Improvements Relating to Temporary Stairways

Abstract

Abstract A stairway assembly for temporary access in a void between floor levels of a building under construction. The stairway assembly comprises: 5 - a frame structure having side rails, and - a top support means supporting the frame structure at an edge of the void. In some embodiments the top support means comprises a pair of brackets, each said bracket comprising: - an upper generally horizontally aligned portion which includes a threaded aperture 0 towards its distal end, - respective threaded fasteners are removably threadedly engaged to protrude through the apertures, and - the protruding fasteners are hooked over a support rail. In some embodiments, extenders are clamped between handrail posts and the frame side rails 5 in order to widen the access way. 2020203221 18 May 2020 5 0 20 20 20 32 21 1 8 M ay 2 02 0 3 / 8 160 18 May 2020 134 192 178 2020203221 126 104 188 186 188 174 167 184 184 192 174 174 174 190 189 80 165 165 186 189 166 168 168 171 168 171 168 166 / 71 171 Fig 6 Fig. 7

Description

Technical Field 5 This invention concerns temporary stairways installed within a building under construction. Background Temporary stairways are sometimes installed in buildings under construction or renovation to 0 provide access between floors through a void where a permanent stairway will eventually be constructed. There is a need to provide for such situations a temporary stairway system which is easily erected and dismantled, and has modular componentry which can be erected in a wide variety of configurations and in buildings with different ceiling heights. 5 In addition to the need for structural strength and rigidity, significant complexities arises because of the need to provide for different ways of fastening the top of the temporary stairway at or adjacent the upper floor level, and to provide for various widths of stairways, while minimising the variety of stairway components which need to be provided. 0 The present invention in its various embodiments is directed to providing one or more of these needs. Summary of Invention 25 Accordingly, in one aspect the invention provides a stairway assembly providing temporary access between two levels of a building under construction, said stairway assembly extending from a lower floor to an upper floor at a location where said upper floor has a void formed therein to allow for later construction of a permanent stairway, said stairway assembly comprising: 30      - a frame structure having side rails and a plurality of stair treads each said tread spanning the distance between said side rails, and - a top support means fastened to the top end of said side rails and supporting an upper end of said frame structure at said upper floor at an edge of said void, and said top support means comprising a pair of brackets, each said bracket comprising: 2020203221   18 May 2020 - a generally vertically aligned portion which is fastened to a respective one of said side rails, and - a generally horizontally aligned portion connected to said generally vertically aligned portion and defining with said generally vertically aligned portion a corner portion of said 5          bracket, wherein: - each said generally horizontally aligned portion includes a first aperture towards its end distal from said corner, and a second aperture between said first aperture and said corner, - each said first aperture carries a thread, and 0       - respective threaded fasteners are removably threadedly engaged through said first apertures to protrude beneath said first apertures, and - said protruding fasteners are hooked over a support rail fastened to said building at said void edge. 5 Preferably each said fastener is threaded for the full length of its shaft and said full length is threaded into its respective said first aperture. Said side rails may be straight stringers of a stairway. 0 Alternatively, an elevated horizontal landing may be fastened to the upper end of a flight of stairs and said frame structure side rails include stringers of said flight plus side rails in a platform frame portion of said landing. Preferably each said bracket has its said second aperture located towards the proximal end of 25 said generally horizontally aligned portion of the bracket. Preferably said second aperture on each said bracket has a substantially smaller diameter than said first aperture. Preferably said second aperture on each said bracket is threadless. Preferably said second aperture is sized for loose fit engagement by a conventional building woodscrew. 30 Preferably on each said bracket the bore of a threaded nut permanently affixed atop a plate portion of said generally horizontally aligned portion defines most of the depth of said first aperture. 2020203221   18 May 2020 Preferably each said bracket comprises: - a side-rail connection portion bolted directly onto the respective side-rail, and - an engagement portion connected to said side rail connection portion and including said first and second apertures, 5 wherein said connection portion is releasably fastened to said engagement portion in one of a selection of height positions. In another aspect the invention provides a convertible bracket for attaching the upper end of a temporary stairway to its upper floor level in a building under construction, said bracket 0 comprising: - a first portion extending in a first plane, - a second portion extending in a second plane perpendicular to said first plane and connected to said first portion at a corner defining the proximal end of each said portion, - a first aperture through said first portion towards the distal end of said first portion, 5       - a second aperture in said first portion located between said first aperture and said corner, wherein said first aperture carries a thread. Preferably the width of said second aperture is smaller than the diameter of said first aperture. 