Movable banister

A portable banister, for use by a person in climbing or descending a staircase having a plurality of steps which are separated by risers, comprising a foot portion, a handgrip portion, and mast members extending between the foot portion and handgrip portion. The foot portion is stepped to match the contours of the staircase. In particular, the foot portion includes a pair of horizontal slabs which rest against sequential steps, and a vertical member which extends between the horizontal slabs and rests against the riser therebetween. The horizontal slabs extend parallel to each other. The distance between the horizontal slabs is adjustable to match the staircase. The mast members each extend between one of the horizontal slabs and the handgrip portion, and are each adjustable in length to vary the height and angle of the handgrip portion for the comfort and safety of the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a movable banister. More particularly, the 
invention relates to a device which is held by a person while descending a 
set of stairs, the device simulates and provides the support normally 
provided by a banister, but is movable with the person as the stairs are 
descended. 
As people age, they tend to have greater difficulty with mobility. 
Arthritis and other illnesses slowly deteriorate muscles, bones, and 
joints, making walking increasingly difficult. Even if walking itself does 
not present severe difficulty, climbing and descending stairs can make 
certain trips impossible to take, and certain homes impossible to live in. 
In addition to the aged, other people who have suffered injuries or who are 
victimized by certain debilitating diseases also have severe difficulties 
with stairs. 
Probably the most helpful device for climbing stairs is the fixed banister 
mounted alongside the staircase. The fixed banister provides the person 
with reliable, rigid support during their entire trip down the stairs. 
However, the banister is limited in that it only allows the person to hold 
on thereto with one hand. Typically, the staircase is too wide to allow 
the person to simultaneously use banisters on both sides of the staircase. 
Thus, usually the person holds the banister with one hand, and uses a 
secondary support device with their other hand. 
The most common secondary support device is a cane. The cane is limited in 
that in order to provide reliable support, it must land upon sure footing 
every time it is lowered to the ground. In fact, typically as the cane is 
landing on the ground, the user is simultaneously shifting their weight 
toward the cane. Thus, when descending the stairs, if the cane misses a 
step, the user can easily fall. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,524 to Bednar discloses an apparatus for aiding people 
in walking up and down stairs. Bednar is a permanent installation mounted 
along the entire length of the stairs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,876 to Berner 
discloses a position adjustable handrail for use along stairways. Berner 
is permanently installed to a stairway and is either extended to a 
position where it is shoulder width apart from the fixed banister, or is 
retracted to a position against the wall opposite the fixed banister. 
Thus, Bednar and Berner are only suitable for aiding the use of one 
particular set of stairs where the invention is installed. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,904 to Wallum is a stair climbing aid which consists of 
a plurality of individual adjustable size blocks, which create 
"half-steps" for a person climbing the stairs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,199 to 
Nimz discloses a stair climbing aid, which is a movable set of steps, 
which divides the height of each step into several sub-steps. These 
devices are intended for reducing the amount of vertical height one must 
transgress with each step. However, these devices do not give the person 
the needed support while they climb or descend the stairs. 
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or 
for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the 
present invention as disclosed hereafter. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to produce a movable banister which aids a 
person while climbing and descending stairs. Accordingly a portable 
banister is provided which gives the person the same support provided by a 
fixed banister. 
It is another object of the invention that the movable banister provides 
reliable sure footing to the user. Accordingly, the banister has a stepped 
foot portion which follows the contours of the stairs so that it can 
engage the stairs and provide several support surfaces, to ensure that the 
invention can be relied upon to provide the needed support. 
It is another object of the invention that the movable banister is easily 
adaptable to be used on any staircase. Accordingly, the foot portion is 
adjustable to adapt to the rise of the stairs with which it is to be used. 
Additionally, mast members are adjustable to vary the height and angle of 
the handgrip portion. 
The invention is a portable banister, for use by a person in climbing or 
descending a staircase having a plurality of steps which are separated by 
risers, comprising a foot portion, a handgrip portion, and mast members 
extending between the foot portion and handgrip portion. The foot portion 
is stepped to match the contours of the staircase. In particular, the foot 
portion includes a pair of horizontal slabs which rest against sequential 
steps, and a vertical member which extends between the horizontal slabs 
and rests against the riser therebetween. The horizontal slabs extend 
parallel to each other. The distance between the horizontal slabs is 
adjustable to match the staircase. The mast members each extend between 
one of the horizontal slabs and the handgrip portion, and are each 
adjustable in length to vary the height and angle of the handgrip portion 
for the comfort and safety of the user. 
