A New or Improved Carpet Stretcher.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
A New or Improved Carpet Stretcher.
I WILLIAM MCCANN, of Tyrconnell House, Inchicore, in the County of
Dublin, Contractor, a communication from Jeremiah Murphy, of 98 Franklin
Street, Chicago U.S.A. Agent, 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 :-
My invention relates to a new or improved carpet stretcher, and has for its
object a means whereby carpets or the like can be pulled or stretched tightly
across a room, in an easy and efficient manner, and consists essentially as
follows:-
A rack is employed having formed at one end a bar at right angles to it, said
bar having a number of teeth, hooks, or the like for the purpose of securely holding
the carpet.
This rack works in a guide consisting preferably of a bottom and two uprights
and closed at one end.
At a suitable position on the uprights of this guide is pivoted a lever provided
with a swinging pawl. At the back of this lever (ie. the side nearer the closed
end) is a detent also pivoted in the uprights, to prevent the rack from slipping
back after being pressed forward.
At the open end of the guide is pivoted a piece of metal of suitable length, to
the end of which is attached a spike.
In operation this spike is pressed into the flooring, the toothed or hooked end of
the rack engaging with the carpet.
The lever is then forced backwards and forwards, causing the pawl to press the
rack forward which in turn pulls on the carpet, thus stretching same to the
required extent. The whole may be made of iron, steel, brass, or of other suitable
metal.
In order that the nature of my invention may be clearly understood, I
procced to further describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is side elevation, and
Fig. 2 plan of my improved apparatus.
The rack a is provided with cross bar 6 having hooks or teeth c c thereon to hold
the carpet.
To the guide d is attached lever e, to the lower end of which is pivoted pawl f
gearing with rack a. Behind this pawl f is another pawl or detent g pivoted in
the guide to prevent backward movement of the carpet after it has been dragged
forward towards its required position by means of hooks or teeth c on cross bar b
operated by up and down movement of lever e, causing pawl f to engage with
teeth of rack a at each movement of such lever.
To securely hold the apparatus in position the spike hou rod i is driven into the
floor where the appliance is in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
CLAIM.

page_text: bar 6 having hooks or teeth c operated by pawls ƒ and g in connection with
lever e and guide d, with fastening spike h on rod i, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before set forth and described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 31st day of May 1895.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.