0 Preferably a bolt is releasably threaded through said first aperture such that the bolt’s tip and shaft protrude to form, in combination with said first and second portions, a hook adapted to hook over a support rail fastened at said upper floor level. Preferably said bolt is threaded for the full length of its shaft and said full length is threaded 25 into said first aperture. In another aspect the invention provides a stairway assembly providing a temporary access-way between two levels of a building under construction, said stairway assembly extending from a lower floor to an upper floor at a location where said upper floor has a void formed therein to 30 allow for later construction of a permanent stairway, said stairway assembly including a flight of stairs comprising: - a stairway frame portion including: - a pair of stringers forming side rails of the stairway frame portion, and — a plurality of stair treads each spanning the distance between said stringers, and 2020203221   18 May 2020 - a first stair handrail on a first side of said flight of stairs, said first stair handrail supported by a plurality of first stair-handrail posts which are supported from a respective first of said side rails, wherein fastened between said first side rail and each of its associated first stair-handrail posts 5 is a respective extender whereby each said first stair-handrail post is displaced outwards from said first side rail to thereby widen the access-way beyond the width of said stairway frame portion. Optionally: 0       - a second stair handrail on the second side of said flight of stairs is supported by a plurality of second stair-handrail posts which are supported from a respective second of said side rails, and - fastened between said second side rail and each of its associated second stair-handrail posts is a respective further extender whereby each said second stair-handrail post is 5          displaced outwards from said second side rail to thereby further widen the access-way along said flight of stairs. Optionally: - said access-way also includes an elevated horizontal landing comprising a top panel and 0         a support frame including landing side rails, - a landing-handrail is supported from one of said landing side rails by a plurality of landing-handrail posts, and - fastened between said landing side rail and each of its said landing-handrail posts is a respective further extender whereby each said landing-handrail post is spaced outwards 25 from said landing side rail to thereby widen the access-way to greater than the width of said landing. Preferably each said handrail is permanently attached to its respective said handrail posts to form a planar handrail frame. 30 Preferably a first end of each said extender is shaped to key onto its said respective handrail post. Preferably each said first end includes a pair of protrusions between which nests a wall of a sleeve on said respective handrail post. Preferably said protrusions are U-shaped. 2020203221   18 May 2020 Preferably a second end of each said extender is shaped to key into its engaged said side rail. Preferably each said second end of the extender engages into a channel on said side rail. Preferably each said extender is clamped between its respective handrail post and said side rail 5 by a threaded bolt which passes through said extender and fastens said respective handrail post to said side rail. Preferably each said extender is formed from a length of metal extrusion whose cross section has a generally rectangular thin outer wall and a thin walled tubular central portion, and said 0 bolt passes along said tubular central portion. In another aspect the invention provides a method of constructing a stairway assembly in order to provide a temporary access-way between two levels of a building under construction, said method comprising attaching a handrail frame to a stairway frame portion, wherein said 5 stairway frame portion comprises: - a pair of stringers forming side rails of the stairway frame portion, and - a plurality of stair treads each spanning the distance between said stringers, and - said handrail frame comprises a handrail permanently attached to handrail posts, said method also including affixing each said handrail post by a respective threaded fastener to 0 a said side rail by way of: - positioning a respective extender between each said handrail post and a said stairway frame portion, - passing a respective threaded fastener through each said handrail post, said extender and said side rail, and 25      - tightening each said fastener to thereby clamp its respective extender between said supporting post and said side rail, thereby constructing the access-way at said stairway frame portion to be wider than said stairway frame portion. 30 Said method may also comprise: - affixing to said stairway frame portion a landing comprising a top panel with an underlying support frame including landing side rails, - supporting a landing-handrail from one of said landing side rails by a plurality of landinghandrail posts, and 2020203221   18 May 2020 - affixing each said landing-handrail post to a said landing side rail by way of: - positioning a further extender between each said landing-handrail post and said landing side rail, - passing a further threaded fastener through each said landing-handrail post, said further 5            extender and said landing side rail, and - tightening said further threaded fastener to thereby clamp said further extender between said landing-handrail post and said landing side rail, thereby constructing the access-way at said landing to be wider than the width of said landing. 