Roller attachment for ladders

Claim 2

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; separate spaced attachment clamps each having a rear end portion adjustably mounted on said central section and each clamp having a front end portion extending forwardly from said rear end portion and retainingly engageable on and about one of said stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same to the engaged stiles; means for securing said rear end portions releasably but securely to said central section; means for attaching respective roller wheels on the opposite ends of the bar and wherein each wheel has axle means for coaxial mounting on the outer end of one of the telescopically adjustable bar sections; and means releasably securing said rear end portions of the clamps to said central section and permitting adjustable shifting of the clamps longitudinally along said center section and relative to one another and providing for fixed attachment of the clamps in any selected adjusted position to accommodate any particular spacing of the ladder stiles with which engaged.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, including an additional outer end telescopic bar section telescopically engaged in each of said first mentioned adjustable bar sections for carrying said roller wheels.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2, including stop means within each of said adjustable bar sections to limit inward telescopic movement thereinto of said outer end telescopic bar sections.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1, wherein said telescopically adjustable bar sections have tubular outer end portions, caps mounted on the ends of said outer end portions, and said attaching means being carried by said caps for releasably supporting said axle means.

Claim 6

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; respective spaced attachment clamps adjustably mounted on said central section and each extending forwardly therefrom and retainingly engageable with one of said stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; means for attaching respective roller wheels on the opposite ends of the bar and wherein each wheel has axle means for coaxial mounting on the outer end of one of the telescopically adjustable bar sections; each of said clamps comprising a generally U-shaped one-piece body having a pair of spaced elongated arms to receive one of the ladder stiles therebetween and with a connecting web between forward ends of the arms; means carried by the web and said arms of each clamp for clampingly securing the stiles in the clamp; and means on rear end portions of the arms for securing the respective clamp to said central section.

Claim 7

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; respective spaced attachment clamps adjustably mounted on said central section and each extending forwardly therefrom and retainingly engageable with one of said stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; means for attaching respective roller wheels on the opposite ends of the bar and wherein each wheel has axle means for coaxial mounting on the outer end of one of the telescopically adjustable bar sections; each of said clamps comprising a generally U-shaped one-piece body having a pair of spaced elongated arms to receive one of the ladder stiles therebetween and with a connecting web between forward ends of the arms; means carried by the web and said arms of each clamp for clampingly securing the stiles in the clamp; and means on rear end portions of the arms for securing the respective clamp to said central section.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 5, wherein said means carried by the web comprises a thumbscrew threaded through said web and having a pressure pad on its inner end for engaging the stile.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 6, wherein said means carried by the arms comprise respective shoulder flanges extending toward one another spaced from said web and toward which said clamping screw thrusts the ladder stile.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 5, wherein said rear end portions of the arms have aligned holes therethrough through which the central section extends.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 8, wherein said rear end portions have slots extending into said holes and dividing such rear end portions into gripping jaws, and means for drawing said gripping jaws into tight engagement with the central section.

Claim 12

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; respective spaced attachment clamps adjustably mounted on said central section and each extending forwardly therefrom and retainingly engageable with one of said stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; means for attaching respective roller wheels on the opposite ends of the bar and wherein each wheel has axle means for coaxial mounting on the outer end of one of the telescopically adjustable bar sections; said axle means comprising a bolt having a cylindrical body journalling the respective wheel and a threaded extension on the bolt; said means releasably supporting the axle means comprising an internally threaded ferrule extending coaxially through the cap and having an outer end lateral cap-retaining and spacer flange; and self-retaining gripper fingers carried by the inner end portion of the ferrule and retainingly engaging the associated tubular outer end portion of the associated bar section.

Claim 13

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; respective spaced attachment clamps adjustably mounted on said central section and each extending forwardly therefrom and retainingly engageable with one of said stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; means for attaching respective roller wheels on the opposite ends of the bar and wherein each wheel has axle means for coaxial mounting on the outer end of one of the telescopically adjustable bar sections; said axle means comprising a bolt having a cylindrical body journalling the respective wheel and a threaded extension on the bolt; said means releasably supporting the axle means comprising an internally threaded ferrule extending coaxially through the cap and having an outer end lateral cap-retaining and spacer flange; and self-retaining gripper fingers carried by the inner end portion of the ferrule and retainingly engaging the associated tubular outer end portion of the associated bar section.

