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US4548294A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Ladder for a boat and method of fabrication

Assignee: HARRIS-KAYOT Inc 2801 WEST STATE ST FT WAYNE IN 48608 A CORP OF
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Filing: 1982-09-22
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Granted: 1985-10-22
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Expires: 2002-09-22
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Abstract

Abstract A removable ladder for placement over the side of a boat and extension into water for aiding ingress and egress of swimmers and the like is disclosed and includes a pair of elongated, generally parallel extending upright members terminating at respective first ends in boat engaging hooks with a series of cross members extending generally parallel to one another and spanning the upright members to form a sequence of steps. Each step may comprise a pair of laterally displaced cross members and the boat engaging hooks may be formed as a pair of generally orthogonal projections one extending parallel to and displaced from the direction of upright member elongation while the other extends generally parallel to and displaced from the step forming cross members so that the hooks may be positioned behind upright portions of the boat railing to secure the ladder in place and obviate the need for handrails on the ladder, since the railing upright portions may be used as handgrip regions when using the ladder. A technique for forming such a ladder from hollow aluminum tubing of generally square cross sectional configuration is also disclosed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jerome Ruda
  • 👤 Vernon L. Ludwig

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 12:49
CPC Classifications
E; E06; E06C; E06C7/00; E06C7/08; E06C5/00; E06C5/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 196 words
A removable ladder to be placed over the side of a boat and extended into water for aiding swimmers and the like in entering the boat from the water comprising: a pair of elongated generally parallel extending upright members terminating at respective first ends in boat engaging hooks; and a series of cross members extending generally parallel to one another and spanning said upright members to form a sequence of steps, each step comprising a pair of laterally displaced cross members with one of each step forming pair of cross members being coplanar with the upright members, while the other of each step forming a pair of cross members includes end portions extending generally perpendicular to both the upright member and the one cross member for supporting the other cross member in its laterally displaced position, the hooks comprising a pair of generally orthogonal projections at each first end, one extending generally parallel to and displaced from the direction of upright member elongation and the other extending generally parallel to and displaced from the cross members and the upright members and the cross members being formed of hollow aluminum tubing of generally square cross sectional configuration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 196 words
A removable ladder to be placed over the side of a boat and extended into water for aiding swimmers and the like in entering the boat from the water comprising: a pair of elongated generally parallel extending upright members terminating at respective first ends in boat engaging hooks; and a series of cross members extending generally parallel to one another and spanning said upright members to form a sequence of steps, each step comprising a pair of laterally displaced cross members with one of each step forming pair of cross members being coplanar with the upright members, while the other of each step forming a pair of cross members includes end portions extending generally perpendicular to both the upright member and the one cross member for supporting the other cross member in its laterally displaced position, the hooks comprising a pair of generally orthogonal projections at each first end, one extending generally parallel to and displaced from the direction of upright member elongation and the other extending generally parallel to and displaced from the cross members and the upright members and the cross members being formed of hollow aluminum tubing of generally square cross sectional configuration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 41 words
The ladder of claim 1 further comprising an array of resilient spacers for engaging a boat and maintaining separation between the remaining portions of the ladder and the boat when the ladder is operatively positioned over the side of the boat.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 165 words
A removable ladder to be placed over the side of a boat and extended into water for aiding swimmers and the like in entering the boat from the water comprising: a pair of elongated generally extending upright members terminating at respective first ends in boat engaging hooks; an array of resilient spacers for engaging a boat and maintaining separation between the remaining portions of the ladder and the boat when the ladder is operatively positioned over the side of the boat; and a series of cross members extending generally parallel to one another and spanning said upright members to form a sequence of steps, the boat engaging hooks comprising a pair of generally orthogonal projections at each first end, one extending generally parallel to and displaced from the direction of upright member elongation and the other extending generally parallel to and displaced from the cross members, the upright members and the cross members being formed of hollow aluminum tubing of generally square cross sectional configuration.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 165 words