0 Preferably a wall of a sleeve on each said platform handrail post is keyed into a first end of its respective further extender. Preferably a pair of U-shaped protrusions on said first end of each extender embraces said sleeve wall. Preferably a second end of each said extender is keyed into its engaged said side rail. 5 Preferably each said second end engages into a channel on said side rail. Preferably each said extender is formed from a length of metal extrusion which has a generally rectangular thin outer wall and a thin walled tubular central portion, and its respective said 0 fastener is positioned to extend along said tubular central portion. Brief Description of Drawings In order that the invention may be more fully understood there will now be described, by way 25 of example only, preferred embodiments and other elements of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stairway assembly according to the prior art; Figure 2 is a detail enlargement showing the portion of Figure 1 within the rectangle A; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a stairway assembly according to a first embodiment of 30 the present invention the top end of which is supported in a first manner; Figure 4 is a cross section view of a stringer in the stairway assembly shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a detail enlargement showing the portion of Figure 3 at the top of the stairway assembly; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a connector assembly shown in Figure 5; 2020203221   18 May 2020 Figure 7 is a side view of the connector assembly shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a variation of the stairway assembly shown in Figure 3 which has been modified according to a second embodiment of the invention so its top end is modified to be supported in a second manner; 5 Figure 9 is a detail enlargement showing the portion of Figure 8 at the top of its stairway assembly; Figure 10 is a perspective view of portion of a stairway assembly according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 is an enlargement of portion of Figure 10; 0 Figure 12 is a perspective view of a spacer component of the stair assembly shown in Figure 10; Figure 13 is a side view of the spacer shown in Figure 12; and Figure 14 is an end view of the spacer shown in Figure 12. 5 With respect to drawings of the different embodiments of the invention, features which have equivalent function in each embodiment are identified by numerals which are one or more hundreds different from the numerals identifying equivalent features in the other embodiments. Description of Embodiments 0 Figures 1 and 2 show portions of a prior art stairway assembly 1 installed to provide temporary access between two levels, namely a lower floor 2 and an upper floor (not shown) in a building under construction. The stairway assembly 1 is constructed at a void which is an area where the flooring in the upper floor 3 is omitted because a permanent stairway will eventually be 25 installed there. The stairway assembly 1 has an upper flight of stairs 47 extending down from a high landing 72, the top surface of which is level with the upper floor 3, and a lower flight of stairs 48 extending upwards from the lower floor 2. 30 The lower flight 48 comprises a stairway frame portion 44 comprising a pair of stringers 22 and three treads 23 extending between the stringers and welded to the stringers at respective ends of each tread. The upper flight 47 comprises a stairway frame portion 43 and a pair of handrail frames 69, 70. The stairway frame portion 43 comprises a pair of stringers 12 and nine treads 2020203221   18 May 2020 23 extending between the stringers 12 and welded to the stringers at respective ends of each tread. Each flight leads to its own respective square intermediate landing 49 and 50. Each landing 5 comprises a square top panel 30, constructed of rectangular panel segments, plus an underlying landing frame structure of side rails 31. The lower end of the upper flight 47 is securely attached to the upper intermediate landing 49 while the upper end of the lower flight 48 is securely attached to the lower intermediate landing 0    50. The landings 49 and 50 are at different heights above the lower floor. Their height difference is not necessarily the same as the rise between the treads in the stair flights. However this is allowable because the landings are sufficiently large in area for the step up / down between them 5 to not be considered as a tread on the stairway. The two flights 47 and 48 extend at right angles to each other, so the stairway assembly 1 has a right angle turn at the upper intermediate landing 49. The stair flights 47 and 48 share many common features. Their stringers and treads share the 0 same respective cross sections and the treads are all the same distance apart. Each tread 23 is formed of aluminium plate and has an upper main face 21 which carries raised ribs 27 to provide anti-slip characteristics. The stringers 12, 22 are straight lengths of an aluminium extrusion approximately 100mm deep 25 and 35mm wide, whose cross section is generally a wide rectangular channel. In use the section is aligned upright so its height is greater than its width. But the cross section deviates from a pure channel as each flange portion 6 has low ribs 9 about 3mm high extending outwards sideways from each side edge. A very shallow channel 7 is accordingly present on the outside face of each stringer, the channel 7 having the web 5 as its base and two of the ribs 9 as its 30 sides. Each flight 47, 48 carries a pair of holes 25 at the upper end 26 of each stringer and a pair of holes 28 at the lower end 29 of each stringer. The holes 25 and 28 are utilized in order to fasten the ends of the stringers to desired components by way of utility brackets 32. A utility bracket 2020203221   18 May 2020 32 is fastened by bolting to the top and bottom of each stringer. In the case of the upper flight 47, the brackets 32 are used to attach the stringers 12 to the landings 49 and 72. In the case of the lower flight 48, the brackets are used to attach the stringers 22 to the landing 50 and also act as feet supporting the stringers 22 from the lower floor 2. In Figure 1, only one utility 5 bracket foot 32 is shown in order to illustrate how the other one is attached to the stringer 22. Stair handrail frames 69, 70 are provided on respective opposite sides of the upper flight 47. The configurations of the handrail frames 69, 70 are different. However, each handrail frame 69, 70 comprises an upper rail, an intermediate rail and support posts all welded together in a 0 flat structure. The short stair handrail frame 70 includes a handrail 13, an intermediate rail 14 and a pair of stair-handrail posts 15, 16. The handrail frame 70 on the left hand side when ascending the stairs has its upper end a little below the level of the upper floor 103. This allows for a hinged cover (not shown) to be lowered over the upper flight 47 if desired. 