STAIR NOSING ASSEMBLY

• US 20120204502A1
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William Gardner
• Original Assignee: William Gardner
• Inventors: Gardner, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/179
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/104 Treads
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/116 of stone, concrete or like material or with an upper layer of stone or stone like material, e.g. ceramics, concrete; of glass or with an upper layer of glass
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/163 Protecting means for edges or corners
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/166 with means for fixing a separate edging strip

Abstract

An exemplary stair nosing assembly comprises an elongated base, a plate adhered to the base, and a cover temporarily covering the base and the plate. The base has at least one anchor portion extending downwardly from the upper portion for attaching to a lip of a tread pan and/or embedding in a concrete tread. The plate can have various features to enhance traction and visibility. The cover has front and rear lips that engage with front and rear edges of the base, and a weakened region adjacent the rear lip. When the assembly is embedded in a concrete tread, the cover is configured to fracture at the weakened region when the front lip of the cover is lifted upward from the base, leaving the rear lip remaining embedded in the concrete and allowing the rest of the cover to be removed to expose upper surfaces of the base and plate.

Claims

1. A stair nosing assembly comprising:

an elongated base comprising a generally horizontal tread portion having a rear edge, a generally vertical front portion extending downwardly from a front of the tread portion and comprising a bottom edge, and at least one anchor portion extending downwardly from the upper portion and adapted to be embedded in a concrete tread of a stair; and

an elongated cover comprising an anchor portion adapted to be at least partially embedded in the concrete tread and a cover portion adapted to cover the upper and front surfaces of the base while the stair is constructed;

wherein the cover further comprises a weakened region between the anchor portion of the cover and the cover portion of the cover, such that the cover is configured to fracture at the weakened region when the cover portion of the cover is lifted from the base portion.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover portion of the cover comprises a generally horizontal upper portion having a rear edge, a front portion extending downwardly from a front of the upper portion, and a front lip extending rearwardly from a lower end of the front portion of the cover and configured to engage with the bottom edge of the front portion of the base, and the anchor portion of the cover comprises a rear lip extending from the rear edge of the upper portion of the cover and configured to engage with the rear edge of the tread portion of the base, such that the cover covers the upper and front surfaces of the base and is retained on the base via the engagement of the front lip and the rear lip with the base.

3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an elongated plate adhesively secured to an upper surface of the base and positioned between the base and the cover.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the rear lip of the cover is configured to be embedded in the concrete when the assembly is secured to a concrete stair tread.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the cover is configured to fracture into a first piece and a second piece, the first piece comprising the front lip, the front portion, and the upper portion, the second piece comprising the rear lip.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the second piece of the cover is configured to remain in the concrete with the base after the first piece of the cover is removed.

7. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the rear lip comprises a first portion extending downwardly from the rear edge of the upper portion of the cover, and a second portion extending forwardly from a lower edge of the first portion.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the second portion of the rear lip is positioned underneath the rear edge of the tread portion of the base.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the weakened region is between the rear edge of the upper portion of the cover and the second portion of the rear lip.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the weakened region comprises one or more regions along the length of the cover having reduced thickness.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the weakened region comprises one or more perforations along the length of the cover.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the anchor portion of the base comprises a forwardly projecting lip forming a channel between the lip and the tread portion of the base, wherein the assembly is configured to be attached to a rearwardly extending lip of a tread pan of the stair by inserting the lip of the tread pan into the channel of the base.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the anchor portion of the base further comprises an expanded lower edge projecting below the lip and configured to become embedded in the concrete tread of the stair.

14. A method of constructing a stair, the method comprising:

allowing a wet concrete stair tread to cure such that a lower portion of a nosing assembly becomes embedded in the concrete, the nosing assembly comprising a tread portion and a cover temporarily retained to the tread portion; and

lifting a front portion of the cover from the nosing assembly such that the cover fractures into at least two pieces, with at least one rear piece of the cover remaining at least partially embedded in the concrete and at least one front piece of the cover being removed, such that an upper surface of the tread portion of the nosing assembly is exposed above the concrete.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

attaching the nosing assembly to a rearward projecting lip of a tread pan; and

filling the tread pad with wet concrete up to a level about equal with an upper surface of the nosing assembly.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

forming a temporary framework for a stair;

filling the framework with wet concrete; and

pressing the lower portions of the nosing assembly into the wet concrete.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the cover fractures along a horizontally extending weakened portion of the cover adjacent a rear of the nosing assembly.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein lifting the front portion of the cover from the nosing assembly comprises;

moving a front lip of the cover forwardly to disengage the front lip front a lower edge of the tread portion, and then moving the front lip upwardly to cause the cover to fracture.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

prior to allowing the wet concrete stair tread to cure, adhesively securing a tread plate to an upper surface of the tread portion, and then hooking a rear lip of the cover around a rear edge of the tread plate and hooking a front lip of the cover around a lower front edge of the tread portion to temporarily attach the cover to the tread portion.

20. A stair nosing assembly comprising:

an elongated base comprising a generally horizontal tread portion having a rear edge, a generally vertical front portion extending downwardly from a front of the tread portion and comprising a bottom edge, and at least one anchor portion extending downwardly from a lower surface of the upper portion and configured to be embedded in a concrete stair tread;

an elongated metal plate adhesively secured to an upper surface of the base, the plate comprising a plurality of horizontally extending ridges and at least one strip of photoluminescent material positioned between the ridges;

an elongated polymeric cover comprising a generally horizontal upper portion having a rear edge, a front portion extending downwardly from a front of the upper portion, a front lip extending from a lower end of the front portion of the cover and configured to engage with the bottom edge of the front portion of the base, and a rear lip extending from the rear edge of the upper portion of the cover and configured to engage with the rear edge of the tread portion of the base, such that the cover covers the entire upper and front surfaces of the base and is retained on the base via the front lip and the rear lip;

wherein the rear lip of the cover comprises a first portion extending downwardly from the rear edge of the upper portion of the cover, and a second portion extending forwardly from a lower edge of the first portion and positioned below the rear edge of the tread portion of the base;

wherein the first portion of the rear lip of the cover comprises a weakened region extending along the length of the cover, such that the cover is configured to fracture at the weakened region into first and second pieces when the nosing assembly is embedded in a concrete stair tread and the front portion of the cover is lifted upward from the base, the first piece comprising the second portion of the rear lip of the cover and remaining embedded in the concrete stair tread, and the second piece comprising the front and upper portions of the cover and being detached from the base and the plate.