Patent Publication Number: US-2022220754-A1

Title: Systems, methods, and apparatus for concrete stair forms

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to concrete stair forms, and in particular, brackets for forming concrete stairs. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Concrete steps are ubiquitous in their use around the world, whether it be in residential properties, commercial properties or in public places. Concrete steps provide easy pedestrian access between different elevations. They are relatively cheap and can last for decades. 
     The construction of concrete steps and stairs generally involves the use of forms to shape the stairs. A stringer may be cut out to hold planks in place to shape the risers. Stringers may be made for a specific staircase by cutting steps into a wooden board. The stringer holds the planks for the risers in place against the pressure of the concrete that the forms are shaping. Depending on the width of the staircase, stringers may be used at cither side of the staircase and in central portions of the staircase. 
     There exists a continuing desire to advance and improve technology related to forms for concrete staircases. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect, there is provided a bracket for holding a riser of a step form in position when pouring concrete to make a stairway. The bracket may include a riser support for coupling with the riser. The riser support includes a surface for bearing against the riser. The bracket also includes a top support. A first end of the top support may be connected to the riser support for providing support to the riser support. The bracket may additionally include a back support for providing lateral support to the riser support. The back support may be coupled to both the riser support and the top support such that an area enclosed by the riser support, the back support and the top support is a triangle. At least two of the riser support, the back support and the top support may include fastening plates for coupling with a support extending from a top of the stairway to a bottom of the stairway. Each of the fastening plates may be parallel to a plane defined by the triangle and positioned to contact the support. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THIS DRAWINGS 
       In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one or more example embodiments, 
         FIG. 1 a    is a perspective view of a bracket, according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 1 b    is a front view of the bracket of  FIG. 1   a;    
         FIG. 2 a    is a perspective view of a bracket system according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 2 b    is a side view of a bracket system according to one embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a lift bracket according to one embodiment; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a method for bracing a riser for a stair form using a bracket according to one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Directional terms such as “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, and “vertical” are used in the following description for the purpose of providing relative reference only, and are not intended to suggest any limitations on how any article is to be positioned during use, or to be mounted in an assembly or relative to an environment. Additionally, the term “couple” and variants of it such as “coupled”, “couples”, “coupling”, and “couplable” as used in this description are intended to include indirect and direct connections unless otherwise indicated. For example, if a first device is coupled to a second device, that coupling may be through a direct connection or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections. Similarly, if the first device is communicatively coupled to the second device, communication may be through a direct connection or through an indirect connection via other devices and connections. The term “couplable”, as used in the present disclosure, means that a first device is capable of being coupled to the second device. A first device that is communicatively couplable to a second device has the ability to communicatively couple with the second device but may not always be communicatively coupled. 
     Concrete staircases are generally constructed by pouring concrete into a sloped area shaped by forms arranged in a stepped manner. Wooden boards with one face having a width equal to a desired riser height are placed horizontally across the width of the staircase. The face that has a width equal to the riser height is used to form a step having the riser height. The next board is spaced laterally and vertically from the first board to form the next step. Stringers are used to hold the wooden boards in place. Stringers are generally made of wooden boards, such as 2″×6″ or 2″×8″ boards. A stair pattern with the desired dimensions is cut into the board. Stringers are then nailed or screwed to the boards forming the risers to hold them in place. Stringers may be placed at the ends and, depending on the width of the staircase, in central portions of the staircase. 
     Stringers are generally custom made for each particular staircase. Work crews often cut them out on site. Cutting and installing a stringer takes time and skill. Multiple workers may be needed to install stringers. After a project is complete, stringers are often discarded. 
     Due to the cutting out parts of the board to make a stringer, the stringer may lack the strength of the board it is made from. Additionally, the sharp corners cut into the stringer may concentrate stress at those points, increasing the chance of failure. The pressure of the concrete pushing against the forms may be quite high, leading to high stresses on the stringer. Additionally, workers may at times step on top of stringers, creating additional stresses on stringers. Knots and other non-uniformities in the wood of the stringer may also, in some cases, increase the chance of failure of the stringer. 
     Attempts have been made to replace or complement stringers with metallic bracket systems to address some of the possible shortcomings of stringers. For example, in one existing system, a plate type brace is secured to the riser form on one end and at the other end to a wooden rail that runs at a right angle to the riser form. The brace is twisted in the middle so that the first and second ends are plates at right angles to each other. This brace system may reduce the workload of a crew by lessening the need to cut and install a stringer. However, the brace may have a weak point where the two plates meet with no additional support to brace the lower plate against the riser form. 
