Modern agriculture has become increasingly mechanized. The development and use of combines, tractors and an endless array of other tools, equipment and implements have increased the efficiency of farming. Due to the increased efficiency of farming, the size of farming operations has grown over time, with each farmer farming more and more land. Due to the increase in the size of farms, farmers require that their equipment be capable of farming more land. And so goes this self-reinforcing cycle of ever growing farms and ever growing farming equipment.
One result of this self-reinforcing cycle is that farm equipment has grown in size. As one example, the height, width, weight and power of tractors and combines and other agricultural vehicles has increased (the term “agricultural vehicles” is used broadly herein to describe all forms of vehicles used in agriculture). As the height of agricultural vehicles has increased, ladders were needed to facilitate farmers to climb up into the agricultural vehicle. However, because the width of these agricultural vehicles has also grown, it is unsafe and undesirable to have a fixed ladder sticking out from the side of the agricultural vehicle.
To cure this problem, manufactures added selectively rotating ladders to their equipment. One such manufacturer is John Deere. Many John Deere combines, presently come from the factory with a ladder section connected to a movable platform. This movable platform is rotatably connected to a stationary platform. To move the movable platform from a retracted position to an extended position, or from an extended position to a retracted position, a lever is depressed, generally by the user's foot, and the user manually applies a rotational force to the movable platform with respect to the stationary platform, thereby swinging the movable platform and the ladder section from one position to another.
While this arrangement is effective, it is awkward, inconvenient, difficult, time consuming, tiring and unsafe for the operator. In fact, it is so difficult that many people, such as old, overweight or injured operators, are unable to perform this task because swinging the ladder is too awkward or difficult, while some find that reaching the somewhat hidden lever while remaining on the narrow stationary platform requires too much balance and dexterity.
In addition, manually activating the ladder is dangerous. This is because the lever is somewhat hidden and requires the user to stand on one leg while pressing the lever while they simultaneously apply force to the movable portion of the ladder in an attempt to rotate it. Since the stationary platform is so high above the ground in the event that the user slips and falls off the narrow platform, the fall to the ground far below is certain to be injurious, and can be life threatening.
In view of these and other deficiencies, there is a need in the art to improve these safety and design deficiencies.
Thus, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that improves upon the state of the art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that is easy to use.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that is automatic.
Another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that improves the safety of agricultural vehicles.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that does not require manual operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that eliminates the awkward process of opening and closing of conventional ladder systems.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that improves the efficiency and operator safety of entering and exiting agricultural vehicles.
Another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that provides a manual override in the event that the powered system is not functional.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that is easy to install.
Another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that can be installed onto any agricultural vehicle.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that is inexpensive to manufacture.
Another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that has a long useful life.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that is durable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that has an intuitive design.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a power ladder system for agricultural vehicles that can be retrofitted to any existing or potentially future agricultural vehicle.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.