Safety ladder brace

Claim 2

A safety device for ladders having a pair of spaced side rails, said safety device comprising: a. A body member having a pair of diverging arms; b. a wing extending outwardly from each of said arms and having a portion engageable by a respective side rail of a ladder; c. means on each of said wings for securing said respective side rail of the ladder thereto; d. an extension for each of said pair of diverging arms, said extensions extending from said respective arms at an angle to position said extensions in substantially normal planes.

Claim 3

A safety device for ladders having a pair of spaced side rails, said safety device comprising: a. A body member having a pair of diverging arms; b. a wing extending outwardly from each of said arms and having a portion engageable by a respective side rail of a ladder; c. means on each of said wings for securing said respective side rail of the ladder thereto; d. an extension for each of said pair of diverging arms, said extensions extending from said respective arms at an angle to position said extensions in substantially normal planes.

Claim 4

A safety device for ladders having a pair of spaced side rails, said safety device comprising: a. A body member having a pair of diverging arms; b. a wing extending outwardly from each of said arms and having a portion engageable by a respective side rail of a ladder; c. means on each of said wings for securing said respective side rail of the ladder thereto; d. an extension for each of said pair of diverging arms, said extensions extending from said respective arms at an angle to position said extensions in substantially normal planes.

Claim 5

A safety device as set forth in claim 1 including a flange extending outwardly from a free end of each of said extensions, said flanges being substantially coplanar.

Claim 6

A safety device for ladders as set forth in claim 2 including resilient material mounted on surfaces of said diverging arms and extensions and flanges and positioned for engagement with respective surfaces to support an upper portion of the ladder.

Claim 7

A safety device for ladders having a pair of laterally spaced side rails joined by spaced rungs, said safety device comprising: a. a body member having a pair of diverging arms forming a generally V-shape having substantially coplanar upper edges; b. a wing extending outwardly from each of said arms and having a portion engageable by a respective side rail of a ladder said rail engaging portions of said wings being positioned in a plane inclined relative to the plane of the upper edges of said arms; c. an extension for each of said pair of diverging arms, said extensions extending from said respective arms at an angle to position said extensions in substantially normal planes; d. a flange extending outwardly from a free end of each of said extensions, said flanges being substantially coplanar; and e. means on each of said wings for securing said respective rails of the ladder thereto.

Claim 8

A safety device for ladders having a pair of laterally spaced side rails joined by spaced rungs, said safety device comprising: a. a body member having a pair of diverging arms forming a generally V-shape having substantially coplanar upper edges; b. a wing extending outwardly from each of said arms and having a portion engageable by a respective side rail of a ladder said rail engaging portions of said wings being positioned in a plane inclined relative to the plane of the upper edges of said arms; c. an extension for each of said pair of diverging arms, said extensions extending from said respective arms at an angle to position said extensions in substantially normal planes; d. a flange extending outwardly from a free end of each of said extensions, said flanges being substantially coplanar; and e. means on each of said wings for securing said respective rails of the ladder thereto.

Claim 9

A safety device for ladders as set forth in claim 4 including: a. resilient material mounted on facing surfaces of said arms and engageable with the surface to support an upper end portion of the ladder; b. resilient material mounted on said extensions of said arms and engageable with respective surfaces in substantially normal planes to support an upper end portion of the ladder; and c. resilient material mounted on said flanges and engageable with a substantially planar surface to support an upper end portion of the ladder.

Claim 10

A safety device for ladders as set forth in claim 5 wherein: a. said arms of said body member have respective upper edges adapted to be positioned in a plane substantially parallel with a surface supporting a lower end portion of the ladder; b. said wings each have a portion inclined relative to the plane of said upper edges whereby the ladder may be inclined with the safety device being in a substantially horizontal plane; c. said diverging arms of said body member are planar members; and d. said diverging arms are positioned to define an included angle therebetween of less than 60* .

Claim 11

A safety device for ladders having a pair of spaced side rails, said safety device comprising: a. a body member having a pair of diverging arms; b. a wing extending outwardly from each of said arms and having a portion engageable by a respective side rail of a ladder; c. means on each of said wings for securing said respective side rail of the ladder thereto; d. said diverging arms of said body member being planar members; e. said diverging arms being positioned to define an included angle therebetween of less than about 60*; f. said diverging arms having sufficient resiliency to permit a generally rounded object to effect separation of said arms when a ladder having the body member thereon is moved toward and into engagement with a generally rounded object to thereby substantially wedge same between the diverging arms.

Claim 12

A safety device for ladders having a pair of spaced side rails, said safety device comprising: a. a body member having a pair of diverging arms; b. a wing extending outwardly from each of said arms and having a portion engageable by a respective side rail of a ladder; c. means on each of said wings for securing said respective side rail of the ladder thereto; d. said diverging arms of said body member being planar members; e. said diverging arms being positioned to define an included angle therebetween of less than about 60*; f. said diverging arms having sufficient resiliency to permit a generally rounded object to effect separation of said arms when a ladder having the body member thereon is moved toward and into engagement with a generally rounded object to thereby substantially wedge same between the diverging arms.