     As another example, in US12/870,310, an apparatus for forming steps is presented. This apparatus uses specialized fasteners to hold the various parts together when the system is fully assembled. Several rails may be used to hold the brackets against the riser forms. Having long rails and specialized fasteners adds to the complexity of the system. Additionally, work crews will need special storage for the long rails and fasteners in between jobs. 
     The present disclosure provides triangular shaped brackets that may be attached to a riser form and to either side walls or a rail, such as a 2×6 wooden board, to hold the form in place. Fasteners, such as nails or screws, which are readily available at most jobsites, may be used to attach the bracket to the form and the rail or side walls. The triangular shape of the bracket provides strength while at the same time, may allow sufficient clearance for workers to work on the concrete at the top surface of the tread portion of each step. Brackets may be attached to each riser form at either end across the stairway as well, in some cases, in central portions of the stairway. Installation may be quick, with workers hammering or screwing individual brackets into place. 
     Any mistakes may also be quickly corrected by replacing a bracket. With stringers, the entire stringer may be removed and reinstalled to correct a mistake. In some cases, a new stringer may need to be made and placed into position. Additionally, each bracket may be used for a range of riser heights and tread lengths. 
     Storage and replacement of brackets may also be quite simple. Each bracket may be relatively small in size, allowing work crews to store them in relatively compact spaces. Additionally, replacing lost or damaged brackets may be relatively inexpensive as compared to replacing rail systems or creating new stringers for each job. This may be especially advantageous as equipment at construction sites may go through rough treatment. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 a , 1 b , 2 a  and 2 b   , in accordance with some embodiments, a bracket  100  for holding a riser  105  of a form for a step in position when pouring concrete to make a stairway  110  is provided. The bracket  100  may include a riser support  115  for coupling with the riser  105 . The riser support  115  may include a surface  116  for bearing against the riser  105 . 
     The riser support  115  may be of any suitable shape. In some embodiments, the riser support  115  may be a flat plate with a suitable width for bracing the riser  105 . For example, in certain embodiments, the riser support  115  may be of a width almost equal to the width of a standard riser, which may be about 1.5″. In some embodiments, the width of a flat plate riser (support  115  may be about 1″ to 2″. 
     In certain embodiments, the riser support  115  may be a bar. In certain embodiments, the riser support  115  may be a rod. 
     Standard riser lengths (the height of a step) may vary between about 6.5″ and 8″. In some embodiments, the bracket  100  may be designed specifically for a particular riser length, such as, for example and without limitation, 6.5″. In certain embodiments, the bracket  100  may be used for any standard riser size, with the riser support  115  having a length suitable for a range of riser  105  heights. 
     The riser support  115  may have any suitable length. In some embodiments, the riser support  115  may have a length sufficiently long to cover a riser  105  completely. A portion of the riser support  115  may, in some embodiments, extend above the riser  105  for coupling with other supports, such as the support beam  150 . In certain embodiments, the riser support  115  may not cover the entire length of the riser  105 . For example, a lower portion of the riser support  115  may extend to slightly above a bottom of the riser  105 . Without limitation, the lower portion of the riser support  115  may extend to about 0.5″ to 4″ above the bottom of the riser  105 . For example and without limitation, in some embodiments, about a 4.5″ length of the riser support  115  may be in contact with the riser  105  for bracing the riser  105 . The remaining portion of the riser support  115  may extend above the riser  105 . 
     In some embodiments, the bracket  100  may include a positioning tab  160  coupled to the riser support  115 . The positioning tab  160  may extend out from the surface  116  of the riser support  115  and may be positioned to bear against a top surface  106  of the riser  105 , thereby positioning the bracket  100  relative to the riser  105 . In some embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may be fastenable to the top surface  106  of the riser  105 . For example, and without limitation, the positioning tab  160  may include one or more holes passing through the positioning tab  160  for allowing the positioning tab to be screwed or nailed to the top surface  106  of the riser  105 . Each hole may be of any suitable size for receiving a suitably sized screw or nail to fasten the bracket  100  to the riser  105 . In addition to holding up the riser  105 , fastening the bracket  100  to the riser  105  may be advantageous by reducing the possibility of the bracket  100  slipping and changing position relative to the riser  105 . 
