US3564792A

US3564792A - Enclosed portable staircase

Info

Publication number: US3564792A
Application number: US854940A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur Carol Sanford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-09-03
Filing date: 1969-09-03
Publication date: 1971-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-23

Abstract

AN ENCLOSED, SELF-CONTAINED STAIRCASE CONSTRUCTION HAVING A STRAIGHT SECTION AND A CURVED SECTION, EACH WITH A CEILING, STEPS AND SUPPORTING WALLS, THE WALLS COMPRISING PANELS OF SHEET MATERIAL, THE SECTIONS BEING ADAPTED FOR PREFABRICATION AND TRANSPORTATION AND HAVING COPLANAR

MATCHING EDGES, WITH DETACHABLE CONNECTOR MEANS FOR JOINING SAID EDGES.

Description

Feb. 23, 1971 A. c. SANFORD ENCLOSED PORTABLE STAIRCASE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed sept. s, 1969 INVENTOR. ARTHUR CAROL SANFORD FIG. 4

ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1971 A. c. SANFORD ENCLOSED PORTABLE STAIRCASE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1969 I NVEN TOR.

ARTH

m N T Feb. 23, 1971 Q SANFORD 3,564,792

ENCLOSED PORTABLE STAIRCA'SE" Filed Sept. 3, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I g I IQv I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I l I FIG. II

I II: l1

I I 'I' I I I;

I Fl 8 IINVENTOR.

ARTHUR CAROL 5 NFORD 'I' syfl m I RW ATTORNEYS .Feb. 23, 1971 O D 3,564,792

ENCLOSED PORTABLE STAIRCASE Filed Sept. 5, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ARTHUR CAROL SANFORD I ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofice 3,564,792 ENCLOSED PORTABLE STAIRCASE Arthur Carol Sanford, P.O. Box 1177, Pompano Beach, Fla. 33061 Filed Sept. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 854,940 Int. Cl. E04f 11/02 U.S. Cl. 52-187 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An enclosed, self-contained staircase construction having a straight section and a curved section, each with a ceiling, steps and supporting walls, the wal s comprising panels of sheet material, the sections being adapted for prefabrication and transportation and having coplanar matching edges, with detachable connector means for joining said edges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In prior prefabricated housing constructions having wood staircases of which I am aware, the staircases are constructed when the building is assembled and erected on the building site, and are either custom built at the site or are required to be constructed at the site from a number of prefabricated parts. In either event the construction costs are excessive. Furthermore, in both cases the staircases are not per se enclosed or self-contained. Certain prefabricated staircases principally made of metal have been provided but these are expensive to manufacture and transport.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and inexpensive enclosed portable staircase which can be prefabricated in portable, pre-assembled sections quickly connectable together at the building site with a minimum amount of time and expense.

This is accomplished by making the ceiling and supporting walls of inexpensive sheet material such as plywood, bending the curved walls by scarfing parallel grooves therein, and connecting the panels, stairs and stair parts together with toothed metal connector strips. The separate, completely finished sections can be transported to the building site, set in place within the house or building and connected together quickly and easily by means of similar toothed metal connector strips which are detachably connected together.

The purposes of the invention are accomplished by the improved parts, components, connections and constructions, and methods of assembly shown byway of example in the drawings herein, and described in detail in the specification, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the improved assembled staircase, with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

FIG. 3 is a partial rear elevation thereof.

FIG. 4 is an expanded side view showing the various panels making up the ceiling and rear walls (before bending).

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the panels making up the top section of the rear or outer wall, with the front panels removed.

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the front panels attached to the top section.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged front elevational view of the connected panels making up the lower section of the rear or outer wall.

3,564,792 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 FIG. 8 is a similar view of the connected panels making up the lower section of the front or inner wall.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view on line 9-9 of FIG. 2 showing the manner of joining the sections.

FIG. 10 is an elevational view as on line 10-10 of FIG 9.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner of interfitting the steps of the curved section into the newel post.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the novel staircase has preferably a straight section indicated as a whole at A and a curved section indicated as a whole at B. The straight section A supports a straight stair flight of treads 10 and risers 11 descending from an upper floor level 12 to the curved section B which has curved stairs consisting of triangular treads 13 and radial risers 14 continuing downwardly to a straight step 15 at right angles to the steps in the straight section A and with its riser 16 terminating at a lower lever 17.

The joint line between the two sections A and B is indicated at 20 and extends preferably in a vertical plane through the front and rear side walls and the ceiling. The side walls and ceiling are preferably formed from panels of plywood or other suitable semi-flexible material such as plastic. The side panels form a stair well around the stair and the stair well is covered by the inclined,

coplanar ceiling panels

21 and 22 having a joint line 20'.

