Patent Publication Number: US-3875707-A

Title: Portable, patio elevated

Description:
United States Patent [1 1 Horn [ PORTABLE, PATIO ELEVATED Russell Horn, 1754 Burlingame Ave.. Wyoming. Mich. 49509 22 Filed: Aug. 6, 1973 211 Appl.No.:385,874  
 [76] Inventor:  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 152.340 6/1874 Cook 52/262 838.266 12/1906 McKee.... 52/184 2,153,884 4/1939 Goins 1 521637 2.794.611 6/1957 Sjoblom 108/51 3,150,742 9/1964 Carter 52/184 3.258.884 7/1966 Wenger 52/182 3,417.51) 12/1968 Hitter t 52/11 Dl8l.923 1/1958 Cramer 182/215 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 225.766 12/1959 52/263 352.814 4/1961 Switzerland 52/455 Primary E.raminerFrank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Henry Raduazo Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McGarry &amp; Waters [451 Apr. s, 1975 l 5 7 ABSTRACT A portable elevated patio adapted to be mounted over a mobile home or the like comprises an elevated platform mounted on legs and having a stairway leading from the ground to the platform. The entire patio is formed in individual components which are bolted together to form a rigid structure. The platform com prises a rectangular frame having separate side rails and end rails that are bolted together at the ends thereof by means of mounting plates attached to the ends of the side rails. A removable flooring formed in sections rests in channels formed along the inside edges of the side rails of the frame. Cross members are suspended across the end rails, and a removable railing fits in railing sockets attached to the outside of the frame. The legs and frame rails are bolted together as a unit at the comers of the frame by means of a mounting plate attached to the end of one of the frame rails. Angle braces reinforce the leg connections. The stairway comprises tubular side members having horizontally disposed angle brackets formed on the insides thereof. Individual steps extend between angle brackets on each side of the stairway. A stairway railing is removably fitted in sockets mounted on the outside of the stairway side members.  
 12 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PORTABLE, PATIO ELEVATED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a portable elevated patio and more particularly to a portable elevated patio formed of lightweight structural components that may be assembled and disassembled easily by bolting together a minimum number of parts.  
 2. Description of the Prior Art Over the past several years, mobile homes have become more and more popular, and mobile home parks have proliferated. Mobile home sites in such parks generally are spaced close to each other, with each site being slightly wider than the mobile home placed on the site. Such sites typically have little or no yard space for the residents, but even when a small front or back yard is provided, the density of people in the area effectively precludes any semblance of privacy for the resident.  
  At the present time, the only recourse available to a mobile home owner who desires additional living space or additional privacy is to fence his property or seek living quarters with additional space.  
  The present invention comprises a completely portable. yet stable elevated patio that provides both additional living space and additional privacy for residents of mobile homes and similar dwellings.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a portable elevated patio comprises a platform mounted on legs and having a stairway leading thereto. The platform includes a frame comprising parallel side rails having inwardly facing channels therein and end rails that are attached to the side rails by suitable fastening means, such as bolts or the like, which connect the end rails to mounting plates on the ends of the side rails. The flooring of the platform comprises rectangular floor sections, preferably redwood planks or other similar material, which extend across the side rails and engage the channels on each side of the side rails. The floor sections are arranged edge to edge and extend from one end rail to the other end rail, covering the entire platform. Cross members fit in channel-shaped sockets in the end rails and are suspended across the frame between the side rails in order to reinforce the patio flooring. A railing is removably secured to the outside of the frame and extends around the perifery thereof.  
  The leg members are upright tubular members that are bolted to the mounting plates on the corners of the frame and extend downwardly therefrom into contact with the ground. Angle brackets may be bolted between the legs and the frame in order to further reinforce the structure.  
  The frame and legs of the present invention are rigidly joined together at each corner of the platform by a novel mounting plate assembly mounted on the underside of each end of each side rail of the frame. The end rails and legs are bolted together to the mounting plate, thus achieving a rigid interconnection of the side rails, end rails, and legs of the patio by means of a single bolted connection. This connection also locks the cross members and flooring sections in place, without requiring separate fasteners for these elements.  
