Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER BARR, of 2 Bothwell Terrace, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say:-
My said Invention has for its object to prevent the accidents which frequently
occur through the attempts of children to slide down the rails or bannisters of
stairs, whilst the devices or modifications of construction which I employ for that
purpose are susceptible of ornamental treatment in various ways.
In carrying out my Invention in the simplest way I have each baluster or
vertical member of the railing, or it may be every second or more distanț båluster,
formed or fitted with a spur or small branch or bracket, such branch being on the
outside of the railing and springing from a point a short distance below the top
rail. Each branch is curved outwards and upwards, its outer and upper end being
near the level of the rail, and whilst no part of the branch is so near the rail
as to obstruct the free passage of the hand along the rail, it effectually prevents
children from sliding down, and also from leaning over the rail to a dangerous
extent. The branches or. spurs may be formed in the same pieces with the
balusters; or they may be formed separately and be fixed on the balusters in any
convenient way, so that existing stair railings may be inexpensively provided with
my safety devices.
The branches or spurs may be made ornamental, with plates or soles for sup-
porting vases or statuettes, or with hooks or eyes for suspending flower or fern
baskets or other ornamental articles.
'
Deted this twenty-sixth day of October 1885
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Stair Railings.
I, ALEXANDER BARB, of 2 Bothwell Terrace, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to prevent the accidents which frequently
occur through the attempts of children to slide down the rails or bannisters of
stairs, whilst the devices or modifications of construction which I employ for that
purpose are susceptible of ornamental treatment in various ways.
In carrying out my Invention in the simplest way I have each baluster or
vertical member of the railing, or it may be every second or more distant baluster,
formed or fitted with a spur or small branch or bracket, such branch being on the
outside of the railing and springing from a point a short distance below the top
rail. Each branch is curved outwards and upwards, its outer and upper end being
near or above the level of the rail; and whilst no part of the branch is so near the
rail as to obstruct the free passage of the hand along the rail, it effectually prevents
children from sliding down, and also from leaning over the rail to a dangerous
extent. The branches or spurs may be formed in the same pieces with the
balusters; or they may be formed separately and be fixed on the balusters in any
convenient way, so that existing stair railings may be inexpensively provided with
my safety devices.
The branches or spurs may be made ornamental, with plates or soles for
supporting vases or statuettes, or with hooks or eyes for suspending flower or fern
baskets or other ornamental articles.
A sheet of explanatory drawings is hereunto appended showing a few examples
of the great variety of modes of practically carrying out my Invention. In these
drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
Figure, 1, on the sheet of drawings is an oblique projection or elevation of a stair
railing of the simplest form and figure, 2, is an enlarged view of one of the
balusters, B, with the rail, R, in section. In this example my safety spur or branch, S,
is cast or formed on the baluster, B. Figures, 3, and 4, are side and front elevations
of a modification in which the safety spur, S, is formed in a separate piece and is
fixed to the baluster, B, by a binding wire or strap, W, the ends of the wire which
embraces the baluster being passed through lugs, L, on the spur piece and secured
by screw nuts. The spur piece, S, may however, be fixed to the baluster, B, in any
other convenient way.
Figures, 5, and 6, are a side and front elevation of a slightly ornamental stair
railing having the spurs, S, formed on every second baluster, B.
When the spur
pieces, S, are put only on every second baluster, B, in this way they may be
connected to the intermediate balusters by ornamental scrolls, Z, curved outwards
so as to give some protection between the spur pieces.

page_text: Figures, 7, and 8, show ornamental forms of safety spurs or branches, S, the one
in figure, 8, being represented as formed with a sole or plate, P, for supporting an
ornament of any suitable kind.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The providing of stair railings with spurs, branches, or brackets on their outer
sides substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.