Tapered ladders..

I've always seen them used by window cleaners, so that they can fit the top into a narrow brick gap between two windows.

I guess this was a (possibly ex-) window cleaner's ladder.

I suppose "A" ladders encourage keeping centre of gravity, err, central, and are lighter due to less total length of treads

They fit into the corner of the reveal and the window so that the ladder is at a slight angle to the wall. It is a lot safer than just leaning an ordinary ladder lat against a wall. It limits the height they can reach though.

It's the same principle as a 3 legged stool - 3 'legs' will always be in contact with the ground, so it is stable even on uneven ground, whereas a 4 legged chair will wobble.

A normal ladder on a slope or uneven ground needs wedges etc to balance it. The tapered ladder might be at a slight angle, but won't wobble.

The message from "Paul Andrews" contains these words:

It probably makes it more stable in actual use, 'cos you're less likely to be able to reach out so far that your centre of mass falls outside the base of the ladder.

Like a three legged stool, more stable. AKA window cleaners ladders.

Thanks guys!

I'm not sure that's true. For a ladder to be stable your centre of gravity must lie over the triangle (or rectangle) formed by the contact points of the ladder. In the case of a tapered ladder, the safe are is smaller than for a correctly placed normal ladder. Once your centre of gravity is outside that area, you are inducing a twisting motion on the ladder and are more likely to fall of f(I would think).

Paul

The message from "Paul Andrews" contains these words:

Yes, but if the ladder is narrow at the top I for one would be less likely to reach out so far as to put the centre of mass outside the base.

Anyone here ever heard of a fruit (tree) ladder? I worked with these 50 years ago. About 4ft wide at the base, 1ft at the top and about 20ft high. Haven't seen one for about 20 years but would dearly like to find a decent bodger made example. Can be used on the roughest of ground, allows top access to fruit and doesn't damage the tree. Probably doesn't comply with current rules & regs, but neither do I. P