BY

DENNIS PEARSON STEVE RAMELOT THOMAS E. PEOT

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/164,341, filed March 27, 2009, entitled, "Improved Step Nose System," the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates to stair case systems and particularly to an improved step nose and step nose system mountable on stair step edges.

RELATED ART

[0003] Extrusions for application to staircase step noses to enhance visibility and/or aesthetics in theatres and other venues are known.

SUMMARY

[0004] The following is a summary description of an illustrative embodiment of an improved step nose system and components thereof. It is provided as a preface to assist those skilled in the art to more rapidly assimilate the detailed design discussion which ensues and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the claims which are appended hereto in order to particularly point out the invention.

[0005] In an illustrative embodiment, a step nose strip is formed having a tread portion and a riser portion, formed initially as a flat strip. The tread portion has a receiving slot formed therein, and the riser portion has a hook formed as part thereof. The tread and riser portions are stretchable with respect to one another so as to enable the hook to interlockingly engage the slot when the tread and riser portions of the flat strip are bent towards one another so as to form a step nose ready for installation. The system may further include an end cap and a barbed harpoon connector for attaching the end cap to the step nose strip. The harpoon connector is inserted in respective oppositely disposed openings in the end cap and the step nose strip and thereafter firmly locks the two components together.

[0006] Illustrative embodiments are further disclosed of machines for forming the fiat step nose strip into an assembled state by bending the tread and riser portions and interlocking them together. In illustrative embodiments, such a machine may comprise a first roller and a plurality of cooperating guides for initially bending the step nose strip and thereafter feeding it to a wheel having a circular flange thereon which cooperates with the first roller to stretch the riser portion of the step nose downwardly and inwardly. A roller or mandrel at the end of the machine is positioned to push the hook portion of the riser portion into the slot, thereby completing assembly.

[0007] Step nose strips formed according to various embodiments have the advantage that they may be bent and interlocked into final shape in the field, an operation which is facilitated by the disclosed bending machines.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a step nose system according to an illustrative embodiment;

[0009] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the step nose component of the system of Fig. 1;

[0010] Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the step nose component taken at 3-3 of Fig. 2;

[0011] Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the step nose component in an assembled state;

[0012] Fig. 5 is a top view of a harpoon connector component of the system of Fig. 1 ;

[0013] Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate end cap components of an illustrative embodiment;

[0014] Fig. 8 is an end view of a wireway component of an illustrative embodiment;

[0015] Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a harpoon connector partially inserted into a step nose and adjacent end cap; [0016] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the step nose of the illustrative embodiment being bent by hand;

[0017] Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a method of interlocking of the step nose riser and tread portions of a step nose according to an illustrative embodiment;

[0018] Fig. 12 is a perspective view further illustrating the method of interlocking of the step nose riser and tread portions according to an illustrative embodiment;

[0019] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a machine capable of bending the tread and nose portions of the step nose of the illustrative embodiment and causing them to interlock;

[0020] Fig. 14 is a side view of the machine of Fig. 13; [0021] Fig. 15 is an end view of the machine of Fig. 14;

[0022] Fig. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a step nose strip being initially fed into the machine of Figs. 13-15;

[0023] Fig. 17 is a perspective view illustrating the step nose strip as it progresses into the machine of Figs. 13-15;

[0024] Fig. 18 is a perspective view illustrating the step nose strip beginning to engage a wheel component of the machine of Figs. 13-15;

[0025] Fig. 19 is a second perspective view illustrating the step nose strip beginning to engage the wheel component of the machine of Figs. 13-15;

[0026] Fig. 20 is a perspective view illustrating the step nose strip engaging an end roller of the machine of Figs. 13-15; and

[0027] Fig. 21 is an enlarged portion of the view of Fig. 20.

[0028] Fig. 22 is a first perspective view of an end cap according to an illustrative embodiment;

[0029] Fig. 23 is a second perspective view of an end cap according to an illustrative embodiment; [0030] Fig. 24 is a perspective view of a machine capable of bending the tread and nose portion of the step nose strip of the illustrative embodiment and causing them to interlock;

[0031] Fig. 25 is an end view of the machine of Fig. 24; [0032] Fig. 26 is a top view of the machine of Fig. 24;

[0033] Fig. 27 is a perspective view of a step nose strip being fed into the machine of Fig. 24;

[0034] Fig. 28 is an end view illustrating progress of the step nose strip through the machine of Fig. 24; and

[0035] Fig. 29 is an end view illustrating progress of the step nose strip into the assembled state in the machine of Fig. 24.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] An illustrative embodiment of an improved step nose lighting system 11 is illustrated in Fig. 1. The system illustrated includes a folding step nose component or extrusion 13, an end cap 15, and first and second end cap-connecting harpoons 17, 19. The system further may include a wireway 21 comprising a wireway base 25 and a wireway cover 23. The wireway base component 25 has an end 65 which meets flush with an end 67 of the end cap 15 and serves to guide and conceal electrical conductors, which pass therethrough. The illustrative system also includes a second end cap 16 shown in Fig. 6.

[0037] In one embodiment, shown in Fig. 2, the folding step nose component 13 is formed as a generally flat, bendable strip of flexible PVC (polyvinylchloride), also known as vinyl. In one embodiment, a contrasting light reflective strip 27 is co-extruded with the remainder of the step nose 13, which remainder is of a dark contrasting color such as black. The light reflective strip 27 may, for example, be colored white or off-white. Suitable PVC materials include, but are not limited to, Geon flexible vinyl PVC injection molding material, UL Listed, RoHS, HB UL94, approx. 85 durometer shore A, as well as Geon Flexible Vinyl PVC C8000 Material.

[0038] As shown in the cross-section of Fig. 3, the step nose 13 includes a tread portion 29 and a riser portion 31. A flexible web 30 interconnects the tread and riser portions 29, 31 as shown in Fig. 3. As illustrated, the tread portion 29 includes three generally rectangular openings or cells 33, 35, 37 which extend through the entire length of the step nose strip 13. The riser portion 31 includes two generally rectangular openings or cells 39, 41, which again extend through the entire length of the step nose strip 13.

[0039] In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the riser portion 31 of the step nose strip 13 may lie at a slight angle to the horizontal as initially formed, but the strip may be characterized as generally flat compared to the assembled state of Fig. 4.

[0040] A hook 43 is further formed at the interior end of the riser portion 31, while a hook receiving slot 45 is formed on the interior end of the tread portion 29. As may be seen, the slot 45 is defined by a projecting lip 47. The lip 47 has an inner surface 49, which projects upwardly at a slight angle to the horizontal.

[0041] The hook 43 and slot 45 are dimensioned such that, as the riser portion 31 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 51 in Fig. 3, the hook 43 may be forced into mating relation with the slot 45 as shown in Fig. 4. In this position, in the illustrative embodiment, the riser portion 31 lies at an angle θ of eighty degrees (80°) with respect to the horizontally disposed tread portion 29. Because of the flexible nature of the material, the riser portion 31 may lie at various other installation angles with respect to the tread portion 29 when assembled such as, for example, 90 degrees (Fig. 1) to accommodate various "kickbacks" of staircase designs. Illustrative dimensions of one embodiment in inches are: di - .400 d _{4 =} .400 (I ₆ = 1.700 d ₂ = 2.125 d _{5 =} .400 d ₇ = 1.025 where di is a height of the tread portion 29, d ₂ is a width of the tread portion 29, d ₄ and d ₅ are the widths of the respective generally rectangular openings 33 and 41, dβ is a width of the riser portion 31, and d ₇ is the width of the reflective strip 27. Such dimensions may of course vary in different embodiments.

[0042] An advantage of step nose constructed according to the illustrative embodiment is that long lengths of flat strips such as shown in Fig. 2 and 3 may be readily shipped to an installation location, cut to length, and then bent into the configuration of Fig. 4 "in the field." This is a particular advantage where installation is to be done in a foreign country or where stair cases are of non-uniform width, e.g. decreasing in width from top to bottom in a "V-shape." In other applications, factory cutting and bending to ordered length may suffice. Additionally, seamless lengths may be installed.

[0043] In one embodiment of the system, respective ends of a folding step nose section 13 are finished by attachment of respective right and left end caps 15, 16. As seen for example in Fig. 6, 7, 22 and 23, the end caps 15, 16 contain respective internal cells 233, 235, 237, 239, 241; 333, 335, 337, 339, 341, which may have the same cross-section as the mating openings 33, 35, 37, 39, 41 of the step nose strip 13. Each end cap 15, 16 also has a respective tread portion 243; 353 and a respective riser portion 245; 355.

