Self-Propelled Ladder Makes "High Jobs" Easier

Self-Propelled Ladder Makes "High Jobs" Easier MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 23-5-2 Farmer-inventor Dale Beamish of Jarvie, Alberta, was tired of having to lug around a heavy, awkward ladder and then worrying about his safety while climbing. So he decided to self-propel an industrial-strength aluminum ladder. He mounted it on a carrier frame made from 2 3/8-in. dia. pipe. He powered the unit with a 3 1/2 hp mower engine and a 3-speed transmission from a riding lawn mower. Wheels are mounted on a 9-ft. wide axle for stability. To make the wide axle, Beamish used the lawn mower's rear end. He extended either end of it with U-joints and drive shafts that drive home-built stub axles. The seat and steering wheel are located on the left side of the ladder. The unit has three forward gears and one reverse, traveling at a maximum of 6 mph. Beamish used spider gears out of a pickup rear end to supply an angle drive for steering the single front wheel. As a result, the unit can turn on a dime, he says. The ladder has a 13-ft. minimum height and extends to 36 ft. It tilts and telescopes with hydraulics. The hydraulic pump was taken from an old combine and is driven off the engine. "It's very stable and you don't have to worry about the ladder kicking out or the wind blowing it over," Beamish says. The self-propelled ladder took about 40 hours to design and build and cost about $1,000 in out-of-pocket costs. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dale Beamish, Beamish Seed Farms, Box 67, Jarvie, Alberta, Canada, TOG 1HO (ph 780 954-2166 or 780 954-3960; fax 780 954-2671).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.