  The stairway is bolted to the outside of the frame and extends at an inclined angle downwardly to the ground. The stairway comprises rectangular side members and horizontally disposed angle brackets mounted on the inside surfaces of the side members at evenly spaced intervals, with the brackets being positioned opposite each other on opposing side members. Individual steps extend across each pair of brackets and are supported thereby, with the steps being removably fastened to the brackets. Preferably, the steps are formed of wooden planks or other similar material. A railing is removably fastened to the side members of the stairway.  
  One of the principal advantages of the portable elevated patio of the present invention is that the patio may be completely disassembled simply and easily into its basic component parts for purposes of transportation or storage. Assembly, similarly, is an easy process and involves only the use of bolted connections between the various parts of the patio. Further, many of the parts of the patio, including the flooring sections of the platform and the cross members and the railings need not be bolted to the structure at all but are fitted into engagement with appropriate receptacles that hold these elements. Thus, the amount of bolting needed in order to construct or disassemble the patio is held to a minimum.  
  These and other advantages and features of the present invention will hereinafter appear, and, for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, a preferred embodiment of the subject invention is described in detail below.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of the portable elevated patio of the present invention.  
  FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the portable elevated patio of the present invention.  
  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the platform of the present invention, showing the manner in which flooring planks are inserted in the side rails of the frame.  
  FIG. 4 is a broken sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2.  
 FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 2.  
  FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.  
  FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 2.  
  FIG. 9 is a partially broken perspective view of a side member of the stairway of the present invention.  
  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a side member of the stairway of the present invention taken along line l0l0 of FIG. 9.  
  FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an end rail of the present invention.  
  FIG. 12 is a broken perspective view of a side rail of the present invention, showing the mounting plate mounted on the end of the side rail.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, a portable elevated patio l0 constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown in assembled form in FIGS. I and 2. Portable patio 10 comprises a platform 12, mounted on four legs 14, which extend downwardly from the corners of the platform to the ground. A removable stairway 16 is attached to the edge of the platform and ex tends downwardly therefrom at an inclined angle into contact with the ground.  
  One of the principal uses contemplated for the portable elevated patio of the present invention is in connection with a mobile home. and in FIG. 1, portable patio is shown erected over the top of a mobile home 18. It should be understood, however, that the utility of the present invention is not limited to use in connection with a mobile home but that the present invention could be employed in any situation wherein an elevated patio that may be assembled and disassembled easily is desirable. For purposes of illustration only. the present invention will be described in connection with a mobile home.  
  As shown in FIG. 3, platform 12 comprises a rectangular frame and a flooring 22 that extends across the frame and covers the top of the platform. Frame 20 comprises side rails 24 that extend along the sides of the platform and end rails 26 that enclose each end of the platform. Side rails 24, as shown in FIG. 4, comprise box-shaped tubular members 28 having inwardly facing channels 30 on the top thereof, with the chan nels being formed by right angle members 31 that are welded to the top of tubular members 28. Spaced at even intervals along the outside of side rails 24 are rail ing holding means in the form of tubular sockets 32 having a rectangular cross section. A removable railing 34, which is provided in four or six foot sections. is adapted to fit within sockets 32 in an upright position. Bottom plates 35 are welded to the bottom of tubular members 28 and extend over the bottom of sockets 32, thereby limiting the permissible downward movement of the railing in the sockets.  
  As shown in H0 12, a mounting plate 36 is mounted to the underside of each end of each side rail 24. Each mounting plate 36 is formed of flat plate steel and has a pair of openings 38 therein for mounting an end rail and legs to the mounting plate and additional openings 39 for additional connections between the leg and the mounting plate. Conventional bolts 4] are used to connect the legs and end rails to the mounting plates and side rails. A socket 32 is welded to the corner of each mounting plate. The end 42 of side rail 24 is beveled or chamferred at a 45 angle, so that the end rails and the side rails will fit together smoothly at a 90 angle. An angle brace 40 is welded to the mounting plate at the inside edge of beveled end 42 of tubular member 28, with the angle brace being positioned perpendicularly to tubular member 28. The purpose of angle brace 40 is to guide and hold end rail 26 in proper position with respect to side rail 24 and to provide structural rigidity to the end rail-side rail connection.  
