MATTER FOR RENOVATING STAIRS, SHAPE DETERMINING DEVICE

MEASURING DEVICE AND KIT

The present invention relates to a method for re- novating stair treads. The invention also relates to a form-determining device for determining the form of a stair tread for use in the renovation of stair treads, the invention further relates to a measuring device for determining a dimension for use in the renovation of a stair- case. The invention also relates to an assembly comprising such a measuring device and/or a form-determining device for use in the renovation of a staircase. The different components contribute toward different aspects of the renovation of a stair tread according to the invention. The aspects together contribute toward an appropriate method. The requirement of unity of invention is therefore met.

Construction elements such as those specified in the German patent application DE 197 27 043 are known for renovating stair treads. Such stair tread elements are L- shaped profiles which can be arranged on an existing stair tread. They must however be made to size for this purpose. A complication here is that stair treads can have a complex form and that different stair treads of a staircase will generally have differing forms. This form must there- fore usually be determined separately for each stair tread. The determining of this form requires a complex measurement. Both the form of the existing stair tread and the form of the new element to be placed on the stair tread must be taken into account during this measurement. In order to simplify renovation of a stair tread the present invention provides a form-determining device for determining the form" of a stair tread and/or a renovation element for a stair tread, comprising:

- a number of measuring arms for determining the position of a number of form-determining points defining the form of a stair tread, - a central fixation unit for fixing the measuring arms, wherein in a position of use the arms extend from the central fixation unit in the direction of the points for determining, the central fixation unit comprising at least one fixation member for fixing arms, and wherein the fixation unit comprises a positioning member for positioning the fixation member relative to the front side of a stair tread,

- a spacer for holding the fixation unit at a predetermined distance from the front side of the relevant tread during determining of the position of the form- determining points, wherein the spacer comprises a spacer member for providing the distance and a placing member for individual placing of the spacer on a stair tread, or the spacer can be fastened to the fixation unit. Using such a form-determining device it becomes possible in relatively simple manner to determine the form of a stair tread and/or renovation element for a stair tread, since it is possible by means of the spacer to take into account the offset of the front side of the existing stair tread and the front side of the renovation element for placing thereon. A further advantage hereof is that the measurement or the determining of the form of the stair tread or the renovation element for placing thereon can be carried out without it being necessary to take into account this difference in form by means of for instance calculation and/or performing precise measurements. Such work can therefore be carried out by tradespeople with relatively little training or by DIY enthusiasts.

Using the spacer according to the present invention for the purpose of defining the front side of a tread renovation profile, the spacer can further be held locally on either side of a tread in order to mark off this front side. During determining of the form the tips of the arms can then be placed against these markings so that the correct form of the renovation element can be obtained.

A further advantage is that a spacer does not need to be held fast during performing of the measurement because it can be placed independently on a stair tread or can be fastened to the fixation unit. Operation of the form-determining device and determining of the form are hereby greatly simplified. In a first preferred embodiment according to the present invention the spacer comprises a plate-like member for support thereof on a stair tread and for providing a counter-mass for the spacer member. The advantage of a plate-like member is that it can be laid flat on the stair tread, wherein the spacer protrudes on the front side of the stair tread. Due to the mass of the plate the spacer remains in stable position, whereafter the form- determining operations can be carried out in simple manner, and the form of the renovation element .is also taken into account.

In a further preferred embodiment the spacer comprises a bent plate, comprising a bent part for defining the predetermined distance and a flat part for support thereof on the stair tread. An advantage hereof is that such a spacer can be manufactured in simple manner from for instance a metal plate, a part of the plate which is horizontal in the position of use can be used for support

thereof on the stair tread and the bent part can be used to determine the distance.

In the form-determining device the spacer member preferably comprises a body or profile which can be fas- tened to the placing member. It hereby becomes possible for instance to apply different spacer members for different sizes of renovation element. In another case it is possible to provide a spacer member which is simple to manufacture with for instance a spacer member which can be fastened to a plate, such as for instance a wooden reel on a metal plate or the like. It is important that the spacer member can be placed in stable manner on the edge of a stair tread in order to create the distance.

For convenience of use it is equally possible for the spacer member to comprise fastening means for releas- able fastening thereof to the fixation unit. In such a preferred embodiment operation can take place in simple manner since, likewise according to the present invention,, the spacer member does not have to be held fast during performing of the measurements and determining of the form. An example of such a releasable fastening is a fastening by means of for instance a magnet. It is likewise possible to provide for instance a click mechanism or for instance velcro tape. A further aspect of the present invention relates to a measuring device for determining a dimension, comprising:

- a first length member,

- a second length member, wherein the two length members are mounted slidably relative to each other substantially in lengthwise direction,

- a scale division arranged on the device such that it is possible to determine by means of this scale

division which position the two length members occupy relative to each other. Using such a measuring device according to the present invention it becomes simple to perform an awkward measurement. The first length member and the second length member are preferably embodied in the form of a tube or profile. Such members can hereby be manufactured and provided with a scale division in simple manner.

One of the length members preferably comprises at the end, at least in one view thereof, substantially an end with an oblique form. It is hereby possible to measure to the end of a riser, even in the case this is located in small corners.

At least one of the length members of the measur- ing device preferably comprises at the end, at least in one view thereof, substantially an end with a thickness of substantially the thickness of an end surface of a stair renovation element. An advantage hereof is that it is possible, when measuring the length of the riser, to take in- to account the thickness of the riser.

The measuring member more preferably comprises a fixation member for temporarily fixing the first length member relative to the second length member. The measuring member can hereby be transferred from a measuring location to a location where the measurement results are used, such as on a replacement riser or an attachment riser.

