Covering and stair access for openings in ceilings,roofs and similar wall structures

Claim 2

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprisng a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof openings, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotable upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to thE top of the ceiling or a roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, said stairs being made of a metal material particularly aluminum, and including side walls of U-shaped construction, having a supporting bolt extending through the bottom and a bottom panel secured to said bolt.

Claim 3

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to an supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, said top covering comprising a window which may be pivoted upwardly and downwardly and which is pivotally connected to one side of said frame so that it may be swung upwardly about an axis perpendicular to said stair pivot axis to provide access through said frame.

Claim 4

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to an supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, said top covering comprising a window which may be pivoted upwardly and downwardly and which is pivotally connected to one side of said frame so that it may be swung upwardly about an axis perpendicular to said stair pivot axis to provide access through said frame.

Claim 5

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, wherein said top covering comprises a skylight cupola, said cupola being pivoted to one side of said frame, and lever means connected to said cupola to raise and lower said cupola, said lever means comprising a rotatable pivot adapted to be operated from ground level, a first lever arm carried on said pivot and being rotatable therewith, a second lever arm connected to the outer end of said first lever arm and connected to said cupola, said first lever arm being movable beyond the center of rotation of said pin and said second lever arm extending upwardly fRom said first lever arm in engagement with said cupola when in a locked closed position, said first lever arm being rotatable to an uppermost position beyond dead center extending upwardly and said second lever arm extending upwardly from said first lever arm to said cupola in a fully opened and locked position.

Claim 6

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, wherein said top covering comprises a skylight cupola, said cupola being pivoted to one side of said frame, and lever means connected to said cupola to raise and lower said cupola, said lever means comprising a rotatable pivot adapted to be operated from ground level, a first lever arm carried on said pivot and being rotatable therewith, a second lever arm connected to the outer end of said first lever arm and connected to said cupola, said first lever arm being movable beyond the center of rotation of said pin and said second lever arm extending upwardly fRom said first lever arm in engagement with said cupola when in a locked closed position, said first lever arm being rotatable to an uppermost position beyond dead center extending upwardly and said second lever arm extending upwardly from said first lever arm to said cupola in a fully opened and locked position.

Claim 7

A covering, according to claim 3, wherein said lever mechanism includes a rotatable pulleymember adapted to be engaged by a rope from below and a lever member articulated to the periphery of said pulley member and extending upwardly and being connected to said cupola.

Claim 8

A covering, according to claim 4, including a stop arranged above and below said pivot at a location to engage said first lever arm when in a raised fully opened position and when in a closed locked position.

Claim 9

A covering, according to claim 3, wherein said bolt may be fixed in any particular rotatable position, means for fixing said bolt in a rotatable position comprising a hand wheel forming the axis of said bolt.

Claim 10

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the openings and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, a lever linkage pivotally connected to said frame and to said stair and including setting member (54) arranged in said frame and bearing against said lever linkage, and positioning one lever of said linkage at a predetermined angular orientation for fixing the angular inclination of said stair when in an opened position.

Claim 11

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the openings and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, a lever linkage pivotally connected to said frame and to said stair and including setting member (54) arranged in said frame and bearing against said lever linkage, and positioning one lever of said linkage at a predetermined angular orientation for fixing the angular inclination of said stair when in an opened position.

Claim 12

A covering, according to claim 7, wherein said lever linkage includes a first lever arm pivoted at its inner end to said frame and having an outer end connected to a second lever arm, said second lever arm extending downwardly to said stairs, said means for fixing the angle of inclination of said lever linkage including a member bearing against said first lever arm.

Claim 13

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs arE in a retracted folded position, said top cover panel being transparent and wherein said foldable stairs include individual sections with steps, the steps of adjacent sections being aligned vertically so as to define a maximum light passage space therebetween, the axis of pivot of said foldable stairs being substantially transverse to the axis of pivot of said top cover panel.

Claim 14

A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs arE in a retracted folded position, said top cover panel being transparent and wherein said foldable stairs include individual sections with steps, the steps of adjacent sections being aligned vertically so as to define a maximum light passage space therebetween, the axis of pivot of said foldable stairs being substantially transverse to the axis of pivot of said top cover panel.