US2368541A - Combination stool and stepladder - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3o', 1945. C, R, @GGS 2,368,541

COMB'INTION STOOL AND STEPLADDER Inventor Jan. 30, 1945. Q R GR|GG5 2,368,541v

COMBINATION STOOL AND STEPLADDER Filed April 19, 1944 5 Sheets-She'et 2 Inventor CL/F/-o/ao f5. Gra/G65 By i 2J, aad torney step unit shown in folded position,

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' f 2.368,541* f l CQMBINA'HON s-'rdQLANnf-SIEEPLADDER f; .Clifford R. Griggs; Ceres', Calif. ApplicationApnl 19, 1944', vserial No. 531,806 e Claims. (gpl. 228-30).

\ My invention relates to impovementsincom.- bination stools and step ladders and the primary purpose-.thereof is .the `provision! o fi aninexpensive deviceofthis character.- which` embodies a stool I equipped: with means for` locking the stepy unit f in .either folded orfunfolded position.: f 'Ilo the; accomplishment of the..above,land subordinate objects presently appearing; a1. preferred embodiment ofmy'invention hasV beenillustrated inY the accompanying. drawingsset, forth in. del-v tail in; the following; description; and defined in the-claims applllled.hereto;

In; said drawings;- n Figure 1.- is aviewfin frontelevation of: a.fcom;

bination stool and step ladder embodyingjmylim'.- l,

provements., the step unitbeing shown inunfolded position,

Figure 2 is a View in side elevation, Figure 3-is a view in front elevationwith the Figure 4 is a View in vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the directio indicated by the arrows, l

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of a locking bail, and

Figure 6 is an inverted perspective View of the top of the stool unit. y Referring to the drawings by numerals, in the illustrated embodiment thereof my invention comprises a stool unit I including a rectangular top 2 and a pair of substantially A-shaped side members 3 at opposite ends of said top 2, respectively, forming a pair of front and rear legs 4 and 5 of inverted L-shape secured together in end to end abutting relation to diverge ldown-- wardly at the same angle to the vertical. The legs 4 and 5 of each pair are preferably glued together and additionally secured by' any suitable means. Each pair of legs 4 and 5 is braced by a pair of upper and lower horizontal side rounds 6 and 'I 'extending therebetween. A longitudinal brace bar 8 extends underneath the top 2 centrally thereof from one side member to the other and is secured at its ends to said side members by screws 9. The top 2 is preferably glued tothe side members 3. .Preferably said members 3 are mortised into sockets 2 in said top. A pad ID of any suitable material is secured in any desired manner to the upper face of the top 2. The front legs 4 on opposite sides of the unii-l I are co'n- 55 nested?together` adjacent their lower endsl by a. front horizontal round II. and! the rear' legs `E'are similarly.y connected together by a: roundl I2. At a suitable height above the front round Il isa horizontal fulcrum` roundy I3 extending between the front legsilr` and for ar purpose presentlyseen;l

rEhe rounds 6, 1, I.I, I2 and I3'have their ends socketed': into theV legs 4 and 5; asshownfor. in-

stance. at: I4, and additionally secured; inE said mentioned'. fulcrumed: rnund I3v so thatn the unity I6.` may be swung inopposite directionsv thereon into foldedV and unfoldedv positions, respectively,

toconvert thedevice intoeither a stoolor. a step ladder. Inthefnormal, unfolded, position of the unit I6 the lower ends 'of the frame I8 rest on the floor, or other surface, and the described rear edges 20 of the frames I8 at the lower ends thereof extend downwardly and forwardly over the front round I I close thereto whereby when the device is picked upunfolding movement of unit I6 is limited by engagement of said edges 20 with said round I4. The treads I'I may be padded as represented at 2|.

The step unit I6 is locked in unfolded position by means of a locking bail 22 comprising a pair of side bail arms 23 having rear ends pivotally mounted for Vertical swinging movement of the bail 22 on a round'24 extending horizontally between the rear legs 5 and a bail bar 25 extending across and secured to the front end of said arms 23. The bail arms 23 are of the proper length and pivoted at the requisite height to` be swung into horizontal position behind the upper rear corner of the side frame I8 when the unit I6 is in un-v folded position. The bail bar 25 `at its front edge overhangs said bailarms 23 to form a ledge 25v and the upper tread I'I is set forwardly on the side frame I8 to provide upper rear corner ledges, as

the confines of the front and rear legs 4 and 5 with the normally rear edges of the side frames I8 foremost, in which position of said edges the normally upper portions thereof abut the rear of the front round Il thereby establishing the folded position of said unit I6. As will be clear from an inspection of Figure 3 in the folded position of said unit I6 the normally lower portions of the rear edges 20 of the side frames I8 incline upwardly and rearwardly from the fulcrum round I3 and the locking bail 22 may be swung down over the inverted lower ends of said side frames to embrace the same with the bail bar seating on said lower edge portions whereby the step unit I 6 is held in folded position. Ihe side frames I8 may be braced by .suitably located cross rounds, as shown for instance at 21.

As will now be clear the described arrangement of parts provides a simple means for locking the step unit I6 in either folded or unfolded position preventing tilting of said unit from either position and rendering the device'absolutely safe.

The invention will, it is believed, be clear from the foregoing Without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention as described is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to all such modifications falling within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In a combination stool and step ladder, a stool unit including a pair of side leg forming frames, a step unit pivoted on said frames for vertical swinging movement therebetween into and out of the confines of said frames into folded and unfolded positions, respectively, and means for locking said step unit in either position comprising a vertically swinging locking bail movable into abutting relation to a portion of said step unit in the unfolded position of said unit to block movement of the latter toward folded position, said bail embracing said unit in the h folded position thereof to lock the saine against movement toward unfolded position.

2. In ya combination stool and step ladder, a stool unit including a pair of side leg forming frames, a step unit pivoted on said frames for vertical swinging movement therebetween into and out of the confines of said frames into folded and unfolded positions, respectively, and means for locking said step unit in either position comL prising a vertically swinging locking bail movable into abutting relation to a portion of said step unit. in the unfolded position of said unit to block movement of the latter toward folded position, said bail embracing said unit in the folded position thereof to lock the same against movement toward unfolded position, and a stop round extending between said frames and cooperating with said step unit in the folded and unfolded positions thereof to establish said positions.

3. In a combination stool and step ladder, a stool unit including a pair of side leg forming frames, a step unit'pivoted on said frames for vertical swinging movement therebetween into and out of the confines of said frames into folded and unfolded positions, respectively, and means for locking said step unit in either position comprising a vertically swinging locking bail movable into abutting relation to a portion of said step unit in the unfolded position of said unit to block movement of the latter toward folded position, said bail embracing said unit in the folded position thereof to lock the same against movement toward unfolded position, said bail and step unit being provided with coacting stop ledges, respectively, for establishing the locking position of the bail in the unfolded position of said step unit.

CLIFFORD R. GRIGGS.

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