5 Each of the posts 15, 16 is fastened separately to its respective stringer 12 in the same way, namely by a single threaded bolt 8. To illustrate this, the bottom of post 16 is shown in Figure 2. The post 16 comprises a body portion 17 of square hollow section metal which extends for the full height of the post. Over the body portion 17 has been welded a close-fitting square hollow section metal sleeve 18 near the bottom of the post 15. As seen in Figure 2, the length 0 of the sleeve 18 is such that it forms a loose fit between the ribs 9 when fitted into the shallow channel 7 on the side of the stringer. The bolt 8 passes horizontally through a hole 20 drilled through the sleeve 18, and through one of a series of holes 10 aligned in the stringer web 5 and is tightened to fasten the post 15 to the stringer. The wall thickness of the sleeve 18 is such that the body portion 17 of the post makes light contact with the flanges 6 when the post 15 is bolted 25 to the stringer. The bottoms of additional handrail support posts 15 also carry like sleeves 18 and through-holes 20. Two small handrail frames 79 are attached to each of the square intermediate landings 49, 50. On the upper landing 49 they are mounted at right angles on adjacent sides of the landing. On 30 the lower landing 50 its two small handrail frames 79 are attached parallel to each other on opposite sides of their landing. The attachment of the small handrail frames 79 to the side frame portions 31 of their respective landings has the same configuration as described above for attachment of the stair handrail posts to the stringers. 2020203221   18 May 2020 The lower flight of stairs 48 is shorter than the upper flight 47 and does not have a handrail on either side. Such handrails are not required as the lower flight 48 extends from the floor, it has only three treads 23, and handrail frames 79 provided at the lower intermediate landing 50 are readily reached. 5 The upper intermediate landing 49 is supported from the lower floor 2 by a support frame 75 and the lower intermediate landing 50 is supported from the lower floor by a support frame 76. Both support frames have the same two-legged construction although they are adjusted to different heights by their telescoping legs. A single support frame 75 is used for each landing. 0 The stairway assembly 101 shown in Figure 3 shares many components in common with the stairway assembly 1 described above with reference to Figure 1. There is a long upper flight of stairs 147 extending down from an upper floor 103, and a shorter lower flight 148 extending upwards from the lower floor 102. Stair handrail frames 169, 170 are provided on respective 5 sides of the upper flight 147. Each flight 147,148 is directly attached to its own respective intermediate landing 149 and 150. However, unlike the stairway assembly in Figure 1: - the stairway assembly 101 in Figure 3 wraps around a wall 182, so the upper flight 147 0 and lower flight 148 are aligned at 180° to each other with the wall 182 between them; - the landings 149 and 150 are at the same height above the lower floor; - the stairway assembly 101 does not have a high landing at the top of its upper flight 147; - the lower flight 148 additionally has a handrail frame 172 provided on one side; - the handrail posts 163 in the frame 172 are vertical and therefore not orthogonal to their 25 handrail 119 and stringers 122; - the manner by which the top of the upper flight 147 is fastened at the upper floor 103 is different; and - the handrails on stairway assembly 101 are attached to the stringers differently to those in Figure 1 in order to widen the access way along the stairway. 30 The stringers 112, 122 are straight lengths of an aluminium extrusion approximately 100mm deep and 35mm wide whose cross section, as shown in Figure 4, is generally a wide rectangular channel having a pair of flanges 106 and an interconnecting web 105. In use the section is aligned upright with the web 105 in a vertical plane, so the section’s height is greater than its 2020203221   18 May 2020 width. But the cross section deviates from a pure channel as it has outwardly extending thickenings at its corners which form low ribs 109 about 3mm high rising from the edges of the web 105 and low ribs 124 about 2mm high rising from the edges of the flanges 106. The ribs 109 have the effect of slightly widening the flanges 106 while the ribs 124 have the effect of 5 slightly extending the web 105. A very shallow channel 107 is accordingly present on the outside face of each stringer, the channel having the web 105 as its base and two of the ribs 109 as its sides. A stringer’s cross section could also be considered to have the form of a highly asymmetric I-section which has its web 105 extremely off-centre (such that the web forms the outside wall of the stringer) and its flanges 106 extend only a small distance outwards beyond 0 the web so as to form the ribs 109. The upper end of the lower flight 148 is securely attached to the lower flight’s intermediate landing portion 150, which is square, and the lower end of the upper flight 147 is securely attached to the upper flight’s intermediate landing portion 149 which is square. A shorter, 5 rectangular landing infill portion 185, spanning the end of the wall 182, is bolted to and between both landing portions 149 and 150 so that all three landing portions 149, 150 and 185 together form a combined intermediate landing 151. All three landing portions 149, 150 and 185 are horizontal and elevated above the lower floor 102. 