AN IMPROVED CARPET FASTENER
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Edwards of the firm of Edwards and Co :-
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 40 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of AN IMPROVED CARPET
FASTENER, Communicated to him from abroad by James Allen Wilmot, of
Riverside, in the County of Albert, in the Province of New Brunswick.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st August 1882.
"
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co:- Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, "AN IMPROVED CARPET FASTENER [Communicated to him from
abroad by James Allen Wilmot, of Riverside, in the County of Albert, in the
Province of New Brunswick.]
This invention has for its object a novel device for the purpose of holding the
edge of carpets by means of a fastening secured to the floor in proper position to
receive such edge. The novel device consists of a clasp fastening composed of two
jaw plates connected together by a hinge joint and having their inner surfaces
provided with teeth or spikes. The lower jaw plate is secured to the floor
horizontally by screws or other convenient means, and a spring is fixed to its back
acting upon the upper hinged jaw plate in such manner that it retains the latter in
either an open or closed position as may be desired.
The edge of the carpet being impaled upon the tooth or teeth or spikes projecting
upward from the lower jaw plate, the upper plate is turned down upon it, its tooth
or teeth also penetrating the carpet and retaining the latter upon the floor. The
back edge of the lower plate is formed with a post or standard notched or bent at
its upper end to receive the upper plate which has a hole through it so arranged
that when passed over the top of the post its edge fits into the notch in the latter,
a hinge being thus formed round which the upper plate can turn, and the two
plates being retained in their proper position as described by means of a flat spring
71 .

page_text: the lower end of which is attached to the lower plate whilst its upper end exerts
an inward pressure against the end of the upper jaw, which is cut square so that
the pressure of the spring will keep the jaws closed, and when the jaws are forcibly
opened the spring is bent. back until the upper jaw plate is vertical, in which
position it is also retained by the spring. When in this position, the edge of the
carpet is inserted and the upper jaw is then closed down, the teeth impaling the
carpet and holding it firmly when laid upon the floor. The point of the tooth on
the lower plate enters a recess or hole in the upper plate when the latter is closed.
The clasps described may be made of any ornamental design, and are intended to
be secured permanently to the floor in proper position at suitable distances apart,
their square back ends allowing them to be placed close against the skirting or
base board of the room, whilst when so placed they are almost hidden from view.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Edwards in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1883.
"
EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co-Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 40, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex "AN IMPROVED CARPET FASTENER (A communication to me from
abroad by James Allen Wilmot, of Riverside, in the County of Albert, in the
province of New Brunswick)
This invention has for its object to hold a carpet removably by a fastening
secured to the floor in proper position to receive the edge of the carpet, and the
invention consists of a clasp fastening composed of two jaw-plates, each having
teeth, and connected by a hinge joint, actuated by a spring to keep the upper jaw
opened or closed, whereby the lower jaw on being secured to the floor by screws or
other fastening the upper jaw springs down over or upon the edge of the carpet
impaled on the teeth, and retains the carpet on the floor.
In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows my improved fastener with the
jaws open to receive the edge of the carpet.
Figure 2 shows the fastener with the jaws closed as when clasping the carpet.
Figure 3 is a view of the jaws detached to show construction.
Figure 4 is a rear view of the fastener, the jaws opened, to show the spring at
the back.
A is the lower jaw of the fastener, having holes B, to secure the fastener to the
floor by screws or nails, and is provided with a prong or tooth C, on which to
impale the carpet at the edge. The rear edge is formed with a post or standard D,
nicked or bent at the top to receive the upper jaw E, having a perforation F to
receive the inserted end of the post, and form a hinged connection by the heel of
the jaw fitting into the nick or bend of the post, and in such position is retained
by a rectangularly bent flat spring G, one end confined to the lower jaw
by any suitable means, and the other end exerting an inward pressure against the
squarely cut end of the upper jaw, so that the tension of the spring will keep the
jaws closed, and also when the jaws are forcibly opened the spring will be forced
back, until the upper jaw is in alignment with the spring when its pressure will
keep the jaw erect, as shewn in figure 1, to allow of the edge of the carpet being
inserted, which done, the jaw is then closed down, the teeth impaling the carpet and
holding it firmly down when laid on the floor, and the point of the tooth C, entering
a recess or hole H, in the under side of the jaw E.
The clasps are made of any ornamental design and are intended to be secured
permanently to the floor in proper position at suitable distances apart, the square
end at the rear admitting of the clasps being placed close against the skirting or
base board of a room, and when so placed are almost hidden from view.
I claim as my invention :-
As an improved article of manufacture, a carpet fastener, composed of the lower
plate-jaw A, having a tooth C, and provided with holes B, or prongs to secure the
fastener to the floor, and hinged by post or standard D or other contrivance to an
upper jaw-plate E, provided with teeth H, or other suitable means for retaining the
carpet, and a spring G, to retain the jaws either opened or closed as set forth for
the purpose described.
In witness whereof I, the said Edmund Edwards have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 28th day of February in the year of our Lord 1883.