US3650222A — Low profile tie-down winch

Claim 1

Independent Claim 282 words

In a tie-down for freight vehicles and in combination with a channel on the deck of the vehicle having inwardly extending retainer flanges having inwardly opening notches spaced therealong, a tie-down winch including a base supported for slidable movement along said channel and having flanges extending laterally from opposite sides thereof for engagement beneath said retainer flanges, locking means carried by said base and mounted for movement relative to said base into locking engagement with a notch in a retainer flange of the channel to hold said base from movement along said channel, a winch block mounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof for movement about a vertical axis, and freely accessible from the top of said base, said winch block having a grooved drum portion and spaced bearing means disposed therebeneath rotatably mounting said winch block to extend above the top of said base, a flexible tie-down, means fixing the free end of said tie-down to said grooved drum portion of said winch block, to be wound thereon and extend along the top of said base, pawl and ratchet means for holding said winch block from rotation in an unwinding direction, and accommodating the operation of said winch block to take up on said flexible tiedown, including a ratchet on said winch block between said spaced bearing portions and a pawl pivoted on said base and releasable from said winch block and ratchet to accommodate removal of said winch block from said base, guide means for said flexible tie-down at one end of said base, slidably engaged by said flexible Tie-down and guiding said flexible tie-down to extend from said winch block for attachment to a vehicle and the like.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 282 words

In a tie-down for freight vehicles and in combination with a channel on the deck of the vehicle having inwardly extending retainer flanges having inwardly opening notches spaced therealong, a tie-down winch including a base supported for slidable movement along said channel and having flanges extending laterally from opposite sides thereof for engagement beneath said retainer flanges, locking means carried by said base and mounted for movement relative to said base into locking engagement with a notch in a retainer flange of the channel to hold said base from movement along said channel, a winch block mounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof for movement about a vertical axis, and freely accessible from the top of said base, said winch block having a grooved drum portion and spaced bearing means disposed therebeneath rotatably mounting said winch block to extend above the top of said base, a flexible tie-down, means fixing the free end of said tie-down to said grooved drum portion of said winch block, to be wound thereon and extend along the top of said base, pawl and ratchet means for holding said winch block from rotation in an unwinding direction, and accommodating the operation of said winch block to take up on said flexible tiedown, including a ratchet on said winch block between said spaced bearing portions and a pawl pivoted on said base and releasable from said winch block and ratchet to accommodate removal of said winch block from said base, guide means for said flexible tie-down at one end of said base, slidably engaged by said flexible Tie-down and guiding said flexible tie-down to extend from said winch block for attachment to a vehicle and the like.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 86 words

The tie-down of claim 1, wherein the winch block has an arm extending radially from the grooved drum portion thereof, wherein the flexible tie-down is a link chain, and wherein an attachment pin connects said tie-down chain to the end of said arm, and is releasable by turning said arm 90* to the longitudinal axis of said base, into alignment with and over one of the notches in a retainer flange and punching said pin through said arm and notch for ready replacement of the chain.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 140 words

The tie-down of claim 1, wherein the base has a pair of vertically spaced walls, having aligned apertured portions having internal cylindrical walls, wherein the spaced bearing portions include a radial flange extending from the lower end of said winch block and mounted in the upper of said internal cylindrical walls, a second radial flange extending radially of said ratchet and rotatably mounted in the lower of said cylindrical walls, and wherein a releasable connection is provided between said base and the lower of said flanges accommodating release of said winch block and ratchet by intentionally moving said winch block into a release position by release of said pawl from said winch block and by pulling movement on said winch block relative to said base as said winch block and the tie down connected thereto are in fully released positions.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 109 words

The tie-down of claim 3, wherein a segment extends inwardly over the lower of said cylindrical walls into engagement with said flange to hold the winch block in position, wherein said flange has a notch opening to the periphery thereof and registered with said segment, when said winch block is in a fully released position, to accommodate upward lifting movement of said winch block and ratchet from said base, without removing said base from its channel, and wherein the teeth of said ratchet are in such relation relative to said notch that the pawl must be released and the ratchet purposely moved to register said notch with said segment.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 87 words

The tie-down of claim 3, wherein the pawl extends over said flange and cooperates to retain said winch block in position in said base, and wherein spring means bias said pawl into engagement with said ratchet and accommodates release of said pawl relative to said ratchet, upon the taking up of tension on said tie down, and also accommodates movement of said pawl away from said radial flange to permit free vertical lifting movement of said winch block from said base, upon registry of said releasable connection.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 101 words

The tie-down of claim 4, wherein said pawl is fulcrummed about a vertical pivot pin, wherein spring means bias said pawl to extend over the top surface of the lowermost of said flanges into engagement with said ratchet teeth, and wherein manual release means are provided accommodating selective said pawl for movement of said pawl away from the top surface of the lowermost of said flanges and permitting bodily removal of said winch block and ratchet from said base when said winch block is in a fully released position as said notch in said flange is in registry with said segment.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 118 words

