Patent Application
20200217077
The present invention relates to construction, and more particularly to a bracket system and related method to construct stairways and other stepped structures.
Stairways typically include multiple steps situated in an ascending configuration to provide a stepped pathway from one level of a structure to another. Steps usually are supported by an underlying structure, such as two, three or more stair stringers. When a stairway is constructed from wood, for example, in a deck construction, the stringers usually are linear pieces of wood or composite material with notches cut out from them to accommodate the individual steps in a horizontal orientation. The stringers are spaced apart from one another but are generally parallel and extend vertically. The steps can be constructed from the same material as the stringers, but usually are in the form of boards or panels of a smaller dimension. Thus, many times two, three or more step boards are placed side by side to complete a step on a horizontal part of the stringer.
To prepare a multi-board step on a stringer, an installer will place a first board, cut to span the appropriate width of the stringers, across aligned, horizontal portions of the notches in the stringer. The installer will then drive a nail or advance a screw through an upper surface of the board and into the stringer. The installer will place the next board for the step adjacent the first board and repeat the process to secure the second board and complete the step. Frequently, handling and securing two or more step boards as separate pieces can require multiple trips up or down the stairway, which can consume time.
Sometimes, step boards are spaced a distance from one another to establish a gap between them. To set this gap, some installers will simply eyeball the board spacing and ensure they are uniform. With such a method, this gap can vary, and this variance can be visible and aesthetically displeasing. Other installers will use a special tool of a particular width, place it between the boards to precisely set the gap, then remove the tool after fastening the board to the stringer. Depending on the desired size of the board gap, an installer might have to carry multiple different tools, which can be burdensome.
In recent years, it has become popular to use hidden fasteners to install step boards on stairs so that the upper surface of the boards have no visible fasteners on their faces. This can be challenging, depending on the type of hidden fasteners utilized. This also can be challenging, depending on how many boards are used on a level for a step, and where and how the hidden fasteners attach the boards to the underlying stringers. Many times, to fasten down a step to a stringer, an installer will need to crawl under the steps and the stringers to get a proper angle to secure the boards. This can cause discomfort or injury to the installer in some cases.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement in the field of constructing stairways and other structures, particularly where steps are desired to be free from visible fasteners on the faces of those steps.
A bracket and related method to construct stairways and other structures is provided.
In one embodiment, the bracket can include a top horizontal leg and a joined vertical leg extending therefrom. The two legs can form an L shape. The top leg can include a first spacer of a first dimension and a second spacer of a smaller second dimension. These spacers can be dimensioned to correspond to and to set a preselected gap between adjacent stair boards.
In another embodiment, the first and second spacers can be alterable. For example, one or both spacers can be removable, bendable, or able to be modified so that they will not be disposed between boards when the bracket is attached to the boards. In some cases, a spacer can be broken off or bent, so as to not project between adjacent boards and thereby produce or set a gap between those boards via that spacer.
In still another embodiment, the first spacer can be a larger spacer that can be altered so that only a second spacer, which is smaller in size, cross section, height, width, etc., than the first spacer, can project between boards to set the gap therebetween.
In yet another embodiment, the top horizontal leg can include a first width and the vertical leg can include a first height. The height and width can be preselected so that fasteners through the respective legs do not interfere with one another, and/or so that the legs adequately engage the stair boards and a respective stringer. The first width and the first height can be configured in a ratio of at least 1:2 to provide a particular function when the bracket is installed.
In even another embodiment, the vertical leg can include a beveled ramp to enable the bracket to be guided over and to align with a portion of a stringer when the bracket is installed relative to the stringer.
In a further embodiment, a method can be provided. The method can include placing the top leg adjacent an underside of stair boards, selectively altering or not altering the first spacer based on a preselected gap between the boards, fastening the top leg to the underside of the boards with fasteners while the first spacer and/or the second spacer maintains the preselected gap, placing the bracket vertical leg adjacent a stringer and fastening the vertical leg to the stringer, optionally while the user remains above the stairway and stringer.
