IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE TREADS OF STEPS OR STAIRS.”
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hawksley, of No. 1, Montrose Villas,
Caledonian Road, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
'IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE TREADS OF STEPS OR STAIRS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hawksley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
December 1865.
I, GEORGE HAWKSLEY, of No. 1, Montrose Villas, Caledonian Road, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE TREADS OF STEPS OR STAIRS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing the treads
of steps or stairs, and is more particularly applicable for constructing the
treads of steps or stairs for public buildings, such as railway stations and
others where they are much used, and in fact for all buildings where numerous
persons are constantly passing up and down such stops or stairs.
According to my Invention I employ a cast-iron frame having numerous
Price d

page_text: openings in or through it of the form of the tread of each step or stair, which
frame may be cast in one piece or may be cast in sections. Into each opening
is introduced wood, by preference with the grain upwards, though some hard
woods will admit of being used with the grain at an inclination or in a
horizontal position. Between the neighboring pieces of wood there are
channels or grooves left which may be more or less filled up with bituminous
or other cement, but it is desirable to leave channels or grooves to convey off
any water which may be deposited on the treads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said. George Hawksley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HAWKSLEY, of No. 1, Montrose Villas, Caledonian Road, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Hawksley, Her special licence that I, the said George
Hawksley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Hawksley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING THE TREADS OF STEPS OR STAIRS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Hawksley, my executors.
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say;-
This Invention has for its object improvements in constructing the treads
of steps or stairs, and is more particularly applicable for constructing the
treads of steps or stairs for public buildings, such as railway stations and
others where they are much used, and in fact for all buildings where numerous
persons are constantly passing up and down such steps or stairs.
According to my Invention I employ a cast-iron frame having numerous
openings in or through it of the form of the tread of each step or stair, which
frame may be cast in one piece or may be cast in sections. Into each opening
is introduced wood, by preference with the grain upwards, though some hard
woods will admit of being used with the grain at an inclination in a horizontal
position. Between the neighboring pieces of wood there are channels or
grooves left which may be more or less filled up with bituminous or other
cement, but it is desirable to leave channels or grooves to convey off any
water which may be deposited on the treads.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same. The tread of a stair or slep
is cast in one piece or it may be in parts or sections which can be readily
fixed together so as to form one tread. This casting is formed with numerous
openings through it, each opening may be square or round or of other form.
I however prefer that the holes or openings should be of a square form, and
that the solid parts between the holes or openings should be narrow, so that
when the holes or openings through the cast-iron frame or tread are filled
with the several pieces of wood, which should slightly project above the upper
surface of the tread, there may be narrow channels between and surrounding
the several pieces of wood to conduct off any water which may come on the
tread of a step or stair; the size of the holes or openings may be varied, I prefer
them to be from one to two inches across and the channels about three 32nds
to half an inch thick, and I make these solid parts, by preference, about 1}
inches deep and flanged at bottom to support the pieces of wood introduced
into the openings. It is desirable when introducing the pieces of wood into
the openings or holes in the cast-iron frame that the same should be dry and
compressed, in order that there should be no tendency in the wood to shrink
and become loose in dry weather. It is preferred that the front and back
rails of the treads should be somewhat deeper than the other solid parts of
the cast-iron frame, and formed suitably for being fixed by screws to the

page_text: risers, which I make of wood. By these means the tread of a stair or step
would have the strength of a cast-iron frame, whilst the surface of the tread
would be composed for the most part of wood.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hawksley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
GEORGE HAWKSLEY. (L.S.)