Foldable extension ladder and ladder sections therefor

A foldable extension ladder comprising:

• a first ladder section;
• a second ladder section;
• each of said first and second ladder sections including:
• a plurality of foldable sections, each said foldable section including a pair of end rails and a plurality of rungs extending in a transverse direction of the respective ladder section and connecting said pair of end rails in a parallel, spaced apart relation, an all said foldable sections being of substantially equal length;
• at least one hinge means for hingedly connecting together said plurality of foldable sections in end to end relation for movement between an in-line configuration in which the foldable sections are arranged substantially in-line with each other in a lengthwise direction of said ladder and a folded configuration in which all of said foldable sections are arranged in a substantially parallel, overlaying relation with each other, each said hinge means including pivot means for pivotally connecting ends of two adjacent ones of said foldable sections;
• said pivot means of all said hinge means of said first ladder section being arranged to a first side of said first ladder section, as measured in a depthwise direction of said first ladder section, which is substantially perpendicular to said transverse and lengthwise directions thereof, when said first ladder section is in said in-line configuration;
• said pivot means of all said hinge means of said second ladder section being arranged to a first side of said second ladder section, as measured in a depthwise direction of said second ladder section, which is substantially perpendicular to said transverse and lengthwise directions thereof, when said second ladder section is in said in-line configuration;
• and
• releasable locking means for releasably locking each said hinge means in a fixed position when two foldable sections at opposite ends of each said hinge means are arranged in said in-line configuration;
• and
• means for slidably connecting said end rails of said first and second ladder sections together in said lengthwise direction of said ladder, at second, opposite sides of said first and second ladder sections such that said first and second ladder sections are fully slidable with respect to each other and such that said hinge means of the first and second ladder sections can move past each other in said lengthwise direction during said sliding movement.