Improvements in the Wearing Surfaces of Stair Treads, Passages, and Floors.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Wearing Surfaces of Stair Treads, Passages,
and Floors.
I, JOHN WOODWARD, of 4 St. Ann's Square, in the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of the wearing surfaces of stair treads,
passages and floors in a cheap and simple manner, and consists in a combination of
the wearing material employed with plates or frames of metal in a certain manner,
namely.
I prefer to use wood as the wearing material, but any other suitable material may
be employed, such wood being by preference used with the end of its grain upwards.
Blocks of wood are cut of the desired thickness, length and width and the blocks
are by preference made two or three times longer than they are wide, and the two
opposite ends of the longway of each block are bevelled.
These blocks are inserted in a plate of sheet or cast iron or other metal, the
edges of which on two opposite sides are cast or bent (if of sheet metal) to form a
bevel to suit the said bevels upon the ends of the blocks, the upper or wearing
surfaces of these blocks extending above the turned up edges of the plates or
frames, which may be entire sheets or plates or made with parts cut out or left out
of the plate if formed by casting.
The prepared blocks of material are inserted side by side in the plate or frame
and are held within its bevels and the two blocks one at each end of the plate or
frame are secured by screws passing through the plate or frame, or it is arranged
so that its ends or parts of it at the ends may be bent upwards to press upon the
sides of the two end blocks of the wearing material held in the plate or frame.
The wearing surfaces of the material are or may be grooved by cutters when
they are secured in the plate or frame or before they are placed therein, in order
to give good hold to the foot coverings of those travelling over the wearing
surfaces.
These improved combined wearing surfaces and plates or frames are or may be
attached to the treads of stairs, surfaces of passages or floors, by screws or other
means, or by asphalt or other suitable cementing material in which they may be
bedded.
Dated this Thirteenth dar of November 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Wearing Surfaces of Stair Treads, Passages,
and Floors.
I, JOHN WOODWARD, of 4 St. Ann's Square, in the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, 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 :-
My invention relates to the construction of the wearing surfaces of stair treads,
passages and floors in a cheap and simple manner, and consists in a combination of
the wearing material employed with plates or frames of metal in a certair. manner,
namely

page_text: I prefer to use wood as the wearing material, but any other suitable material
may be employed, such wood being by preference used with the end of its grain
upwards.
Blocks of wood are cut of the desired thickness, length and width and the blocks
are by preference made two or three times longer than they are wide, and the two
opposite ends of the longway of each block are bevelled.
These blocks are inserted in a plate of sheet or cast iron or other metal, the
edges of which on two opposite sides are cast or bent (if of sheet metal) to form
a bevel to suit the said bevels upon the ends of the blocks, the upper or wearing
surfaces of these blocks extending above the turned up edges of the plates or
frames, which may be entire sheets or plates or made with parts cut out or left out
of the plate if formed by casting.
The prepared blocks of material are inserted side by side in the plate or frame,
and are held within its bevels and each block or only the two blocks one at each
end of the plate or frame are secured by screws passing through the plate or
frame, or it is arranged so that its ends or parts of it at the ends may be bent
upwards to press upon the sides of the two end blocks of the wearing material held
in the plate or frame.
The wearing surfaces of the material are or may be grooved by cutters when
they are secured in the plate or frame or before they are placed therein, in order
to give good hold to the foot coverings of those travelling over the wearing
surfaces.
These improved combined wearing surfaces and plates or frames are or may be
attached to the treads of stairs, surfaces of passages or floors, by screws or other
means, or by asphalt or other suitable cementing material in which they may be
bedded.
Fig. 1 is a top plan view representing one plate having wearing blocks inserted
and secured in it.
Fig. 2 a side elevation, and
Fig. 3 an end elevation of the game
The metallic plates for holding the blocks of wearing material are made of any
convenient length and width.
In the example represented, five blocks of material are supposed to be inserted
and secured in the metal plate, but this will vary according to the length of the
plate and width of the blocks.
The plate of metal a, represented, is supposed to be of sheet iron with the
longitudinal edges a', turned up at an angle as shown in Fig. 3 to receive the
dovetailed ends of the blocks.
The blocks of wearing material b, are supposed to be each of the width from b',
to 2, Figs. 1 and 2 and of the length shown in Fig. 3.
These blocks, are bevelled at the ends to dove-tail into the metal plate as
shown in Fig. 3, and they are grooved with grooves b³, as shown to form
projections to give hold to the footcoverings of those travelling over them.
Each block b, may be secured by one or more screws 5, passing through holes
in the back of the metal plate a, or only the block at each end of the plate need
be secured by screws, or by turning up the end of the metal plate a, to a right
angle with its plane surface.
The combined wearing blocks b, and plate a, may be secured to the tread of the
stair, flooring or other surfaces upon which it is to be used, by screws or nails
passing through the holes 6, or they may be secured in position in any other
convenient manner.
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.
The construction of wearing surfaces for the treads of stairs or for floors of
passages, rooms or other places where required, by combining blocks of woods or

page_text: other suitable material with metal plates as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
Dated this Sixth dor of Avant 1901
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.