Ladder and associated method for securing same to object

#The present disclosure relates to ladders. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to ladders that can be coupled to an object for climbing or otherwise negotiating that object.

#Ladders for negotiating objects are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,995,714; 4,263,983; 4,467,890; 4,742,888; 4,991,690; 5,109,954; 5,277,273; 5,590,738; 5,655,623; 5,711,399; 5,727,648; 5,779,001; 5,791,436; 5,816,362; 6,003,632; and 6,199,660B1.

#According to the present disclosure, a ladder for negotiating an object comprises a frame and a lever pivotally coupled to the frame at a pivot point. The lever is configured to pivot about the pivot point to engage the object when a user steps on the lever.

#The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ladder with a lever pivoted into engagement with an object to an engaged position to secure the ladder to the object to make the ladder load-bearing ready;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ladder of FIG. 1 showing the lever pivoted out of engagement with the object to a disengaged position;

#A ladder 10 is configured to be coupled to an object 12 to allow a user 14 to climb or otherwise negotiate object 12, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Ladder 10 includes a lever 16 configured to pivot about a pivot point or axis 18 from a disengaged position to an engaged position in response to an actuating force 20 applied by user 14 to lever 16 to secure ladder 10 to object 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. Object 12 is held in place by a foundation 22 and ladder 10 can be secured to object 12 in spaced-apart relation to foundation 22.

#In the illustrated embodiment, object 12 is a tree although object 12 can be other objects such as telephone poles, electric power line poles, or other types of vertical objects extending upwardly or downwardly from a foundation. Object 12 may also be an object with a horizontal component.

#Foundation 22 can be any suitable foundation for holding object 12 in place. Foundation 22 may be the ground, a concrete slab, or other suitable natural or man-made structure.