Abstract:
Puller including a plurality of pivoted members carrying gripper members for gripping members for securely gripping a mat, pad, carpet or the like for aiding in movement and placement thereof.

Description:
[0001]    Priority is claimed based upon U.S. Provisional Patent application 61/855,000, filed on May 6, 2013. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Mats, pads, carpets and other types of floor coverings formed of light to heavy weight materials, for example, fabric, rubber, plastic, plywood and the like have many uses. Examples include tarpaulins for covering baseball infields, yoga mats, Olympic size floor exercise mats, and heavy rubber, or rubber-like, mats for lining the floor of cages in zoos, or the floor in trailers or vans for transporting horses or other large animals, or floors of stables, or pathways in barns for protecting horse&#39;s and other animal&#39;s hooves from injury caused by cement or other hard surfaces. Rubber mats of this type, in somewhat standard sizes, can vary in thickness between ¼″ and ¾″ and weigh between 40 and 100 pounds. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]    It can be very difficult to move or drag heavy flooring materials, particularly those of large square footage, from one location to another because of the weight and the friction involved. The present invention comprises a puller device and provides an apparatus for securely grasping a mat, or pad, or carpet, or tarpaulin, or plywood, or similar sheet material, to assist a person or persons to pull or drag such articles into, or from, a particular location. One useful process involves removing heavy rubber mats, or pads, from a horse van or horse stall for purposes of periodically cleaning the mat or pad. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a puller comprised of a pair of generally rectangular, inner and outer frames having a plurality of grippers secured thereto for grasping and holding sheet material. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the puller of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the puller shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of the puller shown in  FIG. 1  with the grippers in an open position. 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a puller. 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the puller of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of the puller shown in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  is a aide elevation view of the puller shown in  FIG. 5  with the grippers in an open position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 9  is an elevation view of an adjustable handle that can be detachably secured to the pullers shown in  FIGS. 1-8   
           [0013]      FIG. 10  is an elevation view of a third embodiment of a puller in closed position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 11  is an elevation view of a fourth embodiment of a puller shown in open position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]      FIGS. 1-4  show a first embodiment or a puller implement, generally indicated by the numeral  10 , which is useful for gripping upon and moving various sheet material in the form of a mat, or pad, or carpet, or tarpaulin, or plywood, or similar sheet material. 
         [0016]    The puller  10  is comprised of a pair of generally rectangular frames  12  and  14 . Frame  12  is slightly narrower in width than frame  14  and fits within frame  14 , as is best shown in  FIG. 3 . The frames  12  and  14  are pivotally secured to each other by pivot pins  16  and  18  to provide for relative rotation from an open position to a closed position. 
         [0017]    Inner frame  12  includes a pair of grippers in the form of spiked shoes  20  and  22  secured thereto by conventional clamps, screws or bolts which cooperate with similar spiked shoes  24  and  26  which are secured to outer frame  14  in a similar manner. Spiked shoes  20  and  22  are readily detachable from frames  12  and  14  and can be replaced by grippers having different types of gripping surfaces. 
         [0018]    Inner frame  12  also includes a handle portion  30  and outer frame  14  includes a handle portion  32 . As is best shown in  FIG. 3 , when handles  30  and  32  are pulled together, the spiked shoes  20  and  22  are closed toward spiked shoes  24  and  26  to grip or grasp a mat, pad, or carper, etc. (not shown) located there between. 
         [0019]      FIGS. 6-8  show a second embodiment of a puller implement, generally indicated by the numeral  50 , which is useful for gripping and moving various sheet material in the form of a mat, or pad, or carpet, or tarpaulin, or plywood, or similar sheet material. 
         [0020]    The puller  50  is comprised of a pair of generally rectangular frames  52  and  54 . Frame  52  is slightly narrower in width than frame  54  and fits within frame  54 , as is best shown in  FIG. 7 . The frames  52  and  54  are pivotally secured to each other by pivot pins  56  and  50  to provide for relative rotation from an open position to a closed position. 
         [0021]    Inner frame  52  includes a pair of grippers in the form of spiked shoes  60  and  62  secured thereto by conventional clamps, screws or bolts which cooperate with similar spiked shoes  64  and  66  which are secured to outer frame  54  in a similar manner. Spiked shoes  60  and  62  are readily detachable in the same manner as shoes  20  and  22  and can be replaced by grippers having different types of gripping surfaces. 
