Molded plastic stairway and rail structure and method of assembly
AssigneeLone Star Steps Accessories, Inc.
InventorsJan W. Bromley, Rex McCorquodale
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stairway (10) is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in one embodiment of the invention in which a pair of side support panels (12, 14) are formed of a hollow plastic material. Side support panels (12, 14) have closed end columns (24, 26, 28) extending from an outer face of the side support panels to provide a relatively large bearing area. Another embodiment of a stairway (10A) shown in FIGS. 3-5 has a side rail panel (40A) positioned on a lower side support panel (12A) with wooden posts (32A) received in open ended columns (24A, 26A, 28A) of lower side support panel (12A) and received within columns (42A, 44A and 46A) of side rail panel (40A). Posts (32A) are normally embedded in concrete (36A) for securement of the stairway (10A).
Claims24
A stairway comprising:
- a pair of spaced side support panels extending in a parallel opposed relation to each other, each side support panel of said pair of support panels formed from a molded plastic material and having an inner side which is arranged and designed to face an inner side of the other side support panel with each of said side support panels having at least two integral support columns of a hollow construction which extend outwardly from a respective inner side of each of said side panels, said columns arranged and designed for supporting the panels;
- each side support panel of said pair of molded plastic side support panels having a plurality of tread supports molded therein which open on a respective inner side thereof, with the tread supports of one side support panel being in transverse horizontal alignment with the tread support on the other side support panel;
- and
- a plurality of treads mounted in said transversely aligned tread supports.
A side rail structure along the side of a walkway comprising:
- a vertically extending base support panel having a plurality of lower post receptacles spaced along one side thereof;
- a vertical supporting post mounted within each of at least two of said receptacles, each post having an upper end portion extending vertically above one of said at least two receptacles;
- and
- a side rail panel having a plurality of upper post receptacles in axial alignment with said lower post receptacles and receiving the upper end portions of said posts therein.
A stairway comprising:
- a pair of spaced lower side support panels in parallel relation to each other, each panel including at least two integral lower support columns of a hollow construction;
- a plurality of treads supported on said lower side support panels;
- a pair of upper side rail panels over said lower side support panels and having upper support columns of a hollow construction in axial alignment with said lower support columns;
- and
- support posts received within said axially aligned upper and lower hollow support columns for mounting of said support panels and said lower side support panels in vertically aligned relation.
A method of fabricating a stairway comprising the steps of,
- molding a pair of self supporting side support panels with each support panel of said pair of panels having an inner side and an outer side, with each support panel having a plurality of open ended hollow support columns on said outer side and plurality of tread supports which open from said inner side;
- mounting treads on said tread supports of said side support panels;
- inserting posts within said columns for mounting said side support panels at a predetermined position with upper end portions of said posts extending above said side support panels;
- molding a pair of upper side rail panels having hollow support columns thereon spaced for alignment with said columns on said side support panels;
- and
- mounting said upper side rail panels over said side support panels with the upper end portions of said extending posts being received within the hollow columns of said upper side rail panels.
A method of fabricating a stairway comprising the steps of,
- molding a pair of self supporting side support panels with each support panel having an outer side and an inner side, with a plurality of hollow vertical support columns provided on said outer side of each of said support panels and extending vertically of the side support panel for supporting the side support panel on a generally horizontal supporting surface;
- molding a plurality of tread supports which open from the inner side of each side support panel;
- positioning said side support panels in parallel relation to each other with the tread supports opening from one panel in alignment with the tread supports opening from the other side support panel;
- inserting treads within the aligned tread supports;
- and
- inserting fasteners to secure the treads to said side support panels.
A side structure for a stairway comprising:
- a side support panel formed of molded plastic material and having an inner side, an outer side and front and back ends,
- said support panel having at least two integral support columns of hollow construction for supporting the panels,
- said support panels having a plurality of tread support molded therein which open from said inner side and are arranged and designed for mounting an end of a step tread.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.