope and pulley system is provided wherein a first end of the rope is coupled to a base section of the ladder, a second end of the rope is coupled with a fly section of the ladder, and the rope extends between a plurality of pulleys. In one particular embodiment, the rope extends between five different pulleys, two being coupled with the fly section and three being coupled with the base section. At least one portion of the rope may extend along the side of the ladder (e.g., along the side of a rail of the fly section) while another section may extend up the front of the ladder between the rails and in front of the rungs. A fall arrest mechanism, or an ascender device, may be coupled with the section of rope extending up the ladder between the rails and in front of the rungs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ladder comprising:
a single base section having a first pair of rails and a first plurality of rungs extending between laterally inner surfaces of the first pair of rails and coupled to the first pair of rails;
a single fly section slidably coupled to the base section, the fly section having a second pair of rails and a second plurality of rungs extending between laterally inner surfaces of the second pair of rails and coupled to the second pair of rails;
a rope and pulley system comprising:
a rope having a first end coupled to the base section and a second end coupled to the fly section;
a plurality of pulleys configured so that a first section of the rope extends along a laterally outer surface of a first rail of the second pair of rails and positioned such that the first section of rope is on a side of the first rail opposite the second plurality of rungs, the plurality of pulleys being further configured so that another section of the rope extends from a lower portion of the base section to an upper portion of the fly section while being laterally positioned between the second pair of rails and spaced away from each of the second pair of rails.

2. The ladder of claim 1 , wherein the another section of rope is substantially centered along both the base section and the fly section.

3. The ladder of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pulleys includes at least one pulley coupled with the fly section and at least one other pulley coupled with the base section.

4. The ladder of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pulleys includes at least two pulleys coupled with the fly section and at least two other pulleys coupled with the base section.

5. The ladder of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the rope is coupled with a bracket fixed to the base section, the bracket extending at least partially around one rail of the second pair of rails.

6. The ladder of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the rope extends from the first end through a first pulley of the plurality of pulleys, the first pulley being coupled with the fly section, and wherein the rope includes:
a second section of rope extending from the first pulley to a second pulley, the second pulley being coupled with the base section at a location adjacent the first end of the rope;
a third section of rope extending from the second pulley to a third pulley, the third pulley being coupled to a lower portion of the base section adjacent a rail of the first pair of rails;
a fourth section of rope extending from the third pulley to a fourth pulley, the fourth pulley being coupled to the base section at a location between the first pair of rails; and
wherein the another section of rope is a fifth section extending from the fourth pulley upwards between the first pair of rails.

7. The ladder of claim 6 , wherein the fifth section of rope extends to a fifth pulley that is coupled with the fly section between the second pair of rails.

8. The ladder of claim 7 , wherein the rope includes a sixth section extending from the fifth pulley to the second end of the rope.

9. The ladder of claim 7 , wherein the fifth section of rope is positioned in front of the first plurality of rungs and the second plurality of rungs when the ladder is in an orientation of intended use.

10. The ladder of claim 6 , wherein the rope and plurality of pulleys are arranged such that a downward force applied to third section of rope urges the fly section upward relative to the base section.

11. The ladder of claim 1 , further comprising an ascender device coupled to the another section of rope, the ascender device configured to be coupled with a harness worn by a user of the ladder.

12. The ladder of claim 11 , wherein the ascender device is configured to slide freely upwards along the rope without further manipulation by a user when the ladder is in an orientation of intended use.

13. The ladder of claim 12 , wherein the ascender device is configured to inhibit downward movement along the rope.

14. The ladder of claim 1 , further comprising a pair of adjustable support members coupled with the base section, the pair of adjustable support members being configured to be adjusted relative to a pair of rails of the base section in at least one of height and width relative to the pair of rails.

15. The ladder of claim 1 , wherein the fly section includes a pair of rails, and wherein the ladder further comprises a pair of hooks, each hook being positioned adjacent an upper end of an associated rail of the pair of rails.

16. The ladder of claim 15 , further comprising a securing apparatus coupled adjacent the upper end of the pair rails, the securing apparatus including a pair of spaced apart engaging members, each engagement member being pivotally coupled with an associated rail of the second pair of rails.

17. A ladder comprising:
a single base section comprising a first pair of spaced apart rails and a first plurality of rungs extending between laterally inner surfaces of the first pair of rails and coupled with the first pair of spaced apart rails;
a single fly section slidably coupled to the base section, the fly section including a second pair of spaced apart rails and a second plurality of rungs extending between laterally inner surfaces of the second pair of rails and coupled with the second pair of spaced apart rails;
a rope and pulley system comprising:
a rope having a first end fixed to the base section adjacent a laterally outer surface of a first rail of the first pair of rails and positioned such that the first end is on a side of the first rail opposite the second plurality of rungs, and a second end fixed to the fly section between said second pair of spaced apart rails of said fly section, the rope extending continually and sequentially:
i) from the first end through a first pulley coupled with the fly section,
ii) through a second pulley coupled with the base section,
iii) through a third pulley coupled with the base section,
iv) through a fourth pulley coupled with the base section,
v) through a fifth pulley coupled with the fly section, and
vi) to the second end.

18. The ladder of claim 17 , wherein the second pulley is positioned adjacent the first end of the rope.

19. The ladder of claim 18 , wherein the third and fourth pulleys are positioned along a lower portion of the base section when the ladder is in an orientation of intended use.

20. The ladder of claim 19 , wherein the fifth pulley is positioned along an upper portion of the fly section.

21. The ladder of claim 17 , further comprising an ascender device coupled with the rope at a location between the fourth and fifth pulleys.

22. The ladder of claim 21 , wherein the ascender device is configured to slide freely upwards along the rope without further manipulation by a user when the ladder is in an orientation of intended use, and to inhibit downward movement along the rope.

23. The ladder of claim 17 , further comprising a pair of adjustable support members, support member being coupled with an associated rail of the first pair of spaced apart rails, the pair of adjustable support members being configured to be adjusted relative to the first pair of spaced apart rails of the base section in at least one of height and width.

24. The ladder of claim 17 , further comprising a pair of hooks, each hook being positioned adjacent an upper end of an associated rail of the second pair of spaced apart rails.

Assignees

• Wing Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Moss N Ryan
• Peterson Sean R
• Russell Brian B
• Jonas Gary M
• Penrod Darius S
• Wright Bryan

Classifications

• E06C7/186 Primary

  Rail or rope for guiding a safety attachment, e.g. a fall arrest system · CPC title

• E06C1/12

  extensible, e.g. telescopic · CPC title

• E06C1/36

  Ladders suspendable by hooks or the like {(ladderhooks E06C7/505)} · CPC title

• E06C7/48

  Ladder heads; Supports for heads of ladders for resting against objects {(ladders attachable to structures such as poles E06C1/34)} · CPC title