Ladder stabilizer apparatus

1. A ladder stabilizer apparatus for use in stabilizing a ladder comprising two rails extending in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of rungs connected between the rails at longitudinally spaced apart positions along the rails wherein each of the rails has a side wall portion mounting the rungs thereon and a rear flange protruding inwardly towards the other rail at a location spaced from the rungs to define a frame gap between the rear flange of each rail and the rungs, the apparatus comprising:

a mounting frame including rail mounts adapted to be mounted onto the rails so as to be longitudinally slidable along the rails;

at least one stabilizer leg supported on the mounting frame so as to be longitudinally slidable along the rails with the mounting frame;

said at least one stabilizer leg including a first end pivotally coupled to the mounting frame and a second end opposite the first end so as to be arranged to engage the ground when stabilizing the ladder;

said at least one stabilizer leg being pivotal relative to the mounting frame between a stored position in which the at least one stabilizer leg is supported alongside the mounting frame such that the second end of the at least one stabilizer leg is in proximity to the rails of the ladder and a working position protruding outwardly from the mounting frame such that the second end of the at least one stabilizer leg is spaced outwardly from the rails of the ladder; and

a retaining mechanism supported on the mounting frame, the retaining mechanism being adapted to prevent longitudinal displacement of the mounting frame relative to the ladder in at least one direction;

wherein the rail mounts of the mounting frame comprise support flanges supported at laterally opposing sides of the mounting frame within a common support plane, the flanges protruding outwardly from the mounting frame so as to be adapted to be inserted within the frame gap of the rails of the ladder respectively, whereby the mounting frame is supported for longitudinal sliding along the rails by the support flanges within the frame gaps of the rails.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one stabilizer leg comprises a pair of stabilizer legs which are supported on the mounting frame such that the stabilizer legs are adapted to be longitudinally slidable together with the mounting frame relative to the ladder.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one stabilizer leg is adapted to be longitudinally slidable with the mounting frame relative to the ladder while in the stored position of the stabilizer leg from a first position of the mounting frame in which the second end of the stabilizer leg in the stored position protrudes beyond an end of the ladder and a second position of the mounting frame relative to the ladder in which the second end of the stabilizer leg in the stored position does not protrude beyond the end of the ladder.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one stabilizer leg is further coupled to the mounting frame by a folding brace, the folding brace being pivotally coupled at a first end of the brace to the mounting frame at a location spaced from the first end of the stabilizer leg and being pivotally coupled at a second end of the brace to the stabilizer leg at a location spaced from the first end of the stabilizer leg, whereby the folding brace is movable between a folded condition when the stabilizer leg is in the stored position and an extended condition when the stabilizer leg is in the working position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support flanges are supported in fixed relation to one another such that the mounting frame can only be removed from the rails of the ladder by longitudinally sliding the mounting frame beyond one end of the ladder through open ends of the rails respectively.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a clamp supported on the mounting frame so as to be operable between a clamped position which restricts movement of the mounting frame relative to the ladder and a released position in which the clamp does not interfere with longitudinal sliding of the mounting frame relative to the ladder.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the clamp is operable in the clamped position to fix the mounting frame relative to the ladder at any selected one of a plurality of longitudinal positions along the ladder.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the clamp is supported on the mounting frame at a location spaced above the pivotal connection of the first end of said at least one stabilizer leg.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the clamp comprises a set screw supported on the mounting frame so as to be rotated about a screw axis oriented perpendicularly to a common plane of the rails of the ladder.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the clamp comprises a screw assembly extending in a lateral direction between two rail mounts of the mounting frame at laterally opposing sides of the mounting frame, the screw assembly being rotatable about a screw axis oriented parallel to a common plane of the rails so as to be arranged to apply a clamping pressure to clamp the rail mounts onto the respective rails of the ladder.

11. A ladder stabilizer apparatus in combination with a ladder comprising two rails extending in a longitudinal direction and a plurality of rungs connected between the rails at longitudinally spaced apart positions along the rails wherein each of the rails has a side wall portion mounting the rungs thereon and a rear flange protruding inwardly towards the other rail at a location spaced from the rungs to define a frame gap between the rear flange of each rail and the rungs, the apparatus comprising:

a mounting frame including rail mounts mounted onto the rails so as to be longitudinally slidable along the rails;

at least one stabilizer leg supported on the mounting frame so as to be longitudinally slidable along the rails with the mounting frame;

said at least one stabilizer leg including a first end pivotally coupled to the mounting frame and a second end opposite the first end so as to be arranged to engage the ground when stabilizing the ladder;

said at least one stabilizer leg being pivotal relative to the mounting frame between a stored position in which the at least one stabilizer leg is supported alongside the mounting frame such that the second end of the at least one stabilizer leg is in proximity to the rails of the ladder and a working position protruding outwardly from the mounting frame such that the second end of the at least one stabilizer leg is spaced outwardly from the rails of the ladder; and

a retaining mechanism supported on the mounting frame, the retaining mechanism preventing longitudinal displacement of the mounting frame relative to the ladder in at least one direction when the retaining mechanism is engaged with the ladder;

wherein the rail mounts of the mounting frame comprising support flanges supported at laterally opposing sides of the mounting frame within a common support plane, the flanges protruding outwardly from the mounting frame so as to be adapted to be inserted within the frame gap of the rails of the ladder respectively, whereby the mounting frame is supported for longitudinal sliding along the rails by the support flanges within the frame gaps of the rails.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said at least one stabilizer leg comprises a pair of stabilizer legs which are supported on the mounting frame such that the stabilizer legs are adapted to be longitudinally slidable together with the mounting frame relative to the ladder.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said at least one stabilizer leg is adapted to be longitudinally slidable with the mounting frame relative to the ladder while in the stored position of the stabilizer leg from a first position of the mounting frame in which the second end of the stabilizer leg protrudes beyond an end of the ladder in the stored position and a second position of the mounting frame relative to the ladder in which the second end of the stabilizer leg in the stored position does not protrude beyond the end of the ladder.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said at least one stabilizer leg is further coupled to the mounting frame by a folding brace, the folding brace being pivotally coupled at a first end of the brace to the mounting frame at a location spaced from the first end of the stabilizer leg and being pivotally coupled at a second end of the brace to the stabilizer leg at a location spaced from the first end of the stabilizer leg, whereby the folding brace is movable between a folded condition when the stabilizer leg is in the stored position and an extended condition when the stabilizer leg is in the working position.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the support flanges are supported in fixed relation to one another such that the mounting frame can only be removed from the rails of the ladder by longitudinally sliding the mounting frame beyond one end of the ladder through open ends of the rails respectively.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a clamp supported on the mounting frame so as to be operable between a clamped position which restricts movement of the mounting frame relative to the ladder and a released position in which the clamp does not interfere with longitudinal sliding of the mounting frame relative to the ladder.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the clamp is operable in the clamped position to fix the mounting frame relative to the ladder at any selected one of a plurality of longitudinal positions along the ladder.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the clamp is supported on the mounting frame at a location spaced above the pivotal connection of the first end of said at least one stabilizer leg.