Moving treads!

[NickAmatt]

Hey fellow Blue-Roomers!

 

One of the drama teachers at the school I work at has seen some moving tread stairs that have a lock feature when they have the weight of a person on top of them.

 

I've never seen them or heard of them, can anyone shed any light on them?

 

Thanks you lot,

 

Nick

[Dmills]

I have seen "aircraft steps" (Sometimes also "Aircraft ladder") with that feature, very handy iff you have the space (Including the storage space) and if they are the correct height (Possibly an issue in a school context).

 

Also look at "Warehouse steps" for some other takes on the same basic idea.

 

Regards, Dan.

[lite_lad]

I suppose its the same concept as those shop stools which have sprung wheels, enough to get the weight of the steps off the floor but as soon as a persons weight is on it the wheels retract and the outside is taking the weight meaning it cant move.

 

Youd probabyl be able to build some yourself quite easily if you could find/make the sprung wheels...

[paulears]

I'd be wary in a school, because these things move, before locking - so somebody leaping onto the treads would see them move away before their weight braked them. Sideways stepping is pretty common in dance routines. Imagine sunday night at the london palladium when they step off the deck onto the steps, and each step gradually moves it further away as brakes go on and off.

 

Do these actually exist for heavy objects like treads? You'd need say a device that drops at 20Kg, and not below, but drops quickly with just a few kilos over this - the library steps used in shops are ultra light steps, that even a tip-toe will drop. Why don't you just use fixed treads with the spring loaded, lever operated casters that retract when you prod the lever?

 

There are quite a few of the spring loaded devices available

here

http://baileyladders.com.au/images/products/order-picking-ladders/rop_orderpicking_main_5.jpg

 

We did something similar here from 2011

[kerry davies]

If you could be more specific or attach a pic it would help.

 

If they mean These beasts for WaH access then fair enough. If they mean treads as we use the word for steps and stairways as part of a set then it is a no-no in my book.