US543644A

US543644A - Lace-curtain stretcher

Info

Publication number: US543644A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 1912-07-30

Description

(No Model.)

J. 0. GHENOWETH. LAGB CURTAIN STRETOHBR.

No. 543,644. Patented July 30, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

JOSEPH O. OHENOWETH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LACE-CU RTAIN STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,644, dated July 30, 1895.

Application filed November 19, 1894- Serial No. 529,250. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH O. OHENOWETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lace-Curtain Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

wherein Figure l is a view illustrating a portion of my improved stretcher in operative position. Fig. 2 is a rear view of one of the clasps,and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the hook or prong bylwhich the clasp is secured to the frameral This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in stretchers for lace curtains and similar articles, and more particularly to the clasp by which the edges of the curtain are detachably secured to the rails of the stretcherframe.

The objects of theinvention are to provide a stretcher-frame with a number of clasps, which are slidingly strung on a rod or wire arranged longitudinally the frame rails, which clasps are provided with suitable means of attachment to the rails, and which clasps are in the form of grippers, between whose jaws the curtain is clamped without perforation or mutilation.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the combination with a padded rail, in front of which is arranged a rod or wire, and upon which rod or wire are strung a number of clasps, each being provided with a hook or prong for insertion into the pad at diflerent points along the length of the rail, so as to adjust themselves to the different designs of the curtains to be stretched. Other minor features reside in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A indicates one of the frame-rails of the stretcher, the face of which is padded, as shown. Arranged in front of this padded rail, preferably near its lower edge to suit the form of clasp used, is a rod or wire B, which is secured to said rail at its ends in any suitable manner. Strung on this wire B are clasps O, of any suitable construction, the form shown in the drawings consisting of two parts joined together by a'torsional spring, whose ends embrace the jaws of the clasp to hold them yieldingly together. The rod or wire B, when this form of clasp is used, passes through the torsional spring. On one of the members of a jaw of this clasp is arranged a hook or prong D, which is adapted to be inserted in the pad on the rail to hold the clasp in position during the operation of stretching and drying the curtain clamped between the jaws. This hook is, preferably, of the formshown in Fig. 3, where the shank (1 passes through the jaw of the clasp, is then bent around said jaw to the front, and, finally, formed with an eye which encircles the base of the hook. This construction secures rigidity; but I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the exact manner of attachment of hook D, nor, for that matter, to the particular shape of said hook, as there are many forms which could as advantageously be used without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

The advantages of a stretcher as illustrated in the drawings are many, among which may be mentioned the following: The fasteners are adjustable along the length of the rail. Therefore they may be adapted to the special shape of the edge of the curtain to be stretched. The fasteners, when attached to the curtain, are individually adjustable outwardly, whereby the curtain may be stretched more at one place than another. The fastener does not perforate nor mutilate the curtain, the recesses in'the jaws receiving the selvage or braided edge without tearing. The fasteners are not liable to be -misplaced,but are always present in operative position on the rail.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lace curtain stretcher, the combination with a padded rail, of a rod or wire arranged longitudinally thereon, clasps strung on said rod or wire, and hooks on the clasps whereby they may be attached to the padded rail by inserting the hook in the pad, sub stantially as described.

2. In a lace curtain stretcher the combination with a padded rail, of spring claspsformed of two jaws having a broad gripping surface,

signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 15th day of November, 1894:.

JOSEPH O. OHENOWE'lI-I.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, HUGH K. WAGNER.