Dual action carpet stretcher

Apparatus for stretching a pair of carpet segments for closing a gap between the segments, comprising:

• a pair of carpet gripping members disposed so that each member grips a corresponding carpet segment:
• means for coupling the carpet gripping members so that said members are displaceable toward each other and including a support member extending substantially parallel to the carpet segments, one of the pair of carpet gripping members having a first arm extending parallel to the support member near one end thereof and the other of the pair of carpet gripping members having a second arm extending parallel to the support member near the opposite end thereof, and each of the first and second arms supporting a gripping head for gripping a carpet segment, sleeve means disposed near the one end of the support member and including a first sleeve in sliding relation with the first arm near said one end and a second sleeve which grips the support member, a third sleeve disposed near the second sleeve in sliding relation with the support member and means for coupling the third sleeve to said arm, other sleeve means disposed near the opposite end of the support member and including a fourth sleeve which grips the second arm near said opposite end and a fifth sleeve which grips the support member, means for coupling the first and second sleeves together, and means for coupling the fourth and fifth sleeves together;
• and
• means arranged with the coupling means and operator-actuated for displacing the gripping member which grips a less taut segment of the pair of carpet segments for stretching said segment toward the other, and for displacing both gripping members when the segments gripped thereby are equally as taut for stretching said segments toward each other, with the gap between the segments being thereby closed.