SLIDING AND FOLDING STEPS
A portable staircase includes a stairhead that can slide along a support track to extend and lock the stairhead away from a vehicle. The staircase can further be locked in either an upward storage or downward use position. Vertical support frame members provide support to the staircase when in the downward use position. A further embodiment of the staircase includes a vertical support frame member cover, along with a plurality of moveable vertical support frame members used to move the staircase into one of three positions: front-, right-side-, or left-side-facing.
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the outside staircase used on recreational and industrial trailers, motor homes, or utility vehicles, such as portable sanitation trailers.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Vehicles commonly have outside doors that lead into a storage or dwelling area, located at a considerable height above the ground because of the vehicle wheels. A staircase is often placed between the ground and the outside door entrance to aid in entering and exiting the vehicle.
Yet staircases frequently enlarge the width of the vehicle, making it sometimes illegal to drive the vehicles on roads and highways. One solution to this problem is to install a staircase that can be removed; yet it is very inconvenient and time-consuming to remove the staircase for traveling, reassembling the staircase for use.
Another solution is summarized in U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,143, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. A staircase is hinged to a side of a vehicle so that it can be easily folded against the side, reducing the vehicle's width to one within the legal limit for travel.
However, such a staircase still has the problem of providing a stairhead at best equal in size to each of the descending steps of the staircase, so as to make it difficult to maintain one's balance when exciting the vehicle on the staircase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a portable staircase that can be easily folded against the side of a recreational or industrial vehicle so as to reduce the vehicle's width to within the legal limit for roadway travel. A locking device is attached to the vehicle to secure the staircase in its folded position for storage. The steps of the staircase are pivotally secured to rails allowing the staircase to collapse and be folded, with the staircase hinged to a side of the vehicle. A handrail assembly may also be used as a part of the staircase. Guide rods are attached between the vehicle and staircase for support and for minimizing movement of the staircase when the staircase does not rest upon an even surface. A sliding stairhead upon a support track is attached to the body of the vehicle so as to extend the staircase away from the vehicle and provide a wide stairhead between the vehicle and staircase. Wheels along the support track of the stairhead provide for ease of movement of the stairhead toward and away from the vehicle.
In a second embodiment, a removable staircase may be positioned on one of three sides of the sliding stairhead to allow for an option as to which direction the staircase descends.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a collapsible staircase for a vehicle which eliminates a first step-down danger and is safe to use.
Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible staircase for a vehicle which is of simple, reliable and efficient operation and usage.
A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible staircase for a vehicle which can be positioned on one of three sides of a sliding stairhead to accommodate a variety of ground configurations.
Other objects will become apparent upon a reading of the following description.
The preferred embodiment of the invention herein described relates to an improvement to the folding steps of U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,143, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference. As the folding steps of this invention are of like construction to the referenced patent, the numbering systems of the two inventions will correspond, and a detailed description as to the folding step portion of the present invention will not be repeated.
The staircase 2 includes a plurality of steps 4 as illustrated in
A pair of guide rods 20 are attached between the vehicle 18 and staircase 2. Each guide rod extends freely through a sleeve 24 and has a threaded lower end upon which a nut 26 is turned. A yoke 28 is fastened to the upper end of each guide rod 20. Each yoke 28 is fastened by a connector through a hole 50 in a bracket 32 that is connected to a stairhead vertical support 60. In one embodiment, a handrail 34 extends along each side of the steps 4. Each handrail 34 is pivotally secured at one end to a bracket 38 connected to the stairhead vertical support 60. An outset retainer bracket 37 is preferably welded at one end to each of the side rails 6 at their outer sides. A leg 30 is pivotally secured to a bracket 36 preferably welded to each handrail 34 at its opposite end. Each leg 30 is inserted between a retainer bracket 37 and its connected side rail 6 to prevent lateral movement relative to the transverse axis of the handrail 34. A lock pin 48 with an attached clasp 43 is inserted through hole 41 in bracket 32.
A pair of stairhead handrails 74 are attached between the vehicle exterior wall 18 and the stairhead vertical support 60. Each stairhead handrail 74 is pivotally secured at one end to a bracket 72 attached to the vehicle 18. A chain 68 is preferably extended between bracket 32 connected to the stairhead vertical support 60 and bracket 70 attached to the vehicle 18. Bracket 76 is attached to the vehicle 18 and secures each stairhead handrail 74 when staircase 2 is not in use. When in use, the yoke 78 of stairhead handrail 74 is fastened to the stairhead vertical support 60 through bracket 62.
Before operation, the staircase 2 is shown in its folded position in
In
In operation, the staircase 2 and stairhead 80 are extended away from the vehicle 18, with the staircase 2 in its upper storage position, as shown in
For support, stairhead vertical feet 64 are extended downward to meet the ground 52 by release of each locking mechanism 66. As shown in
A second embodiment of the sliding and folding steps is shown in
As shown in
When used, staircase 2 and stairhead 80 are extended away from the vehicle 18, with the staircase 2 in its upper storage position, as shown in
To move the staircase 2 to a one of two side-facing positions, as shown in
In a right-side-facing staircase 2 position, as shown in
In a left-side-facing staircase 2 position, as shown in
In both the right-side- and left-side-facing positions, lower handrails 174 are connected between brackets 170 and brackets 132, and upper handrails 168 are connected between brackets 172 and 162.
