Roy Roberts (inventor)

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Roy Roberts was the inventor of the gripper rod (UK) or tack strip (USA)^[1] used to secure carpets.

His innovation in 1938 revolutionised the fitting system for carpets, allowing installers to quickly set a perimeter of grippers onto which the carpet edge could be quickly stretched. Prior to this an installer would typically fold and nail the edge of a carpet at frequent intervals, which was slower and gave a less uniform finish.

Building upon this success he went on to invent further innovations in the carpet industry, and his companies, now named Roberts Consolidated Industries, are a leading manufacturer of flooring installation tools and accessories.^[2]