Carpet seam lock

Abstract

A carpet seam clamping device for maintaining pre-positioned carpet sections abutted at a seam subsequent to removal of a carpet stretcher which prevents overlapping. The device employs a pair of planar surfaces which translate toward each other and lock in position once totally translated. The length of translation is equal to or less than the length of pins which engage into the carpet body thereby preventing overstretch.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The device herein described relates to the installation of carpet and to a phase in the installation process where it is necessary to maintain a stretched piece of carpet taut and static to adjoining carpet sections, in order to facilitate the drying of the carpet glue while concurrently maintaining sectional alignment between adjoining sections. More specifically, the device provides a means to secure newly laid carpet in a stretched position by engaging it to adjoined stretch sections and allowing patterns and seams to maintain a match during the adhesive drying process.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Carpet has become a very popular way to cover indoor floors of any scale, and new styles, colors and patterns are being introduced all the time. Likewise, age-old carpet laying techniques are being refined and new tools introduced.[0003]Most residential carpeting is installed by attaching the end of a roll of carpet to the base of a wall and stretching it...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]There is disclosed and described herein a device used to secure and maintain a carpet seam between two adjacent sections of carpet, in a registered substantially static engagement, during a glue-down application. The device herein is adapted for engagement to, and holding adjacent carpet sections in a static position relative to each other, without over pulling or causing an overlap of adjacent sections on the seam.

[0012]The two planar members are connected with a sliding engagement allowing the members to easily slide toward and away from one another. As noted, a handle is rotationally engaged at a pin or axle at one member of the sliding engagement. A cross member is then rotationally engaged at a middle portion of the handle at a first end. A second end of the cross member is engaged to the second sliding member in a rotational engagement. So engaged between the two planar members, the handle acts as a means of translating the two planar members toward each other, and on release, away from each other when the handle is rotated an opposite direction.

[0014]Engagement of the two planar members to their respective carpet sections is accomplished by imparting force to a top side of the device, opposite the carpet sections, while concurrently rotating the handle. When the handle is rotated toward the carpet surface from a substantially elevated position to a substantially horizontal position relative to the carpet, the two planar members translate toward one another. The pins extending from the lower surface of each planar member, employing both the translation and the downward force imparted to the device, bite into the carpet as the planar members move toward each other. Because the pins are of a length and at an angle to cause the carpet to contact the bottom surface of both planar members at or just prior to the finish of translation toward each other, they only engage within the body of the carpet a distance less than or equal to the distance of translation of the planar members toward each other. Once in this engaged position, the device effectively locks the carpet sections in place relative to each other, but because they will not over translate, over pulling causing overlapping of adjacent carpet sections at the seam is prevented. A means to maintain the device in the engaged position is provided by the handle being rotated to an angle wherein it is just past a horizontal position to the mount of the cross member to the opposite planar member, or slightly over rotated. This over-rotated position combined with the pressure against both planar members by the restrained carpet sections imparting pressure force to the handle, provides a means to maintain the device locked in the engaged position.

[0015]This unique construction therefore provides a device that will allow low skilled workers to follow higher skilled workers who use the carpet stretchers. This is because the risk of over stretching a carpet section and ruining the registered engagement between one or more carpet sections is prevented by the limited movement of the two planar members toward each other.

[0019]It is further an object of this invention to secure a carpet seam without causing damage to the underlying floor or proximal surface or to the carpet sections.

[0020]It is further an object of this invention to provide a means to secure adjacent sections of carpet at a seam in a manner which eliminates the possibility of further stretch or overpull of the carpet sections which can cause overlaps or de-registration of registered patterns.

Problems solved by technology

Employing a calculated length to the pins at a determined angle renders the device substantially incapable of pulling or stretching the carpet further than has already been accomplished by a carpet stretcher being removed.

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