U.S. patent application number 12/930959 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-01 for force multiplying retaining straps.
Invention is credited to Robert W. Miller.
Application Number | 20110209315 12/930959 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44504482 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110209315 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miller; Robert W. |
September 1, 2011 |
Force multiplying retaining straps
Abstract
A generally U-sectioned cam buckle frame is modified to include
a first turning roller aligned transversely across the frame
proximate the free end of a release lever. A generally planar
tongue having one end pivoted adjacent the first roller extends
within the frame under the cam piece connected to the release lever
provides a force transfer structure for a strap is inserted between
the tongue and the frame bottom surface, around the first roller to
pass between the cam piece and the other side of the tongue. Other
transverse rollers may be included in the frame to form a pulley
arrangement and one end of a frame side wall may be convolved to
form a hook assembly.
Inventors: |
Miller; Robert W.;
(Huntington Beach, CA) |
Family ID: |
44504482 |
Appl. No.: |
12/930959 |
Filed: |
January 20, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12802845 |
Jun 15, 2010 |
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12930959 |
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61338993 |
Mar 1, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
24/68CD |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/2175 20150115;
B60P 7/083 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/68CD |
International
Class: |
A44B 11/02 20060101
A44B011/02 |
Claims
1. In a cam buckle assembly characterized by a frame including an
elongate bottom surface, a pair of side surfaces along the edges of
said bottom surface, a lever assembly defined by a release lever
cantilevered at an angle from a cam piece and pivotally mounted in
said frame at the common juncture therebetween, the free end of
said cam piece extending towards said bottom surface over a portion
of the pivotal movement thereof, and a flexible strap aligned for
capture between said cam piece and said bottom surface, the
improvement comprising: a first turning roller mounted for rotation
in said frame proximate the free end of said release lever; a
generally elongate tongue pivotally deployed at one end thereof
adjacent said first turning roller within said frame convolved
along an arc to extend the free end thereof between the free end of
said cam piece and said bottom surface, a portion of said strap
being received between said bottom surface and said tongue and
wound about said first turning roller for insertion of a segment
thereof between the free end of said release lever and said tongue
for urging said release lever about the pivotal mount thereof.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second
turning roller mounted for rotation in said frame proximate said
cam piece.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: one end of a side of
said frame proximate said first turning roller forms a hook.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising. closing
means secured to said hook for selectively closing the opening in
said hook.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: one end of a side of
said frame proximate said first turning roller forms a hook.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising. closing
means secured to said hook for selectively closing the opening in
said hook.
7. In a cam buckle assembly characterized by a frame including a
bottom surface, a lever assembly defined by a release lever
cantilevered at an angle from a cam piece and pivotally mounted in
said frame at the common juncture therebetween, the free end of
said cam piece extending towards said bottom surface over a portion
of the pivotal movement thereof, spring means for urging said cam
piece against said bottom surface, and a flexible strap aligned for
capture therebetween, the improvement comprising: a first turning
roller mounted for rotation in said frame proximate the free end of
said release lever; an elongate tongue pivotally deployed adjacent
said first turning roller and extending in an arcuate form within
said frame to deploy the free end thereof between the free end of
said cam piece and said bottom surface, a portion of said strap
being received between said bottom surface and said tongue and
wound about said first turning roller for insertion between the
free end of said cam piece and said tongue; and a cam interlock
mounted for rotation in said frame in an alignment subjacent said
release lever including a radially extending enlargement for urging
said lever assembly to compress said cam piece against said strap
portion on said tongue.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a second
turning roller mounted for rotation in said frame proximate said
cam piece.
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: one end of a side of
said frame proximate said first turning roller includes a hook.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising. closing
means secured to said hook for selectively closing the opening in
said hook.
11. Apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: one end of
a side of said frame proximate said first turning roller is
convolved to form a hook.
12. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising. closing
means secured to said hook for selectively closing the opening in
said hook.
