Telescoping stairway

Claim 1

A compact and rugged telescoping stairway comprising in combination: a. A first, elongate bottom stairway section comprising a pair of substantially parallel, spaced apart U-shaped channel members with their open sides facing each other and having a plurality of treads in fixed relationship between said channel members, b. a second sectioN mounted above said first section, said second section including a pair of spaced apart, substantially parallel U-shaped channel members of slightly larger size than the channel members of the first section, whereby the channel members of the first section can telescope within the second section, c. the channel members of the second section each consisting of a center web section with front and rear flanges attached thereto, d. a plurality of tread members mounted between said second channel members, the ends of said tread members extending between said flanges, pivot means on each of said tread members pivoting said tread member at a point adjacent the front flanges and the rear of the tread member being free, whereby each of said tread members can lie in a first position parallel to and closely adjacent to the front flanges and can rotate to a second position wherein the tread member rests directly at an end portion thereof on the rear flanges and is directly supported thereby, whereby, e. said first section can telescope into said second section pushing the tread members of the second section from the second position wherein the rear surfaces of the tread members are supported directly by the rear flanges to the first position wherein the tread members lie parallel to the front flanges.