US2669057A - Fur pelt drier and stretcher - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 16, 1954 SCHULZ, SR 2,669,057

FUR PELT DRIER AND STRETCHER Filed June 25, 1951 INVENTOR EUGENE SCHULZ 5R.

3/ Wu)? M ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, i954 UNITED- STATES.

ATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to fur pelt dryers and stretchers and more particularly to an improvement over my prior Patent 2,534,071 issued to me on December 12, 1950, for an Adjustable Fur Pelt Dryer and Stretcher.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a fur pelt dryer and stretcher frame including a pair of longitudinally extending side rods which may be adjusted for drying and stretching different sizes of pelts and which is particularly suitable for use with mink skins and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide an adjustable fur peltdryer and stretcher which may be used by the furrier in his shop for drying, stretching and holding skins when making mink scarves, etc., and one which may also be readily adapted to be used by the fur rancher or trapper during the pelting season.

A further object ofmy invention is toprovide my fur pelt dryer and stretcher frame with longitudinally slidable hooks adj-ustably mounted on each side rod and which may be fastened" to the hind feet portions of the pelt to hold the. same in the proper position,

A, salient feature of my invention is to provide a dryer and, stretcher frame which may, be adjusted to the desired size for the pelt re.- quired and which when inserted in the pelt may then be given an additional slight adjustment as may become necessary while the dryer and stretcher is in the pelt.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple practical and reliable construction that is economical to manufacture, easy to assemble and positive in its operation.

With these and other objects in View and to the end of attaining any other advantage hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of construction and combination and arrangements of parts, hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my fur pelt dryer and stretcher and illustrating a form of my invention particularly suitable for use in the furriers shop;

Figure 2 is a transverse section through the frame, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through one of th adjustable hooks and showing in detail the manner of securing the hook to one of the side rods;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partly in section, showing further details of the adjustable hook, the section taken on the line 44 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a top plan view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating a modified form of my fur pelt dryer and. stretcher which is particularly suited' 'to be used by the fur rancher or trapper;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the type of dryer and stretcher illustrated in Figure 6, but showing a modified head portion.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein similar reference characters designate correhook [1.

tended as at H! and provided with openings into which a set screw 20 is received. The hook I! is formed from a continuous length of relatively stiff wire, and the inner end of the hook is looped at 2| to pass around the shank of the set screw 22. A washer 22 is interposed between the head of the screw 20 and one of the members l9. It should be readily apparent from the above that by tightening the set screws 20, the hooks I! may be firmly secured at any position on the side rods ll, l2.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, it is desired that the head portion l3 of the dryer and stretcher frame be rounded by curving the end portions 23 of the side rods inwardly. This is desirable in that the rounded portion 23 of the head l3 will bear against the head mounting which the furrier expertly inserts into the head and nose portion of the pelt. The adjustable head spreader I5 includes a pair of transversely extending slotted ears 24 which are positioned in an overlapped relation as particularly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. A bolt 25 is passed through the slot portions and a set screw 26 is utilized for frictionally securing the spreader at any desired position. The main spreader It is situated at the extreme tail portion of the stretcher frame and includes two pivoted links 21, each of which is externally threaded and joined by a turnbuckle 20. Each link 21 is secured to one of the side rods by means of bolt 29. The extreme tail end of each side rod is flattened at 30 and provided with an opening through which the bolt 29 passes. The inner end of each link 21 is formed with a loop 3| which receives the shank of the bolt 29, and a washer 32 is inserted over the bolt and rests on the top portion of the link loop 3 I. The elements are then firmly secured in place by tightening down on the nuts 33.

For use in the furriers shop, I also provide the tail portions of each side rod with,-thread opening 34. In using the dryer and stretcher described above, the furrier merely adjustshthe.

pelt to the siderods by utilizing the openings 34 which are provided for that purpose.- If the stretcher frame; is too tight or if itis desired to,

increase the transverse width of the frame,.the turnbuckle 20 of the spreader i5 is in a. position at the tail portion so that. it... may be' easily reached by the furrier withouthremoving ,the frame from the skin,, .and further. adjustment may be made as desired.

Referring now to the modifications illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 offthe'drawingsit will be noted that the dryerfand stretcher frames 10' are practically identical to the stretcher frame I0, except that the thread holes 34 may be eliminated and the heads l3" are modified "to make up for the lack of head mountings. The fu'r rancher or trapper is particularlyconcerned with stretching and drying the head of the animal'so that the furrier will not experience difiiculty in inserting the head mounting, artificial eyes, etc. 'I therefore provide upwardly extending portions 35 on the head l3 (Figure 6). These portions extend up into the head and nose of the animal and hold it in the desired position. The, hooks The form as illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings is identical to the form illustrated in Figure 6 with the exception of the head 13. In this instance the extensions 36 of the head l3 are not extended upwardly but are somewhat more pointed thanthe portions 23 illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. Here again the hooks l1 play an important part in securing the hind feet portions of the fur pelt. It is also to be noted that all of the bolts, set screws, etc., are provided with rounded heads so that they will not catch or tear the fur pelts during the insertion of the spreader frame into the skins.

. From theforegoing, it is believed that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily; apparent to those skilled in the art, and it wil1, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the-appendedclaim.

..Iclaim:

Ina fur pelt dryeraand -stretcher of thev comprising a-pair. of elongated siderods extend-. ing divergingly from their tailends-toward their head ends, a.- transversely disposed spreader member connecting the side rods at a point adjacent and rearwardof their head ends, and a second spreader'member connecting therods at their extreme tail ends, a pair of U-shaped clips, each clip extending around one of said side rods and having its opened end extending outwardly therefrom, a set a screw extending transversely across saidopening of ,each clip,..and. a pair of hooks, each hook having its inner endv looped about said set screw, whereby each hook is slidably and adjustably mounted to one of said side rods.

References oiteaf the file bf this at nt-;';

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,307,522 Stuhr June 24, 1919 1,363,449 Bick Dec. 28, 1920 1,755,118 Hollywood Apr. 15, 1930 2,360,718 Philbrick Oct. 17, 1944 2,534,071 Schulz et al. Dec. 12, 1950 EUGENE so HULzfsRj 1 Y

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