0 Each landing portion 149, 150, and 185 comprises a top panel 130, formed of panel segments, fastened to an underlying frame of side rails 131. The side rails 131 on the square landings 149, 150 extend around only three of the four sides of the landing. The underlying frame thus has a gap at the fourth side. Utility brackets 132 are used to fasten the stringers to respective landings. At each such connection a bracket 132 is bolted to the web of the stringer. The 25 brackets on the lower end of the stringers 112 in the upper flight 147 pass through the frame’s gap on the underside of the upper intermediate landing 149 to where they are bolted to the web portions of the adjacent side rails 131 of the upper intermediate landing 149. Similarly, the brackets 132 on the upper end of the stringers 122 in the lower flight 148 pass through the corresponding gap in the frame on the underside of the lower intermediate landing 150 to where 30 they are bolted to the web portions of the adjacent side rails 131 of the lower intermediate landing 150. In this way the utility brackets 132 are used to bolt the stair flights 147, 148 to the landings 149, 150. 2020203221   18 May 2020 Where the landing portions 149, 150, 185 abut each other, their respective side rails are bolted together face to face. The landing portions 149, 150 and 185 are each supported from the lower floor 102 by their 5 own respective support frames 175, 176 and 177. In this specification the term “frame structure side rails” is intended to include stringers plus side rails in a platform or landing. 0 Handrail frames 169 and 170 are provided on respective sides of the upper flight 156. The handrail configuration on each side is different. On the right hand side when going up, the handrail frame 169 extends upwards past the level of the upper floor 103 so that handrail support is available to a user of the stairs when they are on the top step of the upper flight 147 and when standing at the upper floor level 103. The handrail frame 170 on the left hand side when 5 ascending the stairs has its upper end a little below the level of the upper floor 103. The long handrail frames 169 and 170 on the upper flight 147 are planar fabrications made from square hollow section tubing. The long handrail frame 169 comprises a pair of support posts 115, a top rail 133 and an intermediate rail 134 both welded to the support posts 115, plus a pair 0 of terminal posts 135. Each terminal post is welded to a respective end of each of the top rail 133 and the intermediate rail 134. When describing handrail fabrications in this specification, the term “planar” is intended to mean “not curved” and having a thickness of only one layer of the constituent tubing. 25 The terminal posts 135 are not directly attached to the stringers 112. Each terminal post 135 is vertical and is also vertically aligned with the respective end of their underlying stringer. The terminal posts 135 are therefore aligned at an angle to the support posts 115 which is equal to the angle of the stringers 112 from the vertical. 30 The long handrail frame 170 is also a planar fabrication made from square hollow section tubing. But it differs from the long handrail frame 169 in that the upper portion of the frame 170 is truncated. Although its support posts are different heights and are spaced closer together, those support posts are again aligned perpendicular to the stringer 112 to which they are bolted. The frame 170 also differs in having a terminal post 111 at only its lower end. The support 2020203221   18 May 2020 posts of long handrail frame 170 are bolted to the respective stringer using fasteners 108 in the same manner as done for frame 169. Two small handrail frames 179 are attached to the side rails 131 of the square upper 5 intermediate landing portion 149. The frames 179 are mounted at right angles to each other on adjacent sides of their landing portion 149. Another two small handrail frames 179 are attached to the side rails 131 of the lower intermediate landing portion 150 where they are mounted at right angles on adjacent sides of their landing portion. 0 The small handrail frames 179 are all the same and are planar fabrications welded from square hollow section tubing. Each small handrail frame 179 comprises top rail 194 and an intermediate rail 195, both welded at right angles to their respective vertical support posts 193, plus a pair of terminal posts 196. 5 A pair of narrow handrail frames 173 are fastened, parallel to each other, to opposite side rails of the landing infill portion 185. These narrow handrail frames 173 are the same as small frames 179 except their top rail and intermediate rail are shorter. The upper flight 147 comprises an upper stairway frame structure 180 which comprises a pair 0 of stringers 112, which form side rails for the frame structure 180, and nine stair treads 123 spanning the distance between, and welded to, the side rails 112. However the upper end of the frame structure of the stairway assembly is attached at the upper floor 103 by a different means to that known previously. This will now be described with 25 particular reference to Figures 8 to 10. Adjacent the front edge 160 of the void 104 a void pole forms a support rail 161 which spans the width of the gap forming that portion of the void 104. The support rail 161 is steplessly and lockably telescopic, and is formed from lengths of square hollow section steel. The support rail 30    161 is fastened parallel to, and close to, the front edge 160 of the void. The support rail 161 may be fastened by any suitable means from the walls of the; void. In Figures 3 and 5 its ends are supported from respective end support rails 178 which are securely fastened to strong parts of the void’s side walls 162. 