A removable ladder to be placed over the side of a boat and extended into water for aiding swimmers and the like in entering the boat from the water comprising: a pair of elongated generally extending upright members terminating at respective first ends in boat engaging hooks; an array of resilient spacers for engaging a boat and maintaining separation between the remaining portions of the ladder and the boat when the ladder is operatively positioned over the side of the boat; and a series of cross members extending generally parallel to one another and spanning said upright members to form a sequence of steps, the boat engaging hooks comprising a pair of generally orthogonal projections at each first end, one extending generally parallel to and displaced from the direction of upright member elongation and the other extending generally parallel to and displaced from the cross members, the upright members and the cross members being formed of hollow aluminum tubing of generally square cross sectional configuration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 59 words
The ladder of claim 3 wherein one of each step forming pair of cross members is coplanar with the upright members while the other of each step forming pair of cross members includes end portions extending generally perpendicular to both the upright member and the one cross member for supporting the other cross member in its laterally displace position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 34 words
The ladder of claim 3 wherein there is a resilient spacer associated with each orthogonal projection of the boat engaging hooks and at least two further spacers extending one each from the upright members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 184 words
For boarding a pontoon boat of the type having a float supported generally flat horizontally extending deck with upstanding railing positioned about at least part of the periphery thereof and at least one access opening within the railing, a suspension ladder comprising: a pair of elongated generally parallel extending upright members terminating at respective first ends in boat engaging hooks each of the pair of hooks comprising a pair of generally orthogonal projections at the respective first ends, one of the projections extending generally parallel to and displaced from the direction of upright member elongation for engaging the surface of the deck and the other of the pair of hooks extending generally horizontally outwardly for engaging the railing just above deck level; and a series of cross members extending generally parallel to one another and spanning said upright members to form a sequence of steps with substantially all portions of the ladder being positioned lower than the hooks when those hooks engage the boat in the vicinity of an access opening and the railing providing hand hold regions for ascending and descending the ladder.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 184 words
For boarding a pontoon boat of the type having a float supported generally flat horizontally extending deck with upstanding railing positioned about at least part of the periphery thereof and at least one access opening within the railing, a suspension ladder comprising: a pair of elongated generally parallel extending upright members terminating at respective first ends in boat engaging hooks each of the pair of hooks comprising a pair of generally orthogonal projections at the respective first ends, one of the projections extending generally parallel to and displaced from the direction of upright member elongation for engaging the surface of the deck and the other of the pair of hooks extending generally horizontally outwardly for engaging the railing just above deck level; and a series of cross members extending generally parallel to one another and spanning said upright members to form a sequence of steps with substantially all portions of the ladder being positioned lower than the hooks when those hooks engage the boat in the vicinity of an access opening and the railing providing hand hold regions for ascending and descending the ladder.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 25 words
The ladder of claim 6 wherein the upright members and the cross members are formed of hollow aluminum tubing of generally square cross sectional configuration.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 59 words
The ladder of claim 6 wherein one of each step forming pair of cross members is coplanar with the upright members while the other of each step forming pair of cross members includes end portions extending generally perpendicular to both the upright member and the one cross member for supporting the other cross member in its laterally displaced position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 41 words
The ladder of claim 6 further comprising an array of resilient spacers for engaging a boat and maintaining separation between the remaining portions of the ladder and the boat when the ladder is operatively positioned over the side of the boat.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 34 words
The ladder of claim 9 wherein there is a resilient spacer associated with each orthogonal projection of the boat engaging hooks and at least two further spacers extending one each from the upright members.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2037805A Cited
US2194978A Cited
US2607523A Cited
US2971601A Cited
US3189124A Cited
US3618702A Cited
US4137996A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1988-10-21 1989-04-22 1989-10-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1992-10-21 1993-04-22 1993-10-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1996-10-21 1997-04-22 1997-10-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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