Claim 14

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; attachments clamp means mounted on said central section engageable with said free end portions of the stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; said telescopically adjustable sections being in differential diameter to the inside diameter of said central section to provide limited space between the telescopically related sections; slidable spacer bearing means carried by the inner end portions of the telescopically adjustable sections in engagement with the inner wall surface of the Central section; split ring spacer bearing means carried on the outer ends of said central section and engaging the outer perimeters of the respective telescopically adjustable sections to maintain a definite spaced relation between the bar sections; cam thrust means mounted on said ends of the central section and operable to drive said central section carried split ring spacer bearing menas clutchingly against the respective adjustable bar sections to maintain them in telescopically adjusted relation to the central section; a thrust washer mounted between said split ring bearing means and each of the respective ends of the central section and providing respective annular shoulders partially across a gap between the sections; and a shoulder on each of the telescopically adjustable sections spaced a substantial but limited distance from the bearing means carried by said inner end portions, and said shoulders engageable with said thrust washers to limit protraction of the respective adjustable bar sections.

Claim 15

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; attachments clamp means mounted on said central section engageable with said free end portions of the stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; said telescopically adjustable sections being in differential diameter to the inside diameter of said central section to provide limited space between the telescopically related sections; slidable spacer bearing means carried by the inner end portions of the telescopically adjustable sections in engagement with the inner wall surface of the Central section; split ring spacer bearing means carried on the outer ends of said central section and engaging the outer perimeters of the respective telescopically adjustable sections to maintain a definite spaced relation between the bar sections; cam thrust means mounted on said ends of the central section and operable to drive said central section carried split ring spacer bearing menas clutchingly against the respective adjustable bar sections to maintain them in telescopically adjusted relation to the central section; a thrust washer mounted between said split ring bearing means and each of the respective ends of the central section and providing respective annular shoulders partially across a gap between the sections; and a shoulder on each of the telescopically adjustable sections spaced a substantial but limited distance from the bearing means carried by said inner end portions, and said shoulders engageable with said thrust washers to limit protraction of the respective adjustable bar sections.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 11, wherein in order to minimize the gap space between the adjustable sections and said central section, respective annular grooves are provided in said adjustable sections and said slidable bearing means and said shoulder on each of said adjustable sections comprising annular members seated in said grooves and projecting therefrom into the gaps between the adjustable sections and said central section.

Claim 17

A device according to claim 11, wherein said adjustable sections have structure on their outer ends projecting to a larger diameter than the outside diameter of the adjustable sections, and stop means carried interiorly by said central section and engageable by the inner ends of said adjustable sections to limit inward telescopic movement of the adjustable sections to prevent said projecting structure from striking against the respective outer ends of said central section when telescoping the adjustable sections to their inward telescopic limit.

Claim 18

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; attachment clamp means mounted on said central section engageable with said free end portions of the stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; said telescopically adjustable bar sections having tubular outer end portions; caps mounted on the ends of said outer end portions; respective roller wheels having axles with threaded free end portions; respective ferrules carried by said caps within which said threaded end portions are threadedly engageable for connecting the wheels to said caps; and means securing said caps with the ferrules assembled therewith in place on said tubular outer end portions.

Claim 19

A roller attachment device for ladders of the leaning type including rungs and spaced longitudinal stiles having free head end portions, comprising: a transverse supporting bar having a central tubular section and telescopically adjustable bar sections mounted in and extending from the opposite ends thereof; attachment clamp means mounted on said central section engageable with said free end portions of the stiles and having means for fixedly clamping the same; said telescopically adjustable bar sections having tubular outer end portions; caps mounted on the ends of said outer end portions; respective roller wheels having axles with threaded free end portions; respective ferrules carried by said caps within which said threaded end portions are threadedly engageable for connecting the wheels to said caps; and means securing said caps with the ferrules assembled therewith in place on said tubular outer end portions.

Claim 20

A device according to claim 14, including self-retaining gripper fingers carried by said ferrule and retainingly engaging within the associated tubular outer end portion of the associated bar section.