NZ711752A - Winding device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a winder device and in particular a winder device for winding straps, rope, cable and similar materials; the winder device comprising a rotatable spool that in use receives the strap for winding, the spool being rotatable by a winder means.

Description

Winding device Field of the Invention The invention relates to a winder device and in particular a winder device for use for winding straps, rope, cable, and similar materials.

Background Many applications use a strap, rope, cable, and other similar material as a means of securement or tensioning. Generally the material is re-useable. Once used the securement material is generally wound up for storage, though more often than not this is not the case in practice as this process frustrates many operators.

The most common method of winding up such securement materials is by hand. However there are also a number of winding devices available but these appear to have limited use due to limitations specific to each device.

Common winding devices wind straps (and similar materials) onto a spool like structure and may also be used to house the strap whilst not in use. Typically one end of the strap may be anchored to a fixed point within the spool like structure prior to winding.

Alternatively, one end of the strap may be fixed to an anchor point to enable the strap to be tensioned during winding.

In the case of a truck, the winder may typically be anchored to the deck or gunnel. The unanchored end of the strap is fed through the winder’s spool and tensioned until it is held reasonably taut so winding can begin. Thus it can be difficult and time consuming to wind a length of strap using many of the devices currently available.

Alternatively the winder device may be fixed to some other platform or hand held. Often when the strap is removed from such devices there is insufficient room at the centre of the wound up material to tie off as is traditional in many industries, for example the trucking industry. 3447305-2 It is an object of at least preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide an improved winder device into which a strap can be quickly and easily be wound up, or to at least provide the public with a useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a winder device for winding up a strap, the winder device comprising: a rotatable spool that in use receives the strap for winding, the spool being rotatable by a winder means that comprises a drive pawl.

In one embodiment, the spool contains one or more slots to receive the strap.

In one embodiment the winder device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spool has a frustoconical shape.

In another embodiment the drive pawl is biased into engagement with a gearing mechanism on the spool.

In a further embodiment the gearing mechanism is a series of gears on the spool and wherein the drive pawl engages with the gears when the winder means is rotated relative to the spool. In one embodiment the device is adapted such that the winder means is rotated by hand. In another embodiment the device is adapted such that the winder means is rotated by an electric motor.

In one embodiment the radius of the spool is dimensioned in size to be at least the width of the strap to be spooled.

In another aspect, there is provided a winder device for winding up a strap comprising a rotatable spool containing one or more slots dimensioned to receive a strap to be wound; and a drive arm to rotate the spool, the drive arm having a plate connected to a handle; 3447305-2 a drive pawl connectable to the plate of the drive arm such that one side of the pawl contains a ratcheting mechanism that is engageable from time to time with a gearing mechanism on the spool when the winder device is in use.

In another embodiment the drive pawl is biased into engagement with a gearing mechanism on the spool.

The term “comprising” as used in this specification means “consisting at least in part of”.

When interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term “comprising”, features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as “comprise” and “comprises” are to be interpreted in the same manner.

The term “strap” as used in this specification means a strap, strop, rope or other flexible elongate member that is intended for use as a securement or tensioning means suitable for supporting a load or similar tensioning situation. In one embodiment the strap has a widthwise dimension that is larger than its depth dimension.

This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, which is given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 3447305-2 Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a winder device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side perspective view of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view from the front of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view from the front of a spool of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a rear perspective view of the spool of the winder device of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a front perspective view of the drive pawl of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a side view of the winder drive arm of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 9 is a plan view from below the winder drive arm without the spool nor drive pawl in place of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the drive pawl in place on the winder drive arm of the winder device of Figure 1; Figure 11 is a side perspective view of a strap inserted into a slot in the spool of the winder device in Figure 1; and Figure 12 is a front plan view of a strap wound onto the spool of the winder device of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the figures, there is illustrated a reusable winder device according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The winder device 1 is suitable for use in winding a strap 23.

The strap 23 could be any type of strap, strop, rope or other flexible elongate member that is suitable for supporting the load or similar tensioning situation. The strap 23 will typically, although not always, have a widthwise dimension that is larger than its depth dimension.

The winder device 1 comprises a spool 6, winder drive arm 3, and drive pawl 17.

A spool 6 is fixed to one end of the winder drive arm 3 via an aperture 8 in the spool 6. 3447305-2 As shown in Figure 3 the aperture 8 may typically, though not always, be countersunk in order that the top of the fixing 13 is flush with the surface 12 of the spool 6. A washer 23 may be used to assist the fixing 13.

As shown in Figure 2 the spool 6 is rotatable relative to the winder drive arm 3 about a rotation axis RA. The spool 6 has angled gears16 that are suitable for driving by a drive pawl 17 in one direction, but which enable the drive pawl to pass over the gears in the opposite direction.

As shown in Figure 5, the outer surface 2 of the spool 6 will typically, though not always, have a frustoconical shape having a slight taper in favour of the outside of the spool 6 and having a smooth external finish to assist in removal of the strap from the spool of the winder device 1.

