Patent Application
20220055520
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The disclosure relates to cargo securing devices and more particularly pertains to a new cargo securing device for PURPOSE.
The prior art relates to cargo securing devices including a cargo strap reel that has a squared cross section. The prior art discloses a variety of ratcheting cargo strap tighteners for tightening a cargo strap on a cargo trailer. The prior art discloses a strap winch that includes a gear and a lock with multiple lobes for engaging teeth on the gear. In no case does the prior art claim a strap tensioner that includes squared holes and a pole with a squared end for inserting into one of the squared holes.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a bracket is mountable to a cargo trailer. A rod is provided and the rod is rotatably coupled to the bracket. The rod has a slot therein and a cargo strap can be extended therethrough. The rod is rotatable in a first direction to wrap the cargo strap around the rod and a second direction to unwrap the cargo strap from the rod. A nut is coupled to the rod and the nut has a plurality of rectilinear apertures extending therethrough. A pole is provided that has a squared end which is insertable into a respective one of the apertures. Thus, the pole is inhibited from rotating in the respective aperture to inhibit a user from being injured by the pole rotating when the user is tightening the cargo strap.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The central member 16 has a front surface 28 and a back surface 30. The front surface 28 has a first channel 32 extending toward the back surface 30, and the first channel 32 extends between each of the outward members 18. The first channel 32 has a bounding surface 34 and the bounding surface 34 has a pair of sides 36 that intersect at an angle such that the first channel 32 has a triangular shape. The back surface 30 has a second channel 38 extending toward the back surface 30 and the second channel 38 extends between each of the outward members 18. The second channel 38 has a bounding surface 40 and the bounding surface 40 of the second channel 38 has a pair of sides 42 that intersect at an angle such that the second channel 38 has a triangular shape.
A rod 44 is provided and the rod 44 is rotatably coupled to the bracket 12. The rod 44 has a slot 46 therein and the slot 46 insertably receives a cargo strap 48. The rod 44 is rotatable in a first direction to wrap the cargo strap 48 around the rod 44 for tightening the cargo strap 48 over cargo. Additionally, the rod 44 is rotatable in a second direction to unwrap the cargo strap 48 from the rod 44 for loosening the cargo strap 48 on the cargo. The rod 44 has a first end 50, a second end 52 and an outer surface 54 extending therebetween, and the slot 46 extends through the outer surface 54 of the rod 44. The slot 46 is elongated to extend substantially between the first end 50 and the second end 52. Additionally, the rod 44 extends through the hole 26 in each of the outward members 18 of the bracket 12 has the slot 46 is positioned between the outward members 18.
A gear 56 is coupled to the rod 44 and the gear 56 is positioned on the second end 52 of the rod 44. The gear 56 is spaced from the outwardly facing surface 24 of a respective one of the outward members 18. The gear 56 has an outer side 58 comprising a plurality of teeth 60 and the teeth 60 rotate about an axis extending through the first end 50 and the second end 52 of the rod 44 when the rod 44 is rotated. Moreover, each of the teeth 60 is sloped toward the second direction of rotation of the rod 44.
A lock 62 is movably coupled to the bracket 12 and the lock 62 has a primary end 64, a secondary end 66 and a lobe 68 positioned between the primary end 64 and the secondary end 66. The lock 62 is pivotally coupled to the outwardly facing surface 24 of a respective one of the outward members 18 at a point located adjacent to the primary end 64. The lobe 68 is directed toward the gear 56 and the lobe 68 engages the teeth 60 on the gear 56. The lock 62 is biased to engage the gear 56 and the lobe 68 slides over the teeth 60 when the rod 44 is rotated in the first direction thereby facilitating the rod 44 to freely rotate in the first direction. Conversely, the lobe 68 engages the teeth 60 when the rod 44 is rotated in the second direction thereby inhibiting the rod 44 from rotating in the second direction. The lock 62 is urgeable to disengage the gear 56 thereby facilitating the rod 44 to rotate in the second direction.
A nut 70 is provided and the nut 70 is coupled to the rod 44. The nut 70 has a plurality of apertures 72 extending therethrough and each of the apertures 72 has a rectilinear profile. The nut 70 has a first end 74 and an outside surface 76. The outside surface 76 has a plurality of intersecting sides 78 such that the nut 70 has an octagonal cross section taken along a line extending through the first end 50 and the second end 52 of the rod 44. Each of the apertures 72 extends through a respective pair of the intersecting sides 78 of the outside surface 76. Each of the apertures 72 has a bounding surface 80 and the bounding surface 80 of each of the apertures 72 has a plurality of intersecting sides 82 to define the rectilinear profile of the apertures 72.
A pole 84 is provided that has a squared end 86 that is insertable into a respective one of the apertures 72 thereby inhibiting the pole 84 from rotating in the respective aperture 72. In this way the rod 44 inhibits a user from being injured from the pole 84 rotating when the user is tightening the cargo strap 48. The pole 84 is oriented perpendicular to the rod 44 when the pole 84 is inserted into the respective aperture 72 to facilitate a mechanical advantage for the user to tighten the cargo strap 48. The pole 84 has an outer surface 86 and the outer surface 86 of the pole 84 has a squared portion 88 that is positioned adjacent to the squared end 86. The squared portion 88 has a plurality of intersecting sides 90 such that the squared portion 88 has a rectilinear shape that conforms to the respective aperture 72. As is most clearly shown in
In use, the squared end 86 of the pole 84 is inserted into the respective aperture 72 for rotating the rod 44 to tighten the cargo strap 48 over the cargo. The rectilinear profile of the apertures 72 and the squared end 86 of the pole 84 inhibit the pole 84 from spinning in the nut 70 in the manner of existing cargo strap tensioners. In this way the user is protected from injuries that commonly result from the pole 84 spinning while the user is tightening the cargo strap 48. The lock 62 is urged to disengage the gear 56 to facilitate the cargo strap 48 to be loosened.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
