Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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IMPROVEMENTS I N CARPET STRETCHI NG DEVI CES
FIELD OF T~E I NVENTI ON
This invention relates to the servicing of carpet of
the wall-to-wall variety and in particular to apparatus
for re-stretching such carpet.
BACKGROUND OF TH~ I NVENTI ON
There are numerous tools used in the laying of wall-
to-wall carpet and in subs~quent servicing of that carpet
such as in re-stretching. A commonly used device for re-
stretching carpets is manufactured by Robsrts
Consolidated Industries, Inc. and i6 referred to as the
Roberts* Power Re-Stretcher. The present invention is an
attachment for use on a carpet stretching or re-
; 1;5 stretching deviae such as the Roberts Power Re-Stretcher.
Conventionally, when laying wall-to-wall carpeting a
tack strip is secured to the floor and spaced outwardly
; somewhat ~rom ths adjacent wall surfaces. The space
between the tack strip and the-wall or baseboard is
called a gully. The Roberts deviae referred to
hereinafter as the re-stretaher consists of an elonyated
frame assembly with a generally L-shaped blade pivotally
secured to one end of that frame. 'l'he other end of the
frame supports~a head member having carpet gripping
~ inserts on~the~lower sur ace thereof, the~head member
being pivotally connected to~a driver whioh in turn is
; similarly connected to the other end of the frame member.
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An operating handle is pivotally connected to the upper
surface of the frame and also to the driver and the
linkage between the handle, the frame, the driver and the
head is such that when the handle is moved to a lower
position the head with the carpet gripping inserts is
moved towards the blade member at the other end of the
frame. In a typical carpet laying operation, the blade
member of the re-stretcher i6 located in the gully
between the tack strip and the base board/wall. The head
member with the gripping inserts is pressed in to the
upper surface of the carpet preferably to the point where
the gripping inserts engage the carpet back. The
operating handle is subsequently depressed and the head,
moving towards the blade, draws or stretches the carpet
towards the wall. With the stretcher so positioned, the
-~ operator then uses a knee operated kicker positioned
alongside the re-stretcher to move the excess carpet
(formed into a slight hump or fold by the operation of
the re-stretcher) onto the tack strip with the excess of
the carpet curling up the wall to be subsequently
trimmed off.
An operator thus proceeds along the length of the
wall alternately using the re-stretcher and the kicker.
~; While the above process is effective in laying
carpet or re-stretching previously laid carpet, there are
some inherent disadvantages. The most important of these
is that constant use of kicker~ by carpet layers often
results in knee and back problems some of which can
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result in permanent in~ury.
~ The head on the re-stretcher, due to its spacing
from the blade member at the other end of the frame to
which it i8 attached leaves the above-mentioned excess
hump or bubble o~ carpet which requires the second
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operation of the kicker.
SUMMARY OF THE I NVENTI ON
The purpose of the present invention is to provide
an attachment in the form of a secondary head which can
be secured to the re-stretching device and which i5
located between the existing head on the re-stretcher and
the blade member so as to advance the stretch in the
carpet from the stretcher head to the tack strip.
Use of the attachment according to the present
invention increases the stretch distance and prevents the
previous loss of stretch during the process of hooking
the carpet onto the tack strip. The carpet is securely
and smoothly hooked onto the tack strip insuring a more
professional finish that is seldom obtained with the use
of a knee kic~er. Moreover, the use of the present
invention eliminates numerous tears in carpet and
backing sometimes associated with the use of a knee
kicker.
It will be appreciated that elimination o~ the use
of a knee kicker also will reduce ths occupational health
hazards and will bene~it the trade, resulting in fewer
claims for workers compensation and insurance.
According to one broad aspect, the invention relatss
to a carpet re-stretching device of the type including a
frame, blade means on the frame for location in the ~pace
between a tack strip and an adjacent wall, a head member
with carpet gripping means thereon, driver means
interconnecting the head member and the frame and
operative means for actuating the driver means to move
the head member and carpet gripping means toward the
blade. means; the improvsment compri~ing an attachment in
the form of a secondary head member with carpet gripping
means thereon detachably and operatively connected to ths
re-stretching de~ice and located between the first
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mentioned head member and the blade means and being so
connected to the device as to move toward the blade
member along with the first mentioned head member when
the driver means is actuated.
According to another broad aspect, the invention
relates to an attachment for a carpet re-stretching
device of the type having an elongated frame with blade
means at one end thereof to engage a space between a
tack strip and a wall, a primary head member with carpet
gripping means pivotally secured to said frame adjacent
its other end and means for operatively moving the
primary head member toward the blade means so as to
stretch a section of carpet engaged by the gripping means
toward the blade. The attachment comprises a secondary
head member with carpet engaging means thereon
operatively connected to the device and located between
the primary head and the blade member, the secondary head
being connected to the device such that it will move
toward the blade member together wlth the primary head
member when the latter is moved by the operative means.
