Patent CA-2004272-A1 (CA)
Title: Carpet stretching apparatus, securing member for free end of line member for traction used for stretching carpet and method for stretching carpet
Inventor: MATSUSHITA KATSUMI
IPC: F16G11/00
Filed: 1989-11-30
Abstract: ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE    A carpet stretching apparatus in accordance with the present invention cornprises:          ?     a base:         ?     a plurality of pins projecting downward from a lower surface of said base;          ?     a drum rotatably attached to and above said base and having holding means for holding a line member for traction on its peripheral surface;    ? a line member for traction having first and second ends and a middle part,  in which said first and second ends are not positioned on the peripheral surface of said drum and said first end should be fixed to an ending side of a carpet; put on a floor and said middle part is rolled round the peripheral surface of said drum and held by said holding means;    ? a lever for operation for rotating the drum, which is reciprocally rotated between a first direction in which the first end of the line member for traction is drawn toward the apparatus and an opposed direction to said first direction, that is, a second di:rection;    ? switching means for switching transmission of rotation from said lever to said drum in which in a first switch position, rotation of the lever in the first. direction is transmitted to the drum but rotation in the second direction is not transmitted to the drum and in a second switch position,  rotation of the lever in the first direction is not transmitted to the drum but the rotation in the second direction is transmitted to the drum; and ? reversal preventing means for preventing the drum from rotating in the second direction by tension between the first end of the line member for traction and the drum when the rotation of the lever in the second direction is not transmitted to the drum at the first switch position of the switching means in accordance with ?.     The apparatus in accordance with the present invention is used in such a manner that it is put on a carpet with its starting side fixed to a floor on which the carpet is to be spread, the pins are stuck into the carpet to fix the apparatus to the carpet.  At the same time, the first end of the line member for traction is fixed to a position on an ending side of the carpet on the floor.  Thereafter, the switching means of the lever for operation is brought to its first switch position and the lever is reciprocally rotated to draw the first end of said line member for traction toward the apparatus, whereby the apparatus is drawn toward the ending side of the carpet to extend the carpet.  When the chain is returned to original place, the switching means of the lever for operation is brought to the second switch position and the lever is reciprocally rotated, whereby the first end of the line member for traction is drawn out of the apparatus in the forward direction.    In this way,  it is possible to move the line member for traction in two opposite directions by reciprocally rotating the lever in the first switch position and also reciprocally rotating the lever in the second switch position, so that operation of stretching a carpet using this apparatus and operation of returning the line member for traction to an original position can be performed only by operation of the lever.    Another apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a base, a plurality of pins having sharp ends and projecting from a lower surface of the base, a drum pivotably supported to an upper part of the base, an operating member for operating the drum, arranged at the drum, reversal preventing means for preventing reversal of the drum, and a line member for traction having one end fixed to the drum and the other free end which approaches the drum by rotation of the drum.     When the carpet is stretched by the above-described carpet stretching apparatus,  first, the pins projecting from the base are stuck into the middle or ending side of the carpet whose starting side is fixed to the floor by the same method as conventional.  Then, the free end of the line member for traction is fixed to an appropriate place before the ending side of the carpet.  In this state, since the line member for traction has one end fixed to the drum and the other end fixed ahead of it, when the drum is rotated,  the line member for traction is rolled round the drum, with the result that the drum and the carpet stretching apparatus are drawn forward.   Since the starting side of the carpet is fixed to the floor and the middle part or the ending side of the carpet is held by the pins of the carpet stretching apparatus  when the carpet stretching apparatus is drawn forward, the carpet is correspondingly stretched.   In this case,  since the reversal preventing means prevents the drum from rotating reversely, the carpet is kept stretched.