Patent ID: 8209821

Claim:
A ratchet buckle for tightening a strap including a base, a spindle rotatably attached to the base, a ratchet wheel attached to the spindle and a ratchet plate cooperating with the ratchet wheel in a ratchet action, a release arm intermediate the base and slidable in a crank arm and connected to the ratchet plate, the release arm being adapted to disengage the ratchet plate from the ratchet wheel when the release arm is pulled, and the crank arm rotatably journaled in the base by the spindle on each ratchet buckle side to which the crank arm and the ratchet wheel are secured, the spindle adapted to wind the strap around it as the spindle is rotated by the crank arm relative to the base, further comprising: a handle pivotable on the crank arm, a lock comprising legs depending from the release arm forming an inverted “U” that moves up and down with the crank arm, a key urged upward from the base under spring bias into the lock when the crank arm is lowered into a lock position thereby preventing movement of the release arm such that the ratchet plate is locked into engagement with the ratchet wheel, a crank arm connection shaft extending between crank arm sides, a depressor portion of the handle configured to engage a key interface portion such that as the handle is rotated on the crank arm connection shaft downward the depressor portion engages the key interface portion such that the key is urged downward as the handle is further lowered until the key is moved out of the lock, therein allowing the ratchet plate to disengage from its lock position with the ratchet wheel by pulling the release arm.