     The positioning tab  160  may extend out from the surface  116  of the riser support  115  at any suitable angle. For example and without limitation, in some embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may extend out from the front surface  116  of the riser support  115  at an angle of about 90 degrees. In certain embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may extend out from the front surface  116  of the riser support  115  at angles of, without limitation, between about 80 degrees to 100 degrees. 
     The positioning tab  160  may be of any suitable dimensions. For example, in some embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may be as wide as the riser support  115 . In some embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may be wider than the riser support  115  and in certain embodiments, the width of the positioning tab  160  may be less than the width of the riser support  115 . For example, and without limitation, the positioning tab may have a width of between about 1″ to 1.5″. 
     The positioning tab  160  may have any suitable length to hold the bracket  100  in position against the riser  105 . In some embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may be, without limitation, about 0.75″ to 1.5″ long. 
     The positioning tab  160  may be attached to the riser support  115  using any suitable coupling. For example, and without limitation, the positioning tab  160  may be welded, bolted, glued, or screwed to the riser support  115 . In some embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may be formed integrally with the riser support  115 . 
     In addition to providing a fastening portion for fastening the bracket  100  to the riser  105 , the positioning tab  160  may allow relatively simple positioning of the bracket  100  relative to the riser  105 . A user may position the bracket  100  without making any measurements. Having the positioning tab may allow for a sufficient portion of the bracket  100  to be above the riser  105  and in position for fastening the bracket  100  to support walls or support beams. The bracket  100  may then be used with rises of different heights while maintaining a consistent portion of the bracket  100  above the riser  105  for attachment to supports. 
     In some embodiments, the positioning tab  160  may be positioned to position the bracket  100  such that the riser support  115  does not extend closer than about one inch of a tread immediately below the riser support  115 . 
     In some embodiments, the riser support  115  may include one or more fastening tabs extending from a side of the riser support  115  and in the same plane as the front surface  116  of the riser support  115  for use in fastening the bracket  100  to the riser  105 . Each fastening tab may include one or more holes passing through the fastening tab for allowing the positioning tab to be screwed or nailed to a front surface of the riser  105 . Each hole may be of any suitable size for receiving a suitably sized screw or nail to fasten the bracket  100  to the riser  105 . 
     In some embodiments, the bracket  100  may include a top support  120 . A first end  121  of the top support  120  may be coupled to the riser support  115 , for providing support to the riser support  115 . Additionally, the bracket  100  may also include aback support  130  for providing lateral support to the riser support  115 . The back support  130  may be coupled to both the riser support  115  and the top support  120  such that an area enclosed by the riser support  115 , the back support  130  and the top support  120  is a triangle. 
     Referring again to  FIGS. 1 a , 1 b , 2 a  and 2 b   , in some embodiments, at least two of the riser support  115 , the back support  130  and the top support  120  may include fastening plates  140  for coupling with a support  150  extending from a top of the stairway to a bottom of the stairway. Each of the fastening plates  140  may be parallel to a plane defined by the triangle and may be positioned to contact the support  150 . 
     In some embodiments, all three of the top support  120 , back support  130  and riser support  115  may include a fastening plate  140 . 
     In some embodiments, a fastening plate  140  of the top support  120  may extend parallel to the plane defined by the triangle and may be positioned such that it does not extend into the triangle. The fastening plate  140  may be at about a 90 degree angle to the top support  120 . The fastening plate  140  may be fastenable to the support  150  above the top support  120 . 
     In some embodiments, the fastening plate  140  of the top support  120  may be parallel to the plane of the triangle and may extend into the triangle. 
     In certain embodiments, the fastening plates  140  of the riser support  115  or the back support  130  may extend parallel to the plane defined by the triangle and may extend into the triangle. 
     Having a fastening plate  140  coupled to the top support  120  extending away from the triangle and fastening plates  140  coupled to each of the back support  130  and the riser support  115  extending into the triangle may be advantageous by spreading out the attachment points of the bracket  100  to the support, thereby increasing the torque required to twist the bracket  100 . 