  Each end rail 26 (shown in FIG. 8) comprises a tubular member 44 having the same rectangular cross sectional configuration of tubular members 28. The ends 46 of tubular members 44 are also beveled or chamferred at a angle, in order to accomplish a flush 90 fit between the end rails and the side rails. At least one vertically oriented socket 32 is welded to the outside of tubular member 44 in order to hold the removable railing 34. A bottom plate 35 of the type used on side rails 24 covers the bottom of socket 32 on the end rail. U- shaped sockets 48 are mounted on the inside surface of tubular members 44 (i.e., the vertical surface facing the interior portion of the platform) and extend inwardly from the end rails. U-shaped sockets 48 comprise a bottom wall 50 and side walls 52 and serve as mounting brackets for a pair of cross members 54 that are suspended between the end rails. End rails 26 also comprise a pair of right angle mounting brackets 56, which are welded to the outside surface ofeach end of the end rail (as shown in FIG. 5). Mounting brackets 56 comprise openings 57 therein that mate with openings 38 in mounting plate 36, and bolts 41 are fitted through these openings in order to fasten the end rails to the mounting plate.  
  Legs or posts 14 are formed of tubular members and extend from the ground upwardly into contact with mounting plates 36 on the corners of the platform. The bottom of the legs may be lodged in the ground either by sinking the ends into the ground or by anchoring the ends to a concrete base. The top of leg 14 comprises a plate 58 (FIG. 1), which is welded to the top of the leg. Plate 58 mates with mounting plate 36 of the ends of side rails 24 and comprises a series of openings that mate with openings 38 and 39 in the mounting plate. Bolts 41 are fitted through these openings. through openings 38 and 39 in the mounting plate, and through openings 41 in mounting brackets 56, in order to hold the side rails, end rails, and legs rigidly together as a single interlocked unit.  
  Still further reinforcement of the connection be tween the legs and the platform is provided by braces 60 which extend at an inclined angle from the legs to the frame. Braces 60 comprise an elongated tubular member 62 having a vertical mounting plate 64 formed at a lower end and a horizontal mounting plate 66 formed at an upper end. Vertical mounting plate 64 is bolted to a corresponding mounting plate 68 on leg l4, and the horizontal mounting plate 66 is bolted to a corresponding mounting plate 70 welded to the bottom of frame 20.  
  In the preferred practice of the present invention, a brace 60 is mounted between each end rail and each leg at each end of the platform, and an additional brace is mounted between each side rail and each leg at the end of the platform adjacent the stairway (FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 6, the horizontal mounting plates on the angle braces are attached to the corresponding mounting plates 70 on the underside of the frame by means of screws 72 employing lock washers 74.  
  Cross members 54 preferably are hollow tubular steel members having a rectangular cross section. These cross members extend between sockets 48 on each end rail, with the ends of each cross member resting in op posing sockets on the end rails. Because the end rails are rigidly fastened to the side rails. it is not necessary to provide additional fastening means to securely fasten the cross members to the end rails or to the sockets, as the cross members are effectively pinched between the end rails in the assembled frame.  
  Flooring 22 is formed in individual elongated flooring sections 23 which fit edge to edge in inwardly facing channels 30 in the side members and extend across the frame. The flooring sections rest on and are supported inside the frame by cross members 54, as shown in FIG. 7. The cross members run transversely to the longitudinal direction of the flooring sections. Preferably, flooring sections 23 are formed of l inch X 6 inches X 8 feet redwood planks, and the planks are fitted together edge to edge, so that they extend from one end rail to the other. No fasteners are needed to hold the planks in place in the frame. The manner in which the planks are inserted in the frame is shown in FIG. 3 and is described in detail below in connection with the assembly of the entire patio.  
  The construction of stairway 16 is shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10. The stairway frame comprises a pair of op posed side members 76 which extend from a horizontal end 78 that contacts the ground to a vertically disposed end 80 that is attached to the side rail of the platform. The vertically disposed upper end of each side brace 76 is welded to a mounting plate 82 that has openings 83 therein for bolting the stairway to the frame bolts. Corresponding openings are formed in tubular member 28, and bolts 85 extend through the openings and hold the stairway to the frame. Railing sockets 32 are welded to the outside of the side braces and serve as sockets or receptacles for removable railing sections. One of the railing sockets is mounted at the top of the side member and provides additional reinforcement between the top of the stairway and the mounting plate.  