In still a further embodiment, the preselected gap is smaller than the first dimension. The method can include selectively altering the first spacer so that the first spacer is not disposed between the first board and the second board. Thus, the second spacer can be disposed between the first board and the second board, optionally contacting the side surfaces of the boards, to set the preselected gap between the first board and the second board. In this case, the preselected gap can correspond to the second smaller dimension of the second spacer, rather than the first dimension of the first spacer.
In yet a further embodiment, the first and second spacers can be joined with the bracket, for example, the top leg, in a way to enable them to be altered easily. For example, the spacers can be connected at an interface to the bracket so that the spacers can be broken, bent, detached, snapped, deformed, retracted, extended or the like (collectively or individually referred to as altered herein) relative to the bracket so that a respective spacer will be unable to effectively set a gap between stair boards with which the bracket is utilized.
In another embodiment, the method can include fastening the bracket legs to the stair boards and stringer with a tool. The tool can be a power tool having a longitudinal drive axis. The bracket can enable a user to orient the drive axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the stair boards during the fastening, particularly of the vertical leg to the stringer.
In even a further embodiment, the method can include attaching the bracket to the undersides of boards and setting a gap between the boards when the boards and bracket are turned upward with fasteners, installing all the fasteners through the bracket top leg in doing so, turning the joined boards over with the bracket attached, and the bracket facing downward, and installing more fasteners through the vertical leg to join the bracket and attached boards securely with the stringer.
The current embodiments of the bracket system and related method provide benefits in stairway and other structure building that previously have been unachievable. For example, where the bracket includes two or more spacers, a user can select a preselected gap size between stair boards, then use the spacers to precisely set that gap. If one or more spacers are too large, that spacer can be adjusted, or altered, for example, removed, so that an appropriately sized spacer remains. The remaining spacer can be positioned between side surfaces of stair boards to effectively set the gap between the boards upon contact with the side surfaces. Where the bracket is constructed so the top leg width and vertical leg height are in a ratio of at least 1:2, the bracket is stable and there is plenty of room to install associated fasteners in each of the legs. Where the bracket comes preloaded with fasteners that are secured thereto, an installer or user need not fumble with fasteners to install them to the bracket then to the stringer or other boards. Where the vertical leg includes a bevel, that bevel can guide a preconstructed stair board unit including the stair boards and the bracket rapidly and consistently onto and adjacent a stringer.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.
A current embodiment of the bracket is illustrated in
Further, in this disclosure, the bracket is described in connection with boards. As used herein, boards can include any type of elongated element that has a length greater than its width. Examples of boards can include wood boards, constructed from any type of wood, whether pressed wood and/or lumber, composite boards, polymeric boards, steel or metal studs, panels, sheets and other similar type construction elements.
Turning now to the construction of the bracket, as shown in
The top leg 20 can define a plurality of fastener holes that extend from the top leg contact surface 21 to the bottom surface 22, optionally through the top leg 20. An exemplary fastener hole 24 is shown in
In the embodiment shown in
The respective fasteners and fastener holes can be associated with wings or tabs 25 of the top vertical leg 20. This can reduce weight and allow the holes 24 and respective fasteners to be placed farther away from the vertical leg. These tabs 25 can extend outward from a body of the leg 20.
As mentioned above, and shown in
Further, the fasteners associated with the vertical leg, also referred to as the second plurality of fasteners, can extend from the vertical leg. Each of those fasteners can be at least partially disposed in the respective holes in the vertical leg. Thus, each of the fasteners can be configured so that some of the threads and part of the shaft of those respective fasteners are visible adjacent the outer or side surface 32 of the vertical leg. These fasteners can be installed at least partially in the respective holes defined by the vertical leg.
