GB2385340A

GB2385340A - Modular stringer for staircase

Info

Publication number: GB2385340A
Application number: GB0303226A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Owen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-02-14
Filing date: 2003-02-13
Publication date: 2003-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 2023-02-13
Also published as: GB0303226D0; AU2003208410A1; GB0203482D0; WO2003069090A1; GB2385340B; GB2385340C

Abstract

A staircase 10 for providing access to e.g a portable building comprises two or more spaced apart support stringers 20 between which treads 30 of steps are supported, wherein each support stringer is constructed from two or more sections 24 which are adapted to be connected together to a form a support stringer 20 of desired length. A banister 42 and/or a guardrail 46 comprising spindles 40 may be connected to the tread member 30 of each section 24.

Description

(1) "Improvements in or relaúip-g to staircases" This invention relates to

staircases and more particularly, but not exclusively, to staircases for use in providing access to portable buildings.

5 When a portable building such as a "Portacabin"' Registered Trade Mark, is installed on uneven or sloping ground, the height of the access door sill of the building above the ground varies according to the particular location and can only normally be determined once the 10 building has been installed and levelled. It is therefore necessary, when utilising conventional staircases having one piece support stringers, to produce a custom-made staircase once the building has been installed.

It will be appreciated the construction of such a 15 custom-made staircase is a time consuming operation which not only delays the provision of a suitable access to a newly installed portable building which can cause delays in installing internal fittings in the portable building but also is relatively expensive.

20 The object of the present invention is to provide a staircase which alleviates one or more of the above disadvantages of a conventional staircase, According to this invention, a staircase for providing access to a building comprises two or more spaced-apart 25 support stringers between which treads of steps are supported wherein each support stringer is constructed

4. À À

- o (23 from two or more sections which are adapted to be connected together to form a support stringer of desired length. Preferably, each section comprises a riser support 5 member and a tread or go support member for a single step of the staircase.

Preferably, also, each section comprises a base member extending parallel to the tread or go support member from the lower end of the riser support member.

10 Each tread or go support member of each section preferably extends rearwardly beyond the rear end of the tread so as to extend beneath the base member of the section immediately above the section concerned so as to enable the two sections to be connected together.

15 Pref erably, the rearwardly extending portion of the tread or go support menber of one sect ion is bolted to the base member of the sect ion immediately thereabove.

Preferably, also, the rear end of the tread or go support member is connected to the rear end of the base 20 member by a rearwardly inclined member.

The rear end of the base member is preferably connected to the end of the tread or go support member at the rear end of the tread thereof by a strengthening member. 25 Preferably, a guard rail section comprising one or more spindles and/or bannister or guardrail is connected

À r À À À (3) to the tread or go support member of each section.

Preferably, also, the adjacent spindles of the guard rail sections of adjacent stringer sections are connected together. 5 A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure is a diagrammatic side elevation of a staircase; 10 Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an upper portion of the staircase with parts omitted for the sake of clarity; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the part of the staircase shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

15 Figures 4 to 7 are diagrammatic plan views of different configurations of staircases; Figures 8 to 12 are diagrammatic plan views of different configurations of staircases each including a platform type lift; 20 Figure 13 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a top step of a staircase connected directly to a building; and Figure 14 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a mount) ng bracket of the staircase shown in Figure 13.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a 25 staircase indicated generally at 10 f or use in providing access to, f or example, a portable bui lding comprises a

air À À.

landing indicated generally at 12 and a flight of stairs indicated generally at 14.

The landing 12 comprises a landing platform plate 16 mounted on a landing support 18 which is bolted at its 5 inner face to a side face of the building at a door way.

Two spaced-apart support stringer assemblies indicated generally at 20 are bolted to the front end portion of the landing support 18 and extend downwardly to a ground level concrete base 22.

10 Each support stringer assembly 20 in the example shown comprises three sections 24, each section 24 comprising a base member 26, a riser support member 28, a tread or go support member 30 which extends rearwardly beneath and is bolted to the base member 26 of the section 24 thereabove.

15 In the case of the top section 24, the tread or go support member 30 thereof extends beneath and is bolted to the front end portion of the landing suppers 18. The rear end of the tread or go support member 30 is connected to the rear end of the base member 26 by a rearwardy inclined 20 member 32 and the rear end of the base member 26 is also connected to the tread or go support member 30 by a strengthening member 34.

A tread plate 36 having a downwardly turned front edge and an upwardly turned rear edge is connected between the 25 aligned pair of spaced-apart sections 24 of the two stringer assemblies 20 to form one step of the flight of

r _ i.,, : ' ^ _

(5) stairs 14. The step provided is of a standard size, for example, 190 mm. rise and 250 mm. tread or go or where a shallower step is required of 150 mm. rise and 300 mm.

tread or go.

