# Who invented the folding stairs for attics? Which company originally sold them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149 "2018-05-14T17:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/1 "2018-05-14T17:47:49Z")
I remember my uncle’s house had a 1940’s, folding attic stairway. It had large springs that creaked as it unfolded. My house from the late 50’s has much lighter springs. My mom bought a house built in 2013 and it’s attic stairs is basically the same design. Who invented them? Which company originally sold them? ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/2 "2018-05-14T21:29:01Z")
I’ve always heard them called Bessler stairs, so I’m assuming that they were invented by the Bessler Stairway Co., still in business. I’m just having a hard time finding good confirmation of that on the web. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/3 "2018-05-14T21:50:07Z")
And I recall two different styles: one with a single piece ladder section that pivoted down on rails, while the other had a two-piece ladder section that unfolded after being lowered. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/4 "2018-05-14T22:04:24Z")
I sat on a focus group that was tasked with discussing injuries involved with these kinds of stairs. Obviously, I Indicated that the stair company was guilty at every step. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/5 "2018-05-14T22:24:37Z")
> [@Topologist](#): > > I’ve always heard them called Bessler stairs, so I’m assuming that they were invented by the Bessler Stairway Co., still in business. I’m just having a hard time finding good confirmation of that on the web. They are still in business in Memphis - but they started off in Akron. They apparently still [provide](https://books.google.com/books?id=FvkgE3tKp0gC&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&source=bl&ots=e6F_KcRk8Z&sig=ulSBo17nM8LZYbb6f7RNLBkXKRM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBs8--nIbbAhUK5IMKHe27BL8Q6AEwGHoECAUQAQ#v=onepage&f=false) parts for decades old stairs. I have seen a founding date of 1909. Here is an interesting link from a 1917 [magazine](https://books.google.com/books?id=wLBXAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA156&lpg=RA3-PA156&source=bl&ots=bO5u73h9dp&sig=UgB1JtSZ7leiQ0G2uYlPSWxxosA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBs8--nIbbAhUK5IMKHe27BL8Q6AEwGXoECAQQAQ#v=onepage&f=false). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/6 "2018-05-15T09:41:12Z")
I never heard them called Bessler stairs. Thank you for enlightening me. I’ve used folding stairs in every house that I’ve lived in, and never knew the trade name. They are a standard feature in most local home’s garages. People like storing stuff up there. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/7 "2018-05-15T12:15:15Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I have seen a founding date of 1909. Here is an interesting link from a 1917 [magazine](https://books.google.com/books?id=wLBXAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA156&lpg=RA3-PA156&source=bl&ots=bO5u73h9dp&sig=UgB1JtSZ7leiQ0G2uYlPSWxxosA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBs8--nIbbAhUK5IMKHe27BL8Q6AEwGXoECAQQAQ#v=onepage&f=false). I had fun just scrolling and scrolling thru that looking at the ads. Came across one other ad for drop-down stairs: also Bessler. Didn’t come across any other companies selling them after looking thru quite a lot of pages. Given the multiple ads for all sorts of things, this might be telling. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-the-folding-stairs-for-attics-which-company-originally-sold-them/814149/8 "2018-05-15T22:11:05Z")
Here’s the patent, I believe [https://patents.google.com/patent/US1811709](https://patents.google.com/patent/US1811709)