As shown in
Optionally, the top leg 20 and the vertical leg 30 can be configured so that the fasteners associated with the top leg, and the fasteners associated with the vertical leg, are in a particular orientation. For example, as shown in
Further optionally, the respective axes of the vertical fasteners in the top horizontal leg can be oriented in a particular manner. As shown in
With further reference to
As shown in
As mentioned above, the spacers can have different dimensions. These dimensions can be selected to correspond to a preselected gap between boards with which the bracket will be used as described below. In some cases, the first dimension and the second dimension can each be between 1/32 inch and ½ inch, inclusive. Optionally, the first dimension can be ¼ inch or greater, and the second dimension can be less than ¼ inch. Further optionally, the first dimension can be a ¼ inch and the second dimension can be ⅛ inch. Of course, other dimensions can be selected depending on the application and the spacing, that is the preselected gap G as described below.
With reference to
Each of the first 41 and second 42 spacers optionally can be integrally formed with the remainder of the bracket and the top horizontal leg. For example, the spacers and the bracket can be formed of a homogeneous polymeric material. Of course, the spacers and the remainder of the bracket can be constructed from other materials, such as composites, metals, and combinations thereof. Each of the respective spacers 41, 42 can be altered or not altered in a step of a process. For example, when altered, one or both of the spacers can be removable, bendable, breakable, foldable, retractable, or able to be modified so that they will not be disposed between boards when the bracket is attached to the boards. In some cases, a spacer can be broken off or bent, so as to not project between adjacent boards and thereby produce or set a gap between those boards. The larger first spacer can be altered so that only the smaller second spacer can project between boards to set the gap therebetween. When a particular spacer is not altered, it generally is not removed, bent, modified, broken off, retracted or otherwise modified.
Where a spacer is configured to be altered by breaking it off, the bracket can be constructed from a polymeric or other breakable or fracturable material. The polymeric material optionally can be weakened at a base 41B or 42B of a spacer. In some cases, the bases can be scored, perforated or have a hole or groove to enable them to be easily removed by a user. In use, none, one or two or more of the spacers can be removed from the bracket to set a particular spacing or gap G between boards. For example, where the first spacer 41 dimension D1 is ¼ inch and the second spacer 42 dimension D2 is ⅛ inch, and a user wants to utilize a preselected gap G of ⅛ inch, the user will snap, break and/or otherwise alter the first spacer so that the dimension D1 is not established between adjacent side surfaces of boards to which the bracket is connected as described below. Instead, the dimension D2 can be established therebetween to set the gap.
A method of using the bracket of the current embodiment will now be described with reference to
The bracket 10 however can simplify the overall process and allow the installer C to work with units of stair boards rather than individual stair boards. Further, those units of stair boards can have boards that are properly and consistently spaced from one another with a preselected gap G as described below. In addition, the installer or user C operating a tool, such as a power drill 105, is able to remain substantially above the stringer 101 while operating the tool, rather than position the user's body substantially under the stringer, the first board and/or the second board, in a space 107U under those elements. Thus, the user can be generally more comfortable than when installing a set of stair boards on a stringer in a conventional manner, in which the user would climb under the stringer and stair boards to install some other type of fasteners from below the stair boards.
Returning to method herein, a user or installer C can begin to build a stairway 108 by cutting multiple notches 107N in a stringer 107, for example, as shown in
The user C can cut the stair boards and place them preliminarily in a respective notch 107N and on the stringer 107. The user can take a marker, such as a pencil or other writing or marking utensil and mark a marker line ML by moving the marker along the stringer so that the marker leaves a marker line on the undersides 101U and 102U of the respective first and second boards along a line that is generally parallel to the side/vertical surface of the underlying stair stringer 107. Where there are more stringers, the user can mark additional marker lines to accommodate additional brackets.
