US3050799A - Heavy duty tiedown buckle with remotely operable safety tension release - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1962 F. L. DAVIS 3,050,799

HEAVY DUTY TIEDOWN BUCKLE WITH REMOTELY OPERABLE SAFETY TENSION RELEASE Filed March 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. FRANK L. DA V/S ATTOP/VE Aug. 28, 1962 F. DAVIS 3,

HEAVY DUTY TIEDOWN BUCKLE WITH REMOTELY OPERABLE SAFETY TENSION RELEASE Filed March 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l6 7 I :1, I

T7 1 I I I l l l '1: X:' I l I k: Q. E LE 3 l ,.i: J 5 w 37 41 3742 A 79 9 40 Ja al; 4a 7 8 Q x3 44 7 X4 7? E /5 4 T i INVENTOR. %p 51 25 FkA/vk L. DAV/5 BY V i T 16 W 11 A770 /v a means Patented Aug. 28, lSSZ 3,950,799 HEAVY DUTY TEDDWN BUCKLE WITH REMOTE- LY OPERABLE SAFETY TENSIDN RELEASE Frank L. Davis, 12907 7th Ave, College Point, N.Y. Filed Mar. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 93,867

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-68) The invention herein disclosed relates to tiedown gear of the type disclosed in the F. L. Davis Patent No. 2,867,- 466 of January 6, 1959.

This gear is designed for holding heavy loads under tension and this, because of the tensioned connections, has required that great care be exercised in releasing such loads.

Important objects of the present invention are to make it possible to safely and surely release the tensioned load at a distance from the buckle and other tensioned parts of the tiedown equipment.

These objects have been accomplished in part by the provision of a lock for the tensioning lever of the buckle which can be operated from a distance by a pull lanyard and by constructing this look so that it will in the releasing pull on the lanyard operate as a cam to positively release the lever from its tensioning condition.

Other special objects of the invention are to provide a powerful web tensioning buckle construction which can be automatically latched in the web tensioning position by the simple act of operating the lever in the web tensioning direction and then be positively locked in that relation and which, in releasing, will first be unlocked and after that the latch mechanism will be positively released.

Other desirable objects and novel features of the invention are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification illustrate a present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a side elevation of one of these tiedowns with the buckle in the fully open, release position.

FIG. 2 is a broken part sectional plan view showing parts in the same relation.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the buckle in the closed and locked web tensioning position.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of these parts in the same relation.

FIG. 5 is a broken longitudinal sectional view on substantially the plane of line 5-5 of FIG. 4 with parts locked holding the web under tension.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged broken, sectional detail showing the lanyard pulled to withdraw the locking slide and rock the hooked latch to the releasing position.

The buckle illustrated is of generally the same design as that of the patent mentioned, in that it embodies a buckle frame and a pivoted web tensioning lever.

In this illustration the web 7 is made fast at one end by being looped over a pin 8 on the free end of a shackle 9 pivoted at 10 to a lever 11 which is pivoted at 12 to one end of the buckle frame 13. The web is extended from the anchorage point 8 in the form of a loop about a rung or bar 14 of one hook 15 and thence over the bottom plate 16 of the buckle frame, in a loop about the rung 17 of the companion hold-down hook 18 from whence it passes in the form of a loop 19 about a cross pin 20 on the tension lever and thence out the end of the frame in a free surplus end portion 21.

In the open condition of the buckle illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the tensioning lever 11 lifted and pivoted away from the frame the web is free to be pulled by the handle end portion 21 to take up slack after the end hooks have been engaged with suitable anchorages.

Also in this open condition the buckle may be shifted as a whole in one direction or the other to locate it at a most appropriate or convenient point for tiedown purposes.

To tension the gear down over the load, after slack has been taken up by pull on the'free end 21 of the web .it is only necessary to swing the tensioning lever from the FIG. 1 over to the FIG. 3 position. In this movement the lever, pivoting about the center 12 will carry the pivot center 18, constituting in effect the fixed end of the Web, in a web tensioning direction, past pivot center 12, operating as a toggle.

Also in this web tensioning movement the lever Will carry the loop 19 of webbing on cross pin 20 over and beyond pivot center it), snubbing and binding the web in firmly held position about the pin 12 carried by the buckle frame, further binding and holding the web against any slippage.

To facilitate initial adjustment and smooth web tensioning action the fulcrum pin 12 about which the double run of web is looped may carry a roller sleeve 22 to serve as a pulley for the double run of webbing.

The bottom plate 16 of the frame may be integral with the side walls 23 of the frame.

A top plate 24 is provided for this end of the frame and this plate is shown as fastened in place by having spaced side walls 25 secured over the sides of the frame as by rivets 26, welds or the like.

This top plate forms an anchorage for the web tensioning lever and the latter is interlocked therewith by a latch plate 27 having dependent hooks 28 at the sides pivotally engaged over a pin 29 secured between the parallel sides 34) of the lever.

The hooks 28 are shown as having inclined cam edges 31 to ride over the outer edge of the top plate 24 and a spring 32 coiled about the pivot pin 29 and engaging the underside of the hook plate at one end 33 and engaged about a cross pin 34 at the opposite end serves to tension the plate in the hook engaging direction. Pivotal movement of the plate in this spring impelled direction is limited by engagement of shoulders 35 on the dependent side portions of the plate against the cross pin 34, FIG. 5.

