US2345232A - Rug stretcher - Google Patents

Description

' March 28, 1 944. c. A. BousHELLE RUG STRETCHER Filed Aug. 7, 1942 l fl@ 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUG STRETCHER Charles A. Boushelle, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 7, 1942, Serial No. 453,939

(ci. 45-24) e,

Y able rug attaching members may be made of Claims.

My invention relates to rug stretchers. Its principal object is to provide a new and improved means for stretching a rug. In general the rugs are washed and dried before being stretched. They are then stretched to get them to the right size, and while so stretched the sizing glue is applied, whereupon the stretched rug and the stretcher frame which carries it are placed in an oven to be dried. My invention is particularly directed to improving the stretcher to facilitate the handling of rugs in this fashion.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide a device of this character which will accommodate rugs of a multitude of sizes with a minimum amount of adjustment. For example, the device as illustrated in the drawings will accommodate rugs of sizes from a 9 x12' to small scatter rugs, and will accommodate a plurality of small rugs at one time.

I have incorporated in the rug stretcher certain novel features whereby it is possible to support a rug on the stretcher and draw it gradually back to its original size or as nearly to its original size as the dictates of judgment as to its ability to withstand stretching indicate to be safe. The rug in this stretched condition is carried by the rug stretcher during the time that the rug is sized and placed in a drying oven and dried, after which the rug may be released and a new rug applied. 'I'his makes it possible, because of the compact, smooth nature of the device, to maintain a drying oven in continuous operation with a small number of frames, the frames being lled in succession so that while the rug on one frame is drying, other rugs are being applied to the other frames and by the time the oven is filled the iirst rug placed therein will have partially or completely dried. It can readily be seen that once the oven and the stretchers are in operation continuous operation of the oven and continuous replacement ofvdried rugs with rugs to be dried can be made with little or no difficulty.

In the manufacture of the rug stretcher it is essenital that the stretcher itself embody a minimum amount of metal at the points where a soft wood. p

One particular feature of the invention is the provision of a novel slide and adjusting screw arrangement which enables me to control'the stretching of the rug very accurately. There is no fixed limit to which the stretching must be carried and therefore dictates of safety may at all times govern the extent to which forcer is applied to the rug. f

The features and advantages of the invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred 'form of the invention is shown. It` should be understood however that the drawings and description are illustrative only and are not to lbe taken as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawings:- e ,y

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my rug stretcher;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the rug stretcher; I

Fig. 3 is a. sectional View taken on the line 3-*3 of Fig. 1 showing the adjustable rug attaching bar which is capable of being positioned in a plurality of positions with respect to the main frame, depending upon the size of the rug to be stretched; e l

Fig. 4 is an enlarged* fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 -4 o f Fig. 1;

it is apt to be engaged by the workman, since the metal becomes too hot in the drying oven and it is liable to burn the operator. I find that for best operation and in order to give adequate strength the main frame of the stretcher, in-

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 51-'5 of Fig. 1,;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the vline 6-6 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 7 is a fragmentarysectional view taken on the line 'l--T of Fig. 1; and y Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-,8 of Fig. 1. n I

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the present invention is embodied in a rug stretcher frame which comprises two side rails I0 and Il, two end rails l2 and I3, a plurality of cross ties I4 and I5 and corner braces I6, Il', i8 andl I9. The frame just described is'made` of wood and metal, the side rails l0 and Il and the end rails I2 and I3 preferably being constructed of hard wood, such as birch, kof as light a nature as may be employed with requisite strength. Normally I nd that rails 2" x 4f' in cross section are suicient. The interior dimensions of the rectangular frame are for most purposes 9'4" x 12'31/3" so that there is ample space to accommodate a 9' x 12' rug. The side rails and end rails are connected at the corners'by angle irons 20, bolts being used to fasten the rails together, and the end rails being lapped over the ends of the side rails whereby to place the entire side rails under compression in the stretching of the rug. The end rail I3 is provided with rug attaching hooks 2| so that it may be used for attaching one end of the rug. The other end of the rug is attached to a movable slide 22.

VThe braces I6 and I1 may desirably be of metal with upturned ends 23 and 24 which are bolted to ...the end rail I2.

The other ends of the braces are notched into the side rails III and II and bolted by bolts that run vertically through the side rails immediately adjacent to the cross bar I4. The braces I8 and I9 however ane preferably constructed of hard wood, the same as the side rails I and II. side rails I 0 and II and to the end rail I3. Intermediate their ends the braces I8 and I9 are cut down from the top to provide shallow portions I8a and I9a of approximately half the depth of the end rails for a purpose which will presently appear.

The side rails I0 and Il are provided with longitudinally running slots which extend from a point closely adjacent the end rail I 2 down substantially to the cross bar I4. The adjustable frame 22 has spaced parallel guide rods 26 and 21 in the form of bolts extending through the slot 25 in the side rail I0. Similar bolts 28 and 29 extend through the slot 25 in the side rail II. These bolts are carried by'end pieces 36 and 3| of the frame 22, these end pieces being fastened to a rug attaching bar -32 which has hooks 33 theneon similar to the hooks 2|. The end pieces 'and 3l are attached to the bar 32 by angle irons 34 and are braced at their free ends `by two diagonal braces 35 and 36 extending from the free ends of the end pieces inwardly and diagonally tothe bar 32. These braces are bolted in place. The frame 22 is further braced by a cross bar 31 between the ends of the end pieces 30 and 3|. The bar 32 desirably is constructed of the same hard wood as the side rails and end rails but the end pieces and the braces may be of a softer, lighter wood to decrease `the weight of the entire device.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the frame 22 may be moved longitudinally of the rails III and II and it will be guided in its movement by the bolts 26, 21, 28 and 29. In order to adjust the frame 22 I provide adjusting screws 38 and 39. These screws have collars 40 and 4I welded thereon adjacent one end thereof and Athis end is free of threads and polished to provide a good bearing. The collars also are smooth to provide a bearing surface to engage wear plates 42 and 43 mounted on the outer face of the end rail I2. The end rail is apertured to receive the screws 38 and 39 and in order to removably attach the screws to the end rail two washers 44 and 45 are mounted on the screws and held in place by cotter pins 46 and 41. The screws 38 and 39 preferably are provided with square threads of substantial size and these screws'pass through suitable openings provided in the bar 32. On the side cf the bar 32 remote from the rail I2 there are provided Athreaded plates 48 and 49 which are suitably fastened by screws to the bar itself. nese plates serve as the means-for advancing the bar 32 toward the rail I2 as the screws 38 and 39 are rotated. A squared head 50 is provided on each of the screws 36 and 39 to receive a handle 5I by which they may be rotated. 'I'he handle is of course remov- These braces are bolted tothe able so that it will not be in the way in the placing of the frame in an oven and so that it may be used ultimately for turning the screws 38 and being spaced so that when the cross bar is positioned by the blocks 52 the notches 56 will interlock with the braces I8 and I9 and when the cross bar 54 is positioned by the blocks 53 the notches 51 will interlock with the braces I8 and I9. A supporting screw 58 is threaded into a plate 59 that is attached to the end rail I3. This screw has a washer 60 removably fastened on its free end by a cotter pin 6I. The function of the screwA is of course to provide a center brace for the bar 54 in either of the positions indicated. The bar 54 may also be placed in two sockets 62 and 63 provided midway of the side rails I0 and II for the purpose of attaching small rugs and for stretching the rugs. The sockets 62 and 63 have plates 64 at the bottom to support the bar 54. In this position the bar 54 is not braced at the center, but owing to the fact that the force needed to stretch small rugs is slight this center bracing is unnecessary.

It is believed that the foregoing description is suilicient to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the rug stretcher which is the subject matter of this invention. It is also believed to be evident that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as outlined in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A rug stretcher comprising a rectangular frame comprising side rails and end pieces, diagonally extending braces connecting each end piece with the side rails, a cross bar adjacent to one end piece and having rug attaching hooks thereon, stops on the side rails limiting the movement of said cross bar toward the other end piece, a centra1 brace for said cross bar` comprising a threaded rod threadedly engaging the adjacent end piece and rotatably secured to the cross bar at the center thereof, an adjustable frame adjacent to the other end piece, means supporting said adjustable frame for sliding movement lengthwise of said side rails, said adjustable frame including a rug attaching bar extending substantially from one side rail to the other side rail, said bar having rug attaching hooks thereon, and means to draw saidadjustable frame toward the adjacent end rail, said last named means comprising screws journaled in the adjacent end piece and threaded members on the adjustable frame receiving said screws.

2. A rug stretcher comprising a rectangular frame comprising side rails and end pieces, diagonally extending braces connecting each end piece with the side rails, a cross bar supported by the frame and extending from one side rail to the other adjacent to one end piece and having rug attaching hooks thereon, stops on the side rails limiting the movement of said cross bar toward the other end piece, said stops being arranged in pairs spaced at different distances from the first named end piece whereby to adapt the stretcher to different lengths of rugs, an adjustable frame adjacent to the other end piece, means supporting said adjustable frame for sliding movement lengthwise of said side rails, said adjustable frame including a rug attaching barl extending substantially from one side rail to the other side rail, end frame pieces extending from the rug attaching bar parallel to the side rails and rigidly joined to the rug attaching bar, said supporting means comprising slots and bolts interconnecting the side rails and the end pieces of said adjustable frame whereby to prevent tipping of the adjustable frame relatively to the side rails, said bar having rug attaching hooks thereon, and means to draw said adjustable frame toward the adjacent end rail, said last named means comprising screws journaled in the adjacent end piece and threaded members on the adjustable frame receiving said screws. g

3. A rug stretcher comprising a rectangular frame comprising side rails and end pieces, one of said end pieces having rug attaching hooks thereon, an adjustable frame adjacent to the other end piece, means supporting said adjustable frame for sliding movement lengthwise o f said side rails, said adjustable frame including a rug attaching bar extending substantially from one side rail to the other side rail, end frame pieces extending from the rug attaching bar parallel to the side rails and rigidly joined to the rug attaching bar, said supporting means comprising members on the said end pieces extending into slots in the side rails and preventing tipping of the adjustable frame relatively to the side rails, said bar having rug attaching hooks thereon, and means to draw said adjustable frame toward the adjacent end rail, said lastl named means comprising screws journaled in the adjacent end piece and threaded members on the adjustable frame receiving said screws.

4. A rug stretcher comprising a rectangular frame comprising side rails and end pieces, diagonally extending braces connecting each end piece with the side rails, a cross bar adjacent to one end piece and having rug attaching hooks thereon, stops on the side rails limiting the movement of said cross bar toward the other end piece, said cross bar being removably supported on the diagonal braces connecting the adjacent end piece with the side rails, an adjustable frame adjacent to the other end piece, means supporting said adjustable frame for sliding movement lengthwise of said side rails, said adjustable frame including a rug attaching'bar extending substantially from one side rail to the other side rail, said bar having rug attaching hooks thereon, and means to draw said adjustable frame toward the adjacent end rail, said last named means comprising screws journaled in the adjacent end piece and threaded members on the adjustable frame receiving said screws.

5. A rug stretcher comprising a rectangular frame made up of side rails and end pieces, means at each end of said frame for securing an edge of a rug, the means at one end comprising an adjustable frame, means slidably supporting the adjustable frame on the side rails for free movement lengthwise of the rails, said adjustable frame including members extending lengthwise of the side rails and adjacent thereto and connected to said side rails by said mounting means to prevent tipping of the adjustable frame, and individually operable adjusting screws connecting the adjustable frame and the adjacent end piece and spaced from the side rails and from each other to draw the adjustable -frame toward the end piece, the rug securing means at the other end comprising a bar, braces between the side rails and the end pieces supporting the bar, and spaced pairs of stops on the side rail for adjustably positioning said bar.

CHARLES A. BOUSHEILE.

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