Improvements in Stair Treads, Landings, and Coverings of Subways, Sewer Outlets, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1894-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stair Treads, Landings, and Coverings of Subways,
Sewer Outlets, and the like.
JOSEPH THOMAS ANDREWS 39 Blackheath Road Greenwich London S.E.
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The construction of stair treads by means of wooden blocks driven into a cast
iron frame of any desired shape is well known. My improvement consists in
arranging wood blocks in rows with iron or steel bars alternately the whole being
held together by long bolts or rivets passing through the wooden blocks & metal
bars transversely to same, the front bar is by preference of the section known as
half round while the back bar viz.-that which abuts against the riser is brought
round at either end & secured to the blocks by wood screws. The treads may be
secured to the risers in any of the ordinary methods & may be adapted to iron,
wood or stone staircases as the case may be.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the upper & lower surface of
my improved tread are precisely similar & that therefore when the upper surface,
or that exposed to wear is worn out, the tread may be turned upside down, thus
exposing a perfectly new surface to the traffic, when the surface has become worn
the wood blocks & bars may be taken asunder and new blocks inserted at a small
cost, thus the treads as made by my improved system will be very durable. The
wood blocks may be of any kind of wood and of any given size, the intersecting
bars may be of iron or steel as may be desired and further the shape and the
thickness of tread may be varied to suit circumstances.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stair Treads, Landings, and Coverings of Subways,
Sewer Outlets, and the like.
I, JOSEPH THOMAS ANDREWS of 51 Blackheath Road Greenwich London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention has for its object to provide an improved construction of stair
treads and landings applicable also for coverings for subways, sewer outlets and for
other analogous purposes such as for the treads of cabs or tramway railway or other
carriages or for the Hoors thereof or for the gangways of ships or for any other
purpose to which they are or may be applicable. The construction of stair treads
and the like by driving wooden blocks into recesses in a cast iron frame of any
desired shape so as to expose a wooden surface or tread at one side is well known.
My invention consists in arranging wooden blocks in rows alternating with metal
bars the whole being held together by long bolts or rivets passing through or
between the wooden blocks and through the metal bars transversely thereto.
When my invention is applied to stair treads or the like the front bar may be of
the section known as halt round or a separate nosing may be applied thereto and.
the back bar, or that which in stairs abuts against the riser may be brought round
at either end and if desired be secured to the wooden blocks by screws or otherwise
or the front and back bars may each be so brought round, say each be brought
5 l'oice Qu

page_text: round half way. The treads when used for stairs may be secured to the risers
according to the ordinary or any suitable method and may be used with iron,
wooden, or stone, or other staircases.
In order that my invention may be well understood I will.describe with
reference to the accompanying drawings the manner in which it may be carried
into practical effect premising however that I do not limit myself to the precise
details shewn.
Figure 1 is a plan Figure 2 is a cross section and Figure is a longitudinal
section of a tread or surface made according to my invention. A are rows of
wooden blocks and B are metal bars alternating therewith. These rows of blocks A
and the bars B are held together by long rivets or bolts C passing through the bars
and through holes formed by grooves in opposed faces of the blocks the whole being
encircled by a metal frame into which the long rivets or bolts are by preference
countersunk. The said frame is shewn as being constituted by the front and back
bars D and by the ends being turned to overlap the sides, as at d and these over-
lapping parts may be secured to the end blocks of the rows by screws or other
fastenings. A nosing E if required (as in the case of stair treads for example) can
be fixed by means of screws as shewn or otherwise on the front bar D of the tread
or this part of the bar can be made with a curved face to constitute a nosing.
In a tread or surface constructed according to my invention the wooden blocks
expose a surface at each side and each side may be similar and when the upper
surface or that exposed to wear is worn out the treads can be turned upside down
thus exposing a perfectly new surface to the traffic or for wear or in the case of
stair treads or the like when one edge of the surface has become worn the sides of
the same surface may be reversed and when the whole surface of the wooden blocks
has become worn the wooden blocks, and bars may be taken asunder and new wooden
blocks be inserted very readily and at a small cost so that the treads made on my
improved system are very durable and can be very readily and economically
renewed. The wooden blocks may be of any kind of wood, and of any desired size
and the intersecting bars may be of any suitable metal or material preferably of
iron or steel and the shape and thickness of tread as a whole may be varied to suit
circumstances.
In Figures 1 and 2 I have shewn flat sided bars and blocks with flat sides to
correspond but in Figures 4 to 12 I have shewn in cross section various forms
which the bars and blocks may have but I do not limit myself to these or to any
particular form. In these figures the parts are marked with the letters which are
used to denote the same parts in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
In Figures 8 to 12 I have shown various forms of blocks the bars and bolts being
made of course to correspond in shape to the recesses for them in the blocks.
If desired, for example, for use in dwelling houses, public buildings, and the
like the kinds of wood used in any one piece may be varied, so as to form any desired
pattern or design.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A tread or wearing surface for stairs or for other purposes composed of
wooden blocks arranged in rows between bars and supported by bolts or rivets
so as to present a surface of the blocks at each side substantially as herein before
described.
2. The construction of treads or wearing surfaces for stairs or for other purposes
substantially as herein before described and shewn in the, accompanying drawings.
Dated the 20th day of A semun 100
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.