Floating pier with self adjusting stairway assembly

Claim 1

A floating pier with self adjusting stairway assembly comprising: a. a buoyant pier supported on and adapted for vertical movement with the surface of water in response to movement of said surface to various elevations, b. a lower pair of laterally spaced elongated, rigid support members, c. an upper pair of laterally spaced elongated, rigid support members, d. means pivotally connecting one end of each said rigid support member to said buoyant pier and permitting angular movement of each rigid support member relative to said buoyant pier, e. means pivotally connecting the other end of each said rigid support member to a stationary supporting structure and permitting angular movement of said rigid support members relative to said stationary supporting structure, f. parallel stair members extending horizontally between said upper and lower pairs of laterally spaced rigid support members at longitudinally spaced intervals. g. means pivotally connecting each end of each said stair member to the rigid support member of said lower pair of support members adjacent thereto whereby each stair member is supported by and adapted for pivotal movement between said lower pair of rigid support members. h. means pivotally connecting each end of each said stair member to the rigid support members of said upper pair of elongated support members adjacent thereto in generally horizontally spaced relation to the pivotal connections between said stair member and said rigid support members of said lower pair of support members to support and retain the stair members in parallel relationship to each other as said buoyant pier moves to various elevations, and i. an elongated, upstanding hand rail extending longitudinally the length of and secured rigidly to each said rigid support member of said upper pair of support members.