     The fastening plates  140  may have any suitable size and shape. For example, in some embodiments, each fastening plate  140  may be as long as the part of the bracket  100  that the fastening plate  140  extends from. For example, a fastening plate  140  of the top plate  120  may have a length about equal to the length of the top plate  120 . In certain embodiments, one or more of the fastening plates  140  may be shorter than the support portion of the bracket  100  that they are attached to and in some embodiments, one or more of the fastening plates  140  may be longer than the support portions of the bracket  100  that they are attached to. 
     In some embodiments, the fastening plates  140  may comprise multiple tabs extending from each support of the bracket  100 . For example, the top bracket  120  may have multiple tabs extending from it, each fastenable to the external support  150 . 
     Each fastening plates  140  may extend any suitable distance away from the support portion of the bracket that the fastening plate  140  is attached to. For example, a fastening plate  140  of the top support  120  may extend about 1″ to 2″ from the top support  120 . In certain embodiments, the fastening plate  140  of the top support  120  may extend about 1.5″ from the top support  120 . 
     Each of the fastening plates  140  may be coupled to the bracket using any suitable coupling. For example, in some embodiments, the fastening plates  140  may be welded to their respective support arms of the bracket  100 . The fastening plates  140  may also be, in some embodiments and without limitation, glued or bolted to the bracket  100  or formed integrally with the bracket  100 . In certain embodiments, one or more fastening plates  140  may be hingedly coupled to the bracket  100 . The fastening plates  140  may be foldable for storage against the portion of the bracket  100  that they extend from. 
     Each fastening plate  140  may include one or more holes passing through the fastening plate  140  for allowing each fastening plate to be screwed or nailed to the support  150 . Each hole may be of any suitable size for receiving a suitably sized screw or nail to fasten the bracket  100  to the support  150 . 
     In addition to being used to fasten the bracket  100  to a support  150 , the fastening plates  140  may also act as support webs between different support arms of the bracket  100  to provide additional strength to the bracket  100 . Additional support webs or blocks may be used as additional strengthening supports for the bracket  100 . 
     The support  150  may be, for example, a side wall of the stairway. In certain embodiments, the support  150  may be a support beam, such as a 2×6 or a couple of 2×6s nailed or screwed together, that may extend from the top of the stairway to the bottom of the stairway. 
     Referring again to the top support  120 , in some embodiments, the top support  120  may be coupled to a top end of the riser support  115  and the back support  130  may be coupled to a bottom end of the riser support  115 . In certain embodiments, either or both of the top support  120  and the back support  130  may be coupled to the riser support  115  at positions offset from the ends of the riser support  115 . 
     The top support  120  may provide support to the riser support  115  that includes both lateral and vertical components. The support provided by the top support  120  may brace the top portion of the riser support  115  against pressure from the concrete behind the riser  105 . Similarly, the back support  130  may provide support to the riser support  115  that includes both lateral and vertical components. The support provided by the back support  130  may brace the bottom portion of the riser support  115  against pressure from the concrete behind the riser  105 . 
     An end of the top support  120  distal to the end connected to the riser support  115  may be connected to or connectable to an end of the back support  130  distal to the end of the back support  130  connected to the riser support  115  such that the top support  120 , the back support  130  and the riser support  115  form a triangle. A triangle shape may provide sufficient strength and stability to the bracket  105  to reduce the possibility of failure of the riser support  115 . 
     Each of the top support  120  and back support  130  may have any suitable dimensions. For example, in some embodiments, each of tbc top support  120  and back support  130  may have a width about equal to the width of the riser support  115 . In certain embodiments, the width of each of the top support  120  and back support  130  may have a width greater than or less than the width of the riser support  115 . 
     The thickness of each of the support arms of the bracket  100  may depend on the material the bracket  100  is constructed of. Any suitable material may be used for the bracket  100  or the various parts of the bracket  100 . For example, and without limitation, metals such as steel, polymer materials including plastics, composites such as fiber glass or carbon fiber materials, or wood may be used. The use of metallic materials like steel may result in a smaller thickness of the parts of the bracket  100  than, for example, the use of plastic materials. In certain embodiments, steel plates with a thickness of between about, for example, 1/16″ to ⅛″ may be used. 
     The length of each of the top support  120  and the back support  130  may be of any suitable value. In some embodiments, the length of each of the top support  120  and the back support  130  may be dependent on each other. For example, if the back support  130  is shortened, the angle between the back support  130  and the riser support  115  will be reduced and the top support  120  may be shortened due to intersection with the back support  130 . In some embodiments, the top support  120  may extend beyond its point of intersection with the back support  130 . 