2020203221   18 May 2020 The top of the upper flight 147 is retained on the support rail 161 by means of a pair of multi-piece supporting brackets 165 which are securely fastened to the upper flight 149 by bolting to respective upper ends 126 of the stringers 112. The supporting brackets 165 provide a top support means for supporting the top end of the side rails (stringers) 112 at the upper floor 5    103 at the front edge 160 of the void 104. Each side rail stringer 112 has a bracket 165 rigidly fastened to it. Each supporting bracket 165 is an assembly comprising a vertically aligned flat plate lower portion 166, a fabricated L-shaped upper portion 167, a downwardly pointing threaded fastener 0   186 and additional threaded fasteners 168 fastening the lower and upper portions 166, 167 together. The L-shaped upper portion 167 has a generally horizontally extending arm portion 188 and a vertically extending portion 189 which together define a comer 174 where they meet. The fastener 186 is a hex-head bolt (which may also be referred to as a screw) threaded for the full length of its shaft 184. The fasteners 168 are shorter bolts with nuts tightened thereon to 5 clamp the portions 167 and 168 together. The fastener 186 may less preferably be a pointy tipped screw. The screw 186 is engaged with an aperture, more particularly a threaded hole 190, in the upper portion 167. The aperture 190 carries a thread, and in this embodiment the thread is provided 0 by a threaded nut 191 permanently affixed by welding onto the top surface of the sheet metal which forms the horizontal arm portion 188. Accordingly, the threaded bore of the nut 191 defines most of the depth of the aperture 190, the remainder of the depth being the thickness of the sheet metal, which is unthreaded, forming the main body of the arm portion 188. Additional holes 174 in the upper and lower portions 166 and 167 allow the height of each hook assembly 25 to be adjusted as required by fastening the threaded fasteners 168 through different sets of holes. A further hole 187 in the horizontal arm portion 188, and located between the hole 190 and the corner 174 is an additional aperture. It carries no thread. The diameter of the threadless hole 187 is substantially less than the diameter of the threaded aperture 190. The threaded aperture 30    190 is distal relative to the corner 174 while the unthreaded aperture 187 is proximal. In use the lower portion 166 of each bracket 165 is fastened within the main channel of its respective stringer 122 by additional threaded fasteners 171. The lower portion 166 therefore 2020203221   18 May 2020 functions as a side rail connection portion while the upper portion 167 functions as an engagement portion for engaging the support rail 161. With the screw 186 threaded fully into its hole 190 for the full length of its shaft, its tip and 5 downwardly projecting shaft 184 protrude from the underside of the upper portion 167 of the bracket 165 (ie. from beneath the aperture 190) to form, in combination with the L-shaped upper portion 167, a hook 192 which prevents the bracket from coming off the support rail 161. The square section support rail 161 nests into both hooks 192 in a loose sliding fit. 0 A major advantage of the hook of this configuration is that the screw 186 may be easily removed, by unscrewing it completely, from the upper portion 167 of the bracket 165. In this way the hook assembly may be converted into an L-shaped bracket for use in an alternative fastening arrangement. 5 Figures 8 and 9 show the alternative fastening arrangement available when the top of the stairway may be fastened to the surface of the upper floor. This arrangement is usually simpler to install but is often not feasible. The stairway assembly 201 shown in Figure 8 is the same as the stairway assembly 101 in Figure 3 except for the manner in which its top is fastened to the edge of the void. By removing the screw 186 and using a builder’s woodscrew 197 through the 0 aperture / hole 187, the upper portion 167 of each bracket 165 is screwed directly to the surface of the upper floor 103 without any significant upward protrusion which could form a tripping hazard. By simply adding and removing the screw 186 as necessary, the same bracket can therefore be used where it can or cannot be screwed to the floor 103. The bracket is therefore convertible between different uses. 5 The embodiment shown in Figure 10 has the screws 186 screwed fully into place, so the brackets 165 are configured as hooks 192. The support rail, which the hooks would engage, is omitted from the drawing so the bolts 186 are more visible. 30 The invention in its broadest sense envisages that the apertures are not necessarily circular. The aperture 187 in particular may be slotted and / or extend to the edge of its bracket. We turn now to the manner in which the handrail frames are attached to the other components in their stairway assemblies. A prior art attachment system is discussed above with particular 2020203221   18 May 2020 reference to Figure 2. However, the embodiments of the present invention shown in Figures 3, 8 and 10 use a different arrangement. In relation to the handrail frames 169, 170, 172, 173 and 179, the lower end of each support 5 post 115, 163 and 193 is reinforced by a close-fitting square hollow section metal sleeve 118 welded around its lower end near the bottom of the post. The sleeves 118 are sized and located generally the same as the sleeves 18 described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2. But, as described below, the manner in which the handrail support posts are fastened to the side rails 112 of the stair flights, and to the side rails 131 of the landings, is different to the manner 0 described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Fastened between each handrail post 115 and its respective stringer, and between each handrail post 193 and its respective side rail 131, is an extender 152 whereby the handrail post is displaced outwards from the side rail. This serves to widen the access-way provided to a user 5 to beyond the width of the respective stairway frame portion or landing. The configuration of the extender 152 is shown in detail in Figures 12 to 14 and its use is clearly seen in Figure 11. Each extender is formed from an aluminium extrusion of constant crosssection which is cut to an appropriate length and then has its cut ends machined to form tongues 0 and protrusions as described below. The cross-section of each extender 152 has a rectangular thin outer wall 164. It has opposite wide faces 153 approximately 100mm wide and opposite narrow faces 154 approximately 35mm wide. A thin-walled circular tubular