US717040A - Combined tack-driver and carpet-stretcher. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 7l7,040. Patented Dec. 30, I902.

E. SMITH.

COMBINED TACK DRIVER AND CARPET STRETGHER.

(Application filed Sept. 25, 1901.)

(No Model.)

n4: Norms FEVER; w, nuormrruo. wunwmovu 0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD SMITH, OF AROOLA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'IO PHILIP M. BAY, OF AROOLA, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED TACK-DRIVER AND CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,040, dated December 30, 1902,

Application filed September 25,1901. Serial No. 76,545. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arcola, in the county of Douglas and State of Illinois, 5 have invented a new and useful Combined Tack-Driver and Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in devices employed for the stretching I of carpets and the driving of securing-tacks therein, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this class by which the carpet may be more effectively stretched.

A further object is to provide an improved I device of the class in which the tacks may be accurately fed one by one from a magazine to a driving-point and delivered at thedriving-point in proper position beneath a hammer-rod.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined tack-driver and carpet-stretcher constructed and arranged in accordance .with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the lower portion of the same.

elevation of the same. Fig. 4B is a sectional plan view of the device on the-line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar view on theline 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of the slide for governing thedischarge of tacks from the magazine. 7

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

10 designates a standard or operating-handle of convenient length to be grasped and operated by a person standing in an erect position. Secured to the lower end of the standard is a tack-guiding hopper 11, terminating at its lower end in a comparatively sharp operating-toe 12, which is adapted to engage the floor of the room to assist in stretching the carpet. These two parts are strongly and rigidly secured together, so that considerable force may be exerted without strain or break- Fig. 3 is a front age. At the sides of the hopper are ears 13, to which are pivoted one end of a pair of links 14, the lower ends of which are connected pivotally to a foot-piece 15, as shown in Fig. 1. At the forward end of the foot-piece is ashoe 16, having in its forward face a notch or recess for the reception of the lower end of the hopper, and on the under side of this shoe are a seriesof carpet-engaging teeth 17, the sharpened engaging ends of which are bent forwardly in order to more firmly grip the carpet. The shoe is provided with a socket 18 for the reception of the end of the footpiece, so that a single screw, as 19, is all that is necessary tobind the parts together. At the sides of the shoe are upwardly-projecting spring-wire fingers 20, having hooked ends 21, adapted to pass over the links 14 and prevent excessive movement of the foot-piece. 7o

At the same time these fingers are adapted .to frictionally embrace the sides of the operating-handle when the foot-piece is folded up flat against said handle, sothat the parts may be held in inoperative position when desired. At the bottom of the magazine 22, which is in the form of an elongated chute, is placed, a slide 23, substantially rectangular in form and having its rear face guided in a slot 24:,

in which slot it is held by the rear face of the So magazine.

The forward face of the slide is provided with a slot extending at an angle of thirty degrees tothe vertical lineof the magazine and so arranged that its open upper end will normally be in line with the openslot of the magazine and will receive therefrom the lowermost of the tacks. One wall of the slide will at all times extend across the magazineslot and prevent the escape of a tack or tacks until the action of the hammer-rod, the move- 0 hopper and there held between the lower portion of the hopper and a small plate-spring 27 and in position to be engaged by the lower end of the hammer-rod 28. The hammer-rod 28 is guided within a suitable opening extending through the handle and at its upper end is provided with a suitable operat-' there provided with a cam-shaped end 34,

' the foot-piece 15.

adapted to pass through an opening 35 in the handle and to be engaged by the hammerrod. When the operating-knob of the hammer-rod has been withdrawn to a distance sufficient to elevate the lower end of the hammer-rod above the cam 35, the passage of the hammer-rod from contact with said cam will cause a movement of the operating-slide 23 to the position shown in Fig. 3, permitting the tack, which has been held in the inclined slot of said slide, to fall from the magazine into proper position'at the lower end of the hopper 11'. -On the downward movement of the hammer-rod the engagement of its lower end with the cam 35 will operate, through the arm 30, to move the governing-slide to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 6 and by dotted lines in Fig. 3, permitting the next lowermost tack in the magazine to enter said slot in readiness to be discharged on the next movement of the slide. The hammer-rod is driven down with sufficient force to drive the tack from contact with the holding-spring 27, so that the device may be readily moved to a new position.

In operation the teeth 17 are engaged at the edge of the carpet by the pressure of the foot on The upper end of the operating-handle 10 is moved rearwardly to any desired extent, so as to cause a separation of the toe 12 and the shoe 16, the toe 12 being firmly pressed against the floor. The operator then moves the handle in a forward direction, the toe 12 forming a fulcrum-point and the shoe 16 stretching the carpet toward said toe. Several successive movements may be made before a tack is driven, the carpet being held in the stretched position by the weight of the operator until fully stretched, after which a tack may be driven by the hammerrod. The action may be reversed when desired and the teeth 17 be engaged in the floor, while the toe 12 engages in the carpet.

Various modifications in the form and proportions of the device herein described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- I In a device of the class specified, the combination of the operating-handle 10, a hammerrod guided in said handle, a stationary tackhopper carried by the lower portion of the handle and havinga guiding-opening for the reception of the lower portion of the hammerrod, said hopper being provided near its upper end with a substantially horizontal shoulder for engaging and turning the tacks fed thereto, a spring carried by the rear portion of the hopper and adapted to engage and hold the tacks in position below the hammer-rod, a stationary slotted tack-magazine secured to the front of the handle and terminating at a point slightly above the shoulder, a guiding groove disposed in the handle at a point to the rear of the magazine, a horizontally-reciprocating slide fitting around said magazine and having its rear face adapted to fit within said guiding-groove, the front portion of said slide being provided with an inclined slot disposed between the lower end of the magazine and the tack-engaging shoulder for governing the discharge of tacks from the magazine, a pivoted lever carried by the handle and having one end in engagement with said reciprocating slide and provided at its opposite end with a cam projecting through an opening in the side of the handle, said handle forming a stop for limiting the extent of movement of the lever and slide in one direction and a spring normally tending toforce the cam end of said lever toward the side of the handle, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD SMITH.

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