Abstract:
In the present invention, a lightweight apparatus for secure transport of cargo in cargo compartments, such as those found in trucks and freight trains, is provided. The ratchet buckle has a front reel which receives a cargo strap. The light weight of the ratchet buckle is achieved by the use of a dual purpose detachable ratcheting lever or wrench. The wrench has a wrench head which engages the front reel to tighten the ratchet buckle. The wrench also has a release end which engages a release hole in the ratchet buckle, to disengage the ratcheting mechanism and allow removal of the cargo strap. Additional purposes and advantages are provided herein.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional claiming priority from pending provisional application Ser. No. 61/151,495 filed Feb. 10, 2009, the specification of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a ratchet buckle that can be used to tighten straps for securing cargo and, more particularly, to a lightweight ratchet device and detachable operating lever or wrench. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In general, ratchet mechanisms for cargo storage and other general uses, having ratchet drive wheels and spring loaded ratchet drive plate mechanisms are well known. Such ratchet buckles are commonly used to assist in securing cargo straps for transport or storage of cargo. Ratchet buckles generally consist of a ratcheting mechanism and a mechanism for receiving, securing and tightening a strap to be used for securing cargo. To operate such a buckle a cargo strap is coupled to the buckle and tightened using the ratcheting feature. Current ratchet buckles contain many heavy metallic parts which lead to high weight and bulk. 
         [0004]    The following exemplary ratchet buckles are illustrative of the state of the art: a first prior art device, the “Cargo Ratchet” depicted in  FIG. 10 ; a second prior art device, depicted in  FIG. 11  and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,651, and a third prior art device, depicted in  FIG. 12  and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,652. 
         [0005]    The prior art Cargo Ratchet depicted in  FIG. 10  employs a permanently affixed handle for ratcheting the ratchet drive. This prior art Cargo Ratchet generally comprises a ratchet buckle frame and a permanently affixed handle. The ratchet buckle frame has front and rear reels and a spring-loaded ratchet drive plate, the front reel having toothed wheels. The permanently affixed handle comprises a large handle frame, a cross-beam fixed transversely into the handle frame, and a ratcheting plate with release handle. The handle is rotatably attached to the front reel to facilitate driving the ratchet wheels. 
         [0006]    The prior art Cargo Ratchet shown in  FIG. 10 , suffers the disadvantages of high weight and space consumption. The permanently affixed handle provides a ratcheting function but is very bulky due to the inclusion of the large frame parts, cross-bars, and ratchet drive/release plate. Further, release of an installed strap requires that the handle be opened fully so that the drive/release plate is disengaged from the ratchet wheels, thereby increasing the length of the device by twofold during this procedure, which may make the Cargo Ratchet more difficult to use in tight spaces. 
         [0007]    The prior art ratchet buckle shown in  FIG. 11  and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,651 has a similar structure to the  FIG. 10  buckle, but has a smaller handle frame. To assist with the ratcheting action, the  FIG. 11  ratchet buckle uses a removable lever or wrench which can be inserted into a receiving slot in the handle frame and subsequently fixed into place with a pin. As the removable lever still requires a handle frame with large bulky parts, this  FIG. 11  buckle still suffers from the problem of high weight and space consumed as discussed in relation to  FIG. 10 . Additionally, the lever must be secured into place with a pin, thereby increasing the amount of time required for operation. 
         [0008]    The prior art cargo buckle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,652 and shown in  FIG. 12  has a ratchet buckle and removable lever for ratcheting the buckle. This device is meant to be used in conjunction with a fixed strap securing plate as shown. This use requires that the strap traverse the entire length of the ratchet buckle, as it is fed and tightened at opposite ends. Due to this fact, the ratcheting wrench cannot be used as a lever to remove the strap in a simple fashion. 
         [0009]    Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a lightweight ratchet buckle which can be easily operated and from which a strap can easily be disengaged. 
         [0010]    It is a further object to provide a ratchet buckle which consumes low space. 
         [0011]    It is a further object to provide a ratchet buckle which has minimized shipping and production costs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0012]    In the present invention, these purposes, as well as other which will become apparent, are achieved generally by providing a lightweight apparatus and related method for transport in cargo compartments, such as trucks and freight trains. The light weight of the ratchet buckle is achieved by the use of a dual purpose detachable ratcheting lever or wrench. The lever has the capacity to ratchet the ratchet buckle, thereby tightening a strap, and further has the capacity to disengage the ratchet buckle to allow for unfastening of the strap. The lever is fully detachable from the ratchet buckle, resulting in a lightweight ratchet buckle device and reduced space consumption and expenses on packaging and shipping costs. 
         [0013]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ratchet buckle and wrench combination generally comprises a frame having a top side and a bottom side, left and right opposing sidewalls and a front end, each of said left and right opposing sidewalls defining a ratchet drive plate slit; a front reel disposed at the front end; a ratchet drive plate having a front side, a rear side, and a right edge, wherein said ratchet drive plate is disposed through said slits in said left and right opposing sidewalls; left and right ratchet wheels disposed on said front reel, said left and right wheels engaged with said ratchet drive plate, and said right wheel having a right face; a ratchet wrench comprising: a shaft with a wrenching end and a release end, a length and a width; a grasping head at said wrenching end; a release protrusion at said release end; and a spring loaded member extending from and perpendicular to the shaft, wherein said spring loaded member is located at the wrenching end and is adjacent to the grasping head; wherein said right edge of said ratchet drive plate is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel, thereby providing a flush surface to allow engagement by a wrench. 
         [0014]    Further, a method of operating the cargo buckle is provided comprising providing a securing strap; providing a ratchet buckle and wrench combination comprising: a frame having left and right opposing sidewalls and having a front end, each of said left and right opposing sidewalls defining a ratchet drive plate slit; a front reel disposed at the front end, said front reel having an annular depression; a ratchet drive plate having a right edge, wherein said ratchet drive plate is disposed through said slits in said left and right opposing sidewalls; left and right ratchet wheels disposed on said front reel, said left and right wheels engaged with said ratchet drive plate, and said right wheel having a right face; a shaft with a wrenching end and a release end, a length and a width; a grasping head at said wrenching end; a release protrusion at said release end; and a spring loaded member extending from and perpendicular to the shaft, wherein said spring loaded member is located at the wrenching end and is adjacent to the grasping head; wherein said right edge of said ratchet drive plate is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel, thereby providing a flush surface to allow engagement by a wrench; sliding the strap through said slit in said front reel; engaging said wrench with said annular depression such that said spring loaded member engages a tooth on one of the ratchet wheels; driving said wrench to rotate said front wheel, thereby drawing the strap towards the buckle. 
         [0015]    Advantage is thereby provided by the ability to operate the buckle without a heavy ratchet frame handle body, and in the provision of a multi-function wrench which can quickly and easily tighten and release a cargo buckle strap. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent when the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention are considered in conjunction with the drawings which should be construed in an illustrative and not limiting sense as follows: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a bottom-side view of the preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  depicts the left and right ratchet wheels and the fasteners used to retain them to the buckle frame. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a top down view of the wrench of a preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a close-up view of the head section of the lever portion of a preferred embodiment of the ratchet buckle. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6A-6B  shows the first step of a first embodiment of a method of tightening a strap with a cargo buckle, the first step being inserting a strap into a cargo buckle. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6C  shows the second step of a first embodiment of a method of tightening a strap with a cargo buckle, the second step being engaging a wrench with the front reel of the cargo buckle. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6D-6E  show the third step of a first embodiment of a method of tightening a strap with a cargo buckle, the third step being rotating the lever to ratchet the ratchet wheels of the cargo buckle, thereby tightening the cargo buckle. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7A  shows the first step of a first embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle, the first step being inserting a conical end of a wrench between a front reel and a drive plate and into a wrench engagement hole. 
           [0026]      FIG. 7B  shows the second step of a first embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle, the second step being levering a wrench to disengage a ratchet drive plate from ratchet wheels. 
           [0027]      FIG. 7C-7D  show the third step of a first embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle, the third step being removing the cargo strap from the buckle while the ratchet drive plate is disengaged from the ratchet wheels. 
           [0028]      FIG. 8   9  is a flow chart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method of inserting and fastening a strap into the cargo buckle device. 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method of removing a strap from a cargo buckle device. 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  shows a first prior art cargo buckle device exhibiting a large ratcheting handle. 
           [0031]      FIG. 11  shows a second prior art cargo buckle device exhibiting a large ratcheting handle. 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  shows a third prior art cargo buckle device. 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  shows a prior art shipping assembly in comparison with the shipping assembly facilitated by the ratchet buckle of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 14  is a close-up view of the shipping assembly used to ship the ratchet buckle which is the subject of the present invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 15  shows an alternative ratchet drive plate spring mechanism. 
           [0036]      FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative wrench head showing the wrench head in an open position. 
           [0037]      FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative wrench head showing the wrench head in a locked position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0038]    This disclosure is directed to a Ratchet Buckle that can be used in various locations such as trucks, trailers, airplanes and trains, to secure cargo during transport or during other situations that may disrupt cargo in storage. To utilize such a ratchet buckle, a strap for securing cargo is coupled to the ratchet buckle, and the buckle is ratcheted, such that the strap is tightened over cargo. 
         [0039]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, showing a preferred embodiment of a Ratchet Buckle  10 . The Ratchet Buckle  10  generally comprises a frame  11  with spaced rear and front reel bars  12 ,  14  that extend between opposing left and right side walls  17  and  21  of the frame  11  for supporting tensioning cargo straps (not pictured). Preferably, the left and right side-walls  17  and  21  are approximately 5.5″, in length approximately one inch in height, and approximately ⅛″ in thickness. The front reel  14  is preferably approximately 3.5″ in length and approximately 1″ in diameter while the rear reel  12  is preferably approximately 3″ in length and ½″ in diameter. Further, frame  11  has a front end  13  and a rear end  25 . The rear reel  12  preferably comprises a bolt slid through two circular holes in the rear of the frame  11 , and fastened with a nut. The frame is preferably made from a metal material, such as steel. 
         [0040]    The front end  13  of each side wall  17  and  21  preferably expands out to an approximately flat circular portion  40  with an approximate diameter of 2″. The circular portions  40  of the side-walls  17  and  21  each preferably define a circular slot  33  for insertion of a cylindrical front reel  14 . The top edge  35  of each side wall  17  and  21  is preferably approximately flat, except for the circular portion  40  at the front ends  25 . The side-walls  17  and  21  and a cross-plate  19  are preferably stamped out of a single piece of material, and bent to form the two side-walls  17  and  21  of the frame  11  and cross-plate  19  at the bottom of the frame  11 . The result, as can be seen in  FIG. 2  is that the bottom side  41  of each side wall  17  and  21  is approximately flat, though having contours corresponding to the presence of the cross plate  19 . The cross-plate  19  will be discussed in more detail below, with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0041]    A slot  15  in front reel  14  is provided to receive a tensioning strap. Preferably, the front reel  14  is composed of two spaced, semi-cylindrical bars  28 , the space defining a slot  15 . The slot  15  is preferably approximately ¼″ in width. Other strap attachment mechanisms may be used. 
         [0042]    Preferably, left and right ratchet wheels  23 ,  26  are disposed on the outside surfaces of the left and right side-walls  17 ,  21 . The two semi-cylindrical portions  28  of the front reel  14  are disposed through semi-circular holes or slits  30  in the left and right ratchet wheels  23 ,  26 , and through the circular holes  33  in the left and right side-walls  17 ,  21 . 
         [0043]    The ratchet drive wheels  23 ,  26  have ratchet teeth  27  which allow for ratcheting of the front reel  14 . The teeth  27  are preferably rounded on one end and straight-edged on the other such that a ratcheting tool like a wrench  60  may engage the straight-edged end and pass over the rounded end. There are preferably eleven teeth  27  on each wheel  23 ,  26  although more or less may be used. The teeth  27  preferably have a height of approximately ¼″. A wrench engagement notch or annular depression  16  is cut out of the front reel  14 . Preferably, this notch  16  is on the right side of the front reel  14  but the notch  16  may be anywhere along the reel  14  that allows attachment by a wrench  60 . Additionally, the notch  16  is preferably approximately ⅜″ in length and approximately ⅛″ in depth. 
         [0044]    Now referring to  FIG. 3 , the two semi-cylindrical portions or bars  28  of the front reel  14  are fastened together with reel retainer fasteners  29 ,  31 . The semi-cylindrical bars  28  preferably have reel retainer fastener holes at both left and right ends, extending radially through the bars such that fasteners  29 ,  31  may be inserted through those holes. On one side, a fastener  29  may connect the two bars by being inserted through the radial holes and then having each end bent over the cylindrical surface of the bar, thereby preventing removal of the fastener from the bar. This fastener  29  must therefore be a long, non-threaded fastener  29 . 
         [0045]    As the front reel  14  preferably has an annular notch  16  at the right end, the fastener  31  that passes through the annular notch  16  must allow attachment by a wrench  60 . Since the front reel  14  extends past the right ratchet wheel  26 , the fastener  31  must be short enough that it does not extend past the cylindrical surface of the notch. As the ends cannot be bent around the reel like with fastener  29 , a mechanism must be used to ensure that the fastener does not slip out of the radial holes. One preferred mechanism is to thread the fastener  31  and the holes. Other mechanisms that retain the fastener in place while allowing attachment by a wrench may be used as well. The fasteners  29 ,  31  are preferably approximately 3/16″ in diameter. 
         [0046]    A ratchet drive plate is disposed roughly in the center of the ratchet buckle frame  11 . The ratchet drive plate  18  is preferably formed from a separate piece of material than the rest of the frame  11  and is preferably approximately ⅛″ in thickness. The ratchet drive plate  18  comprises a central portion  42  and a left and right wheel engagement member  20 ,  22 . The central portion has a front edge  44  and a rear edge  46 . The front edge  44  is preferably approximately straight. Preferably the center of the front edge  44  has an indent  48  such that it can receive the release end  61  of a wrench  60 . The indent  48  is preferably round and approximately ½″ in length. The rear edge  46  of the central portion  42  of the ratchet drive plate  18  is preferably shaped as follows. The portion of the rear edge  46  nearest the side-walls  23 ,  26  of the frame  11 , is substantially parallel to the front and rear reels  14 ,  12 . Following the rear edge  46  towards the center of the ratchet drive plate  18 , the edge angles forward (towards the front reel  12 ). From the center of the rear edge  46  projects a thin spring attachment member  34  which preferably has a rounded end. The spring attachment member  34  is preferably approximately ¾″ in length and approximately ⅜″ in width. 
         [0047]    Alternatively, as shown in an alternate embodiment of a ratchet buckle  100  in  FIG. 15 , a spring  102  may be affixed to the ratchet drive plate. The free end  104  of the spring  102  may be inserted into a small hole  106  in an alternate spring retention nub  108  extending from the cross-plate  19 . This alternate spring  102  biases the ratchet drive plate towards the front reel such that the wheel engagement members  20 ,  22  come into contact with the teeth  27  of the wheels  23 ,  26 . 
         [0048]    The ratchet drive plate  18  preferably has left and right wheel engagement members  20  and  22  which are disposed through slits  38  and  39  in the frame  11  and which serve to ratchetably engage the teeth  27  of the ratchet drive wheels  23  and  26 . The slits  38  and  39  are preferably approximately 1.5″ in length and approximately 3/16″ in height. 
         [0049]    Preferably, the left and right engagement members  20  and  22  extend from the left and right sides of the central portion of the ratchet drive plate, respectively. In a first preferred embodiment, the left engagement member  20  is wider than the right engagement member  22 , and is approximately ½″ in width and approximately 1″ in length. The right engagement member  22  is preferably approximately ⅜″ in width and 1″ in length. Preferably, the right engagement member  22  is narrow enough such that its right end is substantially aligned with the right face of the right wheel  26 , thereby forming a substantially flush surface or even edge with the right ratchet drive wheel  26 . 
         [0050]    It should be appreciated that, as described below, this flush surface configuration allows a wrench  60  to drive the right ratchet drive wheel  26  by allowing the wrench  60  to make contact with the front reel  14  and the teeth  27  of the wheel  26 , and to permit freely rotating the wrench  60  and front reel  14 , without blocking rotation of the wrench. In embodiments where the annular notch  16  is in a different location, a different ratchet drive shape should be used. For example, the narrowed engagement member  22  may be on the left side of the ratchet buckle to allow wrenching from that side. Alternatively, there may be no narrowed engagement member and the front reel may be ratcheted from within the opposing side-walls  17 ,  21  of the ratchet frame  11 . 
         [0051]    The ratchet drive plate  18  may include rivets  73 . The rivets  73  protrude from the top of the drive plate  18 , causing an increased thickness at the area of the rivets  73 . The slits  38 ,  39  therefore preferably include small widened portions  75 ,  77 , which allows the rivets  73  to pass through the slits  38 ,  39 . Preferably the rivets  73  are approximately 3/16″ in diameter and the widened portions  75 ,  77  are slightly larger, to accommodate the rivets  73 . 
         [0052]    A ratchet spring  32  is preferably disposed around the spring attachment member  34  and against a spring retention nub  36  attached to a cross-plate  19 . The spring retention nub  36  defines a spring retention hole  37  through which the spring attachment member  34  may pass. The spring  32  biases the ratchet drive plate  18  towards the front reel  14 , thereby engaging the left and right wheel engagement members  20  and  22  with the teeth  27  of the left and right wheels  23  and  26 . 
         [0053]    A cross plate  19  is disposed at the bottom of the ratchet buckle frame  11 . Preferably, the thickness of the cross-plate  19  is approximately ⅛″, the width is approximately 2.25″ and the length is approximately 2″. The cross-plate  19  is disposed at the bottom of the ratchet buckle frame  11  and is approximately rectangular in shape. At the front edge of the cross-plate  19  is preferably a roughly trapezoidal ridge jutting forward which measures approximately 1.625″ in length. Towards the rear of the frame  11 , the outline of the cross-plate  19  is roughly straight at the area of the plate  19  towards the side-walls  17 ,  21  of the frame  11 , and curves in towards a spring retention nub  36  which defines a spring retention hole  37 . Preferably, the spring retention nub  36  extends approximately ⅝″ towards the top of the buckle and is approximately ⅝″ in width. The spring retention hole is preferably approximately ⅜″ in diameter. 
         [0054]    The cross-plate  19  additionally defines a wrench engagement hole  24 , which can be used in conjunction with a wrench  60  to disengage the ratchet drive plate  18  from the wheels  23  and  26 . The wrench engagement hole  24  is located towards the front part of the cross-plate  19  and is positioned to correspond to the indent  77  in the front edge  44  of the ratchet drive plate  18 , to allow engagement and levering by a lever or wrench  60 . The wrench engagement hole  24  is preferably approximately ⅜″ in diameter. 
         [0055]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the wrench  60  preferably comprises a shaft  63  connecting a wrenching end or wrenching head  64  with a release end  61 . A conical release protrusion  62  may be located at the release end  61 , which may be used to disengage the ratchet drive plate  18  from the wheels  23  and  26 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , an alternative release protrusion  62 ′ may be cylindrical rather than conical. The shaft  63  of the wrench  60  is preferably approximately ¾″ in width, approximately ⅜″ in depth, and approximately 8.25″ in length. Further, it is preferably made of a hollow rectangular metal material, the metal having a thickness of approximately 1/16″. As shown in  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the wrench  60  may have a manual gripping structure  65  disposed around the wrench, for providing optimal gripping function to a user. 
         [0056]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 5  which is a close-up view of the wrenching end  64  of the wrench  60 . The wrench head section  64  has a semi-circular wrench opening  74  set into the front end of the wrench head  64 . The reel engagement surface  76  of the wrench opening  74  preferably comprise two parallel substantially straight sections measuring approximately ⅜″ in length, connected to a semi-circular section having a diameter of approximately ⅞″. The wrench opening surface is intended for engagement with the annular notch  16  of the front reel  14  of the ratchet buckle  10 . 
         [0057]    An elongated tooth engagement member  68  is set into the wrench head section  64 . Preferably, the tooth engagement member  68  is positioned such that the leading short edge  66  of the tooth engagement member  68  is set back from by about ⅜″, and corresponds roughly to, the closest part of the reel engagement surface  76  of the wrench opening  74 . Preferably, the member  68  has a rounded corner  71  for slipping over ratchet teeth and a straight corner  72  for engaging ratchet teeth, thereby facilitating a ratcheting action. The member  68  is preferably approximately ½″ in length, approximately ¼″ in height and approximately 3/16″ in width. 
         [0058]    A spring  70  biases the tooth engagement member  68  towards the wrenching end  64 , in order to provide secure engagement of the member  68  with the teeth  27  of a wheel  23 ,  26 . The spring  70  and member  68  are preferably disposed within a cut-out  78  in the wrench head, the cut-out  78  measuring approximately ⅞″ in length and approximately 3/16″ in width. The wrench head  64  may be of a different width than the shaft  63 . Preferably the wrench head  64  has a smaller width than the shaft  63 . Preferably this width variation is facilitated by cutting out the walls of the shaft  63  at the wrench head  64 , compressing the floor and ceiling of the shaft to a desired width, forming new walls with plies of metal (such as aluminum or steel), and fastening the plies of metal together. Preferably, 2 plies of metal are used. 
         [0059]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 16 and 17 , depicting an alternate embodiment of a wrench with alternate wrenching end  64 ′. The alternate wrenching end  64 ′ has two movable gripping portions  50 . The gripping portions  50  rotate around gripping portion axles  52  and are preferably L-shaped. The gripping portions preferably have reel holding ends  54  and nub receiving ends  56 . The gripping portions  50  are rotatable between an open position, in which the wrench  60  is ready to engage a front reel  14  of a ratchet buckle  10 , and a locked position, in which the wrench  60  is engaged around a front reel  14  of a ratchet buckle  10 . The nub receiving ends  56  are shaped to receive preferably rounded spring loaded nubs  58  which serve to hold the gripping portions  50  in a locked position, thereby steadying the wrench  60  during engagement and ratcheting of the ratchet buckle  10 . The spring loaded nubs  58  are set back within the wrenching end  64 ′, against springs  59  which bias the nubs  58  towards the nub receiving ends  56  of the gripping portions  50 . Upon engagement of the wrenching end  64 ′ with the front reel  14 , the front reel  14  pushes the two movable gripping portions  50  inwards. The spring loaded nubs  58  hold the nub receiving ends  56  of the gripping portions  50  in place, thereby locking the gripping portions  50  around the front reel  14 . In a preferred embodiment, both the nub receiving ends  56  and the spring loaded nubs  58  are approximately semi-circular in shape, but any shape which provides a sturdy temporary lock may be used. 
         [0060]    Preferably, the gripping portion axles  52  are situated in such a way as to allow rotation of the gripping portions  50  inwards into a locked position, but to prevent rotation of the gripping portions  50  past a certain degree either inward or outward. 
         [0061]    Referring now back to  FIG. 4 , the release end  61  of the wrench  60  will now be described in more detail. Preferably the release end  61  is approximately 1″ in length. The release end is approximately 7/16″ in diameter towards the shaft  63  and tapers slightly to about a diameter of approximately ¼″. The end of the release end  61  is preferably circular and flat. The release end  61  preferably is manufactured from a separate piece of metal, inserted into the hollow shaft and welded or affixed to the shaft through an appropriate method. 
         [0062]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 6A-6E , and  FIG. 8 , which show a method of utilizing the ratchet buckle  10  and wrench  60  to secure a cargo strap  80 . As one purpose of tightening cargo straps with this buckle is to secure cargo, a cargo strap  80  may optionally be secured to a surface and wrapped around or otherwise secured to a cargo package. Preferably, in step  102 , prior to installation of the strap  80  into the ratchet buckle  10 , the front reel  14  of the ratchet buckle  10  is rotated such that the slot  15  in the front reel  14  is easily accessible to the cargo strap  80 . 
         [0063]    In a preferred embodiment, the right wheel  26  is ratcheted clockwise, as viewed from the right side of the ratchet buckle  10 . Therefore, to quickly secure the cargo strap  80 , the slot  15  of the front reel  14  should be pointed upwards and slightly towards the rear of the buckle  10 . In this position, the cargo strap  80  should be inserted from the bottom of the ratchet buckle  10 . This allows for the best tradeoff between easy insertion of the cargo strap  80  into the slot  15  in the front reel  14  and quickest time to when the strap  80  is securely wrapped under itself around the front reel  14 . 
         [0064]    Rotation of the front reel  14  for this initial set-up can be accomplished by either ratcheting the front reel  14  with the wrench  60  as described below with respect to  FIGS. 6D-6E , or by using the conical end  61  to disengage the ratchet drive plate  18  from the teeth  27  of the wheels  23 ,  26  and then rotating the front reel  14  by hand. As shown in  FIGS. 6A-6B , in step  104 , a strap is placed through the slot  15  in the front reel  14 . The strap should be placed all the way through the slot to ensure secure fastening while ratcheting the ratchet buckle, but should not be placed too far into the slot such that ratcheting is hindered. 
         [0065]    As shown in  FIG. 6C , in step  106 , the reel engagement surface  76  of a wrench  60  is engaged with the annular groove or notch  16  of the front reel  14 . This must be done such that the tooth engagement member  68  of the wrench  60  is able to engage the teeth  27  of the ratchet wheels  23 ,  26 . For example, in the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the tooth engagement member  68  must be pointed inwards, towards the right wheel  26 , as the annular groove  16  in the front reel  14  is disposed outwards from the teeth  27  of the right wheel  26 . In order to facilitate ratcheting, the flat side of the tooth engagement member  68  must be against the flat side of one of the teeth  27  of a ratchet wheel  23 ,  26 . 
         [0066]    As shown in  FIGS. 6D and 6E , in step  108 , the wrench  60  is torqued or rotated towards the front side of the ratchet buckle, thereby rotating the front reel  14 , and is then brought back towards the rear reel  12 . Preferably the cargo strap  80  is pulled taught away from the cargo buckle  10  to ensure tight wrapping of the strap  80  around the front reel  14 . 
         [0067]    Each time the wrench tightens the front reel  14 , it must be brought back such that the tooth engagement member  68  slides over the teeth  27  of the ratchet wheel  23 ,  26  and engages a new tooth  27 . This ratcheting motion is repeated until the cargo strap  80  is tightened to a desired tightness. 
         [0068]    For releasing the cargo strap  80 , reference is now made to  FIGS. 7A-7D  and  FIG. 9 . In step  120 , the conical portion  62  of the release end  61  of the wrench  60  is inserted between the front reel  14  and the ratchet drive plate  18 , and into the wrench engagement hole  24  in the cross plate  19 . A substantially firm grip should be established such that the conical release end  61  does not slip out of the wrench engagement hole  24 . In step  122 , the wrench  60  is levered against the ratchet drive plate  18 , as shown in  FIG. 7B , thereby disengaging the plate  18  from the teeth  27  on the wheels  23  and  26 . As shown in  FIGS. 7C-7D , in step  124 , while holding the ratchet drive plate away from the ratchet wheels, the cargo strap  80  is pulled outward from the buckle  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 7C-7D . 
         [0069]    Referring now to  FIG. 13 , a prior art shipping assembly and a shipping assembly  200  for the cargo ratchet  10  can be seen and described. As can be seen, the prior art shipping assembly requires much more space than the ratchet buckle  10  which is the subject of this disclosure, due to the inclusion of a bulky handle in the prior art. 
         [0070]    Referring now to  FIG. 14 , the shipping assembly  200  for the cargo ratchet  10  will be described in more detail. The shipping assembly  200  generally comprises the cargo ratchet  10 , a cargo strap  80  with a hook  202  attached, and a rear reel strap  204  with rear reel hook  206  attached to the rear reel  12 . The rear reel strap  204  and cargo strap  80  are both wrapped around the cargo ratchet  10  and tied in place with a tie  208 . 
         [0071]    Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous configurations and modifications are possible in light of the above disclosure. For example, the strap may be attached to the buckle with hooks or other means. Further, the positioning of the notch allowing for engagement by a wrench may be located in various places on the front reel or other attached parts. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the invention.