Patent ID: 7571523

Claim:
For coupling a first item to a second item having a second item portion, a system comprising: a container couplable to the first item, the container having a first longitudinal passage and a second longitudinal passage; a structure having a first portion and a second portion, the structure being coupled to the container to slidably extend at least partially along a first direction from the container from a first position and to a second position and retract along opposite the first direction at least partially into the container from the second position to the first position, wherein the first portion slideably extends from the first longitudinal passage in the container and the second portion slideably extends from the second longitudinal passage in the container; and a gate member being rotatably coupled to the first portion of the structure, the gate member being selectively rotatable between a closed position and an open position when the structure is extended from the container in the second position, the gate member being in the closed position when the structure is in the first position, in the open position, the gate member and the structure are spaced apart to allow passage of the portion of the second item between the gate member and the structure, in the closed position, the gate member and the structure combining to form a perimeter to surround a portion of the second item that has passed between the gate and the structure to couple the second item to the system and thereby to couple the second item to the first item, wherein the structure further comprises a transverse member extending along a second direction transverse to the first direction, the transverse member remaining outside the container when the structure is in the first position, the transverse member forming a portion of the perimeter surrounding the portion of the second item that passed between the gate and the structure, and the transverse member retaining the second item in the perimeter along the first direction when the structure is in the second position.