US2232885A - Pelt stretcher - Google Patents

Description

1=eb.25,1941.l 'RnPmLBRlCK f `2.2.1885

PELT STRETCHER Filed Julyv 6. 19259 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 25', 1941 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE PELT STRETCHER Raymond D. Philbrick, Ericson, Nebr.

Application July 6, 1939, Serial No. 283,071

7 Claims. (CL 14th-.21)

My invention relates to new and useful .improvements in pelt stretchers.

An important object of my invention is to provide a pelt stretcher that will efficiently stretch and dry the fresh pelts of lkilled animals.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pelt stretcher that is adjustable in its `nature to accommodate varying sizes of pelts.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a pelt stretcher that is` unique in its construction to permit the pelts to be easily drawn thereon or removed therefrom and that will permit both sides of the pelt to be exposed to a free circulation of air to assure a rapid and efficient drying of the pelt.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a pelt stretcher that is simple in construction and that will permit the 'pelt to be removed without danger of being twisted or otherwise'une duly distorted.

Yet another object of my invention is the provision of a pelt stretcher that is durable in its construction and is efficient and efficacious in the performance of its duties.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing, forming a part` of this specication, Yand in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying my invention, and illustrating a pelt in association therewith,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the same, illustrating .one of the pelt engaging hooks,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view,

in drying. When the pelt has been properly removed from the animal it will` be substantially in the shape of a sack and with `the -fur on the with respect thereto.

illustrating the means for locking the stretch-V inside. The pelt may then be easily drawn over the stretching arms, as illustrated in Figure 1, and the hooks i6 and Il attached to the free ends thereof.

The hooks I6 and I1 are normally positioned intermediate the free ends of the arms and are of substantially elongated U-shaped formation to prevent the pelt from being accidentally disengaged therefrom. The shank portions I8 of the hooks are looped around the stretcher arms as at I9 4and the ends 20 thereof are bent angularly outwardly therefrom toward the free end of the stretcher arms and have their extremities hooked, as at 2l, to frictionally engage or receive the outer edge of the said stretcher arms and at a point spaced substantially from the looped portions I9. As clearly illustrated in Figure 3, the loop portions I9 are` not tightly wrapped around the stretcher arm but are fash- `ioned with the loop of substantially greater length than the width of the bar to leave a space, as at 22, to permit a free sliding movement of the hooks relative to the bar and to enable the said hooks to be pivotally actuated The end 23 of the rod 24 is received in the aperture 25 at the free end of the stretcher arm Il! and with the extremity 26 thereof wrapped around the end 23 to securely hold the same against accidental displacement. The rod' 24 extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of the stretcher vbars and is fashioned into a depending loop formation 21. The end portion 28` of the rod extends beyond the loop formation 21 at substantially, right angles to the main por-` tion of the rod and the extremity 2S thereof is bent angularly thereto in a direction away from and parallel to the rod to terminate in a looped formation 30.

, The end 3| of the transversely extending rod 32 is looped through the aperture 33 adjacent the free end of the stretcher larm Il and the extremity 34 thereof is-looped around the end 3| to hold the said rod `against displacement. The rod 32 extends in spaced parallelism with the rod 24 and is slidably received bythe de? pending looped portion 2l. The extremity 35A is looped around the rod 24, asl at 36, and in a manner to permit the same to be easily slidable with respect thereto. The end 3l of the locking link 38 is pivotally attached to the looped extremity 30 of the rod 24, and the end 39 thereof is loosely wrapped around the end 3| of the rod 32. y

The free ends of the stretcher arms I 0 and may be pivotally actuated toward each other or away from each other and the rods 24 and 32 are slidably interlocking to permit a free movement of the arms within reasonable limits. When the raw pelt |5 has been drawn on the stretcher rods, the free ends of the rods are pivoted toward each other to permit the hooks I6 and Il to be attached to the pelt. 'Ihe end 40 of the back side of the pelt is drawn underneath the shank I8 of the hook I6 and Wrapped around the hook to permit the pointed end 4| thereof to pierce the same. The belly or underside of the pelt 42 is similarly attached to the hook Il and, when the free ends of the stretcher arms are spread apart, the ends of the pelt will be positioned at substantially the middle of theielongated hooks. The ends of the'hooks extend a substantial distance beyond the point where the hooks penetrate-the pelt to obviate the possibility of their becoming disengaged from the pelt should the same be dropped or handled in a rough or careless manner.

Because of the interlocking engagement of the extremities 2| of the hooks with the stretcher arms, they may be pivoted relative thereto in a direction away from the pivoted end thereof, as illustrated in Figure 2, but any application of force that attempts to move the hooks toward the pivoted end of the arms, such as the force effected by the contraction of the drying pelt, will be resisted by reason of the locking engagement of the extremities 2| with the outer edges of the stretching arms.

When the free ends of the stretching arms have been spread a suiicient distance apart to tautly stretch the fresh pelt, the end 29 of the locking link 38 may be slidably actuated along the end 3| of the bar 32 and into binding relation therewith in a manner to prevent sliding motion of the rods 24 and 32 relative to each other.' The link 38 will lockingly engage the rod 32 until the link is manually released and positioned substantially parallel to the portion 28 of the rod 24 to permit free sliding movement of the rods with respect to each other.

It may thus be seen that, as the pelt dries, the rigid or nonresilient construction of the stretcher arms' willl resist the contracting stresses of the pelts and that the locking link 38 will prevent the free ends of the arms from being moved toward each other. The locking engagement of the extremities of the hooks will prevent the pelt from crawling along the stretcher arms toward the pivoted ends. When the pelt is held in the tautly stretched condition hereinbefore described, the air will have access to the fur side of the pelt and thereby assure a rapid and eilicient drying of the same.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I Iclaim:

1. A pelt stretcher comprising a pair of pivoted stretching members adapted to be manually spread apart to stretch a pelt mounted thereon, and hooks adapted to engage the pelt substantiallyy intermediate the free ends of the said stretching members, said hooks lhaving their shank portions loosely looped around the stretching members for free sliding movement therealong, the extremities of the said loops extending angularly outwardly toward the free ends of the stretching members and hooked over the outer edge thereof to prevent movement of the said hooks toward the pivoted end of the stretcher, the said hooked ends readily disengaging from the members to permit pivotal movement of the hooks in a direction away from the pivoted end of the members.

2. A. pelt stretcher comprising a pair of pivoted stretching members adapted to be manually spread apart to stretch a pelt mounted thereon, hooks adapted to engage the pelt substantially intermediate the free ends of the said members, said hooks having their shank portions loosely looped around the stretching members for free sliding movement therealong, the' extremities of the said loops extending angularly outwardly toward the free ends of the stretching members and hooked over the outer edge thereof to prevent movement of the said hooks toward the pivoted end of the stretcher but in a manner permitting the Ahooks to be pivotally moved away from the said pivoted ends of the members, and means to lock the stretching members in the extended position.

3. In a pelt stretcher, a pair of pivotally connected stretching bars having the pivoted ends thereof bowed to form a substantially V-shaped frame, a hook slidably mounted on each of the stretching ibars, said hooks being positioned intermediate the stretching bar-s and with the shank portions thereof loosely looped around the bars for free sliding movement therealong, the extremities of the said loops extending toward the free ends of the stretcher bars and terminating in hooked ends adapted to frictionally engage the outer edges of the bars at a point spaced from the looped portion to prevent actuation of the hooks toward the pivoted end of the stretcher but permitting free actuation thereof in a direction away therefrom.

4. In a pelt stretcher, a pair of pivotally connected stretching bars having one of their ends bowed to form a substantially V-shaped frame, a transverse rod mounted at the free end of one of said arms and formed with a depending loop portion the end of which extends at right angles to the arm and with the extremity thereof being bent angularly outwardly and fashioned into a loop formation, a transverse rod mounted at the free end of the other of the said arms and slidably received in the depending loop portion of the first-mentioned rod and with the extremity thereof looped around the said rod, and a link rod having one end pivotally attached to the looped extremity of the first-mentioned rod and with the other end thereof looped around the second-mentioned rod, said link rod adapted to bindingly engage the second-mentioned rod to prevent the actuation of the free ends of the stretching bars toward each other.

5. In a pelt stretcher, a pair of pivotally connected stretching bars having one of their ends bowed to form a substantially V-shaped frame, a hook slidably mounted on each of the stretching fbars, said hooks being positioned intermediate the stretching bars and with the shank portions thereof looped around the bar and extending toward the free end thereof and terminating in a hooked end adapted to frictionally engage the outer edge of the bar at a point spaced from the looped portion to prevent actuation of the hook toward the pivoted end of the stretcher but permitting free actuation thereof in a direction away therefrom, a transverse rod mounted at the free end of one of said arms and formed with a depending loop portion the end of which eX- tends at right angles'to the arm and with the extremity thereof being bent angularly outwardly and fashioned into a loop formation, a `transverse rod mounted at the free end of the other of the said arms and slidably received in the depending loop` portion of the rst-mentined rod and with the extremity thereof looped around the said rod, and a link rod having one end pivotally attached to the looped extremity of the first-mentioned rod and with the other end thereof looped around the second-mentioned rod, said link rod adapted to bindingly engage the second-mentioned rod to prevent the actuation of the free ends of the stretching bars toward each other.

6. In a pelt stretcher, a pair of pivotally connected stretching bars having one of their ends bowed to form a substantially V-haped frame, hook means slidably mounted on the stretching bars, a transverse rod mounted at the free end of one of said arms and formed with a depending loop portion the end of which extends at right angles to the arm and with the extremity thereof being bent angularly outwardly and fashioned into a loop formation, a transverse rodK mounted at the free end of the otherof the said arms and slidably received in the depending loop portion of the Erst-mentioned rod and with the extremity thereof looped around the said rod, and a link rod having one end pivotally attached to the looped extremity of the rstmentioned rod and with the other end thereof looped around the second-mentioned rod, said link rod adapted to Ibindingly engage the second mentioned rod to prevent the actuation of the free ends of the stretching bars toward each other.

7. In a pelt stretcher, a pair of pivoted stretching bars, means to hold the bars in an expanded position comprising an arm carried by one of the bars, an arm carried by the other of ythe bars, said arms being connected for mutual sliding movement relative to each other, said first arm having an extending end portion, and a locking member slidable on the said second'arm and cooperative with the extending end of .the first arm to effect a binding engagement therebetween and to prevent relative sliding movement of the said arms.

RAYMOND D. PHILBRICK.

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