GB2152095A - Stairway - Google Patents

Abstract

A stairway, for use adjacent spectator seating, is provided with integral and/or removable treads, each tread being provided with a half step comprising a hinged frame carrying a seating squab Y, and selectively hingeable between two positions, a first position being one in which the frame is required to function as a step, (shown in broken lines), with the seating squab generally hidden from view, and a second position (shown in full lines) being one in which the squab is exposed, to provide seating capacity. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tiered seating and stairway This invention relates to extensible and retractable tiered seating, e.g. for use by spectators to view squash through a transparent wall of a squash court. By "extensible and retractable seating" is meant seating adapted to be stored in a collapsed, retracted condition and to be extended to an operative position when its use is required.

In one known seating arrangement of this kind, the seating is extended from a storage area e.g. a corridor, into an unused, adjacent squash court constructed with a movable wall to give access to that court. However, such previous proposals have not utilised to maximum effect the floor area of the unused court, and the object of the present invention is to provide extensible and retractable seating that provides, in contrast to previous proposals, an increased spectator seating capacity in an adjacent, unused court.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided extensible and retractable tiered seating, (which for use by spectators to view squash through a transparent wall of a first squash court may have the seating storable in its retracted condition adjacent a removable back wall of a second, unused squash court, and being extensible into that second court to or adjacent the front wall thereof), the seating comprising a movable framework of inverted U-shape so as to define, in the retracted condition, a passageway through the seating (to give access to the entry/exit door provided within the back wall of the second court) and, in the extended condition, to provide tiered rows of seats (the laterally outer edges of the seating being located in close proximity to the sidewalls of the second court) and a plurality of removable in-fill treads bridging mutually adjacent, laterally inner ends of corresponding pairs of tiers, which inner ends define the frame work passageway, while the tiers that are above the passageway (i.e. above the top of the door of the second court when in the retracted condition) are provided with integral treads which, together with the attached removable treads, form a stairway from bottom to top of the seating in the extended condition thereof, Thus, the seating in accordance with the present invention provides extensible and retractable seating of such a construction that in the extended condition the seating can extend fully from sidewall to sidewall and from back to front wall of a second, unused squash court, while providing a central stairway, from top to bottom of the seating.It follows of course that in practice it is necessary to release and remove to a temporary storage location, the removable back wall of the second court, before the seating can be extended and conversely to re-locate this wall after retraction of the seating to render the second court serviceable again for play. If, as is usually the case, the entry/exit door is located centrally of the back wall of the second court, then the passageway would correspondingly be centrally of the seating and likewise the stairway.

Conveniently, the framework or parts thereof required to move may be rendered mobile by being mounted on wheels or castors. Thus, each tier above the lowest tier may be carried by a pair of frames each of which consists of a lower beam on wheels, a pillar, and a cantilever beam on the pillar, the free ends of the beams carrying the rows of seats, with decking across the beams between the seats and the pillars to provide walkways, each upwardly successive pair of frames having a different position, and taller pillars so that frames of adjacent tiers can lie side-byside when the seating is retracted, with the row of seats of one tier just cleared by the overlying cantilever beams of the next tier, and with stop members on the tops of the pillars cooperating with stop members underneath the next row of seats up when the seating is extended.The lowest tier is preferably carried by a pair of wheeled beams, to enable the retracted seating tobe moved as a whole, e.g. to permit cleaning of the entire floor, each beam being provided with a pillar and stop member but no cantilever beam.

Boarding is preferably provided across, each pair of pillars, preferably on the sides of the pillars forming the corresponding row of seats, to form a riser between the adjacent walkway and, when the seating is extended, the row of seats of the tier above. The uppermost tier is preferably provided with an additional row of seats directly above its pillars and preferably provided with a backrest.

