Patent ID: 8522402

Claim:
A strap collector for a strap separate from a ratchet-buckle assembly for tightening the strap, said strap collector comprising sidewalls which are connected perpendicularly to a common bottom portion having upper and lower spaced apart bottom walls, said upper and lower spaced apart bottom walls forming a channel through which a free end of the strap may be passed, said sidewalls and the upper wall forming a magazine for receipt of a folded free end of the strap, a clamp in the channel for attaching the strap collector to the strap and a pair of lever arms journaled in the sidewalls with a depending finger for clamping the free end of the strap in folds against the bottom wall of the magazine, said lever arms journaled in the sidewalls towards a rear end of the bottom portion and extended beyond the front end of the bottom portion, said sidewalls having a plurality of aligned detents along a front edge of the sidewalls, said lever arms having aligned elongated holes through which a rod is fitted for selected receipt in the aligned detents and a resilient member for tensioning the rod in the aligned detents.