13. In a cam buckle assembly characterized by a frame including a
bottom surface, a lever assembly defined by a release lever
cantilevered at an angle from a cam piece and pivotally mounted in
said frame at the common juncture therebetween, the free end of
said cam piece extending towards said bottom surface over a portion
of the pivotal movement thereof, and a flexible strap aligned for
capture between said cam piece and said bottom surface, the
improvement comprising: a first turning roller mounted for rotation
in said frame proximate the free end of said release lever; a
generally planar tongue pivotally deployed in said frame to
extending the free end thereof between the free end of said cam
piece and said bottom surface, a portion of said strap being
received between said bottom surface and said tongue and wound
about said first turning roller for insertion between the free end
of said cam piece and said tongue;
14. Apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a second
turning roller mounted for rotation in said frame proximate said
cam piece.
15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: one end of a side of
said frame proximate said first turning roller forms a hook.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising. closing
means secured to said frame for selectively closing the opening in
said hook.
17. Apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: one end of
a side of said frame proximate said first turning roller is
convolved to form a hook.
18. Apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising. closing
means secured to said frame for selectively closing the opening in
said hook.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/802,845 filed on Jun. 15, 2010 which, in
turn, obtains the benefit of the earlier filing date of US
Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/338,993 filed on Mar. 1, 2010
and the benefit of this earlier filing date is claimed for all
matter common therewith.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to motorcycle transport
restraints, and more particularly to restraining strap clasping
mechanisms combined with pulley pivots for increasing the force
levels obtained from the combination.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] The outdoor recreation customs and habits that have
developed here in the United States adapted to the grandiose and
large landscapes of the country, with a consequent reliance on all
sorts of motorized vehicles that either bring us closer to nature,
as for example the motorcycle, or are specialized for off-road
and/or all terrain use. At the same time the grand dimensions of
the country and its economic stability have also evolved a well
developed highway system which then has even further accommodated
this same exact result. Simply, when we sing about `spacious skies`
we are stating what's actually there, a common recognition of facts
which are also the same facts that drive our outdoor recreation
habits.
[0006] As result the ubiquitous presence of vehicles carrying other
vehicles on our highways is a known fact, as is also the need for
the mounting and dismounting assistance and the attention to
details of the convenience of any restraint of the carried
recreational vehicle. Within this backdrop I have earlier devised
several mechanisms that in one way or another assist in the lifting
and dismounting a recreational device like a motorcycle or a
personal watercraft as exemplified in the teachings of U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,790,713 and 4,932,829 that were issued to me, and in my
published US patent application 2005/0111945.
[0007] More recently I have described even further improvements in
lifting mechanisms such as those disclosed in my co-pending U.S.
patent application Ser. Nos. 12/321,267 filed Sep. 2, 2008 for a
truck bed carrier and 12/384,630 filed Apr. 8, 2009 dealing with
the confined lifting geometries associated with an enclosed
carrying vehicle, both of which I now incorporate by reference as
if fully set out at length herein. In each of these instances, and
also throughout the teachings of the mechanisms developed by
others, once the initial positioning of the carried vehicle is
achieved it then needs to be restrained for transport by cables or
straps that limit the range of movement of the carried vehicle's
suspension components.
[0008] Simply, it is well appreciated that any extended transport
is likely to entail occasional road and/or traffic conditions that
result in dynamic loads requiring some restraint on the range of
the relative motions of the carried vehicle within its carrying
space. Anticipating these potential events a prudent user will
typically limit the range of relative movement of the carried
vehicle by adjustable cables or straps which compress the vehicle's
suspension geometry to limit its remaining stroke which then limits
the carried vehicle's response to road shock, thus limiting any
induced relative motions to avoid any contact with the carrying
vehicle, a matter of particular significance when the transport
vehicle space is confined, as in the '630 application above. These
restraints often require very large tension levels, particularly
when robust suspension elements need to be controlled.
[0009] In the past the development of large restraining forces was
typically obtained by winding up a flexible strap onto a ratcheted
spool or pulley restricted against unwinding by a spring loaded
pawl engaging a ratchet wheel, as exemplified in the teachings of
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,416,167 issued to Knox, 6,547,218 issued to Landy,
and many others. These mechanisms, in virtually each instance, rely
on the radial dimension of a crank handle or lever, or a complex
gearing structure, for obtaining the necessarily high restraint
forces. Thus while suitable for the purposes intended, the need for
a wind-up mechanism and a lever dimension necessary to produce the
desired level of force limits the usefulness thereof in the cramped
surroundings associated with an articulated lifting assembly.
