Winch mechanism for vehicle tie down

Claim 1

IN A TIE DOWN APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR SECURING A VEHICLE TO A FREIGHT CAR, A CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING: A BOTTOM WALL, SIDE WALLS, AND AN OPPOSED INWDARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE ON EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLS IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID BOTTOM WALL, SAID FLANGES PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF UNIFORMLY LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PROJECTIONS IN TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED PAIRS, A WINCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING OPPOSITE SIDES DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FLANGES AND PROJECTING THEREABOVE AND WITH THE WINCH NORMALLY BOTTOMED IN SLIDABLE RELATION ON SAID BOTTOM WALL WHEREBY THE WINCH IS ADAPTED TO BE GUIDED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID CHANNEL MEMBER, A PAIR OF ALIGNED OPPOSITE ANCHOR PROJECTIONS RESPECTIVELY ON SAID SIDE WALLS ADJACENT ONE END OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY AND NORMALLY CLEARING SAID SPACED DEPENDING PROJECTIONS FOR LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY, ROTARY DRUM MEANS ON THE PORTION OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY PROJECTING ABOVE SAID FLANGES, FLEXIBLE LOAD-FASTENING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELEMENT ATTACHED TO SAID DRUM MEANS AND ADAPTED TO DRAW THE LOAD-FASTENING MEANS TOWARD THE WINCH ON ROTATION OF THE DRUM IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAID PAIR OF SIDE WALL PROJECTIONS, SAID SIDE WALL PROJECTIONS BEING ENGAGEABLE BETWEEN RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PAIRS OF SAID CHANNEL PROJECTIONS WHEREBY TO ANCHOR THE WINCH ASSEMBLY AGAINST LONGITUDINAL DISPLACEMENT ALONG THE CHANNEL MEMBER AFTER SAID FLEXIBLE ELEMENT ATTACHED TO A VEHICLE HAS BEEN TIGHTENED BY SAID ROTATION OF THE DRUM, AND MEANS ADJACENT TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY ENGAGEABLE UNDER CERTAIN OF THE SPACED PROJECTIONS AND HOLDING SUCH OPPOSITE END OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY SUBSTANTIALLY AGAINST UPWARD DISPLACEMENT DURING FASTENING ELEMENT TIGHTENING ROTATION OF THE DRUM, SAID DRUM BEING MOUNTED ON AN AXIS CLOSER TO SAID ONE END OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY THAN TO SAID OPPOSITE END OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY, SO THAT UNDER TENSION OF SAID FASTENING ELEMENT PULLING UPWARDLY AGAINST SAID DRUM SAID OPPOSITE END OF THE WINCH ASSEMBLY IS DEFLECTED DOWNWARDLY AGAINST SAID BOTTOM WALL.