Each removable tread conveniently has framing provided with holes at each end for bolts for attaching it to the mutually adjacent, laterally inner ends of corresponding pairs of tiers, across the framework passageway, which tiers have framing provided with corresponding bolt holes. Some of the bolt holes in the framing of these tiers may be used in securing to the sides of the framework passageway, when the seating is retracted, boards to shield persons walking therethrough from the framing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a stairway for use adjacent spectator seating, is provided with integral or removable treads, or a mixture of integral and removable treads, each tread being provided with a half step comprising a hinged frame carrying a seating squab, which, in a first position of the hinged frame-in which it is used in its capacity as a half step is generally hidden from view, but in a second position of the hinged frame the squab is exposed to provide seating capacity.

The stairway in accordance with the second aspect may or may not be used in conjunction with the seating defined as the first aspect of the invention. it is, however, advantageous to employ the stairway in conjunection with such seating. Thus, whilst the central stairway of the seating is obviously intended to fulfil its primary role of providing for spectator access to the rows of seats to either side of the stairway if the stairway is in accordance with the second aspect, it may secondly fulfil an additional seating function should this be required. To attain the second position, the frame is conveniently hinged to swing through 180 between its two positions, the frame being provided with a tread board generally parallel to its squab.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from one end of the retracted seating; Figure 2 is a perspective view from the front of the extended seating; Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view showing the stairway tread/seating arrangements; Figure 4 is a front elevation of the retracted seating with the positions of the removable treads indicated; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic rear elevation of the retracted seating with the removable treads removed; Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged end elevation showing some of the framework pulled out; Figure 7 is a further enlarged fragmentary detail of part of Figure 6; Figure 8 is an end elevation of the framework for the first row of seating above the passageway; and Figure 9 is an end elevation of one of the removable treads.

The extensible and retractable tiered seating shown in the drawings comprises movable framework A of inverted U-shape (see particularly Figures 4 and 5) so as to define, in the retracted condition, a passageway B through the seating, and in the extended condition (see particularly Figures 2 and 3) to provide tiered rows of seats C1 to C15, and a plurality of removable, in-fill treads D bridging mutually adjacent, laterally inner ends E of corresponding pairs of tiers F1 to F8, which inner ends E define the framework passageway B, while the tiers F9 to F14 that are above the passageway are provided with integral treads G which, together with the attached removable treads D, form a stairway from bottom to top of the seating in the extended condition thereof (see figures 2 and 3).

Each tier above the lowest tier (i.e. the tiers F2 to F14) is carried by a pair of frames H2 to H14 (see Figures 1, 5, 6 and 8) each of which consists of a lower beam J2 to J14 on wheels K, a pillar L2 to L14, and a cantilever beam M2 to M14 on the pillar, the free ends of the beams carrying the rows of seating C2 to C14, with decking N across the beams between the seats and the pillars to provide walkways, each upwardly successive pair of frames having a different pitch and taller pillars, so that frames of adjacent tiers can lie side-by-side when the seating is retracted (see Figure 1), with the rows of seats of one tier just cleared by the overlying cantilever beams (see also Figure 6), and with stop members 0 at the tops of the pillars cooperating with stop members P underneath the next row of seats up when the seating is extended (see Figure 7).

The lowest tier F1 is carried by a pair of wheeled beams J1, to enable the retracted seating tobe moved as a whole, each beam J1 being provided with a pillar L1 and stop member 0 but no cantilever beam.

Boarding Q is provided across each pair of pillars, on the sides facing the corresponding row of seats, to form a riser between the adjacent walkway N and, when the seating is extended, the row of seats of the tier above.

The uppermost tier F14 is provided with the additional row of seats C15 directly above its pillars L14 and provided with a backrest R.

Each removable tread D has framing S (see Figure 9) provided with holes T at each end for bolts (not shown) for attaching it to the mutually adjacent, laterally inner ends E of corresponding pairs of tiers F1 to F8, across the framework passageway B, which tiers have framing U provided with corresponding bolt holes T. Some of the bolt holes T in the framing U are used in securing to the sides of the framework passageway, when the seating is retracted, boards V to shield persons walk ing therethrough from the framing U (see Figure 5).

