US761127A - Carpet-stretcher. - Google Patents

Description

No. 761,127. PATBNTED- MAY a1, 1904 w. ANDRES.

CARPET STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

- UNIT D STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ANDRES, OF J ONESVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM N. AOHENBAOH, OF JONESVILLE, INDIANA.

CAR-PET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,127 dated May 31, 1904. Application filed February 16, 1903. Serial No. 143,581. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ANDRES, acitizen of the United States, residing at J onesville, in the county of Bartholomew and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices employed for stretching carpets and for similar purposes, and I has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of such devices and toincrease their efiiciency and ease of operation; and the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claim.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device applied. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged details of the carpet-en'- gaging head portion.

The improved device consists of two bar members. 10 11, superimposed and longitudinally adjustable in opposite directions. The member 10 is provided with a carpet-engaging head 12, centrally pivoted to the bar, as at 13, and provided with spaced carpet-engaging pins 14, extending from its front edge, but not projecting below the lower line of the part 12, as shown in Fig. 2. By this means when the member 12 lies flat upon the floor or carpet the pins 14 will not touch the floor or carpet, so that in order to engage them withv the carpet the rear end of the device must be elevated until the teeth will engage the carpet, and then when the bars are depressed again the section of carpet engaged by the teeth will be elevated and stretched over the contiguous corner of the part 12, which thereby materially assists in holding the carpet and receives a large portion of the strains and effectually prevents any tendency to fracture the carpet-threads. This is a very important feature of the invention and will be further described and its benefits moreparticularly specified. The swiveling of the head member 12 is also an important feature of the invention and adds materially to the efficiency of the operation, as the head automatically adapts itself to any inequality in the strains and prevents any tendency to undue lateral and intermediately thereof is a plate provided with spaced perforations 18.

Pivotally connected to the member 10 is a pawl 19, formed with spaced side members and transverse connecting member, the side members being pivotally connectedby transverse bolt 20 to the member 10 and the connecting member adapted to engage the teeth 17, as shown.

The member 10 is provided with a series of spaced perforations 21 to, enable the pawl 19 to be adjusted longitudinally of the bars to provide for lengthening and shortening the device, as hereinafter shown.

Pivotally connected to the member 10 by transverse bolt 22 are straps 23 24, extending one upon either side of the members 10 and 11 and pivotally connected, as at 25, to a lever 26, the lower shorter end of the latter terminating in a spur 27, adapted to engage the perforations 18, as indicated, by which means the part 11 may be forcibly adjusted longitudinally of the part 10.

The free end of the member 11 is provided with 2. depending lug 28, corresponding to the thickness of the member 10, to serve as a support to the member 11 and maintain the adjacent surfaces of the parts 10 and 11 in uniform and parallel relations. By this means the parts are uniformly supported when in their distended positions, and thereby prevented from binding or cramping during the movements. This is also an important feature of the invention and adds materially to the efiiciency of the operations and greatly lessens the labor and prevents unequal strains between the parts, as the members 10 11 are maintained in constant parallel relations.

The members 10 11 will be of a length corresponding to the smallest room in which it will likely be employed and may be constructed extensible to twice the length of the member 10 less the necessary overlap caused by the straps and lever-and-pawl connection. The device is thus capable of a wide range in the sizes of the rooms, and by providing an extra bar 10 or 11 of greater length the range may be still further enlarged; but this would not be a departure from the principle of the invention, as it would not affect the manner of operating nor the results produced.

In using the device the carpet to be stretched is tacked at one corner of the room. The

stretcher is then elevated by the rear end until the points 1 L can be engaged with the carpet at one of the opposite corners and the stretcher laid fiat upon the floor and the member 11 moved rearwardly until the end 28 is against the opposite baseboard or wall of the room.

Then adjust the pawl in proper position relative to the ratchet-teeth 17 and by operating the lever successively in the apertures 18, when it is obvious the member 10, with its head 12 connected to the carpet will be forcibly'moved longitudinally of the member 11 and the carpet stretched to any required extent. As fast as the stretched section of the carpet is tacked a new section is connected in the same manner, and so on until the carpet is entirely secured. By this simple arrangement a very strong pressure can be exerted upon the carpet and the latter stretched to any desired extent and without injury thereto, as the strains are distributed over so large an area that all danger of tearing the threads is obviated.

The swiveling of the head 12, as before stated, increases materially the element of safety, as the head will automatically adjust itself to the strains and maintain a uniform strain throughout the whole length of the head.

When used in rooms wider than the greatest range of the bars when distended, a movable block or section of auxiliary bar may be inserted between the end 28 and the adjacent wall, so that the device may be employed in rooms regardless of size.

The parts 10, 11, 12, and 26 will generally be of wood of suitable size and the remaining parts of metal, and the parts may be modified in minor particulars Without affecting the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- A carpet-stretcher comprising a pair of superposed stretcher-bars, and means for holding them in operative relation to each other, a swiveled head carried by the under stretcherbar and provided on its front side with teeth the points of which terminate above the floorline, a shoe carried by the free end of the upper bar and being of a thickness equal to the head thus to hold the bars in parallel relation, a rack-plate carried by the upper bar, a bailshaped pawl mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the lower bar and to engage the rackplate, a plate carried by the upper bar and provided with orifices, a lever having a spur to engage the orifices, and a pair of links pivotally connecting the lever with thelower bar and adapted for longitudinal adjustment on the latter. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ANDRES.

Witnesses:

LEWIS BOWLEN, WM. F. (JoArs.

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