Patent ID: 7252259

Claim:
A device for independently tensioning lines, comprising: (a) a dial; (b) a drive gear that is fixedly connected to the dial, the dial and drive gear being concentric and rotatable together about a drive axis; (c) a pinion rotatable about a pinion axis and having teeth engaged with teeth of the drive gear, the pinion being pivotable about the drive axis to different positions including, (i) a first position, in which teeth of the pinion engage teeth of a first gear but not teeth of a second gear, (ii) a second position, in which teeth of the pinion engage teeth of the second gear but do not engage teeth of the first gear, and (iii) an intermediate position, in which teeth of the pinion do not engage teeth of either the first gear or the second gear; (d) a first spool fixed on a first spindle for rotation with the first spindle about a first spindle axis, the first spindle being coaxial with, and fixedly connected to, the first gear for rotation therewith about the first spindle axis; (e) a second spool fixed on a second spindle for rotation with the second spindle about a second spindle axis, the second spindle being coaxial with, and fixedly connected to, the second gear for rotation therewith about the second spindle axis; (f) a first pawl configured to engage, and thereby prevent rotation of, the first spool in a first rotational direction of the first spool, while permitting rotation of the first spool in a second rotational direction of the first spool; (g) a second pawl configured to engage, and thereby prevent rotation of, the second spool in a first rotational direction of the second spool, while permitting rotation of the second spool in a second rotational direction of the second spool; (h) a first release member configured to selectively displace the first pawl from engagement with the first spool, thereby permitting rotation of the first spool in the first rotational direction of the first spool; and (i) a second release member configured to selectively displace the second pawl from engagement with the second spool, thereby permitting rotation of the second spool in the first rotational direction of the second spool; (j) wherein, (i) rotation of the dial in a first rotational direction about the drive axis results in rotation of the first spool in the second rotational direction of the first spool, but does not result in rotation of the second spool, and (ii) rotation of the dial in a second rotational direction about the drive axis results in rotation of the second spool in the second rotational direction of the second spool, but does not result in rotation of the first spool.