The tie-down of claim 1, wherein the releasable locking means retaining said base to said channel, includes a pin movably mounted in said base for movement transversely thereof, spring means biasing said pin outwardly of said base, and an elongated locking lug depending from said pin and biased by said spring means to engage a notch in a retainer flange of the channel, means guiding said lug in alignment with a notch in a retainer flange of the channel to accommodate said spring means to lockingly engage said lug with a notch in a retainer flange of the channel, whereby said lug may be releasable from said retainer flange by a blow on the end of said pin.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 85 words

The tie-down of claim 7, wherein the base has a wall through which said pin extends, wherein an apertured portion is provided in said wall to slidably receive said pin and locking lug, and wherein a retainer recess is provided on the inside of said wall accommodating the turning of said pin and lug into said recess upon inward movement of said pin and lug, to hold said lug in a fully released position and to accommodate free movement of said base along said channel.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 51 words

The tie-down of claim 8, wherein a rib extends outwardly of said wall about the lower end portion of said apertured portion for said pin and lug, to hold said lug from turning movement about the axis of said pin, upon engagement of said lug with a notch in said channel.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 131 words

The tie-down of claim 10, wherein the spaced bearing means comprise flanges defining the upper and lower limits of said ratchet, wherein said base has generally cylindrical interior wall portions forming bearing openings for said flanges, wherein said pawl extends over the top surface of the lowermost of said flanges, and wherein the lowermost of said flanges has a segmental notch therein, wherein the lowermost interior wall portion has a segment extending inwardly therefrom over the top surface of the lowermost of said flanges and registrable with said notch, when the flexible tie-down in a fully released position, to accommodate removal of said winch block and ratchet from said base without removing said base from said channel upon release of said pawl, and registry of said segment with said segmental notch.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 71 words

The tie-down of claim 10, wherein a compression spring biases said pawl into engagement with said ratchet, wherein a pin forms a fulcrum for said pawl intermediate the ends thereof, wherein removal of said spring and pawl may be attained by driving said pin out of engagement with said pawl, and wherein said base is closed in the region of said spring, to retain said spring from dropping into said channel.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 49 words

The tie-down of claim 11, wherein an idler for said flexible tie-down is mounted in said channel and is spaced from said base and consists in an arched bar extending over said tie-down and locking means engageable with a notch in said channel to lock said idler in position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 210 words

In a tie-down for freight vehicles and in combination with a channel on the deck of a vehicle and having retainer flanges extending inwardly therefrom, with locking notches in said flanges, and a tie-down winch retained to said channel having a tie-down chain extending therefrom and adapted to take up tension on said chain, an idler for said chain spaced along said channel from said tie-down winch, said idler including an arched bar through which said chain extends, parallel legs extending downwardly from said bar and having elongated runners a the lower ends thereof engageable with the base of said channel, flanges extending laterally of said runners for engagement beneath said retainer flanges, to retain said idler to said channel upon the taking up of tension on said chain, a reversible lock arm pivoted to an outer of said legs, adjacent one of its ends, a pivot for said lock arm extending laterally of an outer of said legs, said lock arm having a free end having locking projections extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom, a selected of said projections being engageable with a notch in said channel upon pivotal movement of said lock arm in one direction or another into position along the top of one of said retainer flanges.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 210 words

In a tie-down for freight vehicles and in combination with a channel on the deck of a vehicle and having retainer flanges extending inwardly therefrom, with locking notches in said flanges, and a tie-down winch retained to said channel having a tie-down chain extending therefrom and adapted to take up tension on said chain, an idler for said chain spaced along said channel from said tie-down winch, said idler including an arched bar through which said chain extends, parallel legs extending downwardly from said bar and having elongated runners a the lower ends thereof engageable with the base of said channel, flanges extending laterally of said runners for engagement beneath said retainer flanges, to retain said idler to said channel upon the taking up of tension on said chain, a reversible lock arm pivoted to an outer of said legs, adjacent one of its ends, a pivot for said lock arm extending laterally of an outer of said legs, said lock arm having a free end having locking projections extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom, a selected of said projections being engageable with a notch in said channel upon pivotal movement of said lock arm in one direction or another into position along the top of one of said retainer flanges.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 90 words

The tie-down of claim 13, wherein the locking projections have lugs on the ends thereof having inclined leading ends and shoulders at the termination of said leading ends, to engage the underside of the channel, by the tension on the chain, and wherein said arms are inclined relative to each other to position one arm perpendicular to a flange of said channel in one position of said lock arm, and To position the opposite arm perpendicular to the flange of said channel, in the opposite position of said lock arm.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1975-03-21	1975-09-20	1976-03-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1979-03-21	1979-09-20	1980-03-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1983-03-21	1983-09-20	1984-03-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Low profile tie-down winch

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