Device for automatically locking a belt or the like

Claim 1

A REEL FOR AN ELONGATED, FLEXIBLE ELEMENT, COMPRISING: A HOUSING; SPINDLE MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING, INCLUDING A SPOOL PORTION AND A THREADED PORTION ADAPTED TO ROTATE TOGETHER IN EITHER DIRECTION, SAID THREADED PORTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF HIGH PITVH, HELICAL THREADS EXTENDING FROM SAID SPOOL PORTION TO A POINT ADJACENT THE NEAR END OF SAID HOUSING; AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT OPERATIVELY ATTACHED TO SAID SPOOL PORTION OF SAID SPINDLE; SPRING MEANS URGING SAID SPINDLE TO ROTATE IN A DIRECTION IN WHICH SAID FLEXIBLE ELONGATED ELEMENT IS WOUND ON SAID SPOOL PORTION; STOP MEANS IN THE INTERIOR OF SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAID THREADED PORTION OF SAID SPINDLE; AND A LOCK NUT THREADABLY MOUNTED ABOUT SAID THREADED PORTION OF SAID SPINDLE WITH SAID THREADED PORTION OF SAID SPINDLE PASSING COMPLETELY THROUGH SAID NUT MEANS, AND HAVING ITS THREADS IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE THREADS OF SAID SPINDLE AND ADAPTED TO NORMALLY ASSUME A POSITION OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID STOP MEANS AND ROTATE WITH SAID SPINDLE AND TO BE ADNORMALLY AT LEAST DECELERATED RELATIVE TO SAID SPINDLE UPON THE APPLICATION OF A SUDDEN PULLING FORCE TO SAID ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT AND THEREBY PERMIT SAID SPINDLE TO ROTATE IN AN UNWINDING DIRECTION RELATIVE TO SAID NUT AND MOVE SAID NUT IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE UNTIL SAID NUT IS POSITIVELY LOCKED AGAINST SAID STOP MEANS.