Apparatuses and methods for stretching a pelt on a pelt board

A stretching apparatus for use with a pelt board to stretch a pelt on said pelt board, wherein the pelt to be stretched has an inwardly oriented leather side, an outwardly oriented fur side, a nose end, a rear end, and first and second front leg cavities, said pelt board defining a top end configured for accommodating and fixating said nose end of said pelt, and a base end located opposite said top end, said pelt further defining a contour constituting a leg side contour and a back side contour, said stretching apparatus comprising:

• a holding device configured for holding said base end of said pelt board, said stretching apparatus defining a pelt board space extending outwardly along a longitudinal direction from said holding device for accommodating said pelt board;
• a stretching device comprising first and second stretching members, said first stretching member being configured for being inserted into said first front leg cavity of said pelt, and said second stretching member being configured for being inserted into said second front leg cavity of said pelt, said stretching device being movable in a direction towards said holding device for stretching said pelt;
• and
• a fastening device, comprising a first gripping mechanism configured for fastening said rear end of said pelt along either one of said back side contour and said leg side contour, and a second gripping mechanism configured for fastening said rear end of said pelt along one of said leg side contour and said back side contour, respectively, said first gripping mechanism and said second gripping mechanism being movable in said longitudinal direction, and said second gripping mechanism additionally being movable between a first position in which said first gripping mechanism and said second gripping mechanism are located on the same side of said pelt board space, and a second position in which said first gripping mechanism and said second gripping mechanism are located on opposite sides of said pelt board space.

A method of stretching a pelt on a pelt board, wherein the pelt has an inwardly oriented leather side, an outwardly oriented fur side, a nose end, a rear end, and first and second front leg cavities, and wherein the pelt board defines a top end configured to accommodate and fix the nose end of the pelt, and a base end located opposite the top end, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a stretching apparatus comprising a holding device and a stretching device, the stretching device having first and second stretching members;
• holding the base end of the pelt board by the holding device;
• inserting the first stretching member of the stretching device into the first front leg cavity of the pelt, and inserting the second stretching member of the stretching device into the second front leg cavity of the pelt;
• and
• moving the stretching device in a direction towards the holding device, thereby stretching the pelt.