US2150003A

US2150003A - Curtain stretcher

Info

Publication number: US2150003A
Application number: US163050A
Authority: US
Inventors: John F Lizak
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-09-09
Filing date: 1937-09-09
Publication date: 1939-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1956-03-07

Description

MalCh 7, J. F. I ,lZAK i l v CURTAIN sTRETcHER Filed sept. 9; 1937 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to stretchers for supporting and holding curtains and the like in a taut condition while drying.

One object of my invention is to provide a stretcher having improved means for detachably holding the curtains in place and which are readily .adjustable on the stretcher frame.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for connecting and supporting the members of the stretcher frame.

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a face view of a stretcher, with one of the joint connections shown in section; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; Fig. 3 is a rear view, on an enlarged scale, showing one of the connecting clamps for the frame; Fig. 4 is an enlarged View taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;` Fig. 5 is an enlarged view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a face view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the curtain-gripping or clamping elements of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a side view thereof showing the same in curtain-gripping position, and Fig. 8 is a view showing it in released position.

The frame comprises upper longitudinal or edge bars I; lower longitudinal bars II; end bars I2 and I3; legs I4, and a. spreader bar I5.

For smaller curtains, one of the bars I0 and one of the bars I I may be omitted, but ordinarily a pair of bars I0 and a pair of bars II will be employed. The adjacent ends of such respective pairs of bars are connected by a pair of dowel pins I6 which have snug-driven t with one of the bars and are insertable into holes in the other bar. The Spreader bar I has a pair of projecting dowel pins I1 at its upper end, which enter holes in the bars I0 and serve to hold said bars snugly in end-to-end relation. The bar I5 is provided with .a longitudinally-extending slot I8 n through which extends a bolt I9 that carries a block 2D and a wing nut 2|. The nut 2| is utilized to firmly hold the block in desired set positions on the bar I5, and the block 20 is provided with a pair of dowel pins 2Ia which enter holes in the bars I I to hold the ends of such bars in abutting relation. The member I5 serves to hold the bars I0 and I I .apart in parallelism against the tension of a stretched curtain.

The end bar I3 is connected at its upper end to one of the bars I0, by means of a clamping plate 23 whose upper end is flanged to overlie the upper edge of the bar I0, and which is provided with a pair of slots through which

guide screws

24 and 25 extend, the screws being driven into the bar I3. A lever 26 has a. camming disc portion 21 formed thereon and rotatably supported by the screws 25.

Lugs

28 and 29 are struckup from the plate 23 in position to be engaged by the edge of the camming disc 21. It will be seen that when the lever 26 is oscillated it will eiect 5 movement of the plate 23 into and out of clamping engagement with the bar I0. The bar I3 is connected in a similar manner to one of the bars II, the clamp at that point being actuated by a lever 30 which corresponds to the

lever

26, and 10 another similar clamping connection is provided between the bar I2 and the other bar I0, the lastnamed clamp being operated by a lever 3l.

Connection between the bar I2 and one of the bars I I is eiiected by a clamp 32 which, as shown 15 more clearly in Fig. 4, has a portion 33 extending beneath and to the outer side of the bar II, and a rearwardly-extending portion 34 which is extended at 35 to the rear side of the bar I2. A thumb screw 36 is carried by the element 33 for 20 holding the bars II and I2 in clamped engagement. It will be seen that the clamp 32 can be placed in position readily at any point, without sliding it from the extreme end of one of the bars Il, since a simple horizontal movement will bring the

parts

34 and 35 into embracing engagement with the bar I2, and a simple vertical movement will bring the part 33 into embracing engagement with the bar II.

The clamping elements are preferably of metal, and the frame bars preferably formed of wood.

The bars I0, II, I2 and I3 have longitudinallyextending grooves whose walls are undercut, or which are of somewhat more than 180 in curvature, for the reception of curtain-gripping elements 31, which may be made of either wood or metal, but preferably formed of wood. Each element 31 has a partially cylindrical portion 38 that is slidable in the groove and can oscillate or tilt therein. A lever 39 is pivotally connected to 40 the member 31 and has a camming surface formed on its inner end so that when said lever is turned from the position shown in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. '1, the linger-like extensions 40 of the gripping device will be brought 45 into engagement with an edge of a curtain.

The gripping members 31 can be cheaply made by shaping a long wooden bar so that in cross section it will correspond to the contour of the members 31 as viewed in Figs. '7 and 8. There- 50 after the bar can be moved transversely against gang saws to form slots for the reception of the levers 39. The bar can then be moved against other gang saws which will divide it transversely into a plurality of elements 31, after which the levers 39 can be inserted and pivot pins or nails 4| driven into place to connect the levers to the gripping elements.

I claim as my invention:

1. A curtain stretcher comprising frame bars held in assembled relation and provided with undercut grooves extending longitudinally thereof, gripping elements having enlarged projections extending into saidv grooves and slidable longitudinally thereof, and camming devices operable to rock the said gripping devices into position to grip and hold the curtain against the said bars.

2. A curtain stretcher comprising frame barsl Y i held in assembled relation and provided with undercut grooves extending longitudinally thereof, gripping elements having enlarged projections extending into said grooves and slidable longitudinally thereof, curtain-gripping extensions on said elements, other extensions formed thereon and projecting oppositely to the first-named extensions, and camming levers positioned in the second-named extensions for engagement with the adjacent faces of the side bars whereby upon operation of the levers the gripping elements will be rocked to cause the first-named extensions to grip and hold a curtain against the said bars.

JOHN F. LIZAK.