         [0022]    Inner frame  52  includes a handle portion  70  and outer frame  54  includes a handle portion  72 . As is best shown in  FIG. 7 , when handles  70  and  72  are pulled together, the spiked shoes  60  and  62  are closed toward spiked shoes  64  and  66  to grip or grasp a mat, pad, or carper, etc. (net shown) located there between. 
         [0023]    Comparing  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , and comparing  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 8  the differences between puller  10  and puller  50  will be seen wherein the side portions of frames  12  and  14  include a bent portion while the side portions of frames  52  and  54  are straight. 
         [0024]    The frames  12 ,  14 ,  52  and  54  are shown as being comprised of metal tubes preferably formed of aluminum to minimize the weight. It is to be understood however that the frames may be comprised of other materials such as wood or plastic with sufficient strength for pulling on the mats, or pads, etc., and can be formed of bar stock, or flat material, etc. 
         [0025]    As mentioned above, it is contemplated that the pullers  10  and  50  are to be used in pulling a mat, or pad, or carpet, or tarpaulin, or plywood, or similar sheet materials. The weight of these sheet materials will, of course, vary depending upon the material and size, i.e., the area and thickness. For example, a rubber mat to be used in horse vans, or stalls, or walkways can vary from about ¼ inch to about ¾ inch, or more, and may be on the order of 10 feet by 15 feet and weigh on the order of 40 to 100 pounds. 
         [0026]    As is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 7 , the frames  12  and  14 , and frames  52  and  54  are wider than their depth. It is within the scope of the invention that the distance between the handles  30  and  32  and spiked shoes or grippers  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26 , and the distance between the handles  70  and  72 , and the spiked shoes or grippers  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66  can be increased to about three feet so that the puller implements  10  and  50  can be used to grip a floor covering, mat, etc., without the need for the user to bend down toward the ground or floor. In addition, it is within the scope of the invention that the grippers or spiked shoes  20  or  60 , etc., particularly the ones adjacent the floor or ground, be provided with a thin leading edge, or thin ramp, for assisting easy insertion of the lower grippers or spiked shoes underneath the floor covering or mat without requiring the user to bend down, and without requiring manual handling of the contaminated floor covering or mat. 
         [0027]    It is also to be understood that the frames  12  and  14 , and  52  and  54  can be comprised of a plurality of parts that are secured together by different processes such as by welding, or be secured by threaded members and fasteners. 
         [0028]      FIG. 9  discloses an adjustable handle, generally indicated by the numeral  80 , and includes a hand grip portion  82  which is, preferably, wide enough to be gripped by two hands of a person using the device, approximately six inches wide and having an open space  83  of about three inches deep. 
         [0029]    Handle  80  is comprised of a pair of hollow shafts  84  which receive therein slidable shafts  65  each which carries a spring leaded button  86  which can be positioned in a series of openings  87  for adjusting the length of handle  80 , preferable up to about four feet in length so that the user can work from a standing position. Shaft  85  san be provided with a removable pin  88  and/or a threaded end  89  for fixedly connecting handle  80  to socket members secured to frames  12  and  14 , and frames  70  and  72 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 10  is a modified form of a frame member  90  comprised of a pair of U-shaped members  91  and  92  which are pivotally connected together by a pair of pins  93 . Each of a pair of shafts  88 , of handles  80 , are secured in tubular socket members  94  on the respective U-shaped members  91  and  92  by removable pins  88 . Free end portions of U-shaped members  91  and  93  are each provided with a pair of matching gripper members  20 ,  22  and  24 ,  26 . When the hand grip portions  82 , of the pair of handles  80  are brought together, gripper member  20 ,  22  and  24 ,  26  make a secure purchase upon a mat, pad, carpet or tarpaulin disposed between the gripper members. 
         [0031]      FIG. 11  shoos a further embodiment of a puller, generally indicated by the numeral  100 , and comprised of a pair of handles  102  and  104  pivoted together at  106 . The free ends of handles  103  and  104  may foe secured in sockets  94  for carrying a frame member  90 , as in  FIG. 10 , or may each have a gripper member  108 , similar to grippers  20  and  22  secured thereto. In addition, a thin slider or tong  110  is secured to handle  102 , or directly to a gripper member  108 , or likewise to the frame members in  FIGS. 1-10 , for sliding under a mat, pad or carpet, etc., to be readily slid into position between the respective gripper members carried by the various handles and frame members. 
         [0032]    The disclosed embodiments and variations thereof are considered to be examples of devices in accord with the invention as defined by the appended claimed subject matter.