Wooden Circular Stair With Balustrade and Method for Fabricating the Same

This invention relates to spiral staircases made of wood, and to improved methods of constructing the same.

The ever-increasing cost of construction on a "per square foot" basis makes spiral staircases, which occupy approximately 20 percent less floor space than is required for a conventional stair, an attractive option for those building or renovating a house. For aesthetic reasons, wooden spiral staircases tend to be preferred over metal ones in the home.

The subject invention features a free-standing spiral staircase with a hollow central support column. Tread supports are secured to this column by a wedged mortise joint. The mortise extends all the way through the column and the tenon is slit to receive the wedges from the side of the column opposite from the support proper. A laminate bent handrail, unsurpassed in strength and stability, is also featured, with such handrail being molded through direct attachment, while still wet, to the staircase itself. The staircase is custom-designed for each customer. Computer-generated templates are used to locate on the column the proper placement of holes for the tenon ends of the tread supports, thereby allowing the manufacturers to adjust rotation and rise to conform precisely to the customer's floor plan and traffic patterns.

A number of patents are directed to improvements in the design, manufacture, and assembly of metal or primarily metal circular stairways. See, for example, the inventions of Holden (U.S. Pat. No. 839,846), Allmand (U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,770), MacKay (U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,176) and Schneider (U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,906).

Fewer patents address improvements in the wooden spiral staircase. Of those that do, the closest to the present invention are Geleijnse et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,222), and Suckno (U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,547).

The Geleijnse patent discloses a round central column and a T-shaped riser that adjoins an upper and lower tread. The column is solid wood, with mortises cut or drilled more than halfway into, but not through the column. One end of each of the T-shaped tread carriers serves as a tenon which fits into the appropriate mortise in the central column. A major drawback with this design is that the bottom part of each of the T-shaped tread carriers joins the upper surface of the next lower down tread, thereby posing a potential interference to the feet of someone climbing or descending the stairs. The subject invention avoids this disadvantage. Furthermore, unlike the spiral stairway designed by Geleijnse et al., in which the balusters provide structural support for the outer extremity of the treads, and therefore have to be installed prior to shipment, the balusters in the subject invention are not structural support members and are not installed before shipment. The handrail is temporarily clamped directly to the treads for shipment. The staircase in this "broken down" mode can then usually be "screwed" through standard door frames to bring it inside the structure.

The Suckno patent, like that of Geleijnse, features a solid wood central column. Both the treads themselves and vertical tread supports or braces are joined to the column by bolts screwed approximately halfway into the column. In contrast, the subject invention features a hollow column which, while probably lighter in weight, is larger in circumference and thus sturdier than those of Geleijnse et al. and Suckno. Applicant's mortises are drilled from both sides through to the hollow center of the column; tenons on the tread supports are then inserted through the mortises and wedged permanently in place in slits in the tenons from the side of the column opposite the support. In applicant's staircase the treads proper need not be fastened to the column. The outermost sections of applicant's treads are joined together through the use of "spacerblocks," similar in function to the outer edge braces disclosed in the Suckno patent. A key distinction between the two is that in the subject invention, the spacerblocks do all the work in distributing the load when the staircase is in use, while in the Suckno stairway, the outer end braces and balusters are both involved in such load distribution. Because its balusters play a structural support function, the Suckno staircase cannot be as easily shipped and installed as the one in the applicant's invention.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a wooden spiral staircase which is aesthetically pleasing, of simple line and yet extremely sturdy, easy to build, assemble, ship and install, and which can be economically and precisely custom designed to meet the specific requirements of its application through use of computer assisted design technology and other commercially available computer software.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wooden spiral staircase of which the entire structural support system can be assembled at the place of manufacture, and thereafter shipped and installed, with the user being required to provide only minimal assembly of non-structural items, thus increasing not only the convenience of the user but giving the manufacturer additional control over the safety of the staircase.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wooden spiral staircase of which the handrail is made of laminated wood formed by clamping the composite of wet glued strips directly to the erected stair itself, so as to eliminate the need for a special "form", while allowing for an infinite range of possible diameters and, most importantly, a perfect fit of rail to stair.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wooden spiral staircase of which the assemblage is facilitated through use of tenons which completely intersect a hollow column, and further facilitated through the use of oblate tenons, thereby allowing mortises to be formed by routing oblate holes or by drilling three holes sie-by-side, eliminating the need for time-consuming chiseling out of the corners of the mortises as is required with the use of traditional rectangular tenons.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wooden spiral staircase of which the central column is hollow, being comprised of individual pieces of wood which have been glued together and then sanded to arrive at the finished diameter.