The user can turn the boards over so that the undersides 101U and 102U are exposed as shown in
On the other hand, if the user desires a smaller gap G between the boards, where that gap G corresponds to the dimension D2 of the second spacer 42, the user will selectively alter the first spacer based on the preselected gap G between the first board and the second board. To selectively alter the first spacer, the user can remove, break, bend, fracture, retract, push, move, extend or otherwise modify the first spacer so that it is not placed between the side surfaces 1015 and 102S of the boards. Optionally, the first spacer can be removed from the bracket. Thus, with the first spacer not placed there, the surfaces 1015 and 102S of the boards can be moved closer to one another until they engage the outer surfaces or surface 42S of the second spacer 42. The second spacer 42 thus sets the gap G at the dimension D2. Of course, where additional spacers of different dimensions are additionally included with the bracket, a user can selectively alter or not alter a number of spacers until the dimension of a particular spacer is selected to set the gap G between the boards. Further, it will be appreciated that multiple brackets with multiple spacers can be utilized to set the gap uniformly from first ends of the first and second boards to second ends of the first and second boards.
With the bracket 10 so aligned, and the preselected gap G set by a respective spacer, the user can operate a tool 105, which optionally can be a rotary power tool such as a power drill with a drive attachment, and engage the respective vertical fasteners. In particular, the user can use the tool 105 to fasten the top horizontal leg 20 to the underside 101U of the first stair board 101 with a first fastener 51 and a second fastener 52 by rotating those fasteners so that they advance into the first board and until the heads of those fasteners engage the bottom surface 22 of the top leg 20. The user can fasten the top horizontal leg 20 to the underside 102U of the second stair board 102 with a third fastener 53 and the fourth fastener 54, which can be rotationally advanced in a manner similar to that of the first and second fasteners. It is to be noted that where the first, second, third and fourth fasteners are preinstalled and secured in place in the respective holes of the top leg 20, those fasteners do not need to be manually handled by user. Thus, they can be simply advanced easily and quickly into the respective boards with a tool.
With the bracket 10 joined with the first and second boards via the plurality of first fasteners 51, 52, 53 and 54, a user can install additional brackets to secure the boards. The bracket accordingly can set the preselected gap G between those boards via the respective spacer. Those boards then can be turned up in direction T so that the undersides 101U and 102U face downward, generally toward a ground surface.
With the boards 101 and 102 joined via one or more brackets 10, the user can then place the boards on the horizontal levels 107L of the notches 107N in the stringer 107. For example, the vertical leg 30 of the bracket can be placed adjacent the side surface 107S of the stringer 107. Optionally, as the bracket 10 is so placed, the bevel 30B optionally can engage the corner 107C of the stringer and can guide the vertical leg 30 smoothly over that corner so that the remainder of the vertical leg, in particular the inner contact surface 31, can contact and/or can be placed adjacent the surface 107S of the stringer 107. This alignment and placement of the vertical leg and boards over the level 107L of the stringer 107 can be repeated for multiple brackets and multiple associated stringers of the stairway 108. It will be noted that during this placement of the bracket, the bracket, the first board and the second board remain connected as a single piece unit that can be easily moved and manipulated by the user C. Thus, the user C need not fumble with placing multiple stair boards and then fastening each individual stair board to the stringer. The bracket makes this possible, all while maintaining the preselected gap G between the first and second boards.
With the vertical leg 30 so placed beside the side surface 107S of the stringer 107, the user C can fasten the vertical leg 30 to the stringer via the second plurality of fasteners, which optionally can be the horizontal fasteners, in particular the fifth fastener 55, the sixth fastener 56 and the seventh fastener 57. This fastening also can be done via the tool 105. As shown in
A first alternative embodiment of the bracket is shown in
A second alternative embodiment of the bracket is shown in
Directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” are used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific orientations.
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual elements of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Any reference to claim elements as “at least one of X, Y and Z” is meant to include any one of X, Y or Z individually, and any combination of X, Y and Z, for example, X, Y, Z; X, Y; X, Z; and Y, Z.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62789711 | Jan 2019 | US |
