ROVED STAIR-CASE OR STEPS WHICH MAY BE RAISED OUT OF OR LOWERED INTO POSITION AS REQUIRED
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest Augustus Day, of the City and County of
Worcester, Architect and Surveyor, and Philip Price, of West Malvern, in the
County of Worcester, Builder, for an Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest Augustus Day
and Philip Price at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th
August 1880.
ERNEST AUGUSTUS DAY, of the City and County of Worcester, Architect and
Surveyor, and PHILIP PRICE, of West Malvern, in the County of Worcester,
Builder. "NEW OR IMPROVED STAIR-CASE OR STEPS WHICH MAY BE RAISED OUT
OF OR LOWERED INTO POSITION AS REQUIRED."
This Invention relates to new or improved stair-case or steps which may be
raised out of or lowered into position as required, and is particularly applicable
where floor space is limited or valuable, and also where it is desired to remove the
means of communication between two floors. It also affords facilities of utilising
waste space in roofs and other places, which otherwise would be lost.
According to our Invention the stair-case is hinged at its upper end to the upper
landing in any suitable and convenient way by means as are well known, and is
provided with safety bolts in case of hinge breaking. The other extremity of the
staircase has attached to it cords or other flexible connectors, which pass over
single or compound pulleys attached in suitable position to the upper floor, or in
any convenient position above stairs, and which cords and connectors carry at their
extremities weights to counterbalance the weight of the staircase. The weight of
the hanging staircase being thus counterbalanced, it may readily be raised by being
pushed up or by pulling down the counterbalance weight, and when up may be
readily lowered from below by means of any communication, such as a hook or a
cord, and from above by drawing through the pulleys the cords or connectors to
which the counterbalance weights are attached. The staircase should be con-
structed so that when raised it will fit into the well in the upper floor, and being
boarded in or panelled at the back will be in no way unsightly. The shifting end

page_text: may be provided with spring or other bolt or fastening, so that the staircase may
be secured in position either when up or down, and either automatically or
otherwise, or so that it may be locked in position, and unlocked either from above
or below. When thus locked in its raised position, it effectually destroys com-
munication between the two floors. The aperture in the upper floor may when
desired be covered in by a flap or lid, so that the upper floor may be made
continuous; and this flap can if desired be made to work automatically and
simultaneously with staircase. One method of effecting this is a follows:-A cord
or other flexible connector passing over a pulley fixed to the wall or a standard
has one end attached to the flap, and the other to the staircase at that point where
the fall of the staircase is equal to the rise of the flap. As the staircase is lowered
the cord is drawn through the pulley, and the flap or lid is raised to the vertical
position, where it may be fixed by any convenient means. Other methods of
operating the flap automatically with the rise and fall of the staircase may be
employed. The counterbalance weights may be of any desired form, and be
attached or placed as most convenient in each particular case.
Each weight
may traverse a grooved guide, which will remove all danger from the accidental
falling of the weight, and prevent vibration or oscillation during the movements
of the stair-case. A hand rail is also attached by uprights to the staircase (by
preference to the string board), so that it may be folded down when the staircase
is to be raised, and opened or raised into position for use when the stair-case is
lowered. The uprights open against blocks, and pawls on centre pins are placed
if required for jamming or more effectually stiffening the uprights in position.
When there is not room to raise the staircase in one length, a portion of it may
be folded up. The staircase and string boards are divided at right angles, and the
two parts hinged together. When the stair-case is down in position, the two parts
are quite rigid and in one direction, but on raising the staircase the lower part falls
down, and is then pulled onto the back of upper part of staircase by a cord attached
to the end of the staircase and passing over pulleys. When right back it may be
fixed by any suitable catch. Or when preferred, the lower part of stair-case may
be arranged so as to fold on top of upper part with fastenings or bolt to make
secure when lowered or raised. This part may be received into a raised platform.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest Augustus Day and Philip Price in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th February 1881.
ERNEST AUGUSTUS DAY, of the City and County of Worcester, Architect and
Surveyor, and PHILIP PRICE, of West Malvern, in the County of Worcester,
Builder. "NEW OR IMPROVED STAIR-CASE OR STEPS WHICH MAY BE RAISED OUT
OF OR LOWERED INTO POSITION AS REQUIRED."
This Invention relates to new or improved staircase or steps which may be raised
out of or lowered into position as required, and is particularly applicable where
floor space is limited or valuable, and also where it is desired to remove the means
of communication between two floors. It also affords facilities of utilising waste
space in roofs and other places which otherwise would be lost.
And in order that our Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe it with the aid of the accompanying
Drawings, reference being had to the letters and Figures marked thereon, and in
which Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of a staircase constructed according to our
improvements, and showing the staircase lowered and flap raised; Fig. 2 is a
similar elevation, but showing staircase raised from the floor and the flap lowered,
and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken at the line a, b, Fig. 1.
According to our Invention the staircase A is hinged at its upper end to the
upper landing B in any suitable and convenient way, by means as are well known,
and is provided with safety bolts a in case of hinge breaking. The other extremity
of the staircase has attached to it cords or other flexible connectors C, which pass
over single or compound pulleys D attached in suitable position to the upper floor,
or in any convenient position above stairs, and which cords and connectors carry
at their other extremities weights E to counterbalance the weight of the staircase.
The weight of the hanging staircase being thus counterbalanced, it may readily be
raised by being pushed up, or by pulling down the counterbalance weight, and
when up may be readily lowered from below by means of any communication, such
as a hook or a cord, and from above by drawing through the pulleys the cords or
connectors to which the counterbalance weights are attached. The staircase should
be constructed, so that when raised it will fit into the well in the upper floor, and
being boarded in or panelled at the back will be in no way unsightly. The
shifting end may be provided with spring or other bolt or fastening, so that the
staircase may be secured in position either when up or down, and either auto-
matically or otherwise, or so that it may be locked in position, and unlocked either
from above or below. When thus locked in its raised position it effectually
destroys communication between the two floors. The aperture in the upper floor
may when desired be covered in by a flap or lid F, so that the upper floor may be
made continuous; and this flap can if desired be made to work automatically and
simultaneously with staircase. One method of effecting this is shown at Figs. 1
& 3. A cord or other flexible connector I passing over a pulley J fixed to the
wall or a standard K has one end attached to the flap, and the other to the stair-
case at that point H where the fall of the staircase is equal to the rise of the flap.
As the staircase is lowered cord I is drawn through pulley J, and the flap or
lid F is raised to the vertical position, as shown, where it may be fixed by any
convenient means. Other methods of operating the flap F automatically with the
rise and fall of the staircase may be employed. The counterbalance weights E may
be of any desired form, and be attached or placed as most convenient in each
particular case. As shown, each weight may traverse a grooved guide G, which
will remove all danger from the accidental falling of the weight, and prevent
vibration or oscillation during the movements of the staircase. A hand rail L is

page_text: also attached by uprights M to the staircase (by preference, to the string board), so
that it may be folded down when the staircase is to be raised and opened, or raised
into position for use when the staircase is lowered. The uprights M open against
blocks N, and pawls O on centre pins are placed if required for jamming or more
effectually stiffening the uprights in position.
Figs. 4 and
show a simple method of folding back a part of the staircase, when
there is not room to raise it in one length. The staircase and string boards are
divided at right angles, and the two parts hinged together, as shown at Š. When the
staircase is down in position the two parts are quite rigid and in one direction, as
at Fig. 4, but on raising the staircase the lower part falls down, and is then pulled
onto the back of upper part of staircase by cord R attached at p, and passing over
pulleys P and Q. When right back, as seen at Fig. 5, it may be fixed by any
suitable catch. Or when preferred, the lower part of staircase may be arranged
so as to fold on top of upper part (see Fig. 6), with fastenings or bolt T to make
secure when lowered or raised. This part may be received into a raised platform.
We claim as our Invention,-
1. The combination of hinged staircase A, landing B, cord C, pulley D, and
weights E, or equivalents.
2. The above combination in combination with hinge S, ring or other attach-
ment p, cord R, and pulleys P and Q, or equivalents.
3. The combination of first claim with hinge S (Fig. 6), and bolt T, or
equivalents.
4. The combination of hinged staircase A, cord I, pulley J, and flap F, or
equivalents.
5. The combination of hand rail L, uprights M, blocks N, and pawls O, with
hinged staircase.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest Augustus Day, on behalf of myself and
the said Philip Price, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day
of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
eighty one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
above named Ernest Augustus
Day, in the presence of
J. HENRY CUBETT,
Solicitor,
Worcester.
ERNEST AUGUSTUS DAY. (Ļ.S.)