IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF APPLYING CARPETS AND OTHER COVERING TO STAIRS AND STEPS, AND IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF STAIRS AND STEPS
Year: 1843

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
CHILVER TUPPER, of New Burlington Street, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of March, in the sixth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Arthur
Chilver Tupper, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Arthur Chilver Tupper, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Arthur Chilver Tupper, my exors, adññors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF
APPLYING CARPETS AND OTHER COVERING TO STAIRS AND STEPS, AND IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF STAIRS AND STEPS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Arthur Chilver Tupper, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Arthur Chilver Tupper, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
My Invention consists, first, in means of applying carpets or other cover-
ings to stairs and steps; and, secondly, in the mode of constructing stairs
and steps.
According to the ordinary plan of applying carpets or other coverings to
stairs and steps, the carpet or covering is drawn over the surface of the
angular projecting part or nozing of the step, which part is exposed to great
friction by the action of the feet of persons in passing up and down the stairs,
and consequently is found to wear out, much sooner than any other part of the
carpet or covering. Now the object of my Invention is so to apply carpets or
other covering to stairs or steps that the edges of the carpets or coverings are
not placed over the angular part or nozing of the step, and consequently are
not exposed to so much friction. But in order that my Invention may be fully
understood, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
It will be seen,
Figure 1 is a front view of a step, having this part of my Invention applied
thereto. Figure 2 is ?ction, and Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
In all
these Figures the same letters indicate similar parts wherever they occur.
a is the part of the step or stair on which a person treads when walking up
or down stairs. b, the upright part or riser of the stairs. c, the carpet or
covering. d, the projecting part or noze of the step a.
by examining the Drawing, that there is an opening or slot f in the step a,
through which the carpet is drawn, leaving a space of wood, or of what-
ever material the stairs are constructed, as the projecting part exposed to
the action of the feet; this slot may be cut or formed by means of a saw or
by other convenient means. It should be observed that that part of the stair
or step where the carpet passes through the slot f should be slightly cut away,
so that the carbet, when applied, should not be raised higher than the project-
ing part d. e is a rod for the purpose of keeping the carpets or covering in a
firm position, and also for supporting the projecting piece d, there being a
notch in the upper part of the rod on which the lower part of the projecting
piece d rests, the nature of which will readily be understood by examining the
Drawing at Figures 1 and 2. To apply this rod e to the stairs, the part e¹
should be placed in the opening h, and slid therein, so that the projection e
may rest under the part d, and the other ends e² of the rod passed through the

page_text: rings g, when the carpet or covering will be firmly fixed. This rod is shown
in the Drawings at Figures 4 and 5. Figure 6 shews another form of rod
for keeping the carpets or other coverings in their proper positions, but I
do not confine myself to any particular form.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which relates to a
mode of constructing stairs or steps by having the projecting parts (or what
are called the nozings) of the stairs or steps moveable, and capable of being
easily removed, by which the carpet or covering may be laid down without having
it brought over the projecting edges or the nozing part of the stair or step, and
consequently without having the edge exposed to be worn away. Figure 7 shews
a section, Figure 8 a plan, and Figure 9 a front view of parts of stairs or
steps having this part of my Invention applied thereto; the mode of attaching
and fixing the nosings to the stairs is as follows:-i, i, are plates fixed at each
end of the stair to the projecting part or nozing of the stair by means of the
screws i¹, these plates having studs i fixed thereon. The front part of the
stairs or steps has also corresponding plates, with openings j, into which the
studs i pass, and one part of the stud being enlarged, the opening j is enlarged
at one part to allow the stud to pass into it, and then by sliding the stud into
the smaller part of the opening j, the parts will be securely fixed, and may
readily be removed by simply sliding the stud into the enlarged part of the
opening, when the parts may be drawn asunder. Although I have shown this
mode of attaching the nozings to the stairs, I do not confine myself thereto,.
as it will be evident that the mode of attaching these parts may be varied.
Figure 10 shews an enlarged view of part of the stairs, with the nozing
attached thereto. Figure 11, the plate which is affixed to the stairs.
Figure 12, the plate affixed to the nozing, and Figure 13 shews an edge view:
of the same. Figure 14 shews a plan of one of the nozings removed from the
stairs. Figures 15 and 16 shew a front view and section of the stairs or steps,
having the rods for keeping the carpets or covering in a firm position attached
thereto, by which the ordinary rods for securing the carpets in their places
may be dispensed with, the nature of which arrangement will be readily under-
stood by examining the Drawings. Figures 17 and 18 shew these parts
separately, the mode of attaching being shewn by dotted lines.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, I would remark that
variations may be made without departing from the principle of my Invention;
it will be evident that the nozings may be ornamented to correspond with the
style of architecture of the building where they are applied, which could not
be done according to the ordinary plan, where the carpets or other coverings
are brought over the projecting parts or nozing of the stairs, and also that they

page_text: may be made of various materials; and I would remark, that I am aware that
it has been before proposed to apply metal casing to the front of stone stairs
or steps where worn away, but in these cases they have been let into and fixed
to such steps. I do not therefore, claim applying metal frontings to the edges
or nozing of stairs or steps when such are placed over carpets laid in the
ordinary manner; but what I claim is,-
First, the means of applying carpet or other covering to stairs or steps
when the carpets are not laid over the projecting parts or nozings of the stair
or step, as herein described; and,
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing stairs or steps by having the
projecting part or nozing of the step moveable, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Chilver Tupper, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
Enrolled the Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three.