Patent ID: 6860460

Claim:
An assembly comprising: an apparatus comprising a bracket having a first end opposite a second end, the bracket further having a stringer mount face and a riser mount face, the riser mount face including first and second riser mounting regions, the stringer mount face and the riser mount face extending longitudinally between the first end and the second end, at least a portion of the stringer mount face defining a stringer mount plane, at least a portion of the riser mount face defining a riser mount plane, the bracket configured such that the stringer mount plane is generally perpendicular to the riser mount plane, the apparatus further comprising a riser mounting structure located on the riser mount face, a stringer mounting structure located on the stringer mounting face, a longitudinally extending stringer stop extending away from and perpendicular to the stringer mount plane, the stringer stop having first and second abutting surfaces, the apparatus further comprising a laterally extending first riser stop having a first riser abutting surface, the first riser stop extending away from the riser mount face and being longitudinally spaced a first distance from the stringer stop, the apparatus further comprising a laterally extending second riser stop having a second riser abutting surface, the second riser stop extending away from the riser mount face and being longitudinally spaced a second distance from the stringer stop, the first distance equal to the second distance, the first riser mounting region located between the first riser stop and the second end, the second riser mounting region located between the second riser stop and the first end; a stringer having a stringer bottom, a first stringer side and a second stringer side, the stringer being attached to the apparatus such that one of the first and second stringer sides is adjacent the stringer mounting face and the stringer bottom is abutted by one of the first and second abutting surfaces of the stringer stop; and a riser having a riser top and a riser side, the riser being attached to the apparatus such that the riser side is adjacent one of the first and second riser mounting regions and the riser top is abutted by one of the first and second riser stops.