A slot 5a 5b is for receipt of part of a strap 23 to be wound, as will be described below.

The spool 6 may also contain a lip 14 which assists the operator with aligning the strap 23 when initiating operation of the winder device 1.

With reference to Figure 4, a winder drive arm 3 contains a transverse member 4 connecting the handle 11 and the plate 21 (as best seen in Figure 5).

The handle 11 has four sides 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d. The sides of the handle 11 may be open 9a or closed 9b in nature. Likewise within the handle 9 may be solid, hollow, or a combination.

The handle 11 may also contain support structures 22 when the handle 11 is not solid.

At the top of the handle 11 is an eyelet 10 capable of housing a clip or similar connection means used for carrying or storage of the winder device 1.

As can be seen from Figure 7, the winder device 1 contains a drive pawl 17. The drive pawl 17 contains ratcheting tines 18 such that when the winding device 1 is in operation, the tines engage with the spool gears 16 so as to rotate the spool 6 in a clockwise direction 3447305-2 rotatable relative to the winder drive arm 3. In this embodiment the drive pawl 17 contains a square shaped aperture 19.

Figure 8 shows a protruding square section 20 on the underside of the drive wind arm 3 which houses the drive pawl 17 via the drive pawl aperture 19.

Figure 10 shows the drive pawl 17 housed against the underside of the winder drive arm 3.

The winder device 1 will now be described in use.

The winder device 1 is generally hand operated. The operator begins by inserting part of the strap 23 into slots 5a or 5b as can be seen in Figure 11, then with the assistance of the operator’s hand, aligns the strap 23 so it is flush with the lip 14 on the spool 6.

With the operator’s other hand, the operator initiates winding of the strap 23 by rotating the winder drive arm 3 back and forth such that it allows the ratcheting tines 18 to engage with the spool gears16 when the winder drive arm 3 is moved in a clockwise direction, and as such moving the spool 6 in a clockwise direction allowing the winder device 1 to wind additional strap 23 around the spool 6.

Figure 12 shows the strap 23 wound on to the spool 6.

Once winding is complete the operator can remove the strap 23 from the winder device 1 by sliding it away from the spool lip 14 along the frustoconical surface 2.

Once removed from the winder device 1, the wound strap 23 has an internal aperture the same size as the diameter of the spool 6 which can be used by the operator to tie off the strap 23 by threading an end section of the strap 23 through the aperture and back over the wound strap 23.

The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention. 3447305-2 For example, in an alternative configuration the winder drive arm 3 may be replaced with an electric drill having an attachment which inserts into an aperture in the centre on the top of the spool 15, therefore replacing the hand ratcheting function of the winder device.

In another example the drive pawl 17 may be inserted onto the underside of the spool 6 in such a way that the ratcheting tines 18 are engaged with the spool gears 6 in an anti- clockwise direction.

In another example the spool 6 is fixed to the winder drive arm 3 via a grooved slot without the need for fixings 13. 3447305-2

Claims (15)

CLAIMS 1.:

1. A winder device for winding up a strap, the winder device comprising: a rotatable spool that in use receives the strap for winding, the spool being rotatable by a 5 winder means that comprises a drive pawl.

2. The winder device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spool contains one or more slots to receive the strap. 10

3. The winder device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spool has a frustoconical shape.

4. The winder device as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 wherein the drive pawl is biased into engagement with a gearing mechanism on the spool.

5. The winder device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the gearing mechanism is a series of gears on the spool and wherein the drive pawl engages with the gears when the winder means is rotated relative to the spool. 20

6. The winder device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the spool is dimensioned in size so that the radius of the spool is at least the width of the strap to be wound.

7. The winder device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the device 25 includes an attachment member, such as an eyelet positioned on the device; for securing an attachment means to the device to allow a user to carry or store the device by the attachment means.

8. A winder device for winding up a strap comprising 30 a rotatable spool containing one or more slots dimensioned to receive a strap to be wound; and a drive arm to rotate the spool, the drive arm having a plate connected to a handle; and 3447305-2 a drive pawl connectable to the plate of the drive arm such that one side of the pawl contains a ratcheting mechanism that is engageable with a gearing mechanism on the spool when the winder device is in use. 5

9. The winder device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the gearing mechanism is a series of gears on the spool and wherein the drive pawl engages with the gears when the winder handle is rotated relative to the spool.

10. The winder device as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the spool has a 10 frustoconical in shape.

11. The winder device as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein the spool is dimensioned in size so that the radius of the spool is at least the width of the strap to be wound.

12. The winder device as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the device includes an attachment member, such as an eyelet positioned on the device; for securing an attachment means to the device to allow a user to carry or store the device by the attachment means.

13. The winder device as claimed in any one of claims 1-12 wherein in use the winder means or drive arm is adapted to be operated by hand.

14. The winder device as claimed in any one of claims 1-12 wherein the winder means 25 or drive arm is adapted to be operated by an electric motor.

15. A winder device substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying