Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A vehicle tiedown winch for use in a tiedown system including a track structure having opposed tracks, at least one of which has spaced latching recesses, said tiedown winch comprising: a housing; a central chamber located between a pair of end portions of the housing; top and bottom walls extending between said end portions; a winch drum in said chamber mounted for rotation about an axis extending between said top and bottom walls; a first of said end portions including a first passage extending outwardly from said chamber, said first passage being disposed to one side of the central longitudinal axis of the housing; a transversely extending cavity in said first end portion disposed on the opposite side of said central longitudinal axