Slidably attached boat ladder

Abstract

An extendable boat ladder is coupled to elongated slidable brackets on a boat deck through sleeve members which are pivotally attached to about the outer ends of the brackets so that the ladder can be slidably stored on the boat deck and slidably moved to the edge of the boat deck and deployed by being swung downward into or toward the water for use.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention is directed to a boat ladder which is attached to a boat and stowed or stored, when not in use, on the deck of a boat or other suitable generally horizontal supporting surface and is put into use by being extended over the edge of the deck and is deployed for use downward into or toward the water for climbing into and or out of the boat.DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART[0002]Boat ladders of the type with which this invention is concerned conventionally and commonly comprise a pair of elongated laterally spaced parallel rigid support members with at least one step or rung attached between the rigid supports. The typical ladder may be an expandable type which conventionally has respective support members telescopically engaged with one another to provide extra length and additional steps or rungs for use in climbing into or out of the boat. For storing, the support members are telescopically collapsed into a stored position with the rungs located ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003]The present invention has a pair of elongated parallel laterally displaced brackets each having a base and upstanding sidewalls extending upward from the outer edges of the base with the brackets connected or coupled to the boat deck or other generally horizontal suitable platform or surface and the brackets are longitudinally slidable along the deck from a rearward location where the coupled boat ladder is in the stored or stowed position to a forward location extending to or beyond the outer edge of the deck for the boat ladder to be in the use position. In each of the brackets at about its outward end a hollow sleeve member is pivotly attached between the sidewalls of the bracket and the elongated ladder support members are slidably engaged in each of the sleeves whereby for storing or stowing the ladder is slid through the sleeve member to be at its most rearward location and for use the ladder is slid oppositely in the sleeve members so that it can be swung down over the edge of the deck or support surface for use to climb into or out of the boat. Using the sleeve member, as differentiated from the arrangement in Schmitt et al patent with pivot pins slidably engaged in elongated slots in slide plates, is considerably more efficient less costly and simpler in construction. Also the pivot pins sliding in the elongated slots in Schmitt et al are likely to be damaged or subject to fatigue over a period of time more so than the hollow sleeve utilized in the instant invention.

Problems solved by technology

Also the pivot pins sliding in the elongated slots in Schmitt et al are likely to be damaged or subject to fatigue over a period of time more so than the hollow sleeve utilized in the instant invention.

Images