     In some embodiments, having a larger triangle between the support arms of the bracket  100  may increase the bracing support for the riser  105 . Increasing the angle of intersection between the riser support  115  and the top support  120  and the angle of intersection between the back support  130  and the riser support  115  may increase the lateral component of the support provided by each of the top support  120  and the back support  130 . Each of the top support  120  and the back support  130  would be longer if the angles were increased. Increasing the length of each of the top support  120  and the back support  130  may increase the amount of fastening points on the fastening plates  140  as well as the distance between the fastening plates  140 , thereby possibly increasing torque resistance. 
     In some embodiments, the size of the each of the back support  130  and the top support  120  may be kept within certain size parameters to keep the overall size of the bracket  100  from becoming cumbersome. Additionally, increasing the size of the bracket may, in some embodiments, require the use of larger support surfaces for the support  150 . For a stairway, each bracket  100  on each step may be fastened to a support  150 , such as a support beam. The size of each part of the bracket  100  may be selected such that the fastening plates  140  will maintain contact with the support beam  150  for each step, assuming standard riser and tread sizes. 
     In certain embodiments, the back support  130  may extend from the riser support  115  at an angle sufficiently small such that there is sufficient clearance between the back support  130  and a tread of a step immediately below the back support  130  to allow the use of surfacing tools on the tread. Large angles between the back support  130  and the riser support  115  may result in low clearance between the back support  130  and the tread immediately below the back support  130 , making working on the concrete of the tread difficult. 
     In some embodiments, the back support  130  may extend from the riser support  115  at an angle smaller than about sixty degrees. In certain embodiments, an angle between the back support  130  and the riser support  115  may be between about 50 degrees and 60 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle between the back support  130  and the riser support  115  may be about 55 degrees. The length of the back support  130  may be between about 8″ to 10″. In some embodiments, the length of the back support  130  may be about 8¾″. 
     An angle of about 55 degrees between the back support  130  and the riser support  115  may provide sufficient clearance for the tread and sufficient strength for the bracket  100 . 
     An angle between the top support  120  and the riser support  115  may, in some embodiments, be between about, for example, 65 to 75 degrees. In certain embodiments the length of the riser support  115  may be about 8″, the length of the top support  120  may be about 8″ and the angle between the top support  120  and the riser support  115  may be about 70 degrees, with the remaining two angles of the triangle being about 55 degrees each. 
     The top support  120  may be coupled to each of the back support  130  and the riser support  115  and the back support  130  may be coupled to the riser support  115  using any suitable coupling. For example, in some embodiments, the coupling may include welds. In certain embodiments, bolting systems may be used to couple the support arms of the bracket  100 . Adhesives may also be used in some embodiments. 
     In certain embodiments, two of the couplings between the support arms of the bracket  100  may include hinged couplings, allowing the support arms to be folded flat for storage. Overlapping extensions at the third point of the triangle may be used to lock bracket into an open position for use. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 a    and  FIG. 2 b   , as well as  FIG. 1 a   , an embodiment of a bracket system  200  for constructing forms for a stairway is shown. The bracket system  200  may include at least one pair of brackets  100  for holding a riser  105  of the stairway form in position. Each bracket  100  may include a riser support  115  for coupling with the riser  105 . The riser support  115  may include a surface  116  for bearing against the riser  105 . The bracket  100  may also include a top support  120 . A first end of the top support  120  may be coupled to the riser support  115 , for providing support to the riser support  115 . 
     In some embodiments, the bracket  100  may include a back support  130  for providing support to the riser support  115 . The back support  130  may be coupled to both the riser support  115  and the top support  120  such that an area enclosed by the riser support  115 , the back support  130  and the top support  120  is a triangle. 
     In certain embodiments, at least two of the riser support  115 , the back support  130  and the top support  120  include fastening plates  140  for coupling with one of a first support  152  and a second support  154 . Each of the first support  152  and the second support  154  may extend from a top of the stairway to a bottom of the stairway. Each of the fastening plates  140  may be parallel to a plane defined by the triangle. Additionally, in some embodiments, the fastening plates  140  on a first bracket  101  of the pair of brackets  100  may be positioned to contact the first support  152 , with the first support  152  located on a first side of the pair of brackets  100 . The fastening plates  140  on a second bracket  104  of the pair of brackets  100  may be positioned to contact the second support  154 , with the second support  154  being located on a second side of the pair of brackets  100 . The riser  105  may extend between the two supports  152 ,  154  and may be coupled at one end to the first support  152  by the first bracket  102  and at the other end to the second support  154  by the second bracket  104 . 
