Removable stairway
OwnerJohn T. Reeves, JR.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adjustable stairway system provides access between a first elevation level and a second elevation level. The system includes a pair of expandable and retractable scissor stringers and multiple spaced apart treads joining the pair of stringers. The system further includes a first mounting assembly structured to allow a top portion of the stairway to be relatively permanently secured to a landing or other man-made structure, and second, different mounting assembly that allows a bottom portion of the stairway to be removably secured to natural terrain such as a beach. The system sometimes includes a control assembly to assist in expanding or retracting of the stairway.
Claims24
A collapsable stairway system for providing access between a first elevation level and a second elevation level, the system comprising:
- a stairway device structured to be moved between a expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, the stairway device including a stringer assembly having a proximal portion and a distal portion, and a plurality of treads connected to the stringer assembly;
- and
- an anchoring system for adjustably connecting the stairway device to and between a first elevation level and a second elevation level, the anchoring system including
- a first mounting assembly structured to be secured to a structure at the first elevation level and connectable to the proximal portion of the stringer assembly, and
- a second mounting assembly structured to be removably secured to natural terrain at the second elevation level and mounted on support post (42) located proximal to the distal portion of the stringer assembly, wherein the mounting assembly comprises an anchor selected from the group consisting of a buried tank, a buried bladder, a buried balloon, a pounding rod comprising two or more slats which may be extended from the tip thereof, and an auger.
The system of claim 7 wherein the second mounting assembly includes a support post having a threaded distal region structured to facilitate insertion and removal of the support element into natural terrain.
The system of claim 13 wherein said anchoring system comprises at least two of said intermediate mounting assemblies.
The system of claim 13 wherein said intermediate mounting assembly comprises a support element that includes a distal region structured to facilitate insertion and removal of the support element into natural terrain.
A method of providing access between a structure and a ground level of variable elevation, the method comprising the steps of:
- securing to a structure located at a first elevation level a retractable and extendible stairway comprising
- a pair of movable scissor stringers comprising a plurality of pivotally connected links and a plurality of treads secured between the stringers, and
- a control system effective to assist in extending or retracting the stairway;
- extending the stairway device, while a proximal portion of the stairway device is secured to the structure, such that a distal portion of the stairway device extends toward a second elevation level;
- removably anchoring the distal portion of the stairway device at a second elevation level, and
- removably securing one or more intermediate mounting assembly between said proximal and distal end of the stairway device by means of one or more removable support posts projecting from the ground.
An access system for providing access between a first elevation level and a second elevation level, the system comprising:
- a stairway device structured to be moved between a expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration, the stairway device including a stringer assembly having a proximal portion and a distal portion, and a plurality of treads connected to the stringer assembly;
- and
- an anchoring system for adjustably connecting the stairway device to and between a first elevation level and a second elevation level, the anchoring system including
- a first mounting assembly structured to be secured to a structure at the first elevation level and connectable to the proximal portion of the stringer assembly, and
- a second mounting assembly structured to be
- removably secured to a ground surface at the second elevation level and connectable to the distal portion of the stringer assembly, and wherein the anchor comprises a member of the group consisting of a buried tank, a buried bladder, a buried balloon, and an auger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.