US483057A - Carpet-stretcher - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. HARRISON. CARPET STRETGHER.

No. 483,057. Patented Sept. 20, 1892.

' INVENTOH EKWW w B) ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES fizol UNITED STATES 7 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HARRISON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARPET-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,057, dated September 20, 1892.

Application filed April 12, 1892. Serial No. 428,790. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT HARRISON, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carpet- Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in carpet-stretohers, and has for its object to provide a carpet-stretcher which may be conveniently and expeditiously manipulated and so constructed that the carpet may be carried with the stretcher directly to the base-board of a room.

A further object of the invention is to so form the stretcher that when the carpet has been carried to the desired position it may be held in that position until tacked to place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the fulcrum from which the device is to be manipulated may be changed as the character of the work may demand, and, further, to construct a carpetstretcher capable of being conveniently carried, of simple, durable, and economic construction, and of a minimum length.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

' in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, a portion of the body being broken away; and Fig. 3 is a front edge view of the jaws of the device.

The body of the device consists of a frame A, formed at one endin the shape of or to receive a handle 10. The opposite end of the arm is quite broad and flattened upon its upper face to form the under jaw 11 of the stretcher, and this jaw upon its upper face at its lower edge is provided with a series of teeth 12. The body-arm A is arched up considerably from the lower or forward end of the jaw to a point at or near the handle, the curve being very decided; but as the bodyarm approaches the handle the curve is considerably shortened, as shown in Fig. 1.

Near the inner'end of the jaw 11 the body arm is enlarged, preferably in circular form, as shown at 13 in Fig.2, and this enlarge ment is adapted to receive a pivot-screw 14,

which screw is utilized as the fulcrum for the f upper jaw 15. This jaw is the counterpart of the lower one and lies directly over it, being provided, also, in like manner with teeth 16, the teeth of the two jaws being adapted to mesh, as is shown in Fig. 3.

The upper jaw is provided with an extension 17 at its upper end, terminating in a thumb-plate 18, and the two jaws are normally held in looking engagement through the medium of a spring 19, which spring has a bearing against the under face of the upper jaw extension 17, and is secured to a lug 20, projected from the side of the body. The

spring employed is preferably a strap-spring,

as is best shown in Fig. 1.

Between the fulcrum of the upper jaw and the center of the body-arm A two openings 21 and 22 are produced at predetermined intervals apart. These openings are surrounded by bosses formed upon the outer faces of the body-arm, and the interior wall of the openings is threaded, as shown in Fig. 2. These openings are adapted for the reception of feet 23. These feet are essentially angular and are two in number, one member being pointed at its end, as illustrated at 23, and

the other member being reduced in diameter, forming a shoulder 24, and the reduced portion of this member is threaded, as shown at 24 in Fig. 2.

When the stretcher is to be used, one foot is screwed into one of the openings 21 or 22 at each side of the body. Thus when the'two feet are in position they are combinedly more or less U -shaped, the points 23 being adapted to rest upon the floor. These feet constitute the fulcrum upon which the entire stretcher is to be moved.

In order to strengthen the jaws as much as possible, the upper jawis provided with a rib 25 and the lower jaw with a rib 26. The two ribs, however, are located at different sides of the centers of the jaws, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the stretcher the fulcrum thereof may be changed to make the throw long or short by placing the feet in the selected aperture 21 or 22. The feet are made IOO to rest upon the floor, the upper jaw is opened and the carpet at its edge is caught between the upper and the lower jaw, and is held in that position by releasing the upper jaw. The carpet is placed between the jaws when the feet incline substantially at their lower ends in direction of the point to which the edge of the carpet is to be carried. The body is then pushed forward upon its fulcrumed feet, and when the floor is reached the upper ends of the fulcrumed feet will be inclined in the direction to which the carpet is to be carriedthebase-board, forinstance-and owing to the form of the jaws the carpet may be taken by the jaws directly to the base-board and held in that position by the operator simply placing one hand upon the stretcher, while with the other hand the carpet may be tacked to place.

It is evident that a stretcher of the construction above described may be expeditiously and conveniently manipulated, and that even when the jaws are in engagement with the base-board and the floor they may be rocked more or less to still further stretch the carpet.

It will be understood that the stretching is efiected between the feet of the implement, and as the feet extend horizontally about five inches each side of the body of theimplement they do not interfere with the action of the carpet either in front of or back of the jaws. If the operator finds that the carpet has been stretched more than sufficient, by elevating the body of the stretcher, still retaining hold of the carpet, thefeet swing forward, and thereby shorten the stretch without necessitating an adjustment of the feet. The threaded surfaces of the feet are made as long as possible as is likewise the threaded sockets to receive such surfaces in order to permit ample and repeated forward and backward movement of the feet.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent I 1. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination, with an arched body terminating at its forward end in a jaw, of a second spring-pressed jaw pivoted upon the body and adapted for engagement with the fixedjaw and feet adapted to act as fulcrums for the body and having adjustable connection with the body, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a carpetstretcher, the combination,

with an arched body terminating at one end in a handle and at the other end in a fixed jaw, of a spring-pressed jaw pivoted upon the body, the two jaws being provided with teeth, the teeth being adapted for engagement with each other, a thumb-plate connected with the pivoted jaw, and feet of angular construction adapted to act as fulcrums for the body, having an adjustable engagement with the body back of the jaw-pivot, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination, with an arched body having a handle formed at one end and a jaw at the opposite end and provided with threaded openings located at distances apart between its ends, of aspringpressed jaw pivoted upon the body forward of the openings therein, the pivoted jaw being adapted for engagement with the fixed jaw, and angular feet fitted to enter and turn in the openings of the body, one foot opposite the other, as and for the purpose specified.

ROBERT HARRISON.

Witnesses:

R. S. DUNCAN, CHAS. L. DAVIS.

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