Rungless ladder

Claim 1

IN A LADDER CONSTRUCTION, THE COMBINATION OF A PAIR OF CONNECTED PARALLEL UPRIGHTS, RATCHET TEETH ON THE CONFRONTING SIDES OF SAID UPRIGHTS, A STEP ASSEMBLY ON EACH UPRIGHT, EACH STEP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A STEP SUPPORT, A RATCHET DOG IN EACH SUPPORT ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RATCHET TEETH OF ITS ASSOCIATED UPRIGHT, FLANGE MEANS SECURING EACH STEP ASSEMBLY TO ITS ADJACENT UPRIGHT FOR LINEAR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, A STEP PLATE ON EACH STEP SUPPORT, MEANS FOR LIFTING EACH STEP PLATE, MEANS FOR RELEASING EACH DOG FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS ASSOCIATED TEETH, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A HANDLE STRUCTURE LOCATED ABOVE SAID STEP ASSEMBLY, A SPRING BIASED LEVER ON SAID HANDLE STRUCTURE, AN OPERATING ROD CONNECTING SAID DOG WITH SAID LEVER SAID HANDLE STRUCTURE INCLUDING A FLANGED SUPPORT BLOCK SECURING THE SAME TO ITS ASSOCIATED UPRIGHT FOR LINEAR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, MEANS CONNECTING EACH HANDLE STRUCTURE WITH ITS ASSOCIATED STEP ASSEMBLY FOR SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT THEREWITH PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING EACH FOOT PLATE TO ITS ASSOCIATED SUPPORT FOR LOCATING SAID STEP IN HORIZONTAL POSITION REGARDLESS OF THE ANGLE OF INCLINATION OF SAID UPRIGHTS, MEANS LOCKING SAID STEP PLATE IN A SELECTED POSITION OF ANGULAR ADJUSTMENT, AND A SAFETY CHAIN CONNECTING THE OPPOSITE STEP ASSEMBLIES, A TRANSVERSE BAR PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS TO EACH HANDLE STRUCTURE, SAID PLATE HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT AT ONE PIVOTED END TO PERMIT ALTERNATE ELEVATION OF SAID STEP ASSEMBLIES.