Ladder accessory holder

#A number of U.S. patents disclose devices for attaching to ladders in order to support buckets. Such devices generally fall into two types.

#A first type is attached to the rail of the ladder, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. D313,169; 4,776,550; and 5,305,977. These devices share a common deficiency in that the device cannot be easily moved up the ladder as the painter climbs the ladder without completely detaching the device from the rail, because the ladder rungs prevent movement of the device along the rail.

#A second type is attached to a rung of the ladder, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. D266,964; D393,413; 3,895,772; 5,305,977; and 5,716,034. However, with the exception of U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,977, these patents do not disclose a means for securely attaching the bucket to the ladder rung, i.e., they all rely on gravity to keep the bucket attached to the rung. U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,977 discloses a hook for engaging a ladder rung and a spring for securing the hook in place; however, the design would allow the hook to rotate around the rung under the moment of inertia of the paint bucket.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ladder with a first embodiment of the invention attached thereto.

#FIG. 2 is the same as FIG. 1, but with a second embodiment of the invention attached thereto.

#FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention, with ladder rungs shown in phantom.

#FIGS. 1 and 2 show a ladder L leaning against a wall W. The ladder L has rungs R and side rails S.

#In this Detailed Description, the terms “upper” and “lower” shall refer to orientations in which the invention is attached to a ladder which is resting more or less upright against a wall or other support.

#A first embodiment of the apparatus 10 of the present invention is shown attached to the ladder L in FIG. 1. In the first embodiment, the apparatus 10 attaches between the rungs R by means of engagement members 12 that contact adjacent sides RA of the rungs R.