Abstract: A stairway has a pair of stringers, mounted in inclined, spaced-apart, parallel relationship with at least one stair assembly, disposed in spanning relationship across the stringers. Each stringer has a top surface and a side surface. Each stair assembly has a pair of brackets and a tread with each end of the tread affixed to one of the brackets. Each bracket is mounted and affixed along a length of one of the stringers. Each of the brackets has a first and a second faces, which intersect in an angular manner. A flange is disposed perpendicularly from a side of the first face. When the bracket is mounted to the stringer, its first face and the flange are in abutting relationship with the respective top and side surface of the stringer. A further embodiment bracket has no flange extending from the first face.

Abstract: A bracket has three rigid sides, at least two of the sides having equal length. Each of the three sides has ends lying in a plane defined by a longitudinal axis between the ends and a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The sides are rigidly connected so that an equilateral or isosceles triangle is formed in a cross-sectional plane taken through the longitudinal axes of the three sides. The transverse axes of the three sides each independently form an angle of from about 50° to about 60° with the cross-sectional plane and meet at a common point not on the cross-sectional plane. One or more of the three sides have mounting points located on the longitudinal axis. Such a bracket can support a variety of different support structures (e.g. shelves, hanger bars and storage bins) on a surface, or reinforce a corner of a variety of different structures (e.g. boxes or walls).

Abstract: In a method of splitting a base block to form brick, block or paver units, a cementitious or stone base block having a first side, an opposed second side and a plurality of perforations is provided. Each perforation extends through the base block from the first side to the opposed second side, the plurality of perforations creating a splitting path in the base block. The splitting path has a cross-section consisting of from 70-50% by area of perforated regions and from 30-50% by area of unperforated regions. The base block may be split along the splitting path by a light shock to produce the brick, block or paver units. A wide variety of consistent and reproducible facing surfaces on brick, block and paver units may be produced that integrate texture, pattern, configuration and shape.