S Each section 24 is provided with a guard rail section 38 including four spindles 40 connected at their lower ends and bolted to the tread or go support member 30 and connected together at their upper ends by a banister rail 42.. Adjacent spindles 40 of the guard rail sections 38 of 10 each section 24 of one of the stringer assemblies 20 are bolted together and spindles 40 of the guard rail section 38 of the top section 24 are bolted to spindles 44 of a guard rail section 46 connected to the landing support 18.

The provision and inter-connection of the guard rail 15 sections 38 increases the overall strength of the associated stringer assemblies 20.

In operation, the landing 12 and the sections 24 of the stringer assemblies 20, the tread plates 36 and the guard rail sections 38 and 46 are manuf actured as standard 20 units which are capable of being assembled at a factory or on site to produce a staircase whose dimensions are suitable for immediate installation once the portable building has been installed and a suitable concrete base has been laid, The level of the concrete base can be 25 easily determined to adjust the vertical height between the base 22 and the landing 12 so that stringer assemblies

r e , O :.. - () 20 with a whole number of sections 24 can be installed to fit therebetween to provide the flight of stairs 14.

Where the staircase is used for providing access to a portable building, the construction of the staircase in 5 the form of units which are bolted together allows the staircase to be dismantled and rem-used when the portable building is re-located.

Referring now to Figures 4 to 7, several assemblies of landings 12 and stairs 14 are shown in plan view to form 10 different configurations of staircases 10 which may be required for access to different types of portable or permanent buildings.

Referring now to Figures to 12, several assemblies of landings 12 and stairs 14 in combination 15 with lifting platform types of lifts 48 are shown in plan view to form dif ferent conf indurations of staircases 10 for providing access for not only able bodied but also disabled or wheel chair access to dif ferent types of portable or permanent building. The platforms of the 20 lifts 48 are each provided with sensing means associated with the landing 12 for stopping the upward movement of the lift 48 when it is level with the landing 12. This feature when used, for example on scissors types of lifts, allows one type of lift 48 to be used for the different 25 ranges of height of lift required in respect of staircases 10 having a dif f ent number of steps without having to

r _ _ _ r I V (7) build a special ltit to suite each particular height of staircase 10.

Referring now to Figures 13 and 14 of the drawings, a bracket 50 having a central elongate aperture 52 is 5 prodded for use in bolting a guard rali section 54 to a side 56 of a building such as a portable building. The use of the bracket 50 allows the height of the guard rail section 52 and associated stairs 58 to be adjustable.

In a modification, the landing 12 is supported on 10 pillars ( not shown) at the rear end of the landing 12 ad jacent to the doorway of the building and may also be supported on pillars ( not shown) at the front end of the landing 12 adjacent to the flight of stairs 14. The pillars are adjustable in height by providing a 15 screw-and-nut mechanism which extends between the lower face of the pillar and a support plate (not shown) which rests on the ground. The pillars provide ranges of height of support of the landing 12 by forming them of rectangular sections which can be connected end-to-end and 20 also by arranging for each rectangular section to be two steps rise, eg. 380 mm., in length and one step rise, eg.

190 mm., in width so that a pillar can be formed from sections mounted end-to-end or with the end of one section connected to the side of another section.

25 Although the staircase according to this invention is particularly suitable for use in providing an access

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(I) staircase or f ire escape staircase for portable buildings, it will be appreciated the staircase can be used in other locations and on conventional buildings without departing from the scope of this invention.

Claims

c e i e e (my Claims:-

1. A staircase for providing access to a building comprising two or more spaced-apart support stringers between which treads of steps are supported wherein each 5 support stringer is constructed from two or more sections which are adapted to be connected together to form a support stringer of desired length.

2. A staircase according to claim 1, wherein each section comprises a riser support member and a tread or go support 13 member for a single step of the staircase.

3. A staircase according to claim 2, wherein each section comprises a base member extending parallel to the tread or go support member from the lower end of the riser support member. IS

4. A staircase according to claim or claim 3, wherein each tread or go support member of each section extends rearwardly beyond the rear end of the tread so as to extend beneath the base member of the section immediately above the section concerned so as to enable the two 20 sections to be connected together.

5. A staircase according to claim 4, wherein the rearwardly extending portion of the tread or go support member of one section is bolted to the base member of the section immediately thereabove.

25

6. A staircase according to claim 4 or claim 5 r wherein the rear end of the tread or go support member is

(10) connected to the rear end of the base member by a rearwardly inclined member.

7. A staircase according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the rear end of the base member is connected to 5 the end of the tread or go support member at the rear end of the tread thereof by a strengthening member.

8. A staircase according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a guard rail section comprising one or more spindles and/or bannister or guardrail is connected 10 to the tread or go support member of each section.

9. A staircase according to claim 8, wherein the adjacent spindles of the guard rail sections of adjacent stringer sections are connected together.

10. portable building having a staircase according to 15 any one of the preceding claims connected thereto.

11. A staircase constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.