An improved spiral staircase, with improved methods of construction incorporating various features, including computerization, that enhance precision while cutting down on labor time and cost of materials.

The central support column is comprised of continuous pieces of stock, glued and clamped together, with edge joints reinforced by hardwood dowels. A wooden block is inserted into each end of the column and secured by lag-screws in order to prevent separation of the individual components.

The column is turned in a lathe and then sanded until its finished diameter is reached. A computer-generated template is next used to mark the mortise locations on the column, following which the various mortises are drilled. Because the tenons on the tread supports are oblate, the mortises can be made by routing oblate holes or by drilling three holes side-by-side, and then chiseling out the slight triangular bits on either side of the center hole.

To assemble the stair, tread supports are inserted into the mortises and wedged permanently in place. Treads are fastened to the supports via countersunk and plugged lag screws. Spacerblocks, used to distribute load, are then inserted between adjacent treads the entire length of the staircase. Next the spiral handrail is constructed using a laminating process whereby numerous layers of wood strips are glued together. While it is wet with glue, this handrail is transferred to the stair and clamped to the treads. After the glue has cured the handrail is cleaned and shaped, and balusters are fitted.

The above-described features of the present invention are explained in the detailed description below. It is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the finished spiral staircase;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the spiral staircase in "broken down" form, ready for shipment and installation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the central column;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the wood blocks to be inserted into the end of the central column;

FIG. 4 is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating the manner in which the tread support is connected to the central column and the tread proper is connected to the support;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a tread and tread support, with the support's mortised joint wedged to, and causing the inner end of the tread to abut the central column;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a tread; and

FIG. 7 is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating the manner in which a spacerblock is secured between adjacent treads.

FIG. 1 presents an overall view of the spiral staircase completely assembled, 10. The staircase consists of the following principal parts: a hollow central support column, 11, to which tread supports, 12, are attached by means of oblate tenons, 13, which completely intersect the column, and are then wedged in place by two horizontal compression wedges, 14 inserted in the ends of the tenons opposite the support proper; treads, 15, which are attached to the tread supports and which abut, but do not attach to, the central column at their narrow end; and spacerblocks, 16, which join adjacent treads at the outermost sections. The above elements comprise the structural components of the staircase. Additional features of the staircase shown in FIG. 1, some or all of which may be deleted at the option of the customer, are: balusters, 17, two to a tread; a laminate handrail, 18; an upper newel post, 19; a lower newel post, 20; a column cap, 21; and a base trim collar, 22. In the preferred embodiment, cabinet grade red oak is used for all visible parts of the staircase.

FIG. 2 shows the same essential structure as FIG. 1, the major difference being that the balusters have been removed and the handrail tied directly to the stair treads in FIG. 2. The staircase is shipped in this "broken down" form. Due to its spiral shape it may be "screwed" through a standard door opening in most cases, allowing for rapid installation.

FIG. 2 also gives an idea of how the staircase looks when the newly laminated handrail is drying. As in the illustration, the handrail is attached to the stairtreads, but clamps are used rather than rope or tape, and the rail is preferably covered with a protective material, such as plastic sheeting, to keep glue off the rest of the staircase.

FIG. 3 presents a top plan view of the central column. In the preferred embodiment, as shown, eight pieces of wood, 23, of continuous stock and measuring 13/4", are ripped to 22.5 degree bevel and are glued and clamped to form an octagon. As a backup measure in case of glue failure, all edge joints are reinforced by hardwood dowels, 24. The dowels measure 1/2".times.2" in the preferred embodiment. These dowels are glued in their respective holes on centers exactly equal to the individual rise of a tread to tread interval. They are offset from the mortises to insure their integrity after drilling, and are totally concealed from view. In a typical stair of 13 treads there are 112 of these dowels (8.times.(13+1)).

