It’s not exactly a marvel of technology but it is an ancient one. The engineering behind a ladder is simple. Steps move us upward to the height we need to arrive at. The construction could not be more basic for the average ladder and has not changed much since they were first invented and the first depicted ladder was discovered on a cave painting that was done more than 10,000 years ago in Valencia Spain. It shows two individuals using a long ladder to reach for a wild honey comb in a tree.
Sadly not a great deal of mechanical history is available on the ladder and its first literary mention was in the Bible, in reference to the story of Jacob and “Jacob’s Ladder”. Another early famous referral to a ladder is in the kidnapping story of the Lindbergh baby where the ladder was used to gain access to the upper floor of the Lindbergh home in 1932 and broke under the weight of Bruno Hauptmann, the German man charged with the abduction.
Devised by the early Egyptians and for generations after the fact, wooden ladders of various build styles and sizes were used in homes instead of stairs.
Ladder Superstition
Have you ever heard the saying “Don’t walk under a ladder” and the consequence that if you do, something bad will happen? This superstition is not a globally recognized one and while no one is sure about where it started from, it is unique to North America alone.
In the Victorian era in Great Britain, a woman could be hung or burned at the stake for sorcery for possessing what was known as a “Witch Ladder”. The device was a harmless creation from binding twine or string and pierced by a succession of rooster feathers. The feathers gave the appearance of the rungs of a ladder penetrating from the top to the bottom of the string and was said to cause a neighbors cow to stop producing milk.
Designs and Purposes
For every industrial job requiring the use of a ladder there is a specific design for the function. Ladders can be made out of a variety of sturdy woods and metal substances for rigid construction. For recreation and in nautical or transportation use (or for emergency purposes) ladders can also be built from rope.
Some of the more commonly found wood ladders are:
- Extension (telescopic) ladders
- Fixed ladder
- Hook ladder
- Orchard ladder
- Roof ladder
- Step ladder
Extension Ladders
Designs of the wooden extension ladder were popular back in the early 1800’s for use on farms and in barns and hay lofts. By today’s standards the extension ladder of the day was not a particularly safe way to climb. The two or three portions of the extension would slide against the other and upward. When the desired height was achieved a large hook was clamped down on the sections to prevent them from collapsing or sliding under weight. They were not particularly stable (as the hook could shift with changing center of gravity or body weight) but given their early use and the low height of buildings in that era, climbing to worrisome heights was unlikely as was serious injury from falling.
As extension ladders are built to slide against one another in a telescopic manner, the interior ladder is slightly smaller than the exterior to facilitate easy movement.
Fixed Ladders
A fixed wooden ladder is installed and stationary so that it cannot be moved. Typically a fixed ladder is found in a storage space or garage, or a loft where there may not be enough room to construct a full set of stairs to access a higher level. They tend to be built with railings on the side for safety and may be built on a slight angle.
It is common to see fixed ladders in barns on industrial farms as well for frequently used areas and they are typically the same width from top to bottom.
Hook Ladders
A traditional hook ladder (or pompier) was a wooden ladder devised and used historically by fire departments. The unique design featured a hook on the top of the ladder which could be used to place the ladder securely against a window frame. Before telescopic reach fire trucks existed, firemen were taking these portable little ladders into fires and using them to access different building floors.
Orchard Ladders
These charming little ladders are of course, used in fruit orchards for the pruning and maintenance as well as harvesting of trees. Orchard ladders have a very classic and unique structure as they tend to be wide around the base and taper off at the top. The reason for this hallmark design of orchard ladders is to provide maximum weight bearing stability on the bottom of the ladder. This is to stabilize the climber on the uneven surface ground of a fruit orchard.
The top of the wooden orchard ladder is narrower for two purposes. First, it prevents doing damage to tree branches with a smaller point of contact on the tree. Second, it does not obscure the view or the movement of the climber. This is necessary as the climber may be carrying out functions with large tools such as pruning shears.
Roof Ladders
A small wooden ladder that is affixed to a climbing rope or chain and then attached to the roof. The purpose of this ladder (also known as a “chicken ladder”) is to provide a stable area where rooftop workers can grasp onto the ladder for balance or to prevent falling.
Step Ladders
Almost everyone has a step ladder in their home. These little wooden structures are idea for everything from watering plants to interior painting. They are shaped in an a-frame style to offer maximum stability for household use. Simply spread the two sides of the ladder apart and ascend. Keep in mind however that only one side of a step ladder (traditionally) should be stood upon for safety reasons.
The history and broad use of the wooden ladder is a colorful one but as advances in other fire retardant materials presented themselves the production of wooden ladders has all but stopped. They are more likely to be a curiosity now than a valuable hardware tool as in the past.
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