[0044] The end caps 15, 16 are preferably attached by respective "harpoon" end cap connectors, e.g. 17, 19, which are inserted in the top end most cells and lower end most cells of the strip 13 and end connectors 15, 16.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 5, each harpoon connector, e.g. 17, has a set 61, 63 of barbs or teeth on each end. One set of barbs, e.g. 61 , is designed to bite into the interior wall of an opening in an end cap 15, 16, while the other set of barbs, e.g. 63, is designed to bite into the interior surface of one of the cells or openings in the step nose 13. In the illustrated embodiment, each set of barbs, e.g. 61, includes a number of barbs disposed along a first edge of the connector 17 and an equal number of barbs disposed on the opposite edge of the connector 17, each respective barb on one edge disposed opposite a corresponding barb on the opposite edge.

[0046] In one embodiment, one harpoon connector 17 attaches the tread portion of an end cap 15 to the tread portion 29 of the step nose 13, while a second harpoon connector 19 attaches the riser portion 31 of the end cap 15 to the riser portion 31 of the step nose 13. In this manner, a very secure connection and attachment of the end caps to the step nose 13 is achieved. In the illustrative embodiment, a harpoon connector is inserted into each of the openings 33, 41 in step nose 13 and into oppositely disposed openings in each end cap 15, 16.

[0047] As illustrated in Fig. 9, the width "W" from tip to tip of oppositely disposed barbs may be just slightly greater than the width of the end cap and step nose-openings into which the harpoon connector 17 is inserted. In this manner, the relatively thin ends of the barbs 61, 63 bend backwards to permit insertion and thereafter "bite" into the surface of end cap or step nose strip openings. In one illustrative embodiment, the harpoon connector 17 may be made from 18 gauge cold rolled steel or other metal and may have the following illustrative dimensions in inches (Fig. 5) W = 4.75, dg = .125, dp = 1.130, θ ₂ = 50 degrees. Various other dimensions may be used of course in various embodiments

[0048] As illustrated in Fig. 10, simply bending the step nose 13 of the illustrative embodiment shown in Fig. 3 by hand to rotate the riser portion 31 towards the tread portion 29 in the direction of arrow 51 results in the back surface 42 of the hook 43 abutting the foot 44 of the receiving slot 45. In order to cause the hook 43 and slot 45 to mate in interlocking relation, the riser portion 31 must first be stretched downwardly as shown in Fig. 11 and then moved inwardly as shown in Fig. 12. Once the components are positioned as shown in Fig. 12, they simply need to be moved vertically with respect to one another to cause the hook 43 and slot 45 to engage or interlock.

[0049] A machine 71 for performing the operations necessary to interlock the tread and riser portions 29, 31 in the manner shown in Figure 4 is illustrated in Figs. 13-15. This machine 71 includes a first roller 73, which rotates about a horizontal axis disposed opposite a pair of guide sleeves, 75, 77, each rotatably mounted on respective vertical shafts attached to a first horizontal arm 83. Rotating horizontal guide sleeves 80, 82 are further provided beneath the first roller 173.

[0050] Adjacent the first roller 73 is mounted a separator wheel 85, which is mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis. The separator wheel 85 has a circular flange 87 thereon. Across from the separator wheel 85 are positioned two rollers, a pinch roller 91 and a deflection roller 93. These rollers or wheels 91, 93 each are rotatably mounted on respective vertical shafts 95, 97. In the illustrative embodiment, the axes of these shafts 95, 97 are offset slightly such that the deflection roller 93 is inset slightly towards the wheel 85. The shafts 95, 97 are attached to a second horizontal arm 99 of an undercarriage 100. The wheel 85 is further rotatably mounted to a third arm 101 of the undercarriage 100, which is in turn rigidly attached to a central post 103 rigidly attached to a flat rectangular base 105. [0051] Operation of the machine 71 is illustrated in Figs. 16-20. As may be seen, the tread portion 29 of the initially flat step nose strip 13 is fed into the machine 71 vertically between the first roller 73 and vertical sleeves 75, 77, while the riser portion 31 is fed in horizontally between the first roller 73 and the horizontal sleeves 80, 82, thereby bending the tread 29 and riser 31 toward one another.