[0010] Simply, the space that is cluttered by the components of an
articulated lifting mechanism leaves little accommodation for any
fixed wind-up mechanisms, operated by levers and the like,
particularly when variously shaped carried vehicles are entailed.
For these purposes the conveniences of a flexible strap, or even a
rope, are more favorable as the restraint mechanisms both in their
aspects of engagement and also in the course of tensioning where
techniques of force multiplication, like that obtained from a set
of pulleys, may be utilized in combination with clamping buckles in
order to form a generally universal tensioning assembly that is
useful in the most crowded settings, including those associated
with the lifting mechanisms exemplified above.
[0011] The clamping buckles that are particularly adapted for these
modifications are cam buckles including a one piece frame
exemplified by buckles sold under model designations 40880-22;
42195-11; or 40880-15 by Ancra International, LLC, Hawthorne,
Calif. Cam buckles of this type typically include a generally
C-sectioned unitary frame supporting a pivot extending between the
lateral walls thereof on which a spring biased lever is pivoted to
press a toothed cam against a strap or belt extending through the
frame interior. Once grasped against the strap tension the
engagement of the cam is then released only by pressing the lever
against its spring bias, thereby lifting the cam from its captured
position against the strap.
[0012] I have found that in the foregoing cam buckle structure the
lateral walls of the single piece frame can be rendered even more
useful to serve as supports for additional pivots about which the
strap can be looped in order to obtain the load multiples of a
pulley. The positioning of these further pivots relative the
cam/lever combination compressing the strap can then be further
enhanced both to simplify the articulation of the lever for release
and to deploy a load bearing pivoted panel between stacked straps
under the cam. Moreover, in order to safeguard the larger forces
that are thus obtainable from inadvertent release a manually
operated eccentric latching pivot may be provided to selectively
restrict the motion of the release lever from inadvertent release
at these higher load levels now possible. In this manner all the
improvements adapting this well known device for increased loadings
are conveniently accommodated in a single structure and it is the
synergistic combination of all these features that I now
describe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Accordingly, it is the general purpose and object of the
present invention to conform a single piece frame cam buckle
assembly for multiple loop load multiplication.
[0014] Further objects of the invention are to provide a manually
operable safety lock in a single piece frame cam buckle conformed
for multiplied loading.
[0015] Other and yet additional objects of the invention shall
become apparent upon the inspection of the description following in
conjunction with the accompanying illustrations.
[0016] Briefly, these and other objects are accomplished within the
present invention by conforming a single piece frame of a cam
buckle to include a plurality of transverse pivot rollers bridging
across the lateral walls of the frame distal of the spring loaded
pivoted lever carrying the cam that clamps the load carrying strap
captured within the frame. A manually articulated eccentrically
pivoted interlock is also mounted to bridge across the frame
adjacent to the free end of the release lever to select its
releasing displacement by the gap in the eccentric projection
thereof but to oppose the release of the strap throughout all the
its other radial alignments, thus accommodating a single-handed
restraining sequence of the carried vehicle. The selective
placement of the foregoing pivot rollers relative the cam lever
pivot are then useful to multiply the number of loops of the load
carrying strap and also to selectively support a pivoted tongue
panel extending between the strap layers compressed by the cam to
increase the cam forces that capture the free end of the strap.
[0017] Alternatively, the pivot axis and radial dimensions of the
turning roller which aligns the strap onto the tongue, and also the
arcuate form of the tongue, may each be selected so the stretched
strap portion extending thereover contacts the underside of the
release lever so that the increasing strap tension effects an
interlock. In this form the interlock itself may be omitted as the
mechanism is thus rendered self effecting. Of course, this last
form obtains even further simplifying results as the strap induced
forces opposing the release lever effectively also replace the
function of the springs.
[0018] In either form the single piece frame may be further
modified to extend as a longitudinal projection one of its side
walls that is then bent into a partial U-shaped hook aligned to
form a gap between its free end and the end of the opposite
sidewall selectively closed by a latch pivoted from the free end of
the hook to engage a post on the sidewall both for added load
transfer and to retain any tie-down strapping collected on the
hook. A conformingly bent reinforcing piece is then welded, riveted
and/or otherwise attached to the hook surface to provide the
necessary strengthening that may be result from any force
multiplication provisions that are obtainable by looping the
primary strap over corresponding pivot rollers mounted in a
similarly provisioned complementary assembly.
[0019] It will be appreciated that in the normal course only one
cam buckle assembly is needed to effectively perform any
restraining or release. The complementing second piece that forms
the other part of the pulley assembly may therefore be implemented
as a single frame piece only, omitting the latching lever to
conserve fabrication costs thereby utilizing a single fabrication
process for both ends of the pulley assembly thus obtained.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a prior art cam
buckle assembly deployed for restraining use;
[0021] FIG. 2 is yet another perspective illustration of the
inventive cam buckle assembly adapted for force multiplying
interconnection in accordance with the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a further perspective illustration, separated by
parts, of the inventive cam buckle assembly shown in FIG. 2
conformed for a force multiplying interconnection to a pulley
arrangement in accordance with the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.
2;
[0024] FIG. 5 is yet another perspective illustration depicting a
modified arrangement of the assembly shown in FIGS. 2-4 for
providing a complementary interconnection therewith;
[0025] FIGS. 6a and 6b are each a diagrammatic sectional view
illustrating various pulley loop arrangement for various levels of
force multiplication;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a further sectional view of an alternate form of
the invention herein; and
[0027] FIG. 8 is yet another perspective illustration separated by
parts, illustrating the alternative implementation of the present
depicted in FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 a conventional cam buckle assembly
generally designated CB comprises a single piece unitary frame UF
of a generally C-shaped section defined by a bottom surface BS
spanning between two lateral walls WS1 and WS2. A transverse pivot
pin PP extends between the walls WS1 and WS2 proximate the one ends
thereof to support an L-shaped lever assembly LA at the junction of
a lever LE and a generally orthogonal cam piece CP.
[0029] A helical bias spring SP on pin PP is compressed between
wall WS1 and the lever LE to urge the free end of the cam piece CP
in the direction of arrow AA towards an anvil piece AN supported on
the bottom surface BS, capturing a load carrying strap ST
therebetween as it is passed through an aperture AP in the bottom
surface BS against the tension force TF carried by the strap to an
end hook HK corresponding to the manually applied tensioning force
at the strap's free end FE. A strap loop SL around the other
portion of the bottom surface BS bordering the aperture AP is then
useful as the other end of this tension force combination.
[0030] While there are many commercial forms of the foregoing cam
buckle assembly those skilled in the art will be familiar with the
examples thereof sold under model designations 40880-15 or 40880-22
by the Ancra International, LLC identified above for use in
restraining motorcycles and other recreational vehicles in the
course of transport. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate
that in each instance the integral, single-piece frame UF and the
strap capturing bias of the lever assembly LA results in a reliable
restraining capture against all sorts of forces imposed in the
course of transport, and it is this load capacity that has driven
the commercial success of this elegantly simple device. Limiting
this wide utility, however, is the physical constraint of the human
anatomy to generate large forces, a constraint inventively resolved
by the inventive force multiplying and locking mechanisms described
below.
[0031] By reference to FIGS. 2-4 these self-effecting high clamping
levels obtainable in the foregoing cam buckle assembly can be even
further improved by modifying its unitary frame to serve as a part
of a secured pulley arrangement, thereby obtaining the higher
restraint force levels that are now required in the transport of
heavier and more complex motorcycles or recreational vehicles. Like
numbered parts operating in a like manner to that previously
described, the inventively modified cam buckle assembly generally
designated by the numeral 10 once again includes a unitary frame 11
in the form of a C-sectioned channel piece generally like the
unitary frame UF in FIG. 1.
[0032] In a manner similar to the prior cam buckle structure
unitary frame 11 is similarly defined by a lower surface BS
bordered on either side by sidewalls WS1 and WS2. A bridging pin PP
then extends across the sidewalls WS1 and WS2 to pivotally support
the lever assembly LA which may include the biasing springs SP to
assist in urging the lever LE around its pivot to press the end of
the cam piece CP against strap ST as it is supported on an arcuate
support plate 12 pivoted from a mounting pin 12P spanning across
frame 11 to pass through a pair of leading edge ears 12E between
which a turning roller 14 mounted on the same pin 12P is received
so that the concave aft surface 12A below cam piece CP forms an
opposing structure on which the strap is compressed.