Each tread D (removable) or G (integral) is provided with a half step W comprising a hinged frame X carrying a seating squab Y and a tread board Z, which squab Y, in a first position of the hinged frame (shown in broken lines in Figure 9)-in which it is used in its capacity as a half step (see also Figure 2 and the lower part of Figure 3)-is generally hidden from view, but in a second position of the hinged frame (shown in full lines in Figure 9) the squab Y is exposed to provide additional seating capacity (see also the upper part of Figure 3).

The maximum seating capacity of the em bodiment shown in the drawings is the aggre gate of the rows of seats C1 to C15 and the squabs Y on all the treads D and C, which in the particular instance illustrated amounts to at least 210 persons.

CLAIMS 1. Extensible and retractable tiered seating comprising movable framework of inverted Ushape so as to define, in the retracted condition, a passageway through the seating, and, in the extended condition, to provide tiered rows of seats, and a plurality of removable infill treads bridging mutually adjacent laterally inner ends of pairs of tiers, which inner ends define the framework passageway, while the tiers that are above the passageway are provided with integral treads which, together with the attached removable treads, form a stairway from bottom to top of the seating in the extended condition thereof.

2. Seating as in Claim 1, wherein the framework or parts thereof required to move are rendered mobile by being mounted on wheels or castors.

3. Seating as in Claim 2, wherein each tier above the lowest tier is carried by a pair of frames each of which consists of a lower beam on wheels, a pillar, and a cantilever beam on the pillar the free ends of the beams carrying the rows of seats, with decking across the beams between the seats and the pillars to provide walkways, each upwardly successive pair of frames having a different position, and taller pillars so that frames of adjacent tiers can lie side-by-side when the seating is retracted, with the row of seats of one tier just cleared by the overlying cantilever beams of the next tier, and with stop members at the tops of the pillars cooperating with stop members underneath the next row of seats up when the seating is extended.

4. Seating as in Claim 3, wherein the lowest tier is carried by a pair of wheeled beams, to enable the retracted seating to be moved as a whole, each beam being provided with a pillar and stop member but no cantilever beam.

5. Seating as in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein boarding is provided across each pair of pillars, to form a riser between the adjacent walkway and, when the seating is extended, the row of seats of the tier above.

6. Seating as in any one of Claims 3 to 5, wherein the uppermost tier is provided with an additional row of seats directly above its pillars.

7. Seating as in Claim 6, wherein the additional row of seats is provided with a backrest.

8. Seating as in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein each removable tread has framing provided with holes at each end for bolts for attaching it to the mutually adjacent, laterally inner ends of corresponding pairs of tiers, across the framework passageway, which tiers have framing provided with corresponding bolt holes.

9. Seating as in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein boards are secured to the sides of the framework passageway, when the seating is retracted.

1 0. A stairway for use adjacent spectator seating, for example, in any of the preceding Claims, provided with integral and/or removable treads, each tread being provided with a half step comprising a hinged frame carrying a seating squab, which in a first position of the hinged frame is generally hidden from view, but in a second position of the hinged frame the squab is exposed to provide seating capacity.

11. A stairway as in Claim 10, wherein the frame of each half step is hinged to swing through 180 between its two positions, the frame being provided with a step board generally parallel to its squab.

12. Extensible and retractable tiered seating, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS New claims or amendments to claims filed on 4.1.75 Superseded claims 1-12 New or amended claims:- 1-3

1. A stairway, for use adjacent spectator seating, provided with integral and/or removable treads, each tread being provided with a half-step comprising a frame carrying a seating squab, and selectively hingeable between two positions, a first position being one in which the frame is required to function as a step, with the seating squab generally hidden from view, and a second position being one in which the squab is exposed, to provide seating capacity.

2. A stairway as in Claim 1, wherein the hinged frame of each half step is hinged to swing through 1 8ore between its two positions, the frame being provided with a step board generally parallel to its squab.

3. A stairway, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.