Telescoping ladder

Claim 2

A telescoping ladder comprising a pair of spaced apart parallel hollow side rails, a plurality of generally horizontal spaced apart rungs having their opposite ends rigidly secured to said side rails, additional side rails telescopically mounted in said side rails and adapted to move to an extended position with respect thereto, a plurality of rungs detachably secured to said additional side rails in generally horizontal spaced apart relation, means for releasably locking said named rungs to said additional side rails, the means for releasably locking said rungs to said additional side rails including hand actuated means, said hand actuated means including a plurality of wedge members for expanding the ends of said last named rungs in said side rails.

Claim 3

A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on said rungs for selectively cooperating with means on said side rails for preventing relative rotation of said rungs with respect to said side rails.

Claim 4

A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for connecting said last named rungs to said additional side rails includes telescopic tubes with the smaller tube adapted to extend through said additional side rails.

Claim 5

In a telescoping ladder, a pair of generally rectangular spaced parallel hollow side rails, rungs extending from the inner faces of the side rails and rigidly securing the side rails together without obstructing the hollow center of the rails, a foot is provided for the lower end of each of the side rails and each foot including a non-slip sole portion secured to the lower face thereof, a pair of upstanding ears secured in spaced parallel to the foot with each ear having an elongate slot therein, a securing element extending through the lower end of each of the rails and through the slots and the ears, a fastener securing the securing elements to the rails, said feet being provided with transverse detents for receiving the lower ends of the rails, additional side rails having a generally rectangular hollow formation telescopically mounted in said first rails, certain of said additional rails having apertures therein, spring detents secured to certain of said additional rails for engaging the apertures to selectively limit the movement of the additional rails out of the first named rails, certain of said rails being provided with a plurality of bores that extend completely therethrough, rungs connected to said additional rails and said rungs including a generally cylindrical tube that extends substantially the complete distance between the rails, said tubes having slots therein that extend generally parallel to the axis of the tube, each of the last named slots having an enlarged central portion, tubes telescopically mounted in one end of tHe last named tube and adapted to extend through a bore in certain of the rails, said last named tubes having diametrically opposed slots in opposite sides thereof to permit the end portion of the tubes to be expanded, wedge members rigidly secured internally of the last named tubes, wedge plugs interposed between said wedge members, and said wedge plugs capable of being turned 90* to slide between the wedge members, a shaft extending through the wedge plug and having a fastener on the outer end thereof, a coil spring positioned in the wedge plug and engaged by the last named fastener for resiliently connecting the shaft to the wedge plug, the inner end of the shaft being arranged at right angles to form a handle, there being a slot in one of said tubes for projection therethrough of said handle, one of said tubes having a rib thereon that is provided with a stop, said rib adapted to engage in a slot in each of the bores, and one of said tubes having a spider mounted therein with the shaft slidably mounted in the spider, a tube having an inner reduced diameter extension that telescopes in one of the first named tubes.

Claim 6

In a telescoping ladder, a pair of generally rectangular spaced parallel hollow side rails, rungs extending from the inner faces of the side rails and rigidly securing the side rails together without obstructing the hollow center of the rails, a foot is provided for the lower end of each of the side rails and each foot including a non-slip sole portion secured to the lower face thereof, a pair of upstanding ears secured in spaced parallel to the foot with each ear having an elongate slot therein, a securing element extending through the lower end of each of the rails and through the slots and the ears, a fastener securing the securing elements to the rails, said feet being provided with transverse detents for receiving the lower ends of the rails, additional side rails having a generally rectangular hollow formation telescopically mounted in said first rails, certain of said additional rails having apertures therein, spring detents secured to certain of said additional rails for engaging the apertures to selectively limit the movement of the additional rails out of the first named rails, certain of said rails being provided with a plurality of bores that extend completely therethrough, rungs connected to said additional rails and said rungs including a generally cylindrical tube that extends substantially the complete distance between the rails, said tubes having slots therein that extend generally parallel to the axis of the tube, each of the last named slots having an enlarged central portion, tubes telescopically mounted in one end of tHe last named tube and adapted to extend through a bore in certain of the rails, said last named tubes having diametrically opposed slots in opposite sides thereof to permit the end portion of the tubes to be expanded, wedge members rigidly secured internally of the last named tubes, wedge plugs interposed between said wedge members, and said wedge plugs capable of being turned 90* to slide between the wedge members, a shaft extending through the wedge plug and having a fastener on the outer end thereof, a coil spring positioned in the wedge plug and engaged by the last named fastener for resiliently connecting the shaft to the wedge plug, the inner end of the shaft being arranged at right angles to form a handle, there being a slot in one of said tubes for projection therethrough of said handle, one of said tubes having a rib thereon that is provided with a stop, said rib adapted to engage in a slot in each of the bores, and one of said tubes having a spider mounted therein with the shaft slidably mounted in the spider, a tube having an inner reduced diameter extension that telescopes in one of the first named tubes.