Year: 1896

page_text: JOHN HERBERT JAMES 25 Harberton Road Upper Holloway, London Commercial
Clerk do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a method of keeping mats, rugs, carpets and all such like
floor coverings in their proper place and position, of preventing their slipping about
and looking untidy in appearance, and, in the case of door mats more particularly,
doing away with the danger of the mat unexpectedly sliding with the foot, the minute
it is trodden upon.
One method of doing this is by the use of an article which I hereinafter designate
by the name of "The Mat Grip" and which is to be affixed to that portion of the
floor or other space where the mat or other covering is to be placed, as near the ends
of the said mats as possible.
I make the mat grip of one piece of tin, tinned iron or other suitable metal, with
three or more rows of wrought or cast tacks, or nails, of iron or other metal passing
through the piece of tin, points upwards. I fold the sides or ends of the piece of tin
underneath making them overlap slightly in the centre, that is under the middle row
of tacks, thus the heads of the tacks are held firmly between the upper and lower
layer of tin.
Sometimes I leave one of the side portions of the piece of tin wider than the other
side so as to allow of its encasing all along its edge a short piece of thin iron wire or
bar of metal, so that when this side portion is folded under as before, the edge thus
thickened falls in the centre under the middle row of tacks.
I then bend the article lengthways up the centre so as to bring the undermost
portion of the thickened edge, in the centre of the article, up to the level of the outer
sides or edges. This has the effect of making the centre row of tacks higher than the
side rows, which latter, have also lost their perpendicular position and lean slightly
outwards from the centre thus giving a firmer hold of any inat or rug which may be
placed over the grip.
Sometimes I leave the tin which forms the upper surface of the grip a little longer,
so that it may project over and be bent underneath, overlapping the side pieces which
bave already been folded under, thus binding more firmly the case which encloses the
head of the tacks or nails.
I then galvanize the mat grip so as to prevent it from rusting and also to firmly
cement the heads of the tacks to the upper and lower surfaces of tin and to fill up all
crevices where the tacks pass through the holes in the upper portion of the piece
of tin.
The mat grip is intended to be fastened to the floor or space to be covered by the
mat, rug or carpet, by means of tacks, or screws or other similar methods.
When the grips are used for ordinary door mats I fix them on the floor as near the
door posts as the length of the mat will allow, one at each end of the mat, under
the two corners nearest the door, where they are least likely to be trodden upon and
also with a view to their being out of the way when it is intended to remove the
mats temporarily.
When I use the grip for mats, rugs or carpets in the centre of a room, or not near
to any wall, the grip need only be secured to the floor by means of tacks or similar

page_text: nails, so that it may readily be taken up, out of harms way, until the carpet is relaid.
The grip gives the ho d, on the mat or rug, of several nails, whereas two nails will
suffice to keep the grip in its place.
Sometimes I vary the size and shape of the grip, also the number, position and
length of the nails and of the rows of nails, according to the services required of the
mat grip.
All that is necessary to secure mats, rugs, or carpets and such like movable floor
coverings, is to carefully lay them over the mat grip, when a gentle pressure from
one's foot will make the mat sink into its place and at the same time cause the grip to
enter the mat to the required distance.
The mats, rugs or other goods are as easily released from the grip when it is
necessary to take them up.
Dated th: 20th
An improved Means for Securing Mats, Rugs, and the like in Place.
I, JOHN HERBERT JAMES, of 25 Harberton Road, Upper Holloway, in the County
of London, Commercial Clerk, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to prevent mats, rugs, carpets, floor coverings, and
the like from slipping out of their proper positions. and in the case of door mats to
obviate the danger of their slipping with the foot when trodden upon.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I take a thin rectangular sheet of 'tin,
tinned iron, or any other suitable metal having its ends and sides in the form of flaps,
and having three or more rows of perforations in the centre portion thereof. Into
these perforations I place wrought or cast iron or other suitable metal spikes having
their blunt ends flattened. I then fold the side and end flaps of said metal plate over
upon the central perforated portion thereof, so that said sides overlap, and coming in
contact with the flattened ends of said spikes, hold them firmly in po-ition. Thus
1 form a flat metal plate having three or more rows of upwardly projecting spikes and
I make a suitable perforation at each end of this plate for the reception of a screw,
tack, nail, or the like, by means of which the said plate is fastened in the required
position on the floor or the like.
I may also form the said metal plate having on one of its sides an additional flap.
When the side and end flaps are folde over upon the heads or flattened portions of
the spikes, this additional flap is folded so as to form a tubular casing for a rod or bar
of iron, or other suitable metal, running longitudinally down the under side of the
apparatus. The plate is now built so as to form an arch having three or more rows
of spikes projecting from its convex side and being supported on the concave side by
said metal rod or bar. The side rows of spikes now being at an angle to the surface
of the metal plate. I then galvanize this apparatus so as to prevent rust, and also to
firmly cement the flattened ends of the spikes to the metal plates and fill up all
crevices at the said perforations. This apparatus I fix to the floor by means of
two screws, nails, or the like, and with the spikes pointing upwards so as to firmly
grip the under side of the mat, rug, carpet, floor covering, or the like, when the latter
is laid thereon, and hold it securely in position. These gripping devices are usually
placed near the ends and sides of the rugs, carpet, floor covering, or the like and may
he placed in any convenient position.
When used with an ordinary door mat, two of these apparatus usually suffice, one

page_text: being placed under each of the corners of the rug nearest the door posts, so as to be
conveniently situated when the mat is temporarily removed for cleaning or other
purposes. In the case of the arched plate, owing to the spikes being at an angle to
the surface of the plate, they take a still more secure grip of the mat, rug, carpet, or
the like than is the case with a flat plate.
In order that my invention may now be the more easily understood and readily
carried into effect I will describe it in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Similar letters represent like parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 represents a metal plate a having side and end flaps 6 which are to be folded
along the dotted lines. Three rows of perforations for the reception of the spikes are
shown, and c c are the perforations for the screws, nails, or the like, for securing the
gripping apparatus to the floor, or other position.
Fig. 2 shows a plate having an additional flap d on one side of it.
Fig. 3 is a plan from below of the plate when folded.
Fig. 4 is a top plan of plate when folded.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a flat plate showing spikes e.
Fig. 6 is a plan from below of an arched plate showing the additional flap & rolled
so as to form a tubular case for the metal rod or bar f (Fig. 9).
Fig. 7 is a plan from above of an arched plate.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of Fig. 7, and,
Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 8 showing the rod or bar f
I may make the above described device round, or oval, or vary the shape and size
of it to suit requirements.
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:-
(1) A gripping appliance fixed to a floor or the like for securing in position mats,
rugs, carpets, floor coverings, or the like, consisting of a flat metal plate, having
inserted in perforations therein metal spikes having their blunt ends flattened and
being retained in position by having the sides and ends of said metal plate folded
over upon them and galvanized, substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
(2) A gripping appliance fixed to a floor, or the like for securing in position mats,
rugs, carpets, floor coverings, or the like consisting of a flat metal plate having
inserted in perforations therein metal spikes having their blunt ends flattened and
being retained in position by having the sides and ends of said metal plate folded over
upon them and galvanized, bent into the form of an arch, and having secured in a
longitudinal position in the concave side thereof a metal rod or bar, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of Feb 1907
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, Mitre Court, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.