  Side members 76 are formed of box shaped, tubular members, as shown in FIG. 10, with the side member preferably being formed of two rectangular box shaped members 84 which are welded together along a narrow side thereof. This type of structure provides additional internal rigidity for the staircase structure, while providing a side member having a narrow and elongated rectangular cross section. A single box-shaped tubular member having the desired external dimensions would have inadequate internal rigidity without the use of substantially heavier gage steel in the side walls.  
  Individual stairs or steps 86 are mounted on side members 76 by means of angle braces 88 mounted in a horizontal position on the internal sides of the side members. Angle braces 88 are evenly spaced along each side brace, with the angle braces on each side member being positioned directly opposite the angle braces on the opposing side member. Steps 86 rest on angle braces on each side brace 76. Preferably, steps 86 are formed of redwood planks, and desirably these planks are 1 inch X 8 inches X 24 inches in dimensions. These planks rest on the angle braces and are fastened to the stairway by bolts 89 that extend through the ends of the steps into suitable openings in the angle braces.  
  It would also be possible, instead of employing individual steps in the stairway, to employ metal steps and weld the ends of the steps directly to the side members, thereby forming a single, integral stairway unit and dispensing with the requirement of angle braces and bolt fasteners. The integral unit, however, is substantially larger than the components of the stairway employing separate steps, so for most uses the separate step unit is preferred.  
  The railing 34 employed in the present invention is conventional and comprises square railing posts 90 that fit into sockets 32 and railing sections 92 that extend between posts 90. These railing sections comprise a hand rail 94, a bottom rail 96, and spokes or struts 98 that extend between the rails.  
  Railing sections 92 are mounted on posts 90 by means of railing connectors 100, which consist of flat angle brackets having a first leg that is attached to the post and a second leg that extends outwardly in the plane of the hand rail or bottom rail. The hand rail and the bottom rail are fastened to the railing connectors by bolts or other suitable fasteners. The railings employed in the stairway preferably are formed in four foot sections, whereas the railing employed for the platform is preferably formed in 6 foot sections. Desirably, the railing sections are formed of decorative wrought iron and the posts are tubular steel or the like.  
  The assembly of the portable elevated patio of the present invention may be accomplished as follows. First, one of the end rails is attached to the ends of two of the side rails in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The redwood planks or other flooring materials used in the platform are then inserted in the open ends of the frame and are moved inwardly to the closed end of the frame until the frame is completely covered with redwood planks. At this point, the cross members are inserted in the channels in the closed end rail and the remaining end rail is moved into position for attachment to the side rails. As the end rail is moved into this position, the cross members are fitted into the sockets in the end rail. The end rail is then attached to the side rails, thus pinching the cross members between the side rails and retaining the cross members and the sockets and the end rails without requiring any additional fasteners to hold the cross members to the end rails.  
  With the platform thus assembled, the next step in the assembly process is to bolt the platform on the legs. Since certain common bolts are employed for the end rails and legs, this assembly operation binds the end rails, side rails, and legs together in one cohesive unit.  
  After the legs are assembled, the side braces are attached by bolting them to the appropriate places on the legs and the underside of the frame.  
  The next step is to assemble the staircase. This is accomplished by bolting the steps between the angle braces of the side frames on the stairway. These steps thus form the cross bracing for the stairway, and no ad ditional metal cross braces are necessary in order to provide completely adequate rigidity for the stairway. This structure provides a distinct advantage over most conventional stairways, wherein a framework is provided for cross bracing the stairway, and the steps themselves are used only for stepping purposes. By using the steps for both stepping surfaces and cross bracing, substantial savings in material and in assembly expense and time are achieved.  
  After the steps have been mounted to the angle braces, the stairway itself can be bolted to the frame of the patio by means of bolts that extend through the mounting plate 82 on the stairway and the corresponding openings in frame 20.  
  After the legs, platform, and stairway have all been assembled, the railing can then be installed by inserting the railing posts into the sockets and then fastening individual railing sections between the posts by means of railing connectors 100.  
  As the foregoing assembly steps indicate, the portable elevated patio of the present invention is formed of simple, lightweight components that are simply and easily connected together to form a rigid framework by means of simple bolt interconnections. Moreover, the patio of the present invention minimizes the number of fastening members necessary by eliminating the need for fasteners to hold the cross members between the end rails of the frame, the flooring in place in the frame, and the railing on the outside of the frame. The stairway structure similarly eliminates the need for extra cross bracing of the stairway by employing the steps themselves as cross braces in the stairway.  