central portion 155 forms a core tube in the 25 extender. The core tube 155 is joined to, and supported from, the centres of the wide faces 153 by two respective web portions 156. When, during construction of the stairway assembly, a handrail post 115, 163 or 193 is bolted to a side rail, the extender 152 is clamped between the respective post and side rail by way of 30 tightening the fastening bolt 108 which passes through a hole 120 through the sleeve 118, then through the core tube portion 155 of the extender, and then through the web of the side rail before a nut is threaded and tightened onto the bolt. In this way the handrail frame is displaced outwards from the side rail. The core tube 155 is centrally positioned so that the extender can be used with either of its narrow faces 154 up. 2020203221   18 May 2020 At a first end 145 of the extender 152, the core tube 155 and webs 156, and the central portion of the wide faces 153 are all machined down in order to leave a pair of U-shaped protrusions 158 extending about 3mm axially at the first end 145. Each protrusion 158 includes the end of 5 the respective narrow face 154 plus a short portion of each wide face 153. The protrusions 158 define between them a long shallow recess 159 at the first end 145 of the extender. The protrusions 158 are sized and spaced such that a wall 143 of a sleeve 118 at the bottom of a handrail post nests neatly lengthwise into the recess 159. With the wall 143 so nested, the U-shaped protrusions 158 engage the ends of the sleeve such that the extender and handrail post 0 cannot rotate relative to each other around the axis defined by the central tube 155. The first end 145 thus keys onto its respective handrail post, and more particularly onto the sleeve 118. The protrusions 158 embrace a wall 143 of the sleeve 118. The protrusions have a U-shaped cross section which provides a greater resistance to distortion under load compared with an alternative planar cross section. 5 At the second end 146 of the extender 152, the narrow faces 154 are machined down, together with an adjacent small part of the wide faces 153, to form a pair of shoulders 157 on the second end. The core tube 155, the webs 155 and most of each wide face 153 stand proud. The second end 146 of the extender shaped in this way exhibits a loose sliding fit into the shallow channel 0   107 on the stringers 122 and side rails 131. The second end 146 thus keys into the channel 107 of the side rail. The heights of all the side rails, namely the stringers 112 and 122 and the landing side rails 131 are the same for all the landings and the stair flights. But, as can be seen in Figure 3, while the 25 handrail support posts 115 and 193 on the upper flight 147 and on the landings are perpendicular to the respective side rails to which they are bolted, the support posts 163 on the handrail frame for the lower flight 148 are acutely angled to the respective side rail. The height and width of the extender 152 is therefore made so that it slides into the recess 159 neatly in both the orthogonal and angled situations. In the orthogonal orientation, such as at the landings, the ribs 30    109 lay along the entirety of the shoulders 157. In the angled orientation, such as on the lower flight 148, the ribs 109 engage with the shoulders 157 on only a pair of diagonally opposite corners of the second end 146. 2020203221   18 May 2020 When a handrail frame is bolted to a side rail, the rigidity of the attachment is enhanced because of the nesting of the sleeve 118 into the first end 145 of the extender and the nesting of the second end 146 of the extender into the channel 107 of the side rail. 5 In Figures 3,8,10 and 11, extenders 152 are used for the handrails on both sides of both flights of stairs and all the landings. However in very narrow spaces in a building a handrail frame can be bolted directly onto the side rails in the stairway assembly to provide a narrow set of stairs 600mm wide. In wider spaces extenders can be incorporated on one side, so spacing the handrail out 75mm, or on both sides, so widening the access way by a total of 150mm to create 0 a stairway assembly with an access way 750mm wide. A wider access way provides a much easier movement for workers, particularly when wearing toolbelts or carrying items up and down the stairs. The extenders allow a range of stairway widths to be provided while using a relatively small range of components, particularly the bulky items. 5 On the landing handrail frames 173, 179, a terminal post 196 is welded to a respective end of each of the top rail 194, and to the intermediate rail 195, and is aligned vertically. The terminal posts 196 are therefore aligned parallel to the support posts 193 and at right angles to the landings. The terminal posts 196 are not attached directly to the landings. 0 At one corner of each of the intermediate landings 149,150 and where the infill landing is fitted, terminal posts 196 of adjacent handrail frames abut each other. The abutting terminal posts are all vertical and parallel. Similarly, where the upper intermediate landing 149 is joined to the upper flight of stairs 147, terminal posts 196 of the small handrail frames 179 abut, side by side, the lower terminal posts 135 of the handrail frames 169 and 170. Similarly, where the landing 25    150 is joined to the top of the lower flight of stairs 148, a terminal post 196 of a small handrail frame 179 abuts, side by side, a terminal post 135 of a handrail frame on the lower flight 148. Where the various handrail terminal posts abut, they are clamped to each other with clamps 140 to stiffen the whole stairway assembly 101. Suitable clamps may be readily selected and used by a person skilled in the art. 30 While the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and / or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention. 2020203221   18 May 2020 It will be also understood that where the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as 5 excluding the presence of other feature or features. The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. 0

