The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 18, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 05, 1997
John M Howard, East Alton, IL (US);
Other;
Abstract
A lightweight, highly portable, yet strong, fiberglass step unit is presented. The fiberglass step unit is tapered to allow removal of the unit from the mold during the two-step manufacturing process. All of the corners and edges of the fiberglass unit are rounded, thus providing strengthening radii at critical points of the construction of the unit. In addition to the strength of the fiberglass, strengthening braces are placed inside the unit and are sealed to the main portion of the unit with an additional application of fiberglass. These strengthening braces provide additional radii which synergistically add to the strength and reliability of the step. A heating coil may also be fabricated within the fiberglass step thickness itself thus providing a highly portable, lightweight, unitary step which may be electrified to prevent the accumulation of snow or ice on the step.