[0033] A further transversely bridging pivotal post 15 is then
mounted across frame 11 subjacent the pivotal arc of the free end
of the lever LE shaped as a generally cylindrical cam surface 16
that includes a chordwise flat 16F to provide clearance for the
pivotal displacement of the lever LE to release the clamping
engagement of the strap ST once the flat 16F is aligned below the
lever end. A manually operable knob 17 of the exterior end of post
15 is then provided to facilitate the above clearing alignment,
thereby allowing the user manual control over the release of the
captured strap. Of course, the dimensions of the remaining
periphery of cam surface 16 is then useful to keep the cam buckle
locked, thereby securing the higher total tension forces that are
now obtainable
[0034] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that dimensional
geometry of the foregoing arrangement can be selected so that as
the strap ST is guided along the bottom surface BS and then under
the pivoted support plate 12 to turn around its rounded leading
edge roller 14 it will then stretch above and across the concave
portion of the aft piece 12A to make contact with the surface of
cam 16. The force applied to the free end FE of the strap ST is
thus also resolved as a friction shear force on the cam and as the
manual force MF is increased the turning moment imposed on cam 16
also increases, to a point where the flat 16F is displaced by
turning to lock the strap clamping engagement by the cam piece
CP.
[0035] These increased forces can be obtained by providing a
further turning roller 18 supported on a post 18P bridging across
frame 11 distal of the lever assembly LA. This additional turning
roller can then be used either as the end attachment of the strap
end FE or as the mechanism for one more pulley loop as exemplified
in the diagrammatic illustrations in FIGS. 6a and 6b. Of course, in
each instance the parts described above can be selectively combined
to form a complementing pulley arrangement illustrated in FIG. 5
around which the strap may be looped.
[0036] More precisely, a similarly constructed complementing
structure generally referenced by the numeral 50 comprises again a
C-sectioned frame 51 across which pivot rollers 58-1 and 58-2 on
bridging posts 58-1P and 58-2P are then useful to form the other
connection for the pulley loop, both the frames 11 and 51 including
bent-over extensions 19 of one of the sidewalls thereof each
reinforced by a reinforcement 19R to form a connecting hook for
engaging either the carrying or the carried vehicle selectively
closed by a pivoted latch 19C engaging a lateral post 19P on the
frame exterior.
[0037] By reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 a further interlock
alternative, generally designated by the numeral 110, may be
obtained by selecting a larger turning roller 14-1 so that
geometric relationship is developed that stretches the strap
underneath the release lever LE whereby as the tension is raised
the cam piece CP is driven to capture the strap. Like numbered
parts operating in a manner similar to the description previously
set out, the strap segment passing from roller 14-1 extends below
the end of lever LE on its way over tongue 12A to the engagement by
cam piece CP producing a lever displacement that locks the cam and
as the strap is drawn taut. Once thus engaged the other portion of
strap ST passing between the tongue 12A and the bottom surface BS
is also compressed effecting an interlock as long as a load is
applied. This particular geometric interlock therefore assures a
consistent latched state as long as the tension is maintained,
thereby obviating the need for the customary springs SP.
[0038] This last feature is particularly useful in a setting, like
here, where the springs of an undercarriage of a transported
vehicle are compressed by the strap tension itself, thereby
assuring a continuous level of tension that insures an interlock.
Once delivered to the destination a release is easily achieved by
simply loading the transported vehicle to unload this pre-stress at
which point the interlocked engagement is relieved, allowing the
articulation of the releasing lever LE.
[0039] It will be appreciated that the foregoing arrangement
provides the added security of a safety interlock within the same
mechanism that is used to develop the multiplication to much higher
force levels, thus resolving the concerns associated therewith.
Moreover, convenient techniques like surface knurling and/or edge
rounding can be applied to accommodate the various strap weaves and
material selections, thereby reducing inventory and fabrication
concerns while also advancing safety. As result, an inexpensive and
rugged mechanism is provided that us widely useful in various
applications.
[0040] Obviously many modifications and variations of the instant
invention can be effected without departing from the spirit of the
teachings herein. It is therefore intended that the scope of the
invention be determined solely by the claims appended hereto.
* * * * *