Improvements in India Rubber Stair Treads and Mats.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in India Rubber Stair Treads and Mats.
I GEORGE STENT RICHARDSON of 48 Pembroke Square Kensington London,
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN INDIA
RUBBER STAIR TREADS & MATS to be as follows:-
A system of using blocks or strips of India rubber attached to a base or flange,
either of some flexible or liard material, in series, or singly; and either in
conjunction with plates of metal or other hard material, perforated to admit
the said blocks or strips of rubber from the underside, and held in their places
by screwing the said plate to the stairs or floor; or the said blocks or strips of
India rubber may be used by sewing cementing or otherwise fixing the base or
flange of the blocks to a flexible backing.

page_text: I, GEORGE STENT RICHARDSON of 48 Pembroke Square, Kensington, London,
Clerk 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 :-*
This invention has for its object improvements in india rubber stair treads ||
and mats.
For this purpose I prepare blocks or strips of vulcanised india rubber attached
to a base or Hange. This base or flange may be of thin sheet brass or of other
hard material; or in some cases I make it of a flexible material. Together with
such blocks or strips I employ a frame or plate usually of metal and perforated
with apertures of dimensions to receive the blocks or strips and to allow the said
blocks or strips to project above the surface of the plate or frame whilst the
projecting base or flange of each block or sheet is retained on the under side of the
plate or frame. Where the bases or flanges of the blocks or strips are of flexible
material I in some cases dispense with any plate or frame and secure the blocks or
strips to a backing of flexible material (usually a woven fabric) and this I do
preferably by sewing through the flanges and through the backing; or the blocks
or strips may be fixed to the backing by means of cement or otherwise.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 is an edge or side view of a block or strip of
india rubber provided with a base or flange and suitable to be employed in the
production of stair treads and mats in accordance with my invention.
Figure 3 is a plan, and Figure 4 is an end view of a perforated metal plate
which I employ to produce a stair tread in conjunction with blocks or strips such
as are shown by Figures 1 and 2.
In the preparation of the blocks or strips shown by the Figures 1 and 2 I employ
a cast iron frame with recesses in it of dimensions corresponding to those of the
blocks or strips. I place beneath this frame a thin sheet of brass and I fill the
cavities in the cast iron frame or mould with a preparation of india rubber such
as is commonly employed for the production of vulcanized india rubber. I place
the frame or mould so charged and resting on the sheet of brass into a vulcanizing
press and by the aid of heat in the well known manner I vulcanize the india rubber
contained in the recesses of the moulds. This operation being completed I remove
the mould, leaving the blocks or strips of vulcanized india rubber firmly adhering
to the thin sheet of brass. This I then cut up in the spaces between the blocks or
strips leaving each block or strip with a projecting metal flange as Figures 1 and 2
of the drawings represent. I employ these blocks or strips in producing a stair
tread by inserting them into the apertures in the frame or plate represented by
Figure 8, and I then, by screws fix this frame or plate in position where it is
required for use as a stair tread.

page_text: Stair treads made in this manner when they become worn can easily be repaired
by removing the screws by which the plate or frame is fixed in place, then lifting
the said plate or frame, taking out the blocks or strips which have become worn,
replacing them by others and again fixing the plate or frame in place.
I proceed in a similar way to produce a mat, but in this case I employ simply a
plain plate with suitable apertures in place of that represented by Figure 8.
Having filled the holes in this plate with the flanged blocks or strips of india
rubber the plate is screwed down into its place wherever it may be required.
I produce blocks or strips with flexible bases or flanges in a similar manner
except that I substitute for the thin sheet of brass a fabric thoroughly coated
on both sides with india rubber composition, and sometimes I employ two or more
plies of fabric.
In the vulcanizing process the blocks or strips become attached to the fabric
and after vulcanizing I cut the blocks or strips apart in the manner already
described. Such blocks or strips with flexible flanges may be employed together
with metallic frames in the same way as the blocks or strips having flanges of
thin sheet brass. Or in order to produce a mat such blocks or strips may simply
be placed on a backing of canvas or stout fabric and secured thereto by the aid of
a stitching machine.
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 :-
1. An india rubber stair tread or mat consisting of blocks or strips of vulcanized
india rubber provided with bases or flanges of thin sheet metal or other material
and set into a plate or frame of metal or other material perforated to receive them
substantially as described.
2. A mat consisting of blocks or strips of vulcanized india rubber with bases or
flanges attached to a backing of woven fabric or other flexible material substantially
as described.