A further aspect according to the present invention relates to a method for renovating a stair tread, comprising steps for: - determining the form of a stair tread by means of a form-determining device as specified in the foregoing,

- transferring the determined form to a tread renovation profile,

- bringing the tread renovation profile into the determined form, - arranging the formed tread renovation profile on the tread whose form has been determined, wherein the method comprises steps for:

- placing a spacer on a tread or on a form- determining device for the purpose of determining a cor- rect form of the tread renovation profile on the basis of the form of the tread, wherein the spacer provides for a distance translation, and

- the form-determining device is positioned without spacer on the tread renovation profile during the step of transferring the determined form.

Advantages of such a method have been described in the foregoing on the basis of previous aspects according to the present invention.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to an assembly, comprising a form-determining device according to one or more of the claims 1-6, a measuring device according to one or more of the claims 7-11 for performing a method according to claim 12, 13 or 14. An advantage of such an assembly is that different aspects ac- cording to the present invention can be practised together.

Further advantages, features and details of the present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of preferred embodiments and with reference to the accom- panying figures, in which:

- Fig. 1 shows a view in perspective of two stair treads having thereon two preferred embodiments according to the present invention;

- Fig. 2 shows a view in perspective of a further preferred embodiment according to the present invention;

- Fig. 3 shows a slightly enlarged view of a detail of Fig. 1. A first preferred embodiment according to the present invention relates to a stair spider 1 for determining the form of a stair tread or a renovation element for placing on a stair tread. Such a renovation element is shown in Fig. 2 and comprises a horizontal tread plate 35 and an end surface 36. The intention of a stair renovation by means of a renovation element is that the renovation element is made to size for a suitable placing over the old tread. The renovation element has to be measured up for this purpose such that the underside thereof behind the end sur- face fits substantially onto the existing tread.

The treads shown in Fig. 1 are irregular quadrilaterals. Even more complex shapes occur in practice. Spider 1 comprises a bent metal plate 7,10 on which is mounted a pin with screw thread. A knob 8 with screw thread on the inner side thereof can be screwed over this pin with screw thread. This knob 8 serves together with ring 9 to clamp the arms 11 used to determine the form of the stair tread.

In order to determine the corner points of the tread surface 30 in the case of quadrilaterals, four arms 11 are applied which are each positioned with a tip thereof in a corner of the tread. The arms are each manufactured from a plate material with two end parts 14,16 between which a middle part with a slot 15 is present. The pin with screw thread can be guided through slot 15. In order to reach corners of stair treads the end parts 14 of arms 11 are chamfered by means of chamfering 13 which leads to a tip 12 on the end of the arm.

If the fixation unit as described in the foregoing is placed on the edge of a stair tread, the form of the stair tread can be determined by having arms extend to all corner points of the tread and subsequently tightening the knob 8, whereby ring 9 fixes the arms. The fixation unit can then be picked up and, by means of the fixed end tips 12 of the arms, the form of the tread can be marked on another surface such as the top side 35 of a new renovation element 34. In such a method the thickness of the end surface

36 of renovation element 34 must however be taken into account. Use is made for this purpose according to the present invention of a spacer 2. This spacer 2 is preferably formed from a metal plate bent in suitable manner to form a flat plate part 5 for support thereof on the top side of stair tread 30, a vertical wall part 3 and a horizontal, distance-defining plate part 4. If spacer 2 is placed on the tread in a manner such that the horizontal plate part 4 lies against the end surface of the tread, the front si- de 3 of the spacer will have a certain distance relative to the end surface 32 of the tread. If this distance is chosen such that it equals the thickness of end surface 36 of renovation element 34, the form of the stair tread element to be placed can be determined in simple manner by placing the vertical part 10 of the fixation unit against the front side of the spacer once the spacer has been placed on the tread, since the thickness of the end surface of the element is taken into account.

When such a spacer is used in such a method with the use of the spacer in combination with the fixation unit no measuring operation need be performed to determine correct placing of the fixation unit on the stair tread for the purpose of determining the form of the renovation

element. Determining the form, and thereby renovating the staircase, hereby becomes relatively simple, whereby such work can be carried out by less well-trained or accurately working tradespeople and relatively inexperienced DIY en- thusiasts.

A further aspect of renovating a staircase can be the placing of a new riser in front of an existing riser. A problem here is that the width of the riser must be determined while this riser is located between for instance stringboards of an existing staircase which are relatively often present in a corner relative to the tread.

Measuring such a width cannot therefore be carried out in one measurement by means of a known tape measure . The present invention provides for this purpose a measur- ing device 21 formed substantially from two rectangular tubes, an outer tube 22 and an inner tube 25. The inner tube can slide in freely reciprocating manner in the outer tube. The inner tube is provided with a scale division 26 on which the width of riser 31 can be read. In order to enable measurement with the measuring tubes in corners difficult to access on the outer ends of the riser, the end of outer tube 22 is provided with a chamfering 23 leading to a measuring edge 24, and the end of inner tube 25 is provided with a chamfering leading to a measuring edge 28.

Figure 3 shows a tread renovation profile for renovating a stair tread. Also shown is an attachment riser 39 which can be placed in front of an existing riser to give a staircase an improved appearance. Further shown is a beam-like block 37 which can be arranged under the tread renovation profile. Once a finishing layer 39 matching the exterior of the tread has been arranged thereon, the side of the tread presents a unified appearance which, in the

case stair treads have open sides, is desirable and attractive. Attachment of the finishing layer can take place in per se known manner by means of glueing or thermal adhesion. With application of the present invention as described in this text a staircase can be renovated in practical and time-saving manner. The present invention is described on the basis of a number of preferred embodiments. This description of preferred embodiments does not limit the scope of protection of the rights sought. The rights sought are defined by the appended claims.