US1929837A

US1929837A - Carpet stretcher

Info

Publication number: US1929837A
Application number: US598730A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry E Cathcard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-03-14
Filing date: 1932-03-14
Publication date: 1933-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1950-10-10

Description

Oct. 10, H- E RD CARPET STRETCHER Filed March 14. 1932 INVENTOR, 269/7 2'. (bificara.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 10, 1933 Q UNITED srArss PATENT orrics 1,929,837 'CARPET STRETCHER Harry E. bathcard, Independence, Mo. Application March 14, 1932. Serial No. 598,730 7 Claims. .(01. 254 59) This invention relates to carpet laying appaforces which exert an action against each other. ratus' and specifically to means for stretching a To do this, the extensible carpet engaging assemcarpet or similar floor covering after it is secured bly-16 is placed near thejedge of carpet 6 that has to the floor by tacks or fastening elements. not been tacked in place and a brace consisting The primary object of the instant invention is of a plurality of telescoping parts 18 adjusted to 60.

to provide a carpet stretcher having as a part reach from wall 12 to assembly 16, as shown in thereof, a brace that might be utilized in inter- Fig. 1. connecting one wall of the room being carpeted Adjustment on the part of telescoping parts 18 and an extensible assembly whereby the entire mightbe secured through the provision of a plu- 19 width or length of floor covering might be subrality of holes 20 and cross pins 22 which pass jected to a stretching action immediately prior through registering holes 20 of telescoped memto its being fastened in place. 7 bers 18 after the distance between wall 12 and as- A yetfurther object of this invention is the 'semblyldhas been determined. One end of this provision of carpet stretching assembly having a brace should be provided with a foot 24 of resilient normally stationary body and a carpet-engaging or padded material which will preclude marring at 79 head carried by the body and movable relative its point of pressure. This'brace made up of thereto, said body and head being uniquely intersections 18 must lie along above carpet 6 in a connected for relative displacement by structure plane parallel thereto and must be straight and embodying the features of this invention. rigid before it fulfills the prime reason for its use.

20 A still further object of the invention is the After abutting pad 24 against baseboardl l of wall T5 contemplation of an extensible carpet laying and 12, the telescoping member 18 of the brace at the stretching assembly, wherein is incorporated a other end is secured to assembly 16 by bolts or novel head having spurs or like members disposed analogous means 26. Thus body 28 of structure in particular arrangement for the purpose and 16 is held against movement toward wall 12,

function as hereinafter set down. against which the brace is now abutting. 60

A number of minor objects, including struc- Obviously, carpet 6 has been previously tacked tural features and method of using the device will along wall 12, as shown at the left in Fig. 1 and appear during the course of the following specithe next step in laying the same is to stretch fication, which refers to the accompanying drawcarpet 6 toward wall 12 as at the right in Fig. 1

30 ing, wherein: through the use of structure 16 which is secured 55 Figure 1 is a diagrammatical sectional viewagainst movement toward left ,wall 12 by the through a room being carpeted through the use brace just described. Assembly 16'is' extensible of a stretcher embodying the features ofthis into the degree that it includes a carpet-engaging vention. head 30 that is associated with body 23 by a pair Fig. 2'is a top plan View on an enlarged scale of guides having a tube 32 and a telescoping rod {73 V of only the extensible carpet engaging assembly. 34 rigidly afiixed to body 28 and head 30 respec- Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section through tively. Attachment may be effected through any the assembly illustrated in Fig. 2. V ordinary means such as fixtures and bolts 36 Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the same asand 38 respectively, and itis to be seen that such 40 sembly'shown in Fig. 2, and, guides permit only rectilinear reciprocation be- 9;;

Fig. 5 is a front, edge elevation. of the carpet tween body and

head

28 and 30 respectively. engaging head. A force of an appreciable degree must be used In describing the carpet stretcher, only the prein properly stretching carpet 6, and. such force ferred form will be made clear by reference to may b impar to h 0 y m nually m n p 4 parts making up the same as it is shown in the laiing the parts provided for that purpose 33o drawing and, while the carpet stretcher might be t r ug the medium Of a handle haViIlg one used in laying floor covering practically any place, end thereof secured as at 42 to pinion 4.4. This the same is here shown in connection with the p io 44 Stands vertically'betlveen a 9 of placing of a carpet or floor covering 6 upon floor spaced apart," vertical, substantially parallel 8 of an ordinary room 10, having opposite, parwalls 46 having an opening {l8 formed thereiii. allel and vertical side walls 12, near the base of through to permit interconnecting pinion and which are installed baseboards 14 in the ordinary handle 44 and 40 respectively. Pinion 4A floatfashion. It is always desirable to secure a point ingly rests between walls 46 and is free to rotate of purchase beyond the edge of carpet 6, whereby when handle 40 is brought into play. A sta the same may be stretched without setting up tionary rack 50 is rigidly secured between walls 46 along the top thereof so that the teeth of rack 50 extend downwardly toward the base of body 28. Thus rack 50 becomes a spacing element for walls 46 along the tops thereof and since handle 40 is bifurcated to straddle walls 46, the assembly at this particular point should be as narrow as possible. Such feature is shown clearly in Fi 2.

Between walls 46 and at the bottom thereof is positioned a movable rack 52, which is housed between walls 46 and. projects therefrom to engage head 30 as at 54 and it is between

racks

50 and 52 that pinion 44 may be actuated when the teeth of said elements are in mesh.

Since rack 50 is stationary and rack 52 is movable, rack 50 becomes a fulcrum about which pinion 44 moves as it forces movable rack 52 along its path of travel. Small toothed guide rollers 56 may be pivotally secured between walls 46 in engagement with rack 52 to lend stability to assembly 16. They are free to rotate and do so as rack 52 reciprocates to move head 30 toward and from body 28. Enormous leverage is possible through an assembly of this character and when carpet 6 has been stretched the desired amount, it is always desirable to hold the position attained until the carpet is tacked in place. To do, this, the assembly here described should in, ciude a pawl 58 that is bifurcated to present a pair of opposed walls 66 which embracewalls 46 and are pivotally engaged thereby through the medium of a bolt or like element 62. Pawl 58 is pivotally mounted as shown in Fig. 3 so that it has a jaw 64 in the path of travel of the teeth of rack 52. A grip 66 is formed by pawl 58 that extends outwardly to contribute its weight to the rest of pawl 58 so that the action of gravity will always urge jaw 64 into position between the teeth of rack 52. r

Grip 66 not only performs the function just mentioned, but presents means whereby the entire assembly may be grasped when moving the same from one position to another. When so grasping the assembly, pawl 58 is immediately moved to an inoperative position and rack 52,

with head 30, may be quickly moved back to a point of beginning so that the carpet stretching operation is greatly facilitated. The position of handle 40 and head 30 in both the carpet stretching and nonstretching position is shown in Fig. 1.

Head 30 of this assembly 16 is likewise especially formed in that it has a large number .of spurs 68, all projecting beyond the face of head 30 and angled as shown in Fig. 3, whereby to more securely engage carpet 6.

It has been found in practice that the creation of a zone'of greater gripping ability adjacent the ends of head 30 is extremely desirable. Such zones are set up by massing spurs 68 as shown in Fig. 4 so that there will be no excessive strain of the carpet at edges of head 36. The creation of these zones will move a length of carpet toward wall 12 and maintain its edge in a position parallel thereto. The depth to which spurs 68 enter carpet 6 is sometimes altered and suchexpedient is permitted throughthe use of the plate '70 that is adjustably associated with the front edge of head so by slots and bolts 72 and 74 respectively. A flange 76 should be'form d along the edge of plate '70 to create a smooth supporting face and to present an area great enough to preclude sinking of the entire head structure into the nap of carpet 6. Y

Operation of this carpet stretching assembly has been made clear during the course of specification, and while some specific features have been set down, it is desirous to be limited in the enjoyment of this invention only by the spirit thereof and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A carpet stretcher comprising an extensible assembly having a normally stationary body; a head movable relative thereto; means for moving said head including a rack on the body, a rack on the head, and a pinion in mesh with both of said racks and a pair ofguides connecting the said body and head comprising a tube mounted on said body and a rod in telescoping engagement with said tube carried by said head.

2. A carpet stretcher comprising an extensible assembly having a normally stationary body; a head movable relative thereto; and means for moving. said head includingv a fixed rack on the body, a rack movable with said head, a pinion in mesh with both of said racks, and a pair of guide walls to maintain said pinion in mesh with said racks. i

3. A carpet stretcher comprising an extensible assembly having a normally stationary body; a head movable relative thereto; and means for moving said head including a rack on the body, a rack on the head, apinion in mesh'with both of said racks, and telescoping guides associated with both the body and head.

4. A carpet stretcher, comprising an extensible assembly having a normally stationary body; a head movable relative thereto; means for moving said head including a fixed rack on the body, a rack movable with said head, a pinion in mesh with both'of said racks; a gravity actuated pawl for holding said movable rack in position as the same is moved by the rotation of said pinion; and an idler guide gear in mesh with said movable rack, said pawl being pivotally mounted on the axis of said idler gear.

5. A carpet stretcher comprising an extensible assembly having a-n'ormally stationary body; a head movable relative thereto; means for moving said head comprising'a fixed rack on the body, a rack movable with said head, and a pinionin mesh with both of said racks; a telescopingguide on each side of said movable rackfand a. pawl associated with said movable rack to releasably hold the same against movement. I I

6. A carpet stretcher comprising a normally stationary body; a headmovable relative thereto; telescoping, tubular guides interconnecting said body and head whereby to permi't rectilinear, reciprocating movement toward and from each other; a pair of upstanding substantially parallel, spaced apart walls mounted on said body; a rack along the upper portion of said walls, there between and secured thereto; a rack movable along between said walls at the lower portion thereof; a pinion between said walls and in mesh with said racks; and means mounted on the walls for releasably holding the movable rack against movement.

T. In a carpet stretcher, a head; and a plurality of carpet piercing spurs extending below the face of said head, said spurs being arranged appreciably closer together adjacent the ends of said head whereby to create spaced apart zones of greater gripping ability.

HARRY E. CATHCARD.