US214219A - Improvement in carpet-stretchers - Google Patents

Description

J. D- WHITNEY. Carpet-Stretcher.

No. 214,219. Patented April 8,1879.

INVENTOR lLITNESSES way, ,J

m w W ATTORNEYS.

N-FETERS. PHOTO-LFTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. WHITNEY, OF PLOVER, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARPET-STRETCHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,219, dated April 8, 1879; application filed February 25, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J nuns D. WHITNEY, of Plover, in the county of Portage and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to furnish a simply-constructed and easily-operated device for stretching carpets on floors; and it consists of two arms hinged together at one end, and having T-heads at the other ends, one of which bears against an extension, which, in turn, bears against the opposite wall or the end of an interposed strip, and the other is provided with sharp hooks, that catch the carpet. The two arms are set in the form of an isosceles triangle, and the stretching is done by pressing upon the hinged apex of the triangle, thus forcing the heads apart, the one hooked in the carpet yielding to the pressure and stretching the carpet the distance it moves.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top view or plan of the stretcher. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same in position to stretch the carpet, and Fig. 3 shows a modification of the connection between the extensions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Eieferrin g to the drawings, A A are the two arms of the stretcher. In the upper side of the former, near the end, are slots (1. a, and in the latter is a pivot, b, which is placed in one of the slots, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus hinges the two arms together, so that they turn easily, and at the same time allow them to be quickly taken apart when necessary.

Instead of the pin or pivot and the slot arrangement the two arms may be permanently pivoted together, or hinged or connected by a ball-and-socket joint.

The free ends of the arms are provided with T-heads B B, respectively. In the under edge of the former is a rabbet, c, and in the latter, on the under side, is a row of hooks, d. The jointed extension is composed of two pieces, G 0. their edges.

To 0, on either side, is pivoted a link, f,

They each have a groove, 6, in

with an inwardly-projecting stud, g, on the free end, and the studs are entered into the grooves e in piece 0, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The operation of the device is as follows: D represents the floor of a room. It is the wash-board at the junction of the wall with the floor, and E is the carpet to be stretched. One side of the carpet is tacked down to the floor, as shown at i. The jointed extension is laid on. the carpet with one end abutting against the wash-board, or against the end of a strip interposed between its end and the wash-board.

The rabbeted edge of the head B is placed upon the adjacent end of the piece 0, and the head B is placed near the free edge of the carpet, so that the hooks engage the same, and the two arms occupy the position shown in Fig. 2, forming an isosceles triangle.

Pressure is now applied to the arms at the point where they are hinged together, and this causes the head B to move outward, stretching the carpet to the extent of its movement; and when this has been carried far enough the carpet is tacked down for a space as long as the head, there being space enough for this purpose between the head and the edge of the carpet, and when this is completed the device is moved along clear of the part tacked, and the stretching continued until the carpet is tacked along its entire edge.

The jointed extension and the interposed strip together must be sufficiently long to enable the arm to be held at a good height above the floor when the stretching commences, so as to give ample space for their movement in the act of stretching the carpet,

The under side of the piece C may be provided with a ratchet, k, and the piece 0 with a bridle, l, hanging under the ratchet, so as to engage the teeth, for the purpose of allowing the extensions to be lengthened and shortened as may be required. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improvement in carpet-stretchers,

the arms A A, connected together by a pivot, (J 0, connected together by links f, in com- I), resting in slot a, and provided with heads bination with beads B B and arms A A, piv- B B, respectively, the former being adapted oted together, substantially as described. to bear against the jointed extension, and the latter provided with hooks to engage the \Vituesses: carpet, substantially as described.

2. The jointed extension composed of pieces J. D. WHITNEY.

A. A. WALBRIDGE, L. S. MATHEWS.

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