After construction of the column blank, two wood blocks, 25, as shown in FIG. 3A, are inserted into each end and retained by lagscrews, 26, countersunk through the faces of the column and covered by wood plugs, 27. In the preferred embodiment, the wood blocks would be octagonal and made of maple. These blocks are intended to prevent the separation or splaying of the individual components, or "staves". They serve a function similar to the hoops of a barrel. They also are entirely concealed in a finished installation.

The column is mounted in a "lathe" and turned to a nearly finished diameter. More specifically, this "lathe" consists of a motor to supply rotation to the column via sheaves and "V" belts. Each end of the column is fastened to a 5/8" shaft mounted in bearings. A commercial router rides tracks that are parallel to the axis of rotation to enable the removal of stock. The column is then sanded to arrive at the finished diameter. In the preferred embodiment, this is 10 inches.

After turning, the mortising process is initiated. With the column still mounted in the machine a commerical radial drill press is fastened to the tracks. The mortise locations are determined by combining the rise interval with the angular interval. These intervals are calculated for each stair. This allows the manufacturer to remain very flexible and offer a truly custom product to its customers. The riser locations are marked on a scrap strip of material full scale and affixed to the track. A computer generated "degree wheel" is laminated to a piece of plywood, preferably 1/4", and affixed to an end of the column. By advancing one interval on the degree wheel and one rise interval simultaneously, the holes are drilled in exactly the proper location with respect to one another. The necessity for accuracy here is demonstrated by the fact that the diameter of a six foot stair is 226 inches. One degree, at the circumference, is equal to 0.64 inch. If, for example, the interval is 1/2 degree greater than calculated the cumulative affect over 14 intervals would be (0.64.times.14)/2 or about 4.5 inches. It is possible to maintain error to 1/10 degree through the use of the computer. This accuracy is not possible with manual layout techniques.

After mortising, the stair is assembled. As FIG. 4 illustrates, tread supports, 12, ending in oblate tenons, 13, are inserted into the mortises, 28, and wedged permanently in place through the use of horizontal compression wedges, 14. Treads are fastened to the supports via countersunk lag screws, 29, plugged with wood plugs, 30.

FIG. 5 shows the appearance of a tread with the mortised joint of its support to cause its inside end to wedge abut the central column.

A typical tread, made of solid wood, is shown in FIG. 6. The standard taper is from 7" at the narrow inside end to 17" at the outer circumference. This standard tread may be used in a variety of stairs.

The only modification required to adapt a tread to a specific stair is a determination of the location of the spacerblocks, 16. These blocks attach between two adjacent treads and act as bridging. They tie the outermost section of treads together. In use they function as follows: as the leading edge of one tread is loaded, the tread attempts to pivot on the tread support forcing the trailing edge up. The spacer transfers this force to the tread above it forcing the leading edge up and the trailing edge down. This results in half of the blocks of the entire stair being in a state of compression and half in a state of tension. The forces are thus distributed throughout the entire stair system. These blocks are crucial to the function of the stair. As FIG. 7 shows, the blocks are secured in place by a piece of threaded rod, 31, that runs entirely through the two associated treads and the spacerblock. Nuts and washers, 32, 33, are welded to the rod and countersunk and plugged, using wood plugs 34.

The components are now a unit that can no longer be dissassembled.

The next step is construction of the spiral handrail, 18. Typically, permanent and inflexible forms are used to mold such handrails. Part of the subject invention is that the erected stair itself is used as the form. This eliminates the need to build large and space wasting forms, makes an infinite range of diameters possible, and assures a perfect fitting of rail to stair. The handrail is built up of numerous layers of wood strips. In the preferred embodiment, 16-20 layers of 1/8".times.2" oak strips are used. Glue is applied between layers and the package is transferred in the stair and clamped in place.

After the glue has cured the handrail is cleaned and shaped. Balusters, 17, are fitted and construction is essentially complete. Such optional features as an upper newel post, 19, lower newel post, 20, a column cap (being a wooden cover for the top of the column), 21, and a base trim collar, 22, may be added if desired.