The embodiments herein described is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting in the precise form of the invention disclosed. They are chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use so that others skilled in the art may follow their teachings.
Claims
1. A vehicle, comprising:
- an exterior wall and an underside;
- a support track comprising support beams connected to the underside of said vehicle;
- a stairhead movable within said support track between a retracted position under said vehicle and an extended use position; and
- an exterior staircase pivotally connected to the stairhead;
- wherein the staircase comprises a frame and steps, the staircase being shiftable between an upper storage position against said wall when said stairhead is in its retracted position and a downward use position when said stairhead is in its extended position.
2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said staircase includes:
- handrails;
- rotational means for shifting the handrails from a generally vertical position when said staircase is in said upper storage position to a position generally parallel with said staircase in said downward use position;
- legs having upper and lower parts, the upper parts being pivotally secured to an end of the handrails adjacent said support frame of said stairhead, and the lower parts being pivotally secured to said frame of said staircase;
- means for minimizing lateral movement of the handrails and the legs when said staircase is in said downward use position; and
- locking means for maintaining said staircase in said upper storage position.
3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein said rotational means includes brackets attached to said support frame of said stairhead, with said handrails being pivotally secured to the brackets at one end.
4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein said means for minimizing lateral movement includes brackets attached to said staircase, said legs extending between the brackets and said staircase in said downward use position.
5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said stairhead includes:
- vertical support frame members;
- handrails;
- vertical support frame legs, the legs enclosed by the vertical support frame members and moveable therein; and
- horizontal support frame members.
6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said stairhead further includes:
- a vertical support frame member cover having first and second vertical extents and a step bracket secured therebetween; and
- moveable vertical support frame members.
7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said vertical support frame members include locking mechanisms for said vertical support frame legs, the locking mechanisms securing said legs within said vertical support frame members or against the ground, through a threaded pressure fit.
8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said handrails are attached between one of said vertical support frame members and said exterior wall of said vehicle.
9. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said horizontal support frame members include rolling means therein for movement of said members along said support track.
10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said support track includes rolling means therein for movement of said horizontal support frame members of said stairhead along said support beams of said support track.
11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said exterior wall includes locking means for maintaining said stairhead both against said exterior wall and in an extended position away from said exterior wall.
12. A staircase system, comprising:
- a support track comprising support beams;
- a stairhead movable within said support track; and
- an exterior staircase pivotally connected to the stairhead;
- wherein the staircase comprises a frame and steps, the staircase being shiftable from an upper storage position to a downward use position.
13. The staircase system of claim 12, wherein said staircase includes:
- handrails;
- rotational means for shifting the handrails from a generally vertical position when said staircase is in said upper storage position to a position generally parallel with said staircase in said downward use position;
- legs having upper and lower parts, the upper parts being pivotally secured to an end of the handrails adjacent said support frame of said stairhead, and the lower parts being pivotally secured to said frame of said staircase;
- means for minimizing lateral movement of the handrails and the legs when said staircase is in said downward use position; and
- locking means for maintaining said staircase in said upper storage position.
14. The staircase system of claim 13, wherein said rotational means includes brackets attached to said support frame of said stairhead, with said handrails being pivotally secured to the brackets at one end.
15. The staircase system of claim 13, wherein said means for minimizing lateral movement includes brackets attached to said staircase, said legs extending between the bracket and said staircase in said downward use position.
16. The staircase system of claim 12, wherein said stairhead includes:
- vertical support frame members;
- handrails;
- vertical support frame legs, the legs enclosed by the vertical support frame members and moveable therein; and
- horizontal support frame members.
17. The staircase system of claim 16, wherein said stairhead further includes:
- a vertical support frame member cover having first and second vertical extents and a step bracket secured therebetween; and
- moveable vertical support frame members.
18. The staircase system of claim 16, wherein said vertical support frame members include locking mechanisms for said vertical support frame legs, the locking mechanisms securing said legs within said vertical support frame members or against the ground, through a threaded pressure fit.
19. The staircase system of claim 16, wherein said handrails are removably attached between one of said vertical extents of said vertical support frame member cover and said moveable vertical support frame members.
20. The staircase system of claim 16, wherein said support track includes rolling means therein for movement of said horizontal support frame members along said support track.
21. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said staircase is removably connected to said stairhead and shiftable about said stairhead when in its said downward use position, whereby the staircase may be optimally located either parallel to or perpendicular to said vehicle wall when in use.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 26, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2008
Inventor: Ronald C. Bird (Rochester, IN)
Application Number: 11/460,183
International Classification: E04F 11/00 (20060101);