Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1889
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
I LORENZ WAGNER Manufacturer of Frankfort-on-Main in the Kingdom of
Prussia and German Empire 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 new or improved construction of staircases renders it possible for the occupants
of a house of as many as six or more stories to use one and the same staircase
without meeting or even seeing each other. Its distinctive feature is that between
each two stories two staircases or flights are arranged placed opposite each other at
half story in height.
The improvements are represented in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a vertical elevation and Figure 2 a plan of a winding or spiral staircase
arranged and constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 1 shows a double winding or spiral staircase with a landing B at the
height of one story. The arrangement of two or more flights of stairs requires a
corresponding widening of the "newel" of the spiral staircase so that there shall
always be a clear height c of at least 2-10 metres between each two stairs lying one
above the other (see distance a-6 Figure 1).
Figure 2 shows the double arrangement of the spiral staircase and the arrangement
of a hollow "newel" and the utilisation of the latter for a third winding spiral
staircase C.
When two flights of spiral stairs are arranged in combination the steps A of each
two corresponding flights and the two landings a¹ a² thereof are always opposite each
other.
This arrangement affords the advantage that the double staircase can be used by
at least two sets of tenants in the house going up and down without their seeing each
other or meeting on the stairs.
If the "newel " is suitably widened the central staircase can have more than two
flights by altering the form of the staircase the new construction shown in the
drawing for a winding spiral staircase can also be used for staircases with straight
landings.

page_text: For buildings which contain a ground floor and four stories each separate flight
can be widened and divided down the centre by a thin partition wall e (shown in
Figure 2 by dotted curved lines) into two separate flights so that the two inner and
two outer flights thus formed can be used by four sets of tenants of the house. In
the latter case the cylindrical wall of the "newel" must be provided with lighting
apertures or the "newel" itself must be provided with lighting apertures or the
"newel" itself must be used as a lighting shaft, so as to give access to the light for
the two inner flights from the "newel." In that case therefore the flight in the
interior of the "newel" must be done away with.
If however a flight in the interior of the "newel" is to be retained the staircase
must be lighted by means of a gallery with apertures underneath the steps through
the outer middle wall and the wall of the "newel."
By arranging the lighting apertures directly under the steps the advantage of
the staircase construction is retained which consists in the persons using the various
flights not seeing each other.
The staircase construction above described is especially important for lodging
houses hospitals warehouses etcetera and while economising space it prevents stoppages
of traffic by too much traffic on the stairs inasmuch as the persons going up and
coming down do not meet or see each other. In cottage buildings one of the flights
takes the place of the staircase intended for servants.
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 :-
1. The new or improved constructing of staircases for dwelling houses lodging
houses warehouses hospitals barracks and other structures with the distinctive
feature of having two or more flights d d between each two stories the steps and
landings of which are at an equal height (and when there are two flights are
diametrically opposite) and have a sufficient clear height for persons to go up and
come down substantially as herein before described and represented in the drawings
hereto annexed.
2. The construction of staircases such as previously described the arrangement of
intermediate walls e in the various flights d d¹in order to increase the number of
subdivisions thereof substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in
the drawings.
3. The construction of staircases previously described with two or more flights
and with one or more subdivisions the arrangement of the staircase in the
interior of the "newel" substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
1000