Adapter and method for power stretching carpets

A carpet power stretching adapter for attachment to a carpet kicker including an elongated rod having two ends, a knee pad attached to one end of said elongated rod, and a carpet engaging head at the other end of said elongated rod, said elongated rod having an offset bend adjacent to said head, said adapter comprising:

• a frame having a front and a back;
• an anchoring means attached to the front of the frame for anchoring the front of the frame between a wall and a tack strip;
• an elongated handle including an upper portion terminating in a grip, a lower portion, and an end, said lower portion of said handle being pivotally attached to the back of said frame;
• and,
• a clamping means for removably connecting pivotally the end of said elongated handle to the elongated rod of said carpet kicker adjacent to said offset bend, such that when said clamping means is attached to said carpet kicker, said head is positioned between said clamping means and said anchoring means, and said handle has a first position in which said handle is substantially perpendicular to said elongated rod, and a second position in which said handle is adjacent to said knee pad, such that when said handle is pivoted from said first position to said second position, said head is moved toward said anchoring means.

A method for power stretching carpet using a carpet kicker combined with a power stretching adapter, said carpet kicker including an elongated rod having two ends, a knee pad attached to one end of said elongated rod, and a carpet engaging head at the other end of said elongated rod, said elongated rod having an offset bend adjacent to said head, said power stretching adapter including a frame having a front and a back, an anchoring means attached to the front of the frame for anchoring the front of the frame between a wall and a tack strip, an elongated handle including an upper portion terminating in a grip, a lower portion, and an end, the lower portion of the handle being pivotally attached to the back of the frame, and, a clamping means attached to the end of said handle for removably connecting pivotally the end of said elongated handle to the elongated rod of said carpet kicker adjacent to said offset bend, such that when said clamping means is attached to said carpet kicker, said head is positioned between said clamping means and said anchoring means, and said handle has a first position in which said handle is substantially perpendicular to said elongated rod, and a second position in which said handle is adjacent to said knee pad, such that when said handle is pivoted from said first position to said second position, said head is moved toward said anchoring means;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• attaching the power stretching adapter to the carpet kicker by attaching the clamping means to the elongated rod of the carpet kicker at a location adjacent to the offset bend;
• placing the anchoring means between the wall and the tackstrip;
• engaging the carpet with the head of the carpet kicker with said handle in the first position;
• pivotally moving the handle of the power stretching adapter from the first to the second position, to force the head and the engaged carpet towards the anchoring means