
In both cases ring expansion is happening. What is Carbon tri chloride purpose?

In both cases ring expansion is happening. What is Carbon tri chloride purpose?
" What is Carbon tri chloride purpose?" is not answered in the link provided but the answer starts with a carbene attack on furan .
Trichloromethane in presence of a base undergoes 1,1-elimination (or an alpha elimination) because both groups are removed from the same carbon.The electron-withdrawing effect of the halogens makes the hydrogen acidic enough to be removed by a strong base such as hydroxide or alkoxide ion.
A halide ion then acts as a leaving group from the conjugate base, producing the carbene.1
Carbenes find a pair of electrons to complete their valence shell of electrons.carbenes attack a lone pair, a C=C double bond (electron-rich or -poor), or even a C–H bond.In its reactions ,
This leeds to normal Reimer–Tiemann reaction product pyrrole 2-aldehyde.
Carbene attack of a C=C double bond leads to an ring expansion leading to 3-chloropyridine.
The reaction of bicyclic compounf acts on similar lines of dichloro carbene attack.2
References
1 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY ,JOSEPH M. HORNBACK ,UNIVERSITY OF DENVER
2 MARCH’S ADVANCED ORGANIC CHEMISTRY REACTIONS, MECHANISMS,AND STRUCTURE ,SIXTH EDITION