US693037A - Step. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Feb. Il, |902. C. H. LEMON.

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(A'pplicat (No Model.)

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CHARLES H. LEMON, OF MILVAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

STEP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,037, dated February 11, 1902. I

Application filed July 1'7, 1901.

To cir/ZZ whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. LEMON, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Mil- Waukee and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steps, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in steps, being particularly useful as a vehicle-step, although not necessarily restricted to-that application, inasmuch as it may be employed to advantage wherever a step may be required.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which shallbe a secure safeguard against the foot tripping or slipping on the step,which, as is well known, often results in a serious accident, particularly in the' case of streetcars and cars of railroad-trains.

Vith the above primaryobject in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of my improved step. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 4 indicates the bordering frame, which may be of any desirable form, but preferably of the substantiallyrectangular form shown. The corners of the outer side of this frame are preferably rounded, as shown in the drawings, and said frame has a substantial crossarea or width, and from its inner side and at a desired distance below its top edge extend therefrom horizontal flanges 5. These flanges are only necessarily required to extend from the outer and inner sides of the frame, but aS a matter of convenience may be continued so as to extend inwardly also from the ends of the frame, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, thereby making a continuous fiange projecting from the inner faces of the four sides of the frame. Extending across the frame and having their ends resting upon the flanges of the front and rear portions of said frame are dat strips or plates 6. The upper edge of each of these plates is serrated or formed with a series of projections 7, preferably of rounded form. These serrations or Serial No. 68,595. (No model.)

projections advisably project slightly above the plane of the top edge of the frame, forming a firm hold for the foot of a person mounting the step and greatly reducing the danger of slipping either transversely or longitudinally of the strips. These strips or plates are spaced apart by means of spacing blocks or washers S. I prefer to make these washers of globular or circular form, so as to prevent as much as possible the step becoming clogged up with accumulations or dirt, ice, snow, dac. Their rounded formation of course tends to cause the dirt or other accumulations to slip thereoif, and they furthermore present but a minimum of surface upon which said dirt or accumulations can lodge. The dat plates and the interposed spacing-blocks are held firmly together by means of longitudinal tie-rods 9, which rods pass through openings in the plates and registering openings in the spacingblocks. The ends of these rods extend through the ends cf the frame, and their extremities are threaded to receive thereon locking-nuts, as shown. By turning these nuts it is evident that the parts can be tightly drawn together.

It may sometimes be found desirable to turn the spacing-blocks by hand in order to loosen and dislodge any dirt which by any possibility may have accumulated on the blocks or which may have settled in the spaces between said blocks and the fiat strips or plates. I therefore prefer that the openings of the spacing-blocks through which the tie-rods pass be large enough to provide for this turning by application to the blocks of sufficient force to overcome the resistance offered by the clamping action thereagainst of the liat stri ps or plates.

these flanges so narrow the spaces between the plates as to render it impossible for the heel or any part of the shoe to get into said spaces, and thereby cause the tripping of a person. I prefer that the upper edges of these flanges shall be slightly below the upper edges of the serrations or projections 7. It said ilanges extended upwardly lush with the upper edges of the projections referred to, the shoe of a person mounting the step would be likely to come squarely in engagement with the Ilange and possibly result in turning the spacingwasher, and thereby produce a slipping and defeating the very object which it is the function of said flanges to accomplish. Where a frame of the particular formation shown in the drawings is employedthat is to say, a frame provided with the rounded front corners-I prefer that the ends of the outermost or front tie-rod shall be bent downwardly and through the flanges 5 rather than to extend through the rounded corners of the frame, as convenience in construction is thereby proinoted.

In order t'o strengthen the frame, I prefer to employ one or more brace-rods 11. These rods extend transversely of the frame, and their opposite ends are bent upwardly and pass through the flanges 5 from the under sides of the flanges and are upset upon the upper sides of said flanges. The parts of the complete step of course are advisably made of strong metal, although any other desirable material may be employed, if preferred.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide a most simple and cheap form of step well adapted for use generally, but especially adapted as a car or vehicle step and of such construction that the danger of accident from slipping or tripping is reduced to the minimum.

What I claim as my invention isl. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly-extending horizontal flanges, ilat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, spacing blocks or washers between the plates, and means for securing the plates and the spacing-blocks together.

2. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal flanges, flat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, spacing blocks or washers between the plates, and arranged on a plane below the upper edges of the plates, and means for securing the plates and the spacing-blocks together.

3. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal flanges, illat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, the upper edges of said plates being roughened or serrated, spacing blocks or washers between the plates, and means for securing the plates and the spacing-blocks together.

4. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon oppositeinner sides with inwardly extending horizontal flanges, ilat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, spacing blocks or washers between the plates, lsaid blocks or washers being of circular form, and means for securing the plates and washers together.

5. In a step, the combination vof a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal ilanges, dat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite llanges, spacing-blocks between the plates, and tie-rods passing through registering openings in the plates and blocks, and having their ends securedto the frame.

6. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal llanges, flat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, spacing-blocks between the'plates, and means for adjustably clamping said plates and spacing-blocks together.

7. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal flanges, ilat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite ilanges, spacing-blocks between the plates, tie-rods passing through registering openings in the plates and blocks, and having their ends passing through the frame, and nuts on the threaded extremities of the rods and providing a means for adjustably clamping the plates and interposed spacingblocks together.

8. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal flanges, ilat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, spacing-blocks between the plates, means for securing the plates and the washers together, and filling-pieces extending above the spacing-blocks, and narrowing the spaces between two of the plates.

9. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal flanges, flat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, turnable spacing-blocks between the plates, and means for holding the plates and spacing-blocks together.

10. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal flanges, flat plates or strips having their ends resting upon the opposite langes, spacing blocks or washers between the plates, and tie-rods passing through registering openings in the plates and blocks, and having their extremities secured to the frame, the spacing-blocks being mounted on the rods so as to be capable ot'v turning thereon.

l1. In a step, the combination of a frame provided upon opposite inner sides with inwardly extending horizontal ilanges, llat plates orstrips having their ends resting upon the opposite flanges, spacing blocks or wash- IOO IIO

my 693,037 3 ers between the plates, said blocks or washtherearound with a projecting flange, said ers being of circular form and provided each ange being disposed on a Vertical plane and with a flange projecting outwardly therefrom narrowing the space between two of the plates, I 5

and narrowing the space between two of the and means for securing the plates and the 5 plates, and means for securin g the plates and spacing-blocks together.

the spacing-blocks together. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 12. In a step, the combination of a frame in presence of two witnesses. provided upon opposite inner sides with in- CHARLES H LEMON wardly extending horizontal flanges, flat lo plates or strips having their ends resting upon Witnesses:

the opposite flanges, turnable spacing blocks A. L. MORSELL, or washers between the plates and provided I ANNA V. FAUST.

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