Improved Fastener for Stair Carpets.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1897-Accepted, 17th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Fastener for Stair Carpets.
We, CHRISTIAN GOTTLOB TRIESLER, of 2522 Canton Avenue, in the City of
Baltimore, State of Maryland and United States of America, Manufacturer, and
ROBERT CHARLES BURNS of 1720 Canton Avenue, in the City of Baltimore, State
of Maryland and United States of America, Custom House Inspector, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to an improved fastener for stair-carpets. The object of
the invention is to provide an improved hinged arm to press the carpet into the
angles formed by the stair-riser and stair-tread, and combine the same with a
pivoted cam which will keep said arm in its position while the latter holds the
carpet.
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The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a stair-way showing the carpet-
fastener applied on one step and holding the carpet.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device showing the hinged arm in its normal
position for holding the carpet.
Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the hinged arm thrown back to the position
it must take when the carpet is being laid, or taken up.
Figures 4 and 5 show elevations of the device from two sides.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of portion of a stairway in section and shows a
modified form of the carpet fastener applied to the carpet in the angle of the
riser and tread of one step.
Figures 7 and 8 are plan and side views, respectively, of the modified form of
fastener.
The letter, A, designates a base plate which here is an angle-plate one side, b,
of which has holes for screws, c, which attach the plate to the stairway. An
arm, D), is secured by a hinged-joint e, to the angle-plate, so as to swing. In the
form of device shown in Figures 1 to 5, the face part of this arm which is pressed
against the carpet, has serrations or a rough surface, f, which keeps the carpet
from slipping. This swinging arm has a lateral curved member, g, which
terminates in a rearward-projecting end, g¹. In the present instance, when the
arm, D, swings back, this curved member with the rear end moves immediately
above, or over, the side, h, of the angle-plate,-in other. words it moves in a plane
parallel with said side, h.
A cam, I, is secured to the side, h, of the angle-plate by a pivot, j: this cam has
at one side a curved edge, k, which is eccentric to said pivot, and also has a short
projecting arm, l, by means of which the thumb and fingers of the hand may move
the cam.
When the carpet-pressing arm, D, is turned to the position for holding
the carpet, as in Figures 2 and 4, the eccentric curved edge of the cam may be
brought to bear on the rear end, g¹, of said arm, and thereby will keep the serrated
face, f, of the arm pressed against the carpet, m. As the cam-edge, k, which at this
time bears on the rear end, g¹, is eccentric with respect to the pivot, j, it will be
readily understood that by forcing the cam to turn a little further, it will bear
harder on the rear end, g¹, and thus the serrated face, f, will be pressed harder

page_text: against the carpet. The cam, I, it will be seen, serves as a tightening device
co-acting with the carpet-pressing arm, D.
A suitable spring is employed to act on the cam and keep the latter to its
position when it is pressing the rear end, g¹. Any kind of spring and arranged in
any preferred way may be employed for this purpose. In the present instance a
thin plate-spring, n, is secured by a screw to the side, d, of the angle-plate; the
The cam, I, is provided
free end of this spring projects toward the hinged arm, D.
with a pin, o, and when the eccentric edge, k, is against the rear end, g', the said
plate-spring will be pressing against the pin, and the pressure of this spring will
keep the cam tightly against the said rear end. When the cam, I, is turned
in the opposite direction, as in Figure 3, the spring, n, releases its pressure from
the pin, o, and the hinged arm, D, may then be turned back, or away from the
stair-riser, and its member g, will lap over the side, h, of the angle-plate.
From this description it will be seen that if two devices of this construction be
secured to each step, one at or near one end of the step, and the other at or near
the opposite end of the step,-as shown in Figure 1, the two arms, D, may be
swung to a position over the carpet and confine or fasten the carpet.
The modified form of device shown in Figures 6 to 8 differ from the form shown
in Figures 1 to 5 only in the shape of the swinging arm, D¹. This modified form
is designed to be secured to the side running-board, p, of the stairway, instead of
the step, and the swinging arm is to point diagonally down and the extremity of
the arm press the carpet in the angle formed by the stair-riser and tread as seen
in Figure 6.
All the parts of this modified form which are like the other are designated by
the same letters of reference, and a repetition here of their description is
unnecessary.
The swinging arm, D¹, in this case is longer and it has a curve or angle-bend, q,
near its extremity: this bent end is better adapted to take into the angle of the
step when the arm swings in a diagonal plane, as it does, relative to the riser and
the tread.
From this description and the drawing the operation of this modified arm will
be understood.
It is obvious that details of construction or shape of the parts may be modified
or altered from that shown, and still retain the essential features of
my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In a fastener for stair-carpets, the combination of a base-plate; a carpet
pressing arm hinged to said base-plate and having a lateral member with a rea
end and a cam pivoted to the base-plate and having an edge curved eccentrically
with respect to its pivot-said curved edge serving to bear on said rear end and
thereby tighten the arm against the carpet.
2. In a fastener for stair-carpets, the combination of a base-plate: a carpet
fastening arm hinged to the said base-plate and having a lateral member with
rear end a cam pivoted to the base-plate and having an edge curved eccentricall
with respect to its pivot-said curved edge serving to bear on said rear end an
thereby tighten the arm against the carpet; and a spring acting on the said car
to keep its curved edge pressed against the said rear end of the lateral member.
Ta thin nd day of May 1807
CHRISTIAN GOTTLOB TRIESLER.
ROBERT CHARLES BURNS.