US617204A - Fastener for floor-coverings - Google Patents

Description

Patented Ian. 3, I899.

' No. 6l7,204.

-J, K. THUMA.

' FASTENER FOB FLOOR COVERINGS.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1898.)

(No Model.)

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IN VENTOH WITNESSES A TTOHNEYS.

JAMES K. THOMA, OF VINFIELD, KANSAS.

FASTENER FOR FLOOR-COVERINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,204, dated January3, 1899.

Application filed. April 6, 1898. Serial No. 676,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES K. THOMA, of Vinfield, in the county of Cowley and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Fastener for Floor-Coverings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved fastener for holding down carpets,oil-cloths,rugs,or like floor-coverings, the fastener being simple and durable in construction and arranged to permit of quickly and securely fastening the covering in place on the floor and to permit of conveniently removing the covering whenever desired for cleaning or other purposes and without disturbing or removing the fasteners.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improvement in an open position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the same as applied. Fig. 3 isa transverse view of a modified form of the improvement, and Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the tool used in connection with the fastener.

The improved fastener is provided with a base-plate A, provided at one end with an upwardly-extending flange A, on which is pivoted a top plate B, between which and the base-plate the floor-covering is to pass and to be held in place, as hereinafter more fully described.

From the base-plate A extend downward spikes 0, adapted to be driven into the floor on which the covering is to be held, so as to secure the fastener in place on the floor, preferably at the corners of the room and along the base-board thereof, the flange A resting against the base-board, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2.

On the top of the base-plate A are arranged pins D D, adapted to pass through the fabric material of the covering to hold the same in place on the fastener, the upper ends of said pins forming a stop for the top plate B when the latter is swung down upon the top of the covering, as'indicated in Fig. 2. The pin D is extended higher than the pins D and at :its upper end is formed with ashoulderD The pin D projects through an aperture in the top plate B, and its shoulder D is engaged by one edge of the aperture, said edge forming a tongue 13, which, with the shoulder of the pin, forms a catch for holding the top plate B in locked position, as shown in Fig. 2, the top of the pin being preferably covered by a hood B formed on the top of the plate B, over the aperture thereof.

The device shown in Fig. 3 is more especially designed for fastening oil-cloth, for instance, to a carpet already laid, and in this case instead of spikes (J the base-plate A is provided with downwardly-extending prongs O to securely fasten the device in place on the carpet, the construction of the fastener being otherwise, however, the same as the one above described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The device is used as follows: The fasteners are secured to the floor at the desired places, the flanges A resting against the baseboard, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2, use being made of a special tool E, (shown in Fig. 4,) formed at its bottom with recesses E E, adapted to fit the pins D D, so that the said tool can be readily set into the upper face of the base-plate to drive the spikes G into the floor by blows from a hammer on the upper end of the tool E. When the several fasteners.

have been placed and secured in position in the room, then the carpet, rug, or like covering is passed onto the pins D D, the top plate 13 being in an uppermost position, as. indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. If the floor-covering is of very heavy material, use can be made again of the tool E to drive the fabric material upon the pins; but for light material pressure with the hand suffices for the same purpose. WVhen the covering has thus been fastened to the pins, the top plate Bis swung downward and locked in place by the shoulder D engaging the tongue B. The'tool E may be provided with a claw F for conveniently prying up the fastener when it is desired to remove the same from the floor.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the device is very simple and durable in construction, is not liable to get out of order, and in case it is desired to remove the car pet it is only necessary to swing the top plate B into avertical position and to then lift the carpet off the pins for cleaning or other purposes. Thus the fasteners need not be removed from the floor, and when the carpet is replaced the above-described operation is repeated for fastening the carpet in place by the fasteners.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A fastener for floor-coverings, compris ing a base-plate provided with an upwardlyprojecting flange at one end,downwardly-projecting spurs or prongs for securing it in position, and upwardly-projecting pins for engaging the floor-covering, one of the said pins being longer than the others and provided with a shoulder, and a top plate hinged to the flange of the base-plate and provided with an opening through which the longer pin projects and with one edge of which the shoulder of the said pin engages to lock the plates together, and with a hood on its upper face over the opening thereof, said top plate being adapted to rest upon the shorter pins of the base-plate when the device is in use, substantially as described.

2. A fastener for floor-coverings, consisting of a base-plate provided with downwardlyprojecting prongs at one end, an upwardlyprojecting flange at said end between the prongs thereof, and pins on its upper face, one of the said pins being longer than the others and provided with a shoulder, and a top plate hinged to the flange of the baseplate and provided with an opening through which the longer pin of the base-plate projects and with one edge of which the shoulder of the said pin engages to lock the plates together, and with a hood on its upper surface over the opening thereof, said top plate being adapted to rest upon the shorter pins of the base-plate when the device is in use, substantially as described.

JAMES K. THOMA.

Witnesses:

J M. BRADLEY, GEO. W. SLoAN,

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