     For some staircases, a support beam  155 , comprising, for example, a 2×6 or a pair of 2×6s layered together, may be placed along a central portion of the staircase, extending from the bottom of the staircase to the top. Risers  105  may be coupled to the support beam using brackets  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 b    and  FIG. 3 , the bracket system  200  may include a lift bracket  205  for supporting a support beam  155  at at least one of a top step or a bottom step of the stairway, wherein one of the first support  152  and the second support  154  may be the support beam  155 . The lift bracket  205  may include a lift riser support  215  for coupling with the riser  105 . The lift riser support  215  may include a front surface for bearing against the riser  105 . 
     The lift bracket may also include a beam support  220  coupled to the lift riser support  215 . The beam support  220  may be fastenable to the support beam  155 . In some embodiments, the beam support  220  may extend from the lift riser support  215  such that a top surface of the beam support  220  may be positioned to support the support beam  155 . 
     The beam support  220  may extend away from the lift riser support  215  at any suitable angle. For example, in some embodiments, the angle between the beam support  220  and the lift riser support  215  may be about 65 degrees to 75 degrees. In certain embodiments, the angel between the beam support  220  and the lift riser support  215  may be about 70 degrees. 
     Each of the beam support  220  and the lift riser support  215  may be of any suitable shape and size. For example, in some embodiments, each of the lift riser support  215  and the beam support  220  may be plates. The plates may have any suitable width. In some embodiments, the beam support  220  may have a width about equal to the width of the support beam  155 . For example the beam support  220  may be about 2.75″ wide. The lift riser support  215  may, in some embodiments, be equal in width to the beam support  220 . In certain embodiments, the width of the lift riser support  215  may be about the width of the riser  105 , which may be, for example, about 1.5″ to 1.75″ wide. 
     The lift riser support  215  and the beam support  220  may be connected using any suitable coupling. For example, in embodiments where the beam support  220  and the lift riser support  215  are formed of steel, the beam support  220  may be welded to the riser support  215 . 
     In some embodiments, a support web  230  may be coupled to the lift riser support  215  and the beam support  220  to strengthen the lift bracket  205 . For metallic lift brackets  205 , a metallic support web  230  may be used. In some embodiments, a steel plate may be welded to the beam support  220  and the lift bracket  205  as the support web  230 . 
     The support web  230  may be of any suitable size and shape. For example, in some embodiments, the support web  230  may be a triangular plate with two equal sides of about 2.5″ long. 
     In some embodiments, the lift bracket  205  may include a riser tab  240  extending from the lift riser support  215  for coupling with a top of the riser  105 . The riser tab  240  may be for positioning the lift bracket  205  such that an underside of the support beam  155  is positioned a distance above a top of the riser  105  that is sufficient to provide finishing clearance underneath the support beam  155 . The distance may be any suitable size. In certain embodiments, the distance f may be about 1.5″. 
     The riser tab  240  may be of any suitable size and shape. The riser tab  240  may be, for example, about an inch long and have a width about equal to the lift riser support  215 . The riser tab  240  may extend out at about 90 degrees to the plane of the lift riser support  215  and, in some embodiments, may be a steel plate welded to the lift riser support  215 . Any suitable coupling may be used to couple the riser tab  240  to the lift riser support  215 . 
     The lift riser support  215  and the riser tab  240  may be fastenable to the riser  105  and the beam support  220  may be fastenable to the support beam  155 . Each of the riser tab  240 , the lift riser support  215  and the beam support  220  may include holes for nailing or screwing the lift bracket to the riser  105  and the support beam  155 . 
     In use, in accordance with some embodiments, to install the brackets  100 , a user may first locate stair nosings on wall forms or on a pre-existing concrete wall. The user may draw stairs out on the wall on both sides of the stairway. Allowances may be made for riser form  105  thickness as well as kickbacks on stair nosings. The brackets  100  may then be set to the stair layout and fastened to the walls through nail holes in the brackets  100  using, for example, 3-¼″ duplex nails. 