[0052] As the step nose 13 is fed manually into the machine 71 and past the first roller 73, the first roller 73 and the lip 87 of the wheel 85 cooperate to stretch the riser portion 31 downwardly and inwardly as shown in Figs. 18 and 19, thus pushing the hook 43 of the riser portion 31 over and opposite the slot 45 of the tread portion 29. As shown in Fig. 20, the deflection roller 93 completes the interlocking process by pushing the hook 43 into the slot 45 and thereafter releasing. Fig. 20 also illustrates how the riser portion 31 is sandwiched between the lip 87 and a rim 88 formed on the wheel 85.

[0053] In another embodiment, the feed mechanism may be automated, for example, by employing an electric motor and drive shaft to drive the large wheel 85. One such embodiment may be configured to allow an electric drill to drive the large wheel 85. In some embodiments, teeth may be provided, for example, on the lip 87 and/or on the first wheel 73 to better grip the step nose 13 and assist in feeding it through the machine 71.

[0054] A second embodiment of a machine 171 for interlocking the tread and riser portions 29, 31 is illustrated in Figs. 24-29. This machine 171 includes a first roller 173, rotatably mounted to a vertical arm 174, which is rigidly attached to a base platform 184. The first roller 173 rotates about a horizontal axis and is disposed opposite a pair of guide sleeves, 175, 177, each rotatably mounted on respective vertical shafts 179, 181 attached to a mounting block 183, which is rigidly attached to a base platform 184 by suitable fastening devices. Rotating horizontal guide sleeves 180, 182 are further provided beneath the first roller 173. A third rotatably mounted vertical guide sleeve 176 is positioned on the base platform 184 in front and to the side of the first roller 173.

[0055] Adjacent to the first roller 173 is mounted a separator wheel 185, which is mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis. The wheel 185 has a circular flange 187 thereon. As seen in Fig. 25, the flange 187 is positioned above and spaced apart a distance Dj from a circular plate 190. Another circular plate 197 is attached to the wheel 185 and has a mounting block 192 attached thereto. A hand crank 194 is attached to the mounting block and is operable to rotate the wheel 185, flange 187 and plate 190 in unison.

[0056] Across from the wheel 185 is positioned a mandrel 191. As may be seen in Figs. 28 and 29, the mandrel 191 has a conically shaped portion 195 which diminishes in diameter and meets a cylindrical flange 197 at the top of mandrel 191. The conical portion 195 forms into a cylindrical bottom section 194 which is rigidly attached to the base 184.

[0057] Illustrative dimensions of an illustrative machine 171 are shown in the top view of Fig. 26. In this embodiment the outside (widest) diameter D ₂ of the mandrel 191 is 2.110 inches and its center 199 is spaced at a distance D ₃ of 4.062 inches from the center 201 of the flange 187. The diameter D ₄ of the flange 187 and the circular plate 190 in this embodiment is 5.990 inches. The horizontal axis 203 about which the wheel 173 rotates is positioned a distance Ds of 3.470 inches from the vertical axis 201 about which the wheel 185, flange 187 and plate 190 rotate. The angle of the conical edge of the mandrel 191 may lie at angle of 12 degrees from the vertical in one embodiment.

[0058] Operation of the machine 171 is illustrated in Figs. 27-29. As may be seen, the tread portion 29 of the initially flat step nose strip 13 is fed into the machine 171 vertically between the first roller 173 and vertical sleeves 175, 177, while the riser portion 31 is fed in horizontally between the first roller 173 and the horizontal sleeves 180, 182, thereby bending the tread 29 and riser 31 toward one another.

[0059] As the step nose 13 is fed into the machine 171 and past the first roller 73, the riser portion 31 enters the space between the flange 187 and circular plate 190 (Fig. 28), and the hand crank 194 is operated to pull the flat step nose strip 13 through the machine 171. As shown in Fig. 28, the flange 187 is dimensioned to engage the hook 43 and push the hook 43 and adjacent web surface 30 against the mandrel 191, thereby positioning the hook 43 opposite the receiving slot 45 of the tread portion 29. As seen in Fig. 29, as the step nose strip 13 proceeds further through the mandrel 171 and somewhat further past the mandrel 191 the hook 43 moves into interlocking relation with hook receiving slot 45, The hand crank 194 is then continuously rotated to interlock the hook 43 and slot 45 along the entire length of the step nose strip 13. The hand crank mechanism 194 may again be automated, as discussed above with respect to the first embodiment of Figs. 13-21.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.