Steps, and in the Manufacture of the same.
Year: 1885

page_text: Steps, and in the Manufacture of the same.
We, JOSEPH PENN, of Providence Iron Works, Cradley Heath, Worcestershire,
Ironmaster and JOSEPH BILLINGHAM Jr, of Providence Street, Cradley Heath,
aforesaid, Chain Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
Our Invention has reference to the "irons" or curbings by which the steps of
omnibuses, tramcars and other like vehicles are protected from wear caused by the
feet of passengers and which are also used for protecting in like manner other
steps, stairs or treads.
Such step irons are now ordinarily made of malleable cast iron with projections
on their upper side to prevent persons' feet slipping.
Our Improved step iron or curbing consists of a strip of rolled iron or steel
having a row or parallel rows of knobs or projections rolled on its upper surface.
We prefer to use knobs or projections of a square pyramidal shape as we find
that when made of such shape they will last longer in wear, but such knobs or
projections may be of a conical, dome, or other suitable shape.
In the manufacture of our said improved step irons or curbings we employ
ordinary rolls such as are now used for rolling strip iron or steel but one of such
rolls is provided with a circumferential row or circumferential rows of holes or
recesses corresponding with the row or rows of knobs or projections required to be
formed on the step iron or curbing.
Our improved step irons or curbings can be fixed to steps, stairs or treads by
countersunk headed screws or other well known means as are now employed for
fixing ordinary step irons or curbings, and either a single strip may be used for a
step, stair or tread or two or more strips side by side.

page_text: Improvements in Step Irons for Vehicles, Stair-treads, and other
Steps, and in the Manufacture of the same.
We, JOSEPH PENN, of Providence Iron Works, Cradley Heath, Worcestershire,
Ironmaster and JOSEPH BILLINGHAM Jr of Providence Street, Cradley Heath,
aforesaid, Chain Manufacturer, 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 reference being had to the
accompanying drawing and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is
to say-
Our Invention has reference to the "irons" or curbings by which the steps of
omnibuses, tramcars and other like vehicles are protected from wear caused by the
feet of passengers and which are also used for protecting in like manner other
steps, stairs or treads.
Such step irons are now ordinarily made of malleable cast iron with projections
on their upper side to prevent persons' feet slipping.
Our Improved step iron or curbing consists of a strip of rolled iron or steel
having a row or parallel rows of knobs or projections rolled on its upper surface.
We prefer to use knobs or projections of a square pyramidal shape as we find
that when made of such shape they will last longer in wear, but such knobs or
projections may be of a conical, dome, or other suitable shape.
In the manufacture of our said improved step irons or curbings we employ
ordinary rolls such as are now used for rolling strip iron or steel but one of such
rolls is provided with a circumferential row or circumferential rows of holes or
recesses corresponding with the row or rows of knobs or projections required to be
formed on the step iron or curbing.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing represents part of a pair of rolls for rolling
step irons or curbings according to our Invention with three rows of pyramidal
shaped knobs or projections on the upper surface of such step irons or curbings
and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on line X. X. of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents
part of a pair of rolls for use when rolling step irons or curbings with three rows
of conical shaped knobs or projections and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the same;
Fig. 5 represents in plan, elevation and cross-section a partly finished and Fig. 6 a
finished step iron or curbing rolled by the rolls illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 and
Fig. 7 represents in plan, elevation and cross-section a finished step iron or curbing
rolled by the rolls illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4.
A is our improved step iron or curbing having three rows of pyramidal shaped
knobs or projections a, a, a (Fig. 6) on its upper surface and B, B¹, are part of a
pair of rolls for rolling the same. The rolls B, B¹, are ordinary rolls such as are
now used for rolling strip iron or steel but one of the rolls B is according to our
Invention provided with a circumferential row of recesses b, corresponding with
the rows of knobs or projections a, a, a, on the step iron or curbing A (see Fig. 6).
The roll B has also three grooves 61, 61, 61, corresponding with the three rows of
knobs or projections a, a, a. In forming the step iron or curbing A a strip or bar
of iron or steel is formed by the ordinary rolling process and while heated has the

page_text: ribs a, a, a, (see Fig. 5) formed upon it by the grooves 61, 61, 61, as it is passed
between the rolls B, B'. The ribs a¹, a¹, a¹, are then divided into knobs or
projections a, a, a, by the recesses b, b, b, as the strip is again passed through the
rolls B, B¹.
The processes of forming the ribs a' and dividing them into knobs or projections a
may each be performed on separate rolls, as will be readily understood, instead of
on the same roll as described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 3.
C is another form of our improved step iron or curbing having three rows of
conical knobs or projections c, c, c, which are formed by the corresponding conical
holes or recesses d, d, d, in the roll D of the pair of rolls D, D' either from a ribbed
strip A (Fig. 5) or from a plain rectangular strip without the ribs a¹.
Step irons or curbings having knobs or projections of shapes other than
pyramidal or conical can be formed similarly as hereinbefore described with
reference to the step irons or curbings A and C.
A step iron or curbing having any required number of rows of knobs or
projections can be formed similarly as herein before described with reference to a
step iron or curbing having three rows.
.
Our improved step irons or curbings can be fixed to steps, stairs or treads by
countersunk headed screws passing through the holes e, or by other well known
means as are now employed for fixing ordinary step irons or curbings and either a
single strip may be used for a step, stair or tread or two or more strips side
by side.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The improved step iron or curbing for vehicles, stair treads and other steps
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; that is to
say, a step iron or curbing consisting of a strip or bar of rolled iron or steel having
a row or rows of knobs or projections rolled on its upper surfaco as hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
2. The improvements in the manufacture of step irons or curbings for vehicles,
stair treads and other steps herein before described with reference to the accom-
panying drawing; that is to say, forming such step irons or curbings with a row
or rows of knobs or projections on their upper surface by means of a roll or rolls
having holes or recesses corresponding with the knobs or projections required
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The improvements in the manufacture of step irons or curbings for vehicles,
stair treads and other steps hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawing, that is to say, forming such step irons or curbings with a row or
rows of knobs or projections on their upper surface by means of rolls which first
form ribs on their upper surface and afterwards divide such ribs into the required
knobs or projections substantially as herein before described.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.