     Once all brackets  100  have been installed down both sides of the stair run, the users may layout riser forms  105  face down on the stair throat soffit. The users may then install a bottom stair riser  105  by fastening it to brackets on both ends of the bottom riser  105 . 2″×4″ wood braces may be used to set bottom stair risers straight using a string line and the wood braces may be pinned to the ground at the bottom of the staircase. 
     Next, a riser  105  for the top step of the staircase may be attached to brackets on either side of the staircase across the width of the staircase. Both the top and bottom step risers  105  may then be marked to show where a support beam  155  may be positioned. Lift brackets  205  may than be attached to the risers  105  at the top and bottom steps. Wood screws may be used to fasten the lift brackets  205 . 
     A support beam  155 , such as a double 2″×6″ support beam, may be placed on the lift brackets  205  and slid down towards the bottom of the staircase until the support beam  155  bumps into the ground. The lower lift bracket  205  may then be screwed to the support beam  155 . Then, ensuring that the riser  105  at the top step is straight, the top lift bracket  205  may be screwed to the support beam  155 . Brackets  100  may be then attached at the top and bottom steps to one or both sides of the support beam  155  and to the top and bottom step risers  105 . 
     In some cases, as shown in  FIG. 2 a    and  FIG. 2 b   , a wood kicker block  190  may be pinned to the ground behind the support beam  155  at the bottom of the staircase to brace the support beam  155 . Additionally, across support beam  191  may be placed at one or more positions along the staircase stretching across the width of the staircase and perpendicular to support beam  155 . For example, in some embodiments, a pair of 2×6″ boards may be placed on edge, one at the top and one at the bottom of the staircase, on top of support beam  155 , stretching across the width of the staircase perpendicular to support beam  155 . The pair of 2″×6″ cross support beams  191  may be pinned to supports, such as sidewalls, at each end of the staircase. 
     The 2″×6″ cross support beams  191  may reduce the possibility of uplift of support beam  155 . Additional uplift supports  192  may be provided by nailing, for example, 2″×4″ boards above the cross support beams  191  against a support such as a side wall. The additional uplift supports  192  may provide additional force to keep the support beam  155  from lifting up as concrete is poured. 
     For the remaining risers  105 , other than the top and bottom risers  105 , starting at the top of the staircase, a bracket  100  may be attached to the nosing of the riser  105  where the riser  105  meets the support beam  155 . The riser may be straightened and the bracket  100  may nailed to the support beam  155 . The riser  105  may also be fastened to the brackets  100  on either wall. In some embodiments, the brackets  100  installed on the support beam  155  may be staggered on either side of the support beam  155 , with a bracket  100  being on the same side of the support bean  100  for every other riser  105 . Once all of the risers  105  have been braced with brackets  100 , concrete may be poured to form the stairs. 
     In some embodiments, as an optional support, a nosing brace  195  may be positioned to stretch from a top of the stair case to a bottom of the staircase along a central portion of the staircase and about perpendicular to the risers  105 . The nosing brace  195  may be a board such as, for example, a 2″×4″. Duplex nails may be used to nail the nosing brace  195  to the nosing of each riser  105 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , an embodiment of a method  400  for positioning and bracing risers of step forms for a staircase is provided. At box  410 , a front surface of a riser support of a bracket may be attached to a riser to brace the riser. 
     At box  420 , the riser may be positioned by fastening the riser support as well as a top support arm and a back support arm of the bracket to an external support using fastening plates coupled to at least two of the top support arm, the back support arm, and the riser support. 
     At box  430 , the riser may be braced by providing supports to the riser support at a top and a bottom end of the riser support. The support may be provided by the back support arm and the top support arm. A first end of the top support arm may be coupled to a first end of the back support and a second end of the top support may be coupled to the top end of the riser support and a second end of the back support may be coupled to the bottom end of the riser support such that the riser support, the back support and the top support form a triangle. 
     The components described in the method above may be similar to the components of the bracket  100  discussed earlier. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Accordingly, as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of one or more stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and groups. 
     It is contemplated that any part of any aspect or embodiment discussed in this specification can be implemented or combined with any part of any other aspect or embodiment discussed in this specification. 
     While particular embodiments have been described in the foregoing, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible and are intended to be included herein. It will be clear to any person skilled in the art that modifications of and adjustments to the foregoing embodiments, not shown, are possible.