Modular staircase kit

Abstract

A staircase kit comprises a plurality of side panels and a plurality of inner and outer reinforcing panels disposed in layered arrangement over the side panels. The side panels and inner and outer reinforcing panels have preformed holes extending axially therethrough. The side panels are disposed in stacked relation to one another to form a plurality of module joints there between. Likewise, the inner reinforcing panels are disposable in overlapping relationship to the module joints. The inner reinforcing panels form a plurality of inner panel joints that are preferably disposed in staggered relationship to the module joints. The outer reinforcing panels are disposed in overlapping relationship to the inner panel joints to form a plurality of outer panel joints that are disposed in staggered relationship to the inner panel joints. The preformed holes of the side panels are axially alignable with the preformed holes of the inner and outer reinforcing panels such that mechanical fasteners may be installed at the job site in order to assemble the staircase kit for interconnection to a building structure.

1 . A staircase kit comprising: 
 a plurality of side panels having preformed holes extending therethrough, the side panels being disposable in stacked relation to one another and forming a module joint therebetween; and    at least one inner reinforcing panel having preformed holes extending therethrough, the inner reinforcing panel being disposable in overlapping relationship to the module joint;    wherein the preformed holes of the side panels are axially alignable with the preformed holes of the inner reinforcing panel such that mechanical fasteners may be installed thereinto for interconnecting the side panels.    
   
   
       2 . The staircase kit of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a plurality of the inner reinforcing panels forming at least one inner panel joint disposed in staggered relationship to the module joint;    at least one outer reinforcing panel having preformed holes extending therethrough and being disposable in overlapping relationship to the inner panel joint;    wherein the preformed holes of the side panels are axially alignable with the preformed holes of the inner and outer reinforcing panels such that mechanical fasteners may be installed thereinto for interconnecting the side panels and inner reinforcing panels with the outer reinforcing panel.    
   
   
       3 . The staircase kit of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 a plurality of the outer reinforcing panels disposed in overlapping relationship to the inner reinforcing panels and forming a plurality of outer panel joints disposed in staggered relationship to the inner panel joints.    
   
   
       4 . The staircase kit of  claim 3  further comprising: 
 a pair of the side panels disposed in spaced relation to one another;    at least one front riser and tread ledger extending between the side panels; and    at least one tread mountable on the side panels, tread ledger and front riser.    
   
   
       5 . The staircase kit of  claim 1  wherein each of the side panels is fabricated from a plurality of laminated members.  
   
   
       6 . The curved staircase of  claim 1  wherein the side panels are arcuately shaped and having an outer convex surface and an inner concave surface and defining a radius of curvature.  
   
   
       7 . The curved staircase of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the inner reinforcing panels and outer reinforcing panels are fabricated from a plurality of laminated members.  
   
   
       8 . A tooling fixture adapted for installing preformed holes in side panels and at least one inner reinforcing panel for interconnecting the side panels of a staircase kit, the side panels being disposable in stacked arrangement, the tooling fixture comprising: 
 a plurality of arcuately-arranged outer posts disposed at an angular spacing relative to one another;    wherein the outer posts are adapted to have the side panels secured thereto during installation of the preformed holes in the side panels and inner reinforcing panel.    
   
   
       9 . The tooling fixture of  claim 8  wherein each of the side panels is fabricated from a plurality of laminated members and is arcuately shaped and having an outer convex surface and an inner concave surface and defining a radius of curvature that is complementary to the arcuate arrangement of the outer posts.  
   
   
       10 . The tooling fixture of  claim 8  wherein the staircase kit further comprises: 
 at least one of a front riser and a tread ledger extendable laterally from and interconnectable to the side panels, the front riser defining a riser height, the tread ledger defining a tread depth; and    a tread mountable on at least one of the tread ledger, the front riser and the side panels, the tread defining a tread depth;    wherein the angular spacing between the outer posts is complementary to the tread depth.    
   
   
       11 . The tooling fixture of  claim 9  further comprising: 
 a cutting device configured to be angularly moveable along a direction complementary to the radius of curvature of the side panels and axially moveable along a direction parallel to the outer posts;    wherein:    the riser height and tread depth collectively define a step cutout;    the cutting device being configured to form a step cutout in the side panels.    
   
   
       12 . The tooling fixture of  claim 11  wherein the cutting device is further configured to be move in a helical direction.  
   
   
       13 . The tooling fixture of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 a central post having the outer posts disposed in radially spaced relation thereto;    a radial arm extending radially outwardly from the central post and being axially movable therealong and rotatable thereabout; and    wherein:    the cutting device being mounted on a free end of the radial arm and being configured to form the step cutout.    
   
   
       14 . The tooling fixture of  claim 11  wherein the cutting device is a router having a router bit.  
   
   
       15 . The tooling fixture of  claim 11  wherein the router bit is configured to be guided along at least one of the outer posts during forming of the step cutout.  
   
   
       16 . A method of fabricating a staircase kit comprising the steps of: 
 providing a tooling fixture having a plurality of arcuately-arranged outer posts disposed at an angular spacing relative to one another and collectively defining a radius of curvature;    securing a plurality of vertically stacked side panels to the arcuately-arranged outer posts such that a plurality of module joints are formed between adjacently disposed side panels; and    securing a plurality of inner reinforcing panels against the side panels such that adjacent ones of the inner reinforcing panels form a plurality of inner panel joints disposed in staggered relationship to the module joints; and    extending preformed holes through the inner reinforcing panels and into the side panels.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising the steps of: 
 securing a plurality of outer reinforcing panels against the inner reinforcing panels such that adjacent ones of the outer reinforcing panels form a plurality of outer panel joints disposed in staggered relationship to the inner panel joints; and    extending the preformed holes through the outer reinforcing panel in axial alignment with the preformed holes of the side panels and inner reinforcing panels.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the steps of: 
 providing a cutting device configured to be angularly moveable along a direction complementary to the radius of curvature and axially moveable along a direction parallel to the outer posts; and    forming a plurality of step cutouts in the side panels and inner reinforcing panels by angular and axial movement of the cutting device.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the steps of: 
 mounting the cutting device on a radial arm extending from a central post located at a central of the radius of curvature, the radial arm being axially movable along and rotatable about the central post; and    forming the step cutout by angular and axial movement of the radial arm.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of front risers and tread ledgers configured to be interconnected to and extend laterally outwardly from the side panels; and    providing a plurality of treads configured to be mountable on the side panels, tread ledgers and front risers.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising the step of: 
 forming the arch segments from a plurality of laminated members.