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be 
embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention 
is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. 
Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only 
by the scope of the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 illustrates a movable banister 10. The movable banister 10 comprises 
a stepped foot portion 30, a hand grip portion 40 and a pair of mast 
members 50 extending between the stepped foot portion 30 and the handgrip 
portion 40. 
Important to the present invention, the stepped foot portion 30 is stepped 
opposite the mast members 50 and handgrip portion 40 to match contours of 
an actual staircase. Further, the handgrip portion 40 is angled so that 
the handgrip portion 40 mimics the angle of a typical banister. 
The stepped foot portion 30 comprises at least one, and preferably two 
horizontal slabs 31. The horizontal slabs 31 extend parallel to each 
other, but are offset from each other. The horizontal slabs 31 are 
connected with at least one vertical member 33. The vertical member 33 
extends between the horizontal slabs 31, such that one horizontal slab 31 
rests on one step, another horizontal slab 31 rests on an adjacent, and 
the vertical member 33 spans the vertical distance between the steps. 
However, it is preferably to make the vertical member adjustable, to 
adjust for different rise staircases. Accordingly, two vertical members 33 
are used, wherein one vertical member 33 is rigidly attached to each of 
the horizontal slabs 31, and the two vertical members 33 are slidably 
mounted to each other. Thus, the vertical members 33 are easily adjusted 
with respect to each other to adjust to the rise of the staircase. 
The mast members 50 extend between the foot portion 30 and the hand grip 
portion 40. More particularly, each of the mast members 50 are rigidly 
attached atop one of the horizontal slabs 31, and extend vertically 
therefrom. The mast members 50 are each adjustable in length, to alter the 
distance between the foot portion 30 and the hand grip portion 40 for the 
comfort of the user. Accordingly, the mast members 50 include an upper 
mast 51 and a lower mast 53. The upper mast 51 slides within the lower 
mast 53. The upper mast has a slot 55, and the lower mast has a bolt 57 
which extends through the slot 55, and may be tightened with a wing nut 
(not shown). This arrangement allows the height and angle of the handgrip 
portion 40 to be adjusted easily. However, many other mast length 
adjustment schemes, including a telescoping tube arrangement, can be 
employed to accomplish the goals of adjusting the height and angle of the 
handgrip portion, as would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in 
the art. 
The handgrip portion 40 is mounted to the upper mast 51 with a pair of 
brackets 41. The handgrip portion 40 comprises a beam 40B which mimics a 
typical banister. In the case of two adjustable mast members 50, a swivel 
bracket 43 is used for one of the brackets 41, and a slide bracket 45 is 
used for the other bracket. The swivel bracket 43 allows the mast member 
50 attached thereto to pivot with respect thereto, and the slide bracket 
45 allows the mast member 50 attached thereto to pivot and slide with 
respect thereto. Thus, the swivel bracket 43 and slide bracket 45 together 
allow adjustment of the height and angle of the handgrip portion 40 while 
the mast members 50 remain perfectly vertical. 
FIG. 2 illustrates the portable banister 10 in use by a person 60 having a 
first hand 61 and a second hand 62. The portable banister 10 is being used 
in a staircase. The contours of the staircase are defined by a plurality 
of steps 63 separated by risers 64. The steps 63 including a first step 65 
a second step 66. The staircase has a fixed banister 67 extending along 
the staircase. 
The portable banister 10 is positioned on the step, wherein one of the 
horizontal slabs 31 is resting upon the first step 65 and another 
horizontal slab 31 is resting upon the second step 66. The vertical 
members 33 are resting against the risers 53. The person 60 is descending 
the staircase, holding the fixed banister 67 in the first hand 61 and the 
handgrip 40 of the portable banister 10 in the second hand 62. As the 
person descends the stairs, the portable banister 10 is lifted upward from 
the steps 63, and the portable banister is aligned with a lower step, 
lowered and rested onto said lower step. The process is repeated for each 
step as the staircase is descended. Prior to use, the portable banister 10 
is easily adjusted to put the handgrip portion 40 in the best position for 
the user, by adjusting the length of the mast members 50. In addition, the 
vertical members 33 may be adjusted to the staircase rise, so that the 
horizontal slabs rest upon adjacent steps. 
In conclusion, herein is presented a portable banister which allows a 
person to effectively climb or descend a stairway. The portable banister 
has a stepped lower foot which matches the contours of the staircase, and 
thus firmly engages against the staircase with every step, assuring 
reliable footing and support for the person.