HE BESSIE OUABU STAIRWAY CO. (II '4 IET THE BESSLER SOLVE YOUR , STAIRWAY A* PROBLEM By using the “BESSLER" you will add $500.00 to $1,000.00 to the value of your home. Write "BESSLER” and he will tell you how this can be done. BESSLER” can be put out of the way almost as quickly as the closing of a door, then you have a stair¬ way and yet you have no stairway so far as using space is concerned. Saving Floor Space r|! HAT’S the mission of the Bessler Movable Stairway. To do away with stationary—space devour¬ ing—stairways in bungalows, two-story houses, balconies and mezzanine floors—the latter in banks, theatres, hotels, stores, etc. To utilize the space above a garage as a work¬ room and storeroom. Bv specifying the Bessler Movable Stairway in bungalows you effect entrance to the upper half-story without using up a single square foot of space in the room below. In two-and-a-half story houses it is no longer necessary to build a box stairway to the attic— install a Bessler Movable Stairway and add the space saved onto a room—use it for a clothes closet or scores of other useful purposes. Save space—and save money, too. Our stair¬ way eliminates altogether the expense incidental to a box stairway, such as partitioning, lathing and plastering. And in stairways of the open type the saving is equal in proportion. And, as has been proven, you not only save all this expense, but by saving space—utilizing every square foot—you add from five hundred to one thousand dollars onto any house. That we have proven. vdk ’/ 1 ' 7 Z2^7XOCZZZ2ZZ2 Three z This photograph shows how our stairway is being used in bungalows. It’s always ready for immediate use. When no longer needed it swings up into the ceiling, out of the way. Panel on page five is the only part visible. It can be opened or closed from above or below. A child can operate it. JOOT:iTnXZH/ZJ3ZaOT3 ..3^rvT/7/i7zrzr Costs Less Than a Stationary Stairway rp HE Bessler Movable Stairway as compared to the average stationary stairway, both box and open types, is cheaper in dollars and cents by a considerable margin. You can prove this to your own satisfaction by comparing the prices shown on page twenty-three with the cost of a fairly good stationary stairway. The cost of installing The Bessler Movable Stairway varies, of course, with conditions. But experience has shown us that in a new structure where the ceiling has been prepared, our stair¬ way can be assembled and hung in place in one hour by any carpenter. In buildings where the ceiling must be cut out and the opening cased up, from 6 to 8 hours will give any carpenter ample time to make a work¬ manlike job of installing it. We refer, of course, to frame structures. This panel is the only part of the Bessler Movable Stairway visible when stairs is swung up into ceil¬ ing. Can be finished to match tvoodtvork in room. Five A workroom or storeroom in the otherwise unused upper portion of a garage is easily effected with The Bessler Movable Stairway. The photograph shows a typical instance of how the upstairs workroom is made possible. When the stair* way is not in use, the entire space below is open and free from obstruction. Six With the explicit directions, and diagram we send with each stairway, it is a very simple matter to install The Bessler Movable Stairway. In fact, after the opening in the ceiling is cased up, anyone who can use a hammer and screw¬ driver (all the tools required) can install our stairway. A Suggestion d'he upstairs hallway, which is often a dark, little used space, half filled with a box stairway to the attic, can be made into a roomy, cheerful sewing-room by replacing the box stairway with a ‘‘Bessler,” putting a window in the end of the hall and building a neat rail around the top of the main stainvay. This is how the Bessler Movable Stairway appears in the upper room when folded up into the ceiling. It is compact and requires very little space. A neat panel shown on page five appears in the ceiling below. Then consider this. Here is a second floor unobstructed by a stationary stairway, yet pro¬ viding quick and convenient access into the attic. The safety feature shown in the photograph ap¬ peals strongly to women. I T MUST not be thought that the use of The Bessler Movable Stairway is restricted to homes, garages and so on. Our stairway is in use now in practically every type of struc¬ ture ranging from garages to skyscrapers. And in residences costing up to $200,000. The Bessler Movable Stairway can be found in California bungalows, in Long Island summer homes, in lofts and office buildings throughout the United States. With thousands of installa¬ tions, we have yet to receive our first complaint. Stairway is now about half-way clown from ceiling. A light touch of the hand rolls it down the panel to the floor. Nine Ten The Real Test of Merit FTER all is said and done, the reception of a product in its home town is a pretty good test of its merit. We point with a certain pride to the fact that we have successfully passed this test, as we have about 500 Bessler Movable Stairways installed in our home city—Akron, Ohio. The great majority of these stairways were sold without solicitation—orders that came to us through the recommendation and specification of architects, contractors, and a host of well- pleased users. In the plate alongside are shown some of the installations in Akron buildings. The summer home of F. H. Mason contains two of our stair¬ ways. The $200,000 mansion of A. H. Noah has one—finished in white enamel. The Hard¬ ware & Supply Company, large retail and wholesale distributors, and one of our strong boosters, have one in the building shown. The next building serves as the office for the Model Farm of O. C. Barber, capitalist. The stairway was specified by the architect and heartily approved by the owner. C. B. Raymond, secretary of The B. F. Good¬ rich Company, saved considerable space in his big garage with a Bessler Movable Stairway, and so on. Eleven Folded, View from Above. Stairway Halfway Down Panel. Stairway in Position for Use. Panel—only part Visible from Below, when Folded. I LLI.L yy^r j T welve Thirteen ^|^HE Bessler Movable Stairway added $500.00 to the value of this bungalow. The owner decided that rather than use up the space required for a stairway, he would abandon the room in the half-story. He happened to mention this to a friend of his and added regretfully, “I wish I could find some way to use that room. I hate to let it go to waste.” j ^ "vX i ■> J^r j s r jrj ,1 r jr 11 ji j Fourteen ZU33XJ3 The friend had seen a Bessler in another house and told this man about it. He investigated and the photograph shows the result. Another room was practically added on to this house without using a single square foot of floor space in the room below. Leading Architects Specify The Bessler Movable Stairway Architects are not given to specifying any device unknown to them. The fact that prom¬ inent architects have and are specifying our stairway in some of their best buildings, and then at the very next opportunity specifying them again is proof positive that The Bessler Movable Stairway not onlv meets all claims we make for it, but that it is practical, simple, reliable and fairly priced. Architects will find us listed in Sweet’s catalog. We are often confronted with the question, “Is your stairway cheaper than a stationary stairway?” Our question depends on the type of building the inquirer has in mind. If it is an average building, our answer is “Yes.” We do not care to compare The Bessler Movable Stairway to a cheap, flimsilv con¬ structed flight of “steps.” As a matter of fact, we don’t find it necessary. "The space-saving feature of our stairway is its strongest argument, and is in fact the best reason why you should install it. Anyone caring to look into the matter will find that defective fines or electric wiring, lightning and spontaneous combustion are frequent causes of fires, which in a great many instances originate in the attic. Many homes, both new and old, have either no means of entrance into the attic, or are i i i J i* i l x j s j j m i mi . flUUli! Sixteen nnnnnncz: equipped with a small manhole located “some¬ where upstairs.” In the event of fire it would be difficult to check it. We have equipped hundreds of homes of this type and have rendered them safe, insofar as by letting the stairs halfway down, proper ventila¬ tion is afforded, eliminating the danger of spon¬ taneous combustion, and it is easy to detect and repair poor wiring and defective flues. In the event of fire, however, it can be checked before much damage is wrought, because The Bessler Movable Stairway is made ready for use in a twinkling. At the same time the attic is made useful as a storeroom, or a place to dry clothes. It can also be used as a billiard room or a den. And what a delightful place it makes for the children to play in and make all the noise they wish. The rental or selling value of the home is also considerably increased. We can obviously touch on but a few points, and that most briefly in this little book. There are just as many reasons for installing a Bessler Movable Stairway as there are homes without them. Each individual case presents a new and interesting problem, and a new argument in favor of our stairway. We would be glad to have you write us for further information. Seventeen Sturdiness and strength are expressed in the photograph along¬ side, and indeed The Bessler Mov¬ able Stairway is built strong— a strength gained by adherence to simplicity in the construction and correctness in the design. How it Works One of the big outstanding features in the construction of The Bessler Movable Stairway is its simplicity. It consists of a strong, well-built bight of stairs, which is attached to the end trimmer of an opening in the ceiling of room or hall where stairs is to be located. As has been explained, a panel is the only part visible in the ceiling when stairway is folded. To use the stairway, a light pull on a chain brings it into position. Stairhorse is then rolled down the panel onto the floor. To fold it back up into the ceiling, stairhorse is rolled up on the panel. Spring barrels on each side of stairhorse do the work with a very slight assistance from the operator. When in this position, the spring barrels (which are double acting), together with the counter balance formed by the now projecting stairhorse, automatically swings the stairway up into the ceiling. It is all so simple and so easy that a child can readily operate it. That, bv the way, is illustrated on the cover design of this book. An equalizing bar is placed on each side of the panel, to which are attached pulleys depend¬ ing from the cable leading to the spring barrels, and which perform the function of lifting the stairs up to the ceiling. The purpose of these equalizing bars is to keep an even and smooth pull on the stairs the entire distance of its ascent. This is accomplished by the pulleys traveling forward as the stairway goes up. This little device causes the stairway to close up tight against the ceiling without slamming. There is never the remotest possibility of the stairway coming down unless it is brought down. Our Guarantee We absolutely guarantee The Bessler Movable Stairway to do everything we claim for it. Any defects in material or workmanship will at once be properly and satisfactorily adjusted. ^ UBRARY Alinteen COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY The Old Way 95% of the homes where box stairways are built in are of just such type as the cut shown, while this space could have been used for other purposes that would have been more valuable than the stairway itself. mZZZ77777J771 jrmjL Twenty The New Way Will add $1000 more to your home by having a Bessler. Notice what can be made out of the space that a stationary stairway would have taken up. The cut will speak for itself. T rventy-one Finished Opening Between Jambs Panel made i'-," narrower than table below 7 ft. 0 in. Ceiling. __ _2 ft. 6 in. X 5 ft. 10 in. 7 ft. 6 in. . .2 ft. 6 in. X 5 ft. 10 in. 8 ft. 0 in. “ ._...2 ft. 6 in. X 5 ft. 10 in. 8 ft. 6 in. “ .2 ft. 6 in. X 6 ft. 0 in. 9 ft. 0 in. U . ...2 ft. 6 in. X 6 ft. 4 in. 9 ft. 6 in. U 2 ft. 6 in. X 6 ft. 8 in. 10 ft. 0 in. (( 2 ft. 6 in. X 6 ft. 11 in. 10 ft. 6 in. “ 2 ft. 6 in. X 7 ft. 3 in. 11 ft. 0 in. 2 ft. 6 in. X 7 ft. 6 in. 11 ft. 6 in. (< 9 ft. 6 in. X 7 ft. 9 in. 12 ft. 0 in. (( 9 ft. 6 in. X 8 ft. 1 in. 12 ft. 6 in. u 9 ft. 6 in. X 8 ft. 4 in. 13 ft. 0 in. u 2 ft. 6 in. X 8 ft. 8 in. 13 ft. 6 in. u p ft. 6 in. X 9 ft. 0 in. 14 ft. 0 in. u p ft. 6 in. X 9 ft. 3 in. 14 ft. 6 in. (( 9 ft. 6 in. X 9 ft. 6 in. 15 ft. 0 in. (l 9 ft. 6 in. X 9 ft. 9 in. 15 ft. 6 in. (( 9 ft. 6 in. X 10 ft. 1 in. 16 ft. 0 in. “ . 2 ft. 6 in. X 10 ft. 5 in. GEZZZZ2ZZZ2Z l . 5to r/ •O )=4 r -Tin\sbe