US419979A - Frank - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

' F. O. TBOWBRIDGE.

CARPET $TRETGHER. No. 419,979. Patented Jan. 21, 1890.

WITNES ES: m lNVENTQB v ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK. O. TROW' BRIDGE, OF SYRACUSE, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARTIN J. MARA, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,979, dated January 21, 1890. Application filed April 8, 1889. Serial No. 305,897. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK. O. TROWBRIDGE, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Stretchcrs, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of carpet-stretchers in which a foot-board armed with teeth adapted to engage the carpet is operated by a lever coupled to the said board; and my invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, constituting a simple, inexpensive, and very con- Venient and most .eiiicient carpet-stretching device, as hereinafter fully described and specitically claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of myimproved carpet-stretcher. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the foot-board; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line a: to, Fig. 3.

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a wooden board. The front edge I protect by a metallic facing c. To the under side of said board I attach wire rods d d d, and preferably countersink them in the board so as not to unduly wear the carpet. The front ends of these wire rods project through the metallic facing c, and are thereby sustained laterally, while the rear ends thereof are bent at right angles and are inserted vertically in the board A, and are thus prevented from turning. To the central portions of the side edges of the board I attach eyebolts or screweyes t, on which I hang the wire bail b, the central portion of which is extended over the board A.

L represents a lever by which the stretcher is operated. Said lever is armed with a spike f at its lower end, so as to enable it to retain a secure hold in the floor during the operation of the carpet stretcher, and a short distance above the lower end of the lever the hook h is attached to its side, 011 which hook the central portion of the bail is hung during 5 the operation of the stretcher, said bail being readily detached from the hook when the carpet-stretcher is not in use.

c 6 denote two spurs, which are formed in one piece with a cross-bar e. Said spurs are hinged closely to the rear face of the board A by means of staples Z Z, driven into the board and embracing the bar 6 at its junctions with the spurs c e, as illustrated in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings.

The close hinged connection of the spurs e e to the rear of the board A, with the bail Z) connected to the central portions of the side edges of the board, is a very important fea ture of my invention, inasmuch as it allows the operator to adjust the spurs into their operative positions by merely a pressure of the operators foot alternately on top of the front and rear portions of the board A, as hereinafter explained.

My improved carpet-stretcher is operated as follows: The foot-board'A is placed upon the portion of the carpet to be stretched. The lever L, connected to the bail b, is placed with its spike f on the floor in front of the board A, and with the upper end of the lever inclined rearward. Then by the pressure .of the operators foot upon the top of the front portion of the board and slightly pushing the top of the lever forward the board is tilted forward, which action is allowed by the connection of the bail b with the central portion of the side edge of the board and'by the bail passing over the top of the front of the board.

By tilting the board as aforesaid the front ends of the wire rods (Z d cl are caused to engage the carpet. Then by pressing the up per end of the lever L farther forward the aforesaid board is drawn toward the foot of the lever, and thus the carpet is stretched. During the stretching operation the operator presses with his foot upon the board, so as to tilt it slightly rearward and thereby prevent the teeth or rods (Z d d from engaging the floor. During the said movement of the stretcher the spurs e e drag behind the board. Then after the carpet has been stretched, as aforesaid, the operator presses again on the front portion of the board, and thereby tilts said board, so as to raise the rear end thereof sufliciently to allow the spurs e e to stand erect. Then the operator by pressing his foot upon the rear portion of the board the aforesaid spurs are forced into the floor, and the board A is thus retained in its position.

Another salient feature of my invention is its simplicity of construction, the board A being easily formed of a plain piece of tirnber, the metallic facing being easily tacked onto the front thereof, the spurs e e being easily bent from a piece of Wire. The staples Z Z are readily driven into the board to hinge the spurs thereon. The screw eyes it are likewise easily applied to the side edges of the board, and the bail h is easily bent out of a piece of Wire and hooked onto the aforesaid sorew-eyes. Y

My improved carpet-stretcher is also adapted to be folded in a neat and compact inanner, ie fim w a t bai b s ead y m ieie'ked from el ve L- errin hus es be m invent n, I Claiman article of manufacture, a carpetinserted vertically in the said bo ard,'the bail I), hung on "the central portions of the side edges of the board and extending over the front thereof, the lever L, connected to said hail, the spurs e 6, formed in one piece with the cross-bar e, and the staples l 1, attached to the rear face of the board and embracing the'har a at its junctions with the spurs e e and hinging the said spurs close to the board, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed m name t th d yi Mar h-1889.-

K-.1 TB WDGE- e -1 Witnesses:

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