Ladder leveling apparatus

Claim 1

LADDER LEVELING APPARATUS INCLUDING A HOLLOW BOXLIKE HOUSING ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE LOWER END OF A LADDER SIDE RAIL, THE HOUSING HAVING ALIGNED TRAPEZOIDAL-SHAPED OPENINGS IN ITS TOP AND BOTTOM, A HOLLOW ROD HAVING A TRAPEZOIDAL SHAPE IN CROSS SECTION SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN THE OPENINGS, A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY DIRECTED VERTICALLY SPACED RATCHET TEETH EXTENDING THE FULL WIDTH OF THE SIDE OF THE ROD TOWARDS THE SIDE RAIL, A USHAPED DETENT, THE LEGS OF THE U STRADDLING THE ROD, DOGS PIVOTALLY SECURING THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE U TO THE OUTER AND UNDER SIDE OF THE HOUSING ADJACENT THS SIDE RAIL, THE INSIDE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE U HAVING AN EDGE ENGAGING OVER THE FULL WIDTH OF ANY SELECTED RATCHET TOOTH, MEANS INSIDE THE HOUSING BIASING THE DETENT UPWARDLY, COIL-SPRING MEANS INSIDE THE ROD AND SECURED AT ITS LOWER END TO THE LOWER END OF THE ROD, AND MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH A VERTICAL SLOT IN THE ROD AND SECURED BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF THE HOUSING AND THE UPPER END OF THE SPRING MEANS TO BIAS THE ROD UPWARDLY.