Claims

1. A stairway assembly providing temporary access between two levels of a building under construction, said stairway assembly extending from a lower floor to an upper floor at a location where said upper floor has a void formed therein to allow for later construction of a permanent stairway, said stairway assembly comprising:a frame structure having side rails and a plurality of stair treads, each said stair tread spanning the distance between said side rails, anda top support means fastened to upper ends of said side rails and supporting an upper end of said frame structure at said upper floor at an edge of said void, andsaid top support means comprising a pair of brackets, each said bracket comprising:a generally vertically aligned portion which is fastened to a respective one of said side rails, anda generally horizontally aligned portion connected to said generally vertically aligned portion and defining with said generally vertically aligned portion a corner portion of said bracket, wherein:each said generally horizontally aligned portion includes a first aperture towards an end thereof distal from said corner portion, and a second aperture between said first aperture and said corner portion,each said first aperture carries a thread, andrespective threaded fasteners are removably threadedly engaged through said first apertures to protrude beneath said first apertures, andsaid threaded fasteners are adapted to be hooked over a support rail fastened to said building at said edge of said void.

2. A stairway assembly according to claim 1 wherein each said threaded fastener is threaded for the full length of a shaft thereof and said full length is threadedly engageable through the respective said first aperture.

3. A stairway assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said side rails are straight stringers of said stairway assembly.

4. A stairway assembly according to claim 1 or 2 wherein an elevated horizontal landing is fastened to the upper end of a flight of stairs and said frame structure side rails include stringers of said flight and landing side rails of a platform frame portion of said landing.2020203221   28 Sep 20265. A stairway assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein each said bracket has its said second aperture located towards an end of said generally horizontally aligned portion of said bracket proximal said corner portion.

6. A stairway assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said second aperture on each said bracket has a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than the respective said first aperture.

7. A stairway assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said second aperture on each said bracket is threadless.

8. A stairway assembly according to claim 6 or 7 wherein each said second aperture is sized for loose-fit engagement by a screw fastener.

9. A stairway assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein, on each said bracket, a bore of a threaded nut permanently affixed atop a plate portion of said generally horizontally aligned portion defines most of the depth of said first aperture.

10. A stairway assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein:said generally vertically aligned portion functions as a side rail connection portion bolted directly onto the respective one of said side rails, andsaid generally horizontally aligned portion functions as an engagement portion connected to said side rail connection portion and includes said first and second apertures, wherein said side rail connection portion is releasably fastened to said engagement portion in one of a plurality of height positions.

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