In movement of the lever in the web tensioning direction, that is from the FIG. 1 to the FIGS. 3 and 5 position, the cams 31 of the spring impelled hooks will snap over the edge of the holding plate 24, thus to automatica'lly secure the lever in the web tensioned condition.

To positively lock the lever in this relation a locking plate 36 is slidably mounted on the latch plate by rivets 37 extending through slot 38 and holding a spring retainer plate 39' in place on the locking slide.

In the securing position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. the nose of the locking slide projects over the top of a cross pin 40 extending between the sides 30 of the lever.

The locking slide 36 has inward movement on the hook plate 27 suflicient to carry it inward over the top of cross pin 40, as in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, and outward clear of the cross pin 40, as in FIG. 6.

To effect release of both the lock slide and hook plate from a remote point, at a safe distance from the tensioned buckle, a lanyard or pull connection 41 is provided in the present illustration having-a direct connection with the outer end of the locking slide at 42 and a slack connec tion 43 with the outer end of the hook plate at 44, which will take up and apply a releasing pull to the hook plate after the locking slide has first been pulled back from engagement over the cross pin 40.

This sequential operation of the tension releasing lan- .3 yard will be clear from consideration of FIGS. and 6.

This construction makes it safe for an operator. to release the load under tension by a simple pull on the lan- 'tripping the lock mechanism by the lanyard it is contemplated that there may be times or conditions when positiveseparation may bedesirabler V In the illustration this is provided for by extending the inner end of the hook plate 27, as indicated at 45, FIG.

.6, to'act as a cam engageable with the top plate '24 to positively lift or force the lever away from the frame.

As thehook plate 27 rotates about the center 29 by which it is pivoted between the sides of lever 11, the extended edge portion 45 of this plate will reach and engage the top of plate 24 on the frame enabling this plate to act as a lever for positively lifting the tensioning lever 11.

The lanyard 4143 may be used to swing the plate about center 29 the further extent required to press the cam portion down on the top plate 24. Thus, after unlocking and unhooking plate 27 in respect to the frame, this plate may be further utilized as a lever to positively lift or start the tensioning lever upward in a tension releasing direction.

The buckle, including the web tensioning lock and release mechanism, is of simple sturdy construction, with few, rugged parts, not subject to wear or getting out of order.

What is claimed is: Y

1. Remotely operable tension releasing tiedown buckle comprising the combination of a buckle frame having spaced sides connected at one end by a cross member, a web tensioning lever pivoted to the opposite end of said frame and carrying means by which a web connected therewith may be tensioned in pivoting movement of said lever down over the frame, a latch on the free end of.

said lever spring tensioned to effect interlocking engagement with said cross member in the web tensioning movement of the lever down over the frame, a locking slide on said latch for locking said latch against releasing movement, shiftable into and out of engagement with the frame for locking the latch in the holding position or unlocking the latch, and a pull connection extending from said locking slide and from said latch for unlocking the slide and shifting the unlocked latch to release the lever from its web tensioning position on the frame, said latch being in the form of a plate pivoted to rock on the tensioning lever and being provided'with a cam portion extended to engage said cross member in the pivotal movement of said plate to thereby impart lifting movement of said web tensioning lever in respect to the frame. 7 y

2. Remotely operable tension releasing tiedown buckle comprising the combination of a buckle frame having.

spaced sides connected at one end by a cross member, a web tensioning lever pivoted to the opposite end of said I frame and carrying means by which a web connected therewith may be tensioned'in pivoting movement of said lever down over the frame, a latch on the free end of said lever, spring tensioned to elfect interlocking engagement with said cross member in the'web tensioning movement of the lever down over the frame, a locking slide on said latch for locking said latch against releasing movement,

shiftable into and out of engagement with the frame for locking the latch in the holding position or'unlocking the V latch, .and a pull connection. extending from said locking slide and from said latch for unlocking the slide and shifting the unlocked latch to release the lever from its web tensioning position on the frame, said web tensioning lever having parallel side portions and said latch being in the form of a plate pivoted between the side portions of said lever and having dependent hooks engageable with said cross member on the frame.

3. Remotely operable tension releasing tiedown buckle comprising the combination of a buckle frame having spaced sides connected at one end by a cross member, a

web tensioning lever pivoted to the opposite end of said frame and carrying means by which a web connected therewith may be tensioned in pivoting movement of said lever down over the frame, a latch on the free end of said lever, spring tensioned to effect interlocking engagement with said cross member in the web tensioning movement of the lever down over the frame, a locking slide on said latch for locking said latch against releasing movement, shiftable into and out of engagement with the frame for locking the latch in the holding position or unlocking the latch, and a pull connection extending from said locking slide and from said latch for unlocking the slide and shifting the unlocked latch to release the lever from its web tensioning position on the frame, said cross member being in the form of a fixed plate connecting the sides of the frame and said spring tensioned latch having dependent hooks engageable over the edge of said fixed plate and having a cam portion extended for engaging said fixed plate to effect lifting of said web tensioning lever in re- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,852,827 Arnold Sept. 23, 1958 2,864,644 Marryatt Dec. 16, 1958 2,867,406 Davis Jan. 6, 1959 2,873,495 Love Feb. 17, 1959 2,997,761 Davis Aug. 29, 1961

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