The marginal edge portions of the sections along

joint lines

20 and 20 have toothed anchor strips 24 embedded therein, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the strips also having rows of apertures 25 for receiving and closely fitting the teeth 26 of an overlying connecting strip 27 spanning the joint. When the two sections are brought into abutment, the teeth 26 of the connecting strip can be progressively inserted into the apertures 25 of the strips 24 to quickly connect the two sections together. Such a connection is fully disclosed in my prior Pat. No. 3,454,292, issued July 8, 1969.

The side walls of each section A and B-preferably comprise upper and lower side walls which may be connected at a horizontal joint line 30 substantially at the top of the straight stair section. The upper front and rear side walls of section A may be identical flat panels 31 having their upper edges inclined to conform to ceiling panel 21, and the lower front and rear side walls having identical rectangular

flat panels

32 and 33. The abutting edges of

panels

31, 32 and 33 may be permanently connected by single toothed strips 34 having rows of teeth embedded in the contiguous edge portions of the panels. The contiguous edges of the

panels

31 and 21 may be similarly joined by angular toothed strips 35 embedded therein.

The upper front side wall also includes a flat panel 36 having its top edge similarly connected to the inclined ceiling panel 22, the lower edge 37 of panel 36 forming together with the adjoining vertical edge 38 an entrance opening to the bottom of the stairs.

Referring to FIG. 3, the rear side wall of section B is formed by curved upper and lower panels 39" and 40 which enclose the radial stair treads 13. The upper curved panel 39 has its top edge shaped to conform to the curved edge of ceiling panel 22 and preferably connected thereto by a toothed angular strip 41 curved to fit the joint. The horizontal abutting edges of the upper and

lower panels

39 and 40 are permanently joined, preferably by curved toothed strips similar to the strips 34 If multi-ply plywood is used for the

panels

39 and 40, they may be formed into the desired curvilinear shape by scarfing vertical grooves 42 about -1 inch apart from the outer surface into but not through the innermost ply, and then bending the panels into the desired arcuate shape.

The ends of the treads 10 and risers 11 may be connected to the panels by angular toothed strips similar to strips 35, but with the teeth extending in opposite directions, or the ends supported in slots cut or formed by cleats in the inner surfaces of the

panels

32 and 40 in a usual manner (not shown). The longitudinal joints between the edges of the treads and risers are preferably connected by toothed metal strips 34 which have at least one row of teeth embedded in each of the abutting edge portions of the treads and risers. These edge portions may be rabbeted so that the strips are flush with the wood surfaces if desired. The connection between the tread and riser at joint line 20 is preferably made when the sections A and B are connected by a detachable strip connector having anchor strips 24 connected together by a strip 27.

A newel post 44 extends vertically in front of the vertical edge 38 of panel 32 with a portion of the post overlapping said edge, and said portion being notched as best shown in FIG. 11 to receive the apex ends of the triangular treads and the risers therefor.

The improved self-contained staircase is adapted to be inexpensively fabricated in two completely assembled sections A and B which are quickly and easily connected together at the desired location in the building.

What is claimed is:

1. An enclosed staircase construction comprising prefabricated compartments having inner and outer side walls and ceilings of sheet materialpanels, said compartments having coplanar joining edges, at least one of said compartments having a curved outer side wall section of flexible sheet material, toothed connector strips detachably connecting said panels and the joining edges of said compartments, and a series of steps supported on the inner and outer side walls.

2. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 1,

in which the inner and outer side Walls and ceilings of the compartments are plywood.

3. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 1, in which the steps are secured to the inner and outer side walls by toothed connector strips.

4. An'enclosed staircase construction as in claim 2, in which the steps are secured to the inner and outer side walls by toothed connector strips.

5. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 3, in which the steps comprise treads and risers secured to each other by toothed connector strips.

6. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 4, in which the steps comprise treads and risers secured to each other by toothed connector strips.

7. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 1, in which one compartment comprises a straight section having a series of straight steps, and a second compartment comprises a curved section having a series of steps radiating substantially from the radial center of the outer curved side wall.

8. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 7, in which the inner and outer side walls and ceilings of the compartments are plywood.

9. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 8, in which the steps are secured to the inner and outer side walls by toothed connector plates.

10. An enclosed staircase construction as in claim 9, in which the steps comprise treads and risers secured to each other by toothed connector strips.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,173,074 2/1916 Williams 52-187 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner