Ladder assembly

Claim 2

A ladder assembly for use on an articulating member of a moveable vehicle, comprising; (a) a main ladder mountable on said member; (b) a truss assembly coupled to said main ladder and couplable to said articulating member supporting said main ladder; and (c) bracing means affixed to said ladder assembly for bracing said main ladder from the ground.

Claim 3

A ladder assembly as defined by claim 1, including an auxiliary ladder removably coupled to said bracing means for providing user access to said main ladder from the ground.

Claim 4

A ladder assembly as defined by claim 2, wherein said truss assembly includes adjustable attaching means for removably affixing said ladder assembly to a bucket at an end of said articulating member.

Claim 5

A ladder assembly is defined by claim 3, wherein said adjustable attaching means includes an elongated bar assembly, a pair of coupling members each slidably coupled to a respective end of said bar assembly, bucket side engaging means affixed to a distal end of said coupling members, locking means for releasably locking said bucket engaging means to respective sides of said bucket and hinge connection means coupled to a distal end of each of said coupling members for removable hinged connection of said bracing means to said coupling members.

Claim 6

A ladder assembly as defined by claim 3, wherein said bracing means includes a brace guide removably coupled to each of said hinge connection means having a cylindrical bore, an elongated tube of circular cross section slidably received by said bore and a foot pad pivotally affixed to a foot of said tube and means for releasably locking said guide to prevent its downward sliding over said tube.

Claim 7

A ladder assembly as defined by claim 5, including a coupling lock proximate each end of said tube for releasable locking attachment of said auxiliary ladder thereto.

Claim 8

A ladder assembly as defined by claim 4, wherein said bucket side engaging means includes a depending plate affixed to an end of each of said bar assemblies transverse thereto and a boss protruding from said plate towards an end of said bar opposite said plate, the distal end for sliding engagement with a corresponding receptacle in a corresponding side of said bucket.

Claim 9

A ladder assembly as defined by claim 7, wherein said locking means includes (d) a bolt threaded at one end and having a pawl wheel portion adjacent the threaded portion, a bar section adjacent said pawl wheel portion of slightly larger diameter than the latter for slidable engagement with said bar assembly and a cable engaging portion adjacent said plate portion having a cable aperture therethrough; (e) a pawl wheel slidably engaging the pawl wheel portion of said bolt having a plurality of radially spaced apart teeth around its periphery; (f) a cable each end of which is affixed to one of the opposed ends of said coupling members and passing through said cable aperture; (g) a wrench having an elongated shaft and a threaded bolt receiving aperture at one end for registration with the threaded portion of the bolt; and (h) a pawl arm removably engagable with the teeth of said pawl wheel to maintain tensioning of said cable.