AT IMPROVED FLOOR DOG OR FLOORING CHAMP
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Pain and James Pain, both of Charles
Street, Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, Carpenters, for the
Invention of "AT IMPROVED FLOOR DOG OR FLOORING CHAMP."
Sealed the 16th July 1860, and dated the 19th January 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Pain and
James Pain at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 19th January 1869.
We, WILLIAM PAIN and JAMES PAIN, both of Charles Street, Stepney,
in the County of Middlesex, Carpenters, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FLOOR Doo OR FLOORING CRAMP," to
be as follows:-
Our improved floor dog may be used in laying flooring of every kind,
but will be found particularly useful in laying floors in fireproof
buildings, where from the little depth of the joists ordinary floor dogs
can only be applied with considerable difficulty.
Our floor dog is composed of a metal plate having a boss in the centra
pierced with a slightly inclined screw-tapped hole, through which passes
a screw, the head of which is perforated to receive the end of a lever,

page_text: and the opposite end socketed in a foot plate. The metal plate traversed
by the screw also carries two or more gripping levers bolted loosely on
its under side, these grippers coming from near each end of the plate
towards each other, and the plate being pierced with two or more holes,
so that the pivot of the grippers may be shifted at pleasure.
The action is as follows:-The plate being laid flat on the joists
extending across three or more of them, the grippers on its under side
lying between the joists and their ends coming against the centre joist,
the foot plate being against the edge of the outer flooring board, on
turning the screw in one direction the foot plate begins to press against
the flooring board, and the main plate receding from it nips the ends of
the grippers against each side of the centre joist, forming a bearing,
which becomes firmer the more the screw is turned and the greater the
pressure brought on the flooring. By turning the screw in the opposite
direction the dog is immediately released.
This arrangement may be modified by making the main plate to
extend over two joists only, and with shifting pins coming against the
further side of each joist, the two grippers pivoting from the centre and
away from each other towards each joist, and a ratchet being substituted
for the screw. In this case the grippers will bear against opposite joists,
but these joists will not be pushed out of place, as the pressure of the
grippers will be met and counteracted by the pins above mentioned.
We, however, give the preference to the arrangement first described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Pain and James Pain in the Great Seal 25
Patent Office on the 17th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
PAIN and JAMES PAIN, both of Charles Street, Stepney, in the County'
of Middlesex, Carpenters, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 30
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said William Pain and James
Pain, Her special licence that we, the said William Pain and James 35

page_text: Pain, our executors. administrators, and assigns, or such others as wo,
the said William Pain and James Pain, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Inland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED FLOOR DOG OR FLOORING.
CRAMP," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said William
Pain and James Pain, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or one of our, their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, tho said William Pain, for myself and on
behalf of my co-patenteo, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawing forming
part of this Specification, and to the figures and letters of referencu
marked thereon, similar letters denoting similar parts in cach of the
figures respectively: :-
Our improved floor dog may be used in laying flooring of every kind,
but will be found particularly useful in laying floors in fireproof
buildings, where from the little depth of the joists ordinary floor dogs
can only be applied with considerable difficulty.
Fig. 1 of the Drawing is a plan, and Fig. 2 an end view of a floor dog
made according to our Invention.
This improved floor dog is composed of a metal plate A having a
boss B pierced with a slightly inclined scrow-tapped hole, through which
passed a screw O, the head of which is perforated at D to receive the end
of a lever E, and the opposite end socketed in a foot plate F. The metal
plato traversed by the screw also carries two gripping levers G bolted
loosely on its under side, the plate being pierced with several holes a, a,
so that the pivoting of the grippers may be shifted at pleasure.
The action is as follows:-The plate is laid flat on the joists H, H', H",
so that the grippers G lie between the joists, their ends coming against

page_text: the centre joist (see Figs. 1 and 2), and the foot plate F against the
odge of the outer flooring board (see Fig. 1). The cramp being in this
position the screw C is turned by the lever E, so that the foot plate F
begins to press against the edge of the flooring board, and the main
plate A to recede from it; this backward motion of the plate A along
the screw O causes the ends of the grippers G to nip against each side
of the centre joist H, forming a bearing, which becomes firmer the more
the screw is turned in the same direction and the greater the pressure
brought on the flooring. By turning the screw in the opposite
direction the plate A advances along the screw, the pressure is taken
off the edge of the flooring board, and the cramp may be immediately
removed.
This arrangement may be modified by making the main plate to
extend over two joists only, and with shifting pins coming against the
further side of each joist, the two grippers pivoting from the centre and
away from each other towards each joist, and a ratchet being substituted
for the screw. In this case the grippers will bear against opposite joists,
but these joists will not be pushed out of place, as the pressure of the
grippers will be met and counteracted by the pins above mentioned.
We, however, give the preference to the arrangement described and.
shown, Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 3 of the Drawing is a plan, and Fig. 4 an end view of a modi-
fication of the improved flooring cramp shown, Figs. 1 and 2. In this
flooring cramp one of the gripping levers is dispensed with, being
replaced by the piece I, which may be of one piece with the plate A,
or be attached thereto; all the other parts are as at Figs. 1 and 2. In
using this cramp place it on the joist H close to the flooring board with
the grip G at an angle of about 45 degrees, the overlap C of the piece I
being on the joint, give the cramp a blow with a hammer at K to drive
the chisel into the joist, another blow at L, and proceed to screw up.
To release the cramp unscrew about two inches and strike a blow with
hammer at M. This cramp is light and more compact than that shown,
Figs. 1 and 2, and may be preferred for light work. . The cramps are
lifted by the handles, N, which lay on the joists and keep the cramp
horizontal during the screwing up.
Our improved flooring cramp will suit any thickness of joist and any
kind of floor, it is not liable to rise or displace the joist under extra
pressure, as frequently occurs with ordinary cramps, it is easily applied,

page_text: and from the simplicity of its construction not liable to get out of
order.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we would have it distinctly under-
stood that we do not limit ourselves to any particular number of gripping.
levers, nor to the precise shape and arrangement of the various parts of
our improved cramp, as herein described and shown on the diagrams, as
such may be varied while retaining the same action, and we claim, the
use of one or more gripping levers or their equivalent when applied to à
flooring cramp, substantially as herein described and illustrated on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pain, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.