Adjustable support for steps

• US 6,758,016 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric Gobeil
• Original Assignee: Eric Gobeil
• Inventors: Gobeil, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, YVONNE MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US10/094,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20020124492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 521/82, 521/83, 521/91, 521/05, 527/15, 521/84, 521/90, 527/12, 334/76, 334/81, 334/74, 334/80, 334/83, 334/20, 334/27, 334/28, 334/29, 334/79, 334/21, 334/94, 248/300, 248/542, 248/544, 182/93, 182/182, 182/188, 182/220, 182/228.1, 182/228.3
• US Class Current: 52/191
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/00 Stairways, ramps, or like structures mounting or marking-off stairways E04F21/26; of temporary use during building construction E04G27/00; means for facilitating access to swimming pools E04H4/144; means for facilitating access to swimming pools E04H4/144; appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00; Balustrades; Handrails ladders permanently attached to fixed structures E06C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/025 Stairways having stringers E04F11/035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/1041 having means to adjust the height, the depth and/or the slope of the stair steps E04F11/1042 - E04F11/116 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/26 for mounting staircases, e.g. tools for marking steps

Abstract

A support for steps, having the shape of a triangular corner plate to be installed one after the other along a stringer. The sides of this support are reinforced, horizontally and vertically by a 90 degree fold, to fix the steps and risers. The ends are wider and possess a number of fixing holes to provide more stability when fixed against a stringer. The horizontal side is ended by a projecting horizontal rule. The wide part of the vertical side is flanked by vertical graduations. The horizontal rule is set against a stringer at a desired step run and the vertical graduations are set against the stringer at a desired step rise. The horizontal rule overlaps the vertical graduations of the preceding support.

Claims

1. An adjustable support for steps to be fixed on a stringer having a number of steps and risers, said support comprising:

a generally flat body defining a set-square having a vertical side (26) and a horizontal side (24),

said horizontal side being topped by a horizontal fold (32) to fix a step thereto, said horizontal side (24) comprising an extension defining an upper wide part (28) on said horizontal side and comprising means (55′

) of horizontal adjustment,

said vertical side being topped with a vertical fold (34) to fix a riser thereto, said vertical side (26) comprising a lower wide part (30) comprising means of vertical adjustment (55),

means for adjusting slope of said support thereby applying said slope to each said step and riser,

said horizontal side being located above said stringer and said upper and lower wide parts being located facing said stringer in a position wherein said wide parts comprise means to tie to said stringer thereby uniting said wide parts and said stringer.

2. The adjustable support of claim 1 wherein said stringers define a stringer height and a stringer length and are spaced parallel to define between them a parallelepiped and said steps and risers are located within said parallelepiped.

3. The adjustable support of claim 2 wherein said horizontal side (24) is rectangular and comprises screws to maintain said steps fixed to said stringer, said vertical side (26) being rectangular and comprising screws to maintain said risers fixed to said stringer.

4. The adjustable support of claim 1 wherein said horizontal side (24) and said vertical side (26) each comprise two series of holes positioned close (46,52) and further apart (48,54) one of each series of holes receiving one screw for securing said supports when fixed to said stringer.

5. The support of claim 4 wherein said set-square forms a right-angle triangle of which the wide parts define the hypotenuse of said triangle.

6. The support of claim 5 wherein said hypotenuse is truncated, forming two opposed right-angle triangles.

7. The adjustable support of claim 1 wherein said means for adjustment comprise a ruler (55′

) projecting from said horizontal side (24) and a row of graduations (55) on said vertical side (26), an overlap between said ruler and said row of graduations serving to position said horizontal and vertical sides.

8. The support of claim 1 for use on a foot of a stringer (22), said stringer having a back part (29) disposed at an acute angle, said support comprising a base (25) positioned under said foot and prolonged in a strip (27) tied to said back (29) of said stringer (22).

9. The support of claim 7 wherein said flat body has a bearing face plane to coincide with said stringer, a working face plane and a thickness therebetween, said ruler projecting along a ruler plane positioned on said working face at a distance (141) at least equivalent to said thickness between said bearing face and said working face plane, said projecting part of ruler coinciding with said row of graduations of a next support along said stringer.

10. The support of claim 9 wherein said horizontal ruler (55′

) includes an upper edge (157) and said horizontal fold (32) includes an external face (152), when upper edge (157) is level with said external face(152).

11. The horizontal ruler (55′

) of claim 10 being removable, a single ruler being used successively to position one said support relatively to another during the installation of several said supports along said stringer of said staircase.