BRI EF DE$CRI PTI ON OF THE D~AWI NGS
The invention is illustrated by way of example in
the accompanying drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a re-stretching
device in an operative position;
FIGURF 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 but includiny
an attachment according to the invention;
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of
the invention attached to a re-stretching device;
FIGURE ~ is a side view of the attachment shown in
Figure 3, slightly modified;
FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the attachment in
Figure 4;
~ 35 FIGURE 6 1s a side view o a second embodiment of
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the invention;
FIGURE 7 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the
invention; and
FIGURE 8 is a side view of the attachment shown in
Figure 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTTON
Referring to Figure 1, a carpet re-ætretcher is
illustrated, specifically a Roberts Power Re-Stretcher
: ~ Model 10-107. This device includes an elongated frame 10
having a generally L~shaped blade 12 pivotally secured
adjacent one end thereof. As shown, the end of the blade
12 remote from its connection to the frame is adapted to
be located in the gully lA between a tack strip 16 and a
wall surface or base board 18. The other end of the
frame supports a head 20 having carpet gripping inserts
22 detachably secured to the lower end thereof. A driver
24 interconnects the head 20 with an actuating handle 26
through a series of links 28, arms or ears 30 and
associated pivot pins 32. The arrangement is such that,
~ 20 when the actuating handle is lowered the linkages cause
; ~ the driver 24 to move the head 20 to the left in Figure 1
towards the blade 12 thereby pulling or stretching the
carpet engaged by the gripper inserts 22 towards the
blade 12. As can be seen in Figure 1, this leaves a hump
or bubble of loose carpet between the head 20 and the
blade 12 and, conventionally, this slack in the carpet is
subsequently taken up by the use of a knee kicker.
i Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but
illustrates one embodiment of the present invention
attached to the re-stretcher. Referring alsa to
Figure 3, this embodiment of the present invention
consists of a secondary~head 34 of rectangular
configuration and substantially of the same dimensions as
the primary head 20 on the re-stretcher. A forked arm 36
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has a pair of spaced ears 38 which are used to pivotally
secure the attaohment to the projections 31 on the
primary head 20 by virtue of the pivot pin 32 as
illustrated.
A somewhat modified arrangement of the attachmsnt i6
shown in Figures 4 and 5 where the head 40 with
detachable carpet gripping inserts 42 on the lower end
thereof has a pair of extending arms 44 which are adaptad
to be pivotally secured to the projection 31 by the pivot
pin 32.
Returning to Figure 2, it will be seen that the use
of the secondary head advances the stretched portion of
the carpet to a point very close to the blade 12 and tack
strip 16 so that it is not necessary to use a subsequent
knee kicking device.
A further embodiment of the invention is shown in
Figure 6 in which the attachment comprises an elongated
body 48 having a pair of heads, 50, 52 located one at
either end of ths body. This arrangement would be used
in place of the primary head 20 on the re-stretcher shown
in Figures 1 and 2 and the lower surfaces of the heads 50
and 52 would of course include detachable gripping plates
or i~nserts 54.
Figures 7 and 8 show a further embodiment of the
invention in which the attachment is of elongated,
rectangular configuration, preferably fabricated from
light alloy, one end of the attachment comprising a
rectangular frame 60 having two halves 62 and 64 adapted
to peripherally engage the outer surface of the primary
head 20 on the re-stretcher. Suitable attachment means,
for example bolts or screws 66 on frame half 62 and
captive nuts 68 on frame half 64, may be used to secure
the attachment to primary head 20. The attachment also
includes parallel, elongated arms 70 extending outwardly
~35 of perimeter frame 60 and supporting at their other ends
a secondary head 72 having a detachable carpet gripping
insert or plate 74 on the lower end thereof.
: Additionally, a carpet stretch holding plate 76 extends
downwaxdly and is spaced slightly outwardly of the
forward end of secondary head 72 and, when the plates 76
is pushed down, the handle 26 of the re-stretcher is then
released, the plate holding the stretched carpet onto the
pins.
While the invention has baen described in connection
with a specific embodiment thereof and in a specific use,
various modifications thereof will occur to those sXilled
in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
The terms and expressions which have been employed
in this specification are used as terms of description
and not of limitations, and there is no intention in the
~: use of such terms and expressions to exclude any
equivalents of the features shown and described or
portions thereof, but it is recognized that various
modifications are possible within the scope of the
invention claimed.
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