  An important feature of the present invention is the manner in which the side rails, end rails, and legs are attached together rigidly at the corners of the portable elevated patio, without the utilization of extra fasteners or additional structural components. By providing a rigid mounting plate fastened to the underside of the end of each side rail and mounting the end rail and legs together on the mounting plate, the legs, end rails. and side rails can all be connected together by means of a minimum number of bolts, and this rigid interconnection provides substantially more structural soundness than other building constructions employing much more complex structural interconnections.  
  In this regard, it should be apparent that the mounting plates alternatively could be mounted on the ends of the end rails instead of on the side rails, as the same rigid one piece interconnection would result in either case.  
  It should be understood that the embodiment described herein is merely exemplary of the preferred practice of the present invention and that various changes, modifications, and variations may be made in the arrangements, operation. and details of construction of the elements disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
  The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
  l. A frame comprising parallel elongated side rails having inwardly facing channels formed therein and end rails extending between the ends of the side rails, the junction between the ends of the end rails and side rails forming the corners of the frame;  
 elongated floor sections extending across the side rails and having outer ends that fit into and are supported by the channels in the side rails, said floor sections being arranged edge to edge and extending from one end of the frame to the other;  
 legs extending upwardly from the ground to upper ends that engage and support each corner of the frame;  
 fastening means adapted to rigidly join the upper end of each leg to the ends of the end rails and the side rails at each corner of the frame, said fastening means being releasable to permit disassembly of the frame and legs into their component parts, said fastening means comprising:  
 a horizontal mounting plate mounted on the underside of one of the rails at each corner of the frame, each mounting plate supporting the end of one of the other rails and having openings therein for bolting the leg and the end of the other rail at said corner to the mounting plate;  
 a horizontal plate mounted on each leg, said plate having openings therein that mate with openings in the mounting plate;  
 at least one opening in the end of each of said other rails of the frame, said opening mating with an opening in the mounting plate; and  
 bolt means fitting through the mating openings in the ends of said other rails, the mounting plates, and the plates on the legs so as to rigidly lock the end rails side rails, and legs together as a unit; and  
 a stairway releasably attached to the outside of the frame and extending therefrom to the ground, said stairway comprising parallel side members extending from the frame to the ground and steps extending between the side members at spaced intervals.  
  2. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:  
 at least one cross member extending between the end rails at a point between the side rails; and  
 socket means mounted on the inside of each end rail and adapted to receive and support the ends of the cross member so that the cross member supports the flooring between the side rails, said socket means being adapted to permit disengagement of the cross member from the socket means by longitudinal movement of the cross member away from the socket means.  
  3. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 2 wherein the socket means comprise opposing U-shaped sockets on the inside of each end rail, each socket comprising a bottom and vertical side walls extending inwardly from the end rail toward the interior of the frame.  
  4. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising:  
 a removable railing releasably mounted to the outside of the frame and extending around the periph&#39; ery thereof; and  
 a removable railing releasably mounted to the outside of the side members of the stairway and extending along the length of the stairway.  
 5. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 4 wherein:  
 vertically disposed sockets are mounted at spaced intervals about the periphery of the frame and along the outside of the stairway side members;  
 the removable railing comprises a plurality of railing posts having railing sections suspended therebetween, said railing posts being spaced at intervals and shaped so as to fit into the sockets on the outside of the frame and the stairway.  
 6. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 1 wherein:  
 each mounting plate comprises an angle brace means extending upwardly from the top thereof and adapted to engage one side of the end of the said other rail mounted thereon;  
 each said other rail comprises a mounting bracket attached to each end thereof on the opposite side of the rail from the angle brace, said mounting bracket extending outwardly from the rail over the upper surface of the mounting plate and comprising at least one opening therein that mates with an opening in the mounting plate, said opening being the opening in the end of said other rail; and  
 the bolt means fit through the openings in the mounting bracket to hold the other rail to the mounting plate and the leg.  
  7. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 6 wherein the ends of the side rails and end rails are beveled inwardly at a 45 angle and are fitted together snugly at a 90 angle.  
  8. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 1 wherein each side rail comprises:  
 an elongated tubular member having a rectangular cross section; and  
 an elongated right angle member mounted on the top of the tubular member so as to form an inwardly facing channel on the top of the tubular member.  
  9. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 1 wherein each side member of the stairway is formed of a pair of elongated rectangular tubular members having vertically oriented side walls, said tubular members being placed one below the other and connected together along adjacent walls.  
 10. A portable elevated patio as claimed in claim 1 wherein:  
 the legs are bolted to the frame at the corners thereof; and  
 at least one brace extends at an inclined angle from each leg to the frame, each brace being bolted at opposite ends to the leg and the frame.  
 11. A portable elevated patio comprising:  
 a rectangular frame comprising tubular frame rails connected together at the ends thereof, said frame rails including a pair of parallel elongated side rails having angle brackets mounted on the top thereof so as to form inwardly facing channels on the side rails, said frame rails further including a pair of parallel end rails abutting the ends of the side rails and extending perpendicularly between the side rails, each end rail having a pair of sockets formed on an inside surface thereof;  
 mounting plates attached to the underside of the ends of each side rail, each mounting plate comprising a plurality of openings for mounting the end rail and leg at each corner thereto, each mounting plate further comprising an angle brace attached to the upper side thereof and extending parallel to said end rail along one side thereof;  
 mounting brackets attached to each end of said end rails on a side opposite the angle braces on the mounting plates, each said mounting bracket extending over a mounting plate and having at least one opening therein that mates with an opening in the mounting plate;  
 legs extending upwardly from the ground to each corner of the frame, each leg being formed ofa tubular member and having a horizontal plate mounted on the top thereof, said plate having openings therein that mate with the openings in the mounting plate;  
 bolt fasteners extending through the openings in the plate, mounting plate, and mounting bracket and rigidly interlocking the side rails, end rails, and legs together;  
 a brace extending between each leg and the frame at an inclined angle, each brace being bolted at opposite ends to a leg and the frame;  
 a plurality of vertical railing sockets mounted on the outside of the frame and spaced around the perifery of the frame;  
 a removable railing comprising railing sections suspended between railing posts mounted around the frame, said railing posts fitting into and being supported by said railing sockets;  
 a flooring comprising elongated rectangular wooden planks that extend across the frame and have ends that fit into the inwardly facing channels in the side rails, said planks fitting together edge to edge and extending from one end rail to the other;  
 a pair of parallel stairway side members bolted to the outside of the frame by apertured mounting plates on upper ends thereof and extending therefrom at an inclined angle downwardly to the ground, each side member being formed of a pair of identical rectangular tubular members attached together one below the other along adjacent sides;  
 horizontal angle braces attached to the inside surface of each side member and spaced evenly along the side member, each angle brace on each side member being positioned opposite an angle brace on the other side member;  
 individual steps formed of wooden planks extending between the side members, each step resting on and being bolted to angle braces on each side member;  
 vertical railing sockets mounted in spaced relationship on the outside of the side members; and  
 a removable railing mounted on the outsides of the stairway, said railing comprising railing posts that fit into the railing sockets and having railing sections suspended between the railing posts.  
  12. A frame comprising parallel elongated side rails having inwardly facing channels formed therein and end rails extending between the ends of the side rails. the junction between the ends of the end rails and side rails forming the corners of the frame;  
 elongated floor sections extending across the side rails and having outer ends that fit into and are supported by the channels in the side rails, said floor sections being arranged edge to edge and extending from one end of the frame to the other;  
 legs extending upwardly from the ground to upper ends that engage and support each corner of the frame;  
 fastening means adapted to rigidly join the upper end of each leg to the ends of the end rails and the side rails at each corner of the frame, said fastening means being releasable to permit disassembly of the frame and legs into their component parts;  
 a stairway releasably attached to the outside of the frame and extending therefrom to the ground, said stairway comprising parallel side members extending from the frame to the ground and steps extending betweenthe side members at spaced intervals, said stairway being bolted to the frame by means of a vertical mounting plate at the upper end thereof, the side members of the stairway comprising evenly spaced horizontal angle braces formed on the inside surfaces thereof, with the steps resting on and being bolted to angle braces on each side of the side members;  
 and  
 a railing comprising railing sections suspended between railing posts removably mounted to the stairway by means of vertical sockets attached to and spaced along the outside of each side member.