Abstract:
A cargo tightener and strap collector is shown having a rotatable shaft provided on the lever portion of the cargo tightener and strap collector. A slot is provided in the shaft so that the free end of a strap may be inserted in the slot and wound on the shaft to secure the strap and prevent its fluttering in the wind or trailing on the ground while in use.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a device for collection and storage of the free, non-active, portion of a strap of a manually operated cargo tightener which is used to secure cargo to be transported.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     The typical prior art cargo tightener, which is modified to make the present invention, includes a shaft provided at one end of a connecting link or arm. The shaft is journaled in one end of the connecting arm, thus providing for rotatable attachment of a lever to the connecting arm. A first, or short, strap is firmly secured to a bolt or pin in the other end of the connecting arm, and has at its free end, a hook or other device for attachment to a vehicle transporting the cargo.  
         [0005]     A second strap has a hook or other device at one of its ends. The hook is attached to the transportation vehicle. The other end, or free or non-active, end of the second strap is inserted through a slot in the rotatable shaft. A ratchet arrangement permits tightening of the strap by back and forth movement of the lever with respect to the connecting link. Because the connecting arm or link is held firmly in place by the first strap, the second strap tightens down over the cargo. The cargo tightener is conventional and, therefore, will not be described in any great detail except with regard to the modification of the lever to provide the strap collector portion of the present invention.  
         [0006]     A common problem when using the above mentioned cargo tightener with tensioning straps concerns the handling of the free end of the strap not used when securing the cargo. This strap portion has to be thoroughly secured to the cargo in order not to flutter in the encountering wind, or to trail on the ground, both cases leading to a hasty soiling and wearing down of the strap. Further, a freely fluttering strap is a danger to traffic, particularly in connection with the wider 24 to 30 foot long straps used professionally by haulage contractors.  
         [0007]     Many attempts to solve these problems are known in the prior art. US Patent Publication No. US 2004/0094650 A1 to Huang, shows a strap fastener system including a strap fastener for fastening a belt, and a winding device for winding the strap. The winding device includes a housing which is attached to a connecting arm portion of the typical prior art cargo tightener. A reel is put in the housing for winding the strap, and a torque spring is arranged between the reel and the control device for automatically rotating the reel in the non-rotational position of the control device.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,520 to Söderström, shows a strap collector which is designed to be attached to the connecting arm of a standard cargo tightener. The strap collector includes a magazine for the protection and storage of the long tensioning strap of the cargo tightener when wound to the shaft of the strap collector.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,275 B1 to Lin, shows a strap tightener with an auto pulling device connected to a seat. The auto pulling device includes a housing and a reversing device. The reversing device is rotatably received in the housing. The housing would correspond to a connecting arm portion of a prior art cargo tightener.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,371 to Wyers, shows a strap tensioning and collection device having a variable length strap and a fixed length strap operatively associated with the strap storage section, and a strap tensioning section.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,721 to Smetz, et al. shows a device for connecting components to a belt.  
         [0012]     German Offenlegungsschrift DE 36 39 712 A1 to Kinnert, shows a tensioning ratchet, in particular for belts, which is equipped with a ratchet body having a retaining bolt for fastening a safety belt, and having a ratchet lever which is mounted at the other end of the ratchet body so as to be rotatable about the axle of a slotted roller for fastening the end of a tensioning belt to be wound thereon.  
         [0013]     All of the above devices perform generally satisfactorily, but share the problem of relatively high costs and difficulty of manufacture. In addition, they are rather bulky. Thus, those skilled in the art continued their search for a better cargo tightener and strap collector.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The aim of the present invention is to provide a cargo tightener and strap collector which is more cost effective compared with prior art devices, is less bulky, and is easier to manufacture. This is accomplished by having the strap collector on the lever portion of the cargo tightener, rather than on the connecting arm segment, as in the prior art. The advantages of this will become apparent by a careful reading of the detailed description, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts in the several views. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The invention is to be described in more detail below using exemplary embodiments.  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art cargo tightener.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a construction embodying the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of the construction of  FIG. 2  in its open position.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the construction of  FIG. 2  in its closed position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a prior art cargo tightener and strap collector, generally designed by the numeral  10 . The cargo tightener and strap collector  10  comprises a connecting arm or link  12 , and a lever or arm  14 . A strap  15  is provided with a hook  16  at one end thereof for connection to a transportation vehicle (not shown). The other end of strap  15  is firmly held to connecting arm  12  by pin  17 . Reciprocal motion of lever  14  using handle  18  will cause shaft  19  to rotate due to the ratchet and pawl assembly  13 .  
         [0021]     The present invention relates to a modification of the lever or arm  14  to solve the problems of the prior art. For purposes of understanding, new reference numerals are used when referring to the present invention.  
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-4 , the present invention relates to an improved cargo tightener and strap collector, generally designated by the numeral  20 . An improved apparatus for tightening and collecting a strap, or strap collector, or combination cargo tightener and strap collector  20 , includes a connecting arm or link  22  and a lever  24 . Connecting arm  22  extends in a longitudinal direction, and may be substantially similar to the connecting arm  12  shown in the prior art construction of  FIG. 1 . It is a modification to the lever of the prior art construction, identified by the numeral  24 , which provides a novel cargo tightener and strap collector  20 . As with the prior art, there is provided a first shaft  26  journaled for rotation in one, or first, end  22 A of the connecting arm  22 . At the other, or second, end  22 B of the connecting arm  22  is provided a pin  23 , to which a first, or short, strap  25  is attached. A first hook or fastening means or fastening device  27  is attached to the other end of the strap  25 . In use, the hook  27  will be attached to the transportation vehicle on which the cargo being tightened is being transported.  
         [0023]     As in the prior art devices, reciprocal rotation of the lever  24  will cause co-rotation of the first shaft  26 . Journals for first shaft  26 , as well as second shaft  40 , are provided by opposed apertures provided in a first pair of spaced apart sidewalls  36  provided in connecting arm  22 , and a second pair of spaced apart sidewalls  37  in the lever  24 . A second shaft  40  has provided therein second slot  42  ( FIG. 4 ) to accept a free end, i.e., the end without the second hook  54 , of a second belt  50 , as hereinafter described.  
         [0024]     At least a first portion  40 A of shaft  40  may extend beyond at least one of the second pair of sidewalls  37  ( FIG. 2 ) so that a knob  44  may be attached thereto for rotation of the second shaft  40 . In the preferred embodiment, a first portion and a second portion ( 40 A,  40 B) of the second shaft  40  will extend beyond the second pair of spaced apart sidewalls  37 , and a knob  44  will be attached to each portion of the second shaft.  
         [0025]     Reciprocal rotation of the lever  24  will cause co-rotational rotation of the first shaft  26  by virtue of a pair of ratchet wheels  60  which are mounted on the first shaft  26  between the first pair of sidewalls  36  and the second pair of spaced apart sidewalls  37 . It is preferred that two ratchet wheels  60  be used, although one may possibly be used. Pawl  61  aides in the rotation of the first shaft  26  by operating on the ratchet wheel  60 . The pawl  61  is spring loaded and slides in a pair of opposed slots  64  ( FIG. 4 ) in the second pair of opposed sidewalls  37 .  
         [0026]     Second, or long, strap  50  is provided having second hook  54  provided at one end thereof. The free or non-active end of strap  50 , so referred to because it has no connection to second hook  54 , is first passed through first slot  32  and then inserted in second slot  42  ( FIG. 4 ). Second shaft  40  is then rotated, with the aid of knobs  44 , to roll up free end of strap  50  into a roll  52 .  
         [0027]     In use, second hook  54  and second strap  50  are completely unrolled and removed from second shaft  40 . Second hook  54  is attached to the transportation vehicle on which the cargo is to be transported, at the appropriate location. The free end of the strap  50  is placed through first slot  32  in first shaft  26 , and the lever  24  is reciprocally rotated, causing co-rotational movement of the first shaft  26 . Since the first strap  50  is inserted in the first slot  32 , and the connecting arm  22  is restrained by the first strap  25  and the first hook  27 , the cargo tightener and strap collector  20  is tightened down on the cargo. At this point, the free end of the second strap  50  is inserted in the second slot  42  in the second shaft  40  and the knobs  44  are rotated to take up any slack in the strap before the cargo is transported.  
         [0028]     Alternately, the free end of the strap of the second strap  50  may be left inserted in the second slot  42  in the second shaft  40 , and the second strap  50  along with second hook  54  may be pulled out, causing the roll  52  to unwind until the second hook  54  may be attached to the transportation vehicle in the appropriate spot. The lever  24  is then reciprocally rotated causing co-rotational movement of the first shaft  26 , and the tightening of the cargo tightener and strap collector  20  on the cargo (not shown) in the manner previously described. Any slack in the second strap  50  is taken up by rotating the knob or knobs  44  until the slack is removed.  
         [0029]     In order to provide clearance for the roll  52  so that it does not strike the cargo being transported, the lever  24  is provided with a first substantially linearly extending portion  70 , and a second linearly extending portion  71  extending at an angle with respect to the first portion  70 , thus elevating the roll  52  away from the cargo by elevating the second shaft  40  away from the cargo.  
         [0030]     If it is desired to have the linearly and angularly extending portions  71  of the second pair of sidewalls  37  be further apart proximate the roll  52 , a pair of diverging portions  72  of the second pair of sidewalls  37  may be interposed between the first linearly extending portion  70  and the second linearly and angularly extending portion  71  of each of said second pair of sidewalls  37 .  
         [0031]     Thus, by carefully considering the problems in the prior art devices, we have provided a novel cargo tightener and strap collector which is simpler in construction, easier to manufacturer and less costly than prior art devices.