Patent NZ-704754-A (NZ)
Title: A tensioning device for a curtain sided vehicle
Inventor: Adrian Hanley
IPC: B60J5/00
Filed: 2015-02-10
Abstract: Existing side structural components for the deck of a curtain sided truck or trailer are commonly found to be vertically tensioned by having engager members comprising hooks or similar devices that are able to engage with engageable members disposed along the adjacent side of the deck, such as openings in a coaming rail or locations along a tie-rail. Such arrangements can have 22 or more hooks and buckles along each side of the truck or trailer. Manual operation of these components is time consuming and dangerous in poor weather conditions. Further, regulations currently governing the transportation of cargo by road vehicles in Australian States set stringent minimum requirements for load restraint. These conditions are not easily met by the existing side structural components commonly used. Further, existing components that do meet the stringent requirements often require 2 or more people to operate. In this respect the present invention seeks to provide an improved tensioning control system for a curtain sided vehicle in compliance with load restraint regulations. The present invention also seeks to provide a curtain sided vehicle having a tensioning device that is safer, easier and more efficient to operate. In this respect the present invention provides a tensioning device for tensioning or securing a side curtain of a curtain sided vehicle, such as a truck or trailer, wherein the tensioning device includes an engager member, an actuator, and a linkage system through which the actuator is operable to reversibly rotate the engager member on an axis extending transversely with respect to a line along which the actuator acts through the linkage system; the tensioning device is mountable under a deck of a body of the vehicle with the engager member adjacent to a side of the deck and the axis extending along that side with the linkage system and the actuator disposed inboard below the deck; and wherein the engager member has at least two engager portions spaced along the axis with engager portions being simultaneously reversibly movable, with rotation of the engager member under action of the actuator operating through the linkage system, to move between a first position in which the engager portions project laterally outwardly from the axis away from the actuator and a second position in which, with the tensioning device mounted under the deck, projects downwardly with respect to the adjacent side of the deck; whereby the engager portions are operable, in moving towards the second position, to engage a respective engageable member of the curtain and vertically tension the curtain or at least hold the hold the curtain in relation to the adjacent side of the deck of the body and adapted, in moving towards the first position, to release and move out of engagement with the engageable member, wherein when the engager is in a second position, the engager member is securely mounted in a channel section of a coaming rail extending along the side of the deck. The system provides an efficient, robust, reliable arrangement for retaining the lower edge of a side curtain, and is relatively simple to maintain.