A CLIP FOR A LOADING STRAP

Abstract: A clip serves to maintain a spirally wound, ring disc-like loading strap roll (12) in this wound condition, until the strap (10) is to be used. The clip (18) consist of a V-shaped, resilient wire hoop comprising two hoop legs (20, 22) extending from a transition portion (28). Each hoop leg (20, 22) has an outer longitudinal portion (20' and 22', respectively), having a free end (24 and 26, respectively), said outer longitudinal portion (20' and 22', respectively) being angled about 90 DEG in relation to the inner hoop leg (20 and 22, respectively) belonging thereto and passing into the common transition portion (28), one (22') of the angled leg portions (20' and 22', respectively) being intended to rest pressingly against the inner circumference of the annular loading strap roll (12), the other angled leg portion (20') being intended to rest pressingly against the outer circumference of said annular roll (12).

Description: A CLIP FOR A LOADING STRAP This invention relates to a clip shaped and designed to retain the wound condition of a loading strap or a similar strip-shaped element wound into a spiral shape. An example of another strip-shaped element windable into a roll, is a fire hose. For loading straps wound into the shape of rolls, it is very important that they maintain the wound condition until they are to be used, because it, otherwise, would be difficult to throw the strap across the load to be secured. Wound loading straps are hurled one after the other by the driver of the loading vehicle from one side of the loading area to the other side thereof. After a successful throw during which the strap has unwound itself successively in its movement across load and loading area, the strap will eventually come to rest, lying on top of the tallest portions of the load. At the leading end thereof, the strap has an attachment hook which the driver attaches in an adjacent hole/hoop on the adjacent outer side portion of the loading area. Thereafter, the driver moves back to the side from where the throwing was carried out, picking up the strap's other, free outer end which, thereafter, as known per se, is attached to the loading area through a conventional tensioning device on the strap. Norwegian patent application No. 965344 (not published) deals with a simple apparatus for the winding of loading straps which, subsequent to its spiral-shaped winding into rolls, can be pulled axially off the apparatus, such that the loose end thereof intentionally will be situated radially innermost, the opposite end carrying the hook being situated radially outermost. Such a loading strap wound into spiral-shape has a substantially annular circle disc shape, where a central hole is defined by the innermost 360° strap winding following the spiral-shaped path, so that the loading strap in wound condition, besides its outer periphery, has an inner periphery. This is due to the rotary core of the winding apparatus, the loading strap being wound on said core. As soon as a wound loading strap or any flexible, strip- shaped element, e.g. a flattened fire hose, has been wound into a substantially ring-like circle disc shape, this wound condition must be secured so that the wound loading strap or the like, subsequently, becomes less sensitive to external influences and, thus, maintain its wound condition in spite of reckless handling. Thus, the object of the present invention has been, with simple and inexpensive means, to provide a clip of the kind defined introductorily which is easy to place on an annular load strap roll or the like, and which is efficient and reliable in use, simultaneously as it is easy to remove from a wound loading strap immediately before it is to be used. It represents an obvious advantage to secure such a wound loading strap roll immediately after it has been pulled off said winding apparatus or after it has been wound in some other way, namely at the moment where all loading strap windings overlap each other most accurately, but clips according to the invention may, of course, be placed on annular loading strap roll whenever this is desirable. According to the invention, said object is realized by means of a clip of the kind defined introductorily which distinguishes itself through the features as set forth in the characterizing clause of claim 1. A clip according to the invention may be a wire hoop having a substantially V-shaped basic shape comprising two legs each having a free end and exhibiting a certain relative resilience towards and away from each other, and wherein each hoop leg has an angled longitudinal portion terminated with said free end, and wherein the clip for the rest is shaped such that one angled longitudinal leg portion is intended to rest pressingly against a wound annular strap roll's inner peripheral face, while the other angled longitudinal leg portion is intended to rest pressingly against the strap roll's outer peripheral face. The angled longitudinal leg portions may slope inwardly towards each other in the direction of their free ends, and the free ends may be hook-shaped. The two V-legs may, within their respective longitudinal angulation portions, form an angle of e.g. 40° with each other and be mutually connected through a rounded transition member. One V-hoop leg may, preferably, be shorter than the other, exclusive the angulations which should have the same longitudinal extent, in order to keep the entire clip within the outer circumference of the wound loading strap ring. The angled leg portion of the shortest V-hoop leg is placed pressingly resting against the inner circumferential face of the wound strap roll, the other angled leg portion of the longest V-hoop leg is placed pressingly against the outer circumference. The wound annular strap roll has, preferably, an equal thickness across the entire side faces, so that the outer angled end portions of the two V-hoop legs will have the same length and substantially correspond to the width of the strap. The efficient function of the clip is due to the fact that one edge face rests supportingly against the adjacent strap winding edges at that one side, crossing the same, so that the clip prevents undesired displacements in the overlaps of the strap windings, simultaneously as the short V-leg with its angulation is pressing against the inner circumferential face and, thus, prevents that the radially inner end of the strap gets any possibility of motion, the radially outermost situated long V-leg with its angulation correspondingly preventing possibility of motion for the wound strap's outermost end. A resilient V-hoop-like wire clip according to the invention is further explained in the following, reference is being made to accompanying drawings, showing a non-restricted examplary preferred embodiment, and wherein: Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of a wound, ring disc shaped loading strap roll having an attachment hook and kept together, maintaining the original wound position by means of a resilient, substantially V-hoop- like wire clip according to the invention; Figure 2 shows loading strap roll, attachment hook and clip as seen from above in figure 1; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the same as shown in figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows the resilient V-hoop-like wire clip in perspective in non-influenced condition; Figure 5 shows the wire clip as seen from the left side in figure 4; Fig. 6 shows the wire clip in perspective, as seen obliquely from above. According to figures 1 - 3 , a loading strap 10 has been wound into spiral shape, forming a substantially ring disc-like roll 12, where the shown number of strap windings, of course, is not representative for a loading strap ' s length in practice. The wound ring disc-like strap roll's 12 radially inner end is denoted at 10 • , and the inner winding thereof surrounds a central hole 14. An attachment hook 16 has been threaded onto the outer strap end 10 • * , whereafter the end portion 10 ' * is bent over and anchored to the rest of the strap, forming a loop into which the hook 16 engages and, thus, has become fastened to the strap 10. In order to prevent that the strap windings might displace themselves, leaving their overlapping positions due to outer strains and, thus, causing disorder in the winding condition of the loading strap 10, the loading strap wound into ring- shape has been provided with a clip according to the invention, generally denoted by the reference numeral 18. The clip 18 is, preferably, a wire clip of steel or plastic, comprising a substantially V-shaped, resilient hoop, the legs 20, 22 thereof each having a free, hook-shaped outer end 24, 26, and a rounded transition piece 28 having short parallel portions directed towards the legs 20, 22, which may enclose an angle of e.g. about 40 . c 0 In the examplary embodiment, each V-leg 20, 22 has an angled, longitudinal leg portion 20', 22' which suitably has the same length extent, approximately corresponding to the strap width, because these angled, longitudinal leg portions 20', 22' each must rest pressingly against one of the ring disc- shaped wound strap roll's circumferences. At each circumferential face, an angled, longitudinal leg portion 22' (at the inner circumference) respectively 20' (at the outer circumference) shall rest pressingly, in order to eliminate a possible opportunity of motion for the inner strap end 10' and the outer strap end 10' » , respectively. The angulation may advantageously be about 90°. To secure that the smallest possible portion of such a V-clip projects outside the wound ring disc-shaped strap roll's outer circumference, one V-hoop leg 22 is preferably shorter than the other leg 20; see especially figures 1 and 4. The angled, longitudinal leg portions 20', 22' slope suitably towards each other in a direction towards the free ends 24, 26 thereof, figures 5 and 6. The outer end portions carrying the hooks 24, 26 are twisted somewhat outwardly, away from each other, figure 5. The substantially V-hoop-shaped wire clip 18 according to the invention may undergo substantial modifications within the scope of protection defined in the following claims on the basis of the features appearing in the illustrated examplary embodiment.

Claims: C l a i s 1. A clip adapted to maintain a spirally wound, ring disclike loading strap roll (12) or a similar strip-like, possibly flattened hose-shaped element in the wound condi- tion thereof, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the clip (18) comprises a hoop having substantially V-, U- or similar basic shape, comprising two hoop legs (20, 22) outgoing from a common transition portion (28) and, preferably, being resilient from and towards each other, and that each hoop leg (20, 22) has an outer longitudinal portion (20' and 22', respectively) having a free end (24 and 26, respectively), said outer longitudinal portion (20' and 22', respectively) being angled in relation to the inner hoop leg (20 and 22, respectively) belonging thereto and passing into the common transition portion (28) thereof. 2. A clip as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the clip (18) consists of a resilient wire hoop. 3. A clip as set forth in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c- t e r i z e d i n that the inner hoop leg portions (20, 22) interconnected by means of a common, rounded transition portion (28) , slope away from the latter, forming an angle in the range of 35-45° therebetween. 4. A clip as set forth in claim 1, 2 or 3, c h a r a c- t e r i z e d i n that the angle between each of the inner hoop leg portions (20, 22) and the outer, angled portion (20' and 22', respectively) belonging thereto, is of the order 90°. 5. A clip as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the outer, angled leg portions (20', 22') slope inwardly towards each other in a direction towards their free outer ends (24 and 26, respectively) . 6. A clip as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the free outer end (24, 26) of each of the outer, angled leg portions (20', 22') is bent into hook or ring shape and, additionally, twisted somewhat away from each other. 7. A clip as set forth in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that one inner leg por- tion (22), the angled portion (22') thereof being intended to rest pressingly against the annular strap roll's (12) inner circumference, has a shorter length extent than the other, outer leg portion (20) , the angled, outer leg portion (20') thereof being intended to rest pressingly against the outer circumference of the strap roll (12) .

Inventors: RISA BJOERN GUNNAR, RISA TOR EINAR, RISA, BJOERN, GUNNAR, RISA, TOR, EINAR
Applicants: RIPRO AS, RISA BJOERN GUNNAR, RISA TOR EINAR, RISA, BJOERN, GUNNAR, RISA, TOR, EINAR
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65H75
IPC codes: B65H75