Year: 1894

page_text: I ANDREW LUNN, 7A India Street Edinburgh, Cabinetmaker do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The instrument consists of a form of pliers constructed of wood, metal or other
suitable material or materials.
The precise size of the instrument is immaterial but the, measurements preferred
by me are here given and will simplify the description.
Those ends of the levers which constitute the jaws of the pliers are 4 inches or
thereby broad across their faces, and 2 inches or thereby from their tips to their
mutual hinge. In their remaining measurements, the jaw to be used as the upper
jaw tapers from one inch or thereby at the hinge to half an inch or thereby at its
tip, and the jaw to be used as the lower jaw tapers from three quarters of an inch
or thereby at the tip to half an inch or thereby at the hinge.
On the face of the upper jaw, and near the outer edge of it, project in a row
parallel to the hinge, and in position-pointing in towards the hinge, at an angle of
45 degrees or thereby from the plane of the said face, five or thereby spikes of
iron or other suitable material, about inch in length. And corresponding to these,
a row of indentations into which the spikes may sink is created on the face of the
lower jaw.
The lower edge of the outer end of the under jaw is rounded to permit of its
rubbing against the carpet when in use without injury to the carpet.
The hinge is in pattern a box hinge or joint, or of any other suitable
construction.
The lever, the one end of which constitutes the lower jaw is extended from the
hinge on the side opposite to the end which forms that jaw, in a direction at right
angles to the axle of the hinge and at an angle of 20 degrees or thereby up from
the plane of the face of the said jaw, in the form of a shaft of an inch or thereby
in diameter, terminating at a distance of 20 inches or thereby from the hinge of
the jaws. This shaft may be jointed at any part of its length so as to double up
or be capable of separation in whole or in part for convenience when not in use.
But the joint must be of such a construction as will not admit of the shaft
revolving in the joint so as to take the cross bar, about to be mentioned, out of its
position in relation to the hinge of the jaws.
On the outer end of the shaft just described is fixed a cross bar at right angles
to the axle of the hinge of the jaws, and so that the upper end of the cross bar
stands to the shaft at an angle of 65 degrees or thereby..
In a groove or slot running down the back of the bar lies a strong needle or rod
of iron,pointed at the lower end, and acted on by a lever pivotted to the upper end
of the bar so that, at the will of the operator the point may lie retracted within
the slot or extruded beyond the lower end of the bar to the length of an inch or
thereby. A spring catch is added to this contrivance to keep the needle in its
retracted position until pressure is applied by the operator to the lever.
At the lower end of the cross bar is fixed a roller on an axle parallel to the axle
of the hinge of the jaws, to facilitate the passage of this end of the bar over the
carpet when in use.
The lever the one end of which forms the upper jaw is extended from that side

page_text: of the hinge which is opposite to the end which forms the jaw, to a distance of
three and a half inches or thereby at right angles to the axis of the hinge, and at
an angle of ten degrees or thereby up from the plane of the face of the jaw. At
the end just constructed are placed rollers which run on an axle parallel with that
of the hinge, and which project below and behind the end of the lever to facilitate
the passage of the instrument. over the carpet when in use. The outside ends of
the rollers are 4 inches or thereby apart, and are equidistant from the centre of the
axle of the hinge.
Underneath the hinge or in some other convenient position is placed a spring
which is fastened to the one lever and presses against the other lever so as to open
the jaws of the pliers when they are relieved from a pressure which has closed
them.
100
i
An Instrument for Stretching Carpets.
1, ANDREW LUNN, of 7A, India Street, Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Cabinetmaker, 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, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to provide an instrument by means of which
carpets being laid on floors, can be more perfectly stretched without damage than
beretofore.
In carrying out my invention I provide a kind of pliers, of considerable breadth
of grip, and constructed of wood, iron or other suitable material or materials.
The pliers are provided with spikes or teeth, to insure their holding the carpet
securely and with small wheels to run on the floor. The pliers have also fixed to
them a handle shaft by means of which force is applied to the instrument by hand,
and by means of which, (when fitted with a spike hereinafter described) the
carpet may be temporarily held in a stretched position, to prevent its resiling
before being tacked to the floor. The edge of the carpet to be stretched, is folded
back, and gripped between the pliers, and the shaft is then pushed to stretch the
carpet.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings,
to be hereinafter referred to, and showing, by way of example, two modifications of
my instrument.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a part plan, Figure, 2, is a sectional side elevation
and Figure, 3, is a vertical section, as at right angles to Figure, 2, of one
modification.
. Figures, 4, and 5, are respectively a part plan, and a sectional side elevation of
another modification.
In these drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the modification shown in Figures, 1, 2, and 3, the pliers, A, B, are made of
wood and are jointed together by ordinary hinges, C. One jaw, A, of the pliers
is made with spikes, D, which enter indentations in the other jaw, B, when the
pliers are closed, and these spikes assist the pliers to hold the carpet. The after
part of the jaw, A, has fixed to it a transverse rod or axle, E, on which small.
wheels, G, are centered to facilitate the movement of the instrument along the
floor. From the middle of the jaw, B, of the pliers, a shaft, H, extends upwards
at a convenient angle, through a slot in the upper jaw, A, an is terminated by
:

page_text: a handle, J, fixed to it and in the same vertical plane at an angle of
about 65°. A spike, K, is held in a longitudinal groove in the handle, J,
by pieces, L. of metal and a small spring strip in the bottom of the groove
presses sufficiently on the spike to keep it from moving when not acted on
by a lever, M, which is hinged to the handle, J, and is provided for conveniently
raising or depressing the spike. The handle, J, may, if desired, be made without
the lever, M, or spike, K, and when so made is fixed at right angles to the
shaft, H; or the handle may be in the form of a round knob. The shaft, H, may
be divided as shown at or about its middle, and the parts are joined by a bayonet
joint, N.
The edge of the carpet to be stretched is folded back, and is inserted between.
the jaws, A, and B, of the pliers by which it is gripped. On the shaft, H, being
pushed to move the instrument forward and stretch the carpet, the reaction of the
floor through the rollers, G, tends to close the pliers together and tighten their
grip on the carpet. When the carpet is sufficiently stretched the handle, J, of the
instrument is pressed downwards to the carpet and floor, and the lever, M, is then
depressed to force the spike, K, through the carpet into the floor to keep the carpet
stretched until the edge of it has been released from the jaws, A, B, of the pliers,
and has been tacked to the floor. For releasing the carpet from the pliers, A, B,
and for keeping their jaws open to allow of the edge of the carpet being
inserted in them, a spring (not shown) may be fitted at any convenient place to the
pliers, or the jaws of the pliers may be weighted in a manner to effect the same
result. Owing to the breadth of the pliers, and the consequent extent of grip, the
stretching of the carpet is effected without appreciable injury.
In the modification shown in Figures, 4, and 5, the pliers are made of metal and
are jointed together by pins, C, the jaws, A, and B, being formed with teeth or
transverse serrations, D, corresponding to the spikes, D, of the first modification.
The upper jaw, A, also fitted with sinall wheels, G, and the shaft, H, is made of
wood and is fitted into a socket forming an extension of the jaw, B. The handle, J,
is similar to that of the first modification, but is fitted at its bottom part with a
small wheel, P, and is connected by side links, Q, to the shaft, H, which has also a
flat round guide piece, R, fitting loosely in a socket formed in the handle. With
this method of attaching the handle, J, to the shaft, H, the pliers can be more
easily freed from the carpet, after the spike, K, has been forced through the
carpet into the floor. No spring is required in this modification for keeping the
jaws, A, and B, distended for the insertion of the carpet as when raised a little off
the floor the upper jaw, A, opens by its own weight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An instrument for stretching carpets comprising a pair of plier-like parts and
a handled shaft fixed to the lower plier jaw, the parts of the instrument being
constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The construction, arrangement, and combination of parts constituting the
instrument for stretching carpets substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures, 1, 2, and 3, of the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction, arrangement, and combination of parts constituting the
instrument for stretching carpets substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures, 4, and 5, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Sixteenth day of July 1895.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.