US2961215A - Stretching tool - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 22, 1960 c. SCHROEDER 2,961,215

swas'rcamc TOOL Filed July 1, 1957 INVENTOR Charles fi'chroeder ZZTTORNEY United States Patent F STRETCHING TOOL Charles Schroeder, Flushing, NY. 901 E. 135th St., Bronx, N.Y.)

Filed July 1, 1957, Ser. No. 669,051

4 Claims. (Cl. 254-79) This invention relates to a furniture upholstering tool and more particularly to a tool of the type intended to be used in connection with the operation of applying resilient lacing strips to furniture frames.

More particularly, this invention relates to a tool which may be used for stretching and maintaining the free end of a lacing strip to be applied to the frame of a piece of furniture preparatory to fastening the same, the other end of the strip having been previously anchored.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to a tool of the type described which may be produced at' a low 'cost and which is particularly adapted for use in con--.

junction with lacing strips of the type shown in Patent No. 2,278,903 of April 7, 1942.

Known to me are tools of the general type described, as may be exemplified by Patent No. 2,327,143 of August 17, 1943. While such tools are eflicient and useful to the professional worker in the furniture upholstering field, the recent trend toward home-craftsmanship and do it yourself projects, has created a demand for a tool which will accomplish the same results as the tool described in the aforesaid patents, yet may be so economically manufactured as to make its purchase attractive to amateur upholsterers who intend to undertake only an occasional furniture fabricating or repairing project.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a furniture upholstering tool which is adapted to be used in conjunction with the operation of stretching and maintaining lacing strips. A further object of my invention is to provide a tool of the type described which is simple of construction and may be economically manufactured.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a stretching tool of the type described which is adapted to carry out the stretching operation and to compensate for slight errors in the lateral alignment of the lacing strips, thereby assuring efficient and accurate application of the lacing strip, without special and costly jigs or appliances.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or be fully pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device, with a lacing strip in the untautened position;

Figure 2 is a magnified side elevational view of my device, maintaining a lacing strip in the tautened position;

Figure 3 is a further magnified end elevational view of my device, showing details of the lacing strip holder;

Figure 4 is a plan view of my device with the holding pin removed.

In my invention, a rigid member 10, preferably fabricated of wood or like relatively inexpensive material, is provided, of a length readily supported by the palm of the hand, having at one end a transverse cutout defining the curved branches or jaws 11 and 12. The jaws 11 and 12, at their edges, are medially, laterally grooved to "ice define end sockets 13 and 14. The opposite end 15 of the member 10 may be rounded or be bevelled as at 16 and 16a, to present a surface relatively free from sharp points likely to mar the finish of the frame 17 of a chair.

A pin 18, of steel or other metal, is adapted to be seated within the sockets 13, 14 of the jaws 11, 12.

My device is illustrated as used with lacing strips made in accordance with an embodiment covered by Patent No. 2,327,143 of August 17, 1943, but my invention should not be taken to be restricted to use with such lacing strips.

To apply a lacing strip with my device, it is merely necessary to anchor one end 19 of the strip 20 by nailing or otherwise at a desired point on one side of a frame 17 (see Figure l). The pin 18 is then passed through an appropriate loop 21 in the lacing strip 20, andthe bevel 16 positioned to abut the frame 17, with the member 10 directed angularly upward. In this position, the extended ends 22, 23 of the pin 18 may be seated in the corresponding sockets 13, 14 of the member 10.

The strip 20 is tautened by forcing the member 10 to describe a vertical arc, using the bevel edge 16- initially as the fulcrum, until the end 15 of the member 10 lies flush in abutting position against the frame 17. If more tautening is necessary, the member 10 'may be depressd' further .(see :Figure'Z), the eccentricity of the lower bevel 16a to the anchor points 13 and 14 acting as the fulcrum point for such further pivoting.

It will be readily recognized that the provision of spaced fulcrum points provides a great mechanical advantage, thereby facilitating the stretching operation, and when the end 16 is flat, at 16b, a point of temporary stability is provided to ease the labor of the stretching operation.

It has been determined that lacing strips are most efiiciently applied when they run as nearly as possible parallel to the walls forming the frame 17 and, accordingly, it has hereto been found necessary carefully to measure the points of application for the strips on the opposed walls of the frame in order to assure such parallel application. In order to overcome this need for careful measurement, I have provided a device which automatically corrects minor alignment errors, thereby assuring accurate installation.

It should be noted that the loops 21 of the strip 20 are of a size to permit easy insertion of the pin 18, sufficient clearance being allowed to permit relatively low frictional resistance to lateral sliding of the pin 18 in a loop 21. When a misaligned strip 20 is tautened as above described, an edge of the strip 20 will be forced into contact with one or the other of the curved surfaces 24 or 25 of the jaws 11 and 12, respectively.

Further swinging of the member 10 will cause the strip 20 to be cammed in a direction tending to align the strip in parallelism with the frame 17, the sliding fit of the loops 21 and pin 18 operating to facilitate shifting in the direction needed.

The jaws 11, 12 also tend to augment the grip of my device on a lacing strip by Wedging the strip between the curved portions 24, 25 thereof, thereby restraining the strip, in a measure, against untoward release.

With the strip 20 maintained by my device in the position shown in Figure 2, the unanchored end may be nailed or otherwise affixed to the frame 17. The hands may be left free to perform the fastening operation, since the member 10 may be maintained in the tautening position by contact of some portion of the body with the end 26 of the member 10.

By my construction there is provided a simple, easily used tool for applying lacing strips to furniture, which tool may be produced at a price low enough to make its purchase attractive to amateur craftsmen. My device has additional advantage of compensating for errors in 1 stripalignment, thereby obviating the need for making careful measurements, and also alfording a frictional engagement which assures ready manual manipulation 'against the'resiliency ofthe strip being applied.

While I have-described and illustrated the use of-my device with lacing strips made" in accordance with the patentsaforesaid, it may be'readily adapted by one skilled in the art for use with lacing strips or webbing of many other types and, accordingly, my-invention is to be con strued-within the broader scope of the appended claims.

'Having'thus' -described rny-invention and illustrated :'its use, what l claim-asnew and desire to secure by 1 Letters Patent is:

1. A tool for tautening and maintaining the entire 1 applied'length of' lacing stripswhen applying them to the "frame of furniture," comprising an extended rigid 1 body portion having at one endstrip folding means and strip centering means, and having at the other end a fulcrum adapted to abutsaid frame and about which said tool may beswung in a plane normal to said frame, said holding meanscomprising a pin adapted to be removably engaged with said strip and a pin seat formed on said one end of said tool.

2. A-tool for tautening and maintaining lacing strips when applying them to the frame of furniture, comprising an extended rigid body portion having at one end strip holding means and at'the other end a plurality of shoulders adapted to be sequentially abutted against said frame --to form fulcrums with leverage of increased eccentricity as said one end is pivoted in a plane normal to said frame, said holding means comprising a pin arranged to be removably engaged with said strip and a pin seat formed on said one end of said body portion.

3. A tool in accordance with claim 2 wherein said one end includes an auxiliary strip clamp member comprising inwardly directed angularly oriented portions longitudinally inwardly spaced from said one end of said body portion.

4. A tool for tautening and maintaining lacing strips when applying them to theframerof furniture, comprising an extended rigid body portion having at one end strip holding meansand at the other end a -plurality of shoulders adapted to be sequentially abutted against said frame to form fulcrums with leverage of increased eccentn'city as said one end is pivoted in a plane normal to said frame, said one end including an auxiliary strip clamp member comprising laterally inwardly curved portions longitudinally inwardly spaced from said one end of said body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,206,468 Robinson Nov. 28, 1916 1,503,314 French July-29, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS 206,222 Great Britain Nov. 1, 1923 208,474 Great Britain Dec."20,-1923

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