US1009241A

US1009241A - Counterbalanced stair.

Info

Publication number: US1009241A
Application number: US62775311A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph Halsted
Original assignee: JOSEPH HALSTED CO
Current assignee: JOSEPH HALSTED CO
Priority date: 1911-05-17
Filing date: 1911-05-17
Publication date: 1911-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 1928-11-21

Description

J. HALSTBD. GOUNTERBALANGED STAIR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17. 1911. 1,009,241. Patented 11011.21, 1911.

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J. HALSTED.

GOUNTERBALANGED STAIR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1911.

1,009,241. Patented 111011.21, 1911.

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JOSEPH I-IAIISTED, or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH I-IALSTED 00., OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

OOUNTERBALANGEI) STAIR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HALSTED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counterbalanced Stairs, of which the following is a description.

My invention belongs to that general class. of devices known as counterbalanced stairs, employed in connection with the well known form of fire escapes, in which the stationary stairway or ladder is supported upon the exterior wall of the building, extending downward to a point some distance above the surface or sidewalk, and the counterbalanced stairway is arranged so that when not in use, it extends horizontally substantially on a line with the bottom of the permanent stairs, and when tipped downward into operative position, completes the stairway to the ground.

My invention has among its objects the production of a simple, efficient, effective and economical construction of the kind described for use wherever found applicable.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts :Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved stairway, tipped downward into operative position to complete the fire escape on the ground. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the upper part of the ladder. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on

line

4, 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front elevation, the ladder tipped downward to extend to the ground, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of a slightly modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the outside part or rail of the stairway, or the one farthest from the building wall, and 2 is the side rail nearest the building wall. Between the two are arranged a series of

steps

3, 8, etc., forming the stairway up to the lower end of the permanent stairway (not shown). The upper end of the stairway is supported upon a pivot 4, said pivot being supported in any satisfactory way upon the exterior wall of the building so as not to in- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 17, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911. Serial No. 627,753.

terfere with the descent upon the permanent stairway or ladder mentioned.

Connected with and carried by the structure, is a counterweight bar 6, provided with a counterweight 7, which is preferably adjustably connected thereto so that it may be shifted backward or forward to more accurately balance the stair or ladder.

As clearly shown in Fig. 1,

angle bars

8, 8, etc., are secured to the side part 1. The counterweight bar 6, as shown, is secured to the

angle bars

8, 8, etc., by means of connecting bars or

angles

5, 5, arranged above and below the counterweight bar. The bar 6, however, may be supported in any equivalent manner, but is preferably supported as shown ,and so located that when the ladder is in a horizontal position the counterwei ht 7 is above the horizontal plane of the pivot 4. The angle bars 8 are preferably con nected by suitable rods 9, one of which is shown connected to the weight 7 and to the free end of the side bar 1, the rods serving the double purpose of a hand rail and trusses. If desired a turn-buckle 17, or its equivalent for the purpose, may be employed for affording adjustment of the truss rod, as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite side of the ladder, or the side 2, is also preferably provided with

similar angle bars

8, 8, and rods 9, but in this case there is no connection between the rods and counterweight. In devices of this kind it is desirable to provide means to aid in supporting the free ends of the inner bar 2, which, by reason of its weight and its connections, is liable to sag, resultingv in a twist or warp to the lad der. For the purpose of supporting the free end of the part 2, I provide a diagonal brace bar 10, extending from the side bar 2, to which it is secured, diagonally outward to the counterweight bar 6, to which it is also secured. The bar 10 is secured to the bar 2 at a point bet-ween the ladders ends by an angle or strut 1 1, (see Fig. 1) and to the bar 6 by a similar angle or strut 15, the diagonal bar being also pivotally connected to the pivot 4 by a suitable strap or plate 16. By means of this construction the pivot acts as a fulcrum, the counterweight acting as the power on bar or lever 10, to support the free end. of the inner side bar 2, as clearly shown in the drawings. By connecting the supporting bar 10 in the manner described, it may be located beneath the pivot 4 and out of the line of the steps 3, so that it does not interfere with the same.

The ladder may be supported on the side of the building in any preferred manner, for example by means of a boom 11 and hanger 12, which carry the supporting

rods

13, 13, which support the pivot bar 4, as shown in Fig. 5. If desired, however, the inner end of the pivot bar 4 may be supported directly by the building, as clearly shown in Fig. (5, the boom 11 and rod 13 serving to support the outer end of the pivot bar. Each of the side bars 1 and 2 may be provided with a foot 18, or the equivalent if desired.

The whole device is extremely simple and effective in its operation, and economical in its construction. As before mentioned, in this construction the pivot l acts as a fulcrum for the diagonally extending bar 10, so that the counterweight, as the power, supports the free end of the inner side bar 2, and prevents the same from sagging, thereby obviating twist or warp to the ladder. It may be mentioned that the ladder or stair is preferably so constructed that the center of gravity is near to and in the horizontal plane above the pivotal support so that when the ladder is in its longitudinal position, the center of gravity is to that side of the pivotal support on which the counterweight is located, and tends to hold the lad-- der in horizontal position; and when the ladder is depressed to its operative position, the center of gravity is thereby moved by the vertical plane of the pivot so that the ladder is held down.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement or combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A counterbalanced stair, comprising side bars with steps carried thereby, said bars pivotally supported to permit the free end to be lowered in relation thereto as described, and counterbalance means therefor in combination with a supporting lever secured to one side bar, and thence extending diagonally with the other end connected to the counterbalance structure, said lever sup ported at a point between its ends by the pivot bar as a fulcrum, and means for supporting the decise upon a building substantially as described.

2. A counterbalanced stair, comprising side bars with steps carried thereby, said bars pivotally supported to permit the free end to be lowered in relation thereto as described, and counterbalance means therefor, in combination with a supporting lever secured to one side bar at a point between its ends, and thence extending diagonally outward with the other end connected to the counterbalance structure, said lever being supported at a point between its ends by the pivotal bar as a fulcrum, and means for supporting the device upon a building.

3. In a device of the kind described, side bars carrying steps arranged therebetween' and pivotally supported proximate one end to permit the free end to be lowered as de scribed, a counterbalance bar arranged above the pivot when the ladder is in horizontal position on said pivot, and provided with a counterbalance weight at the free end thereof, and a supporting lever extending from the counterweight structure diagonally to the opposite side bar and connected thereto, said supporting lever being pivotally con-' nected to the plvot carrying the ladder, and means for supporting the device on the side wall of the building.

4. In a device of the kind described, side bars carrying steps arranged therebetween and pivotally supported proximate one end to permit the free end to be lowered, a counterbalance bar arranged above the pivot when the ladder is in horizontal position on the pivot, and provided with an adjustable counterweight on the free end thereof, a supporting lever extending from the counterweight structure diagonally to the inner side bar and connected thereto at a point between the ends of said side bar, means for pivotally connecting said lever to said pivot carrying the-ladder, and means for supporting the device on the side of the buildmg.

5. In a device of the kind described, par allel side bars provided with steps arranged therebetween, means for pivotally supporting said side bars, a counterbalance bar, means carried by the outer side bar for sup porting said counterbalance bar, an adjustable counterbalance weight arranged on the free end of said counterbalance bar, and means for supporting the free end of the opposite side bar, consisting of a bar extending from the counterweight structure diagonally to said opposite side bar below the pivot for said bars, and means for connecting said diagonally extending bar to said counterweight structure, said pivot and the inner side bar.

6. In a device of the kind described and in combination, parallel side bars provided with steps arranged therebetween, means for pivotally supporting the inner end of said side bars and counterbalance bar, means carried by the outer side bar for supporting the said counterbalance bar above the pivotal support when the ladder is in horizontal position on the pivot, a counterbalance weight arranged on the free end of said counterbalance bar and means for supporting the signed my name in the presence of two subfree end of the inner side bar, consisting in scribing witnesses.

at bar secured to said counterwei ht bar and extending diagonally to the inn er side bar JOSEPH HALSTED' and secured thereto, said diagonally extend- Witnesses: ing bar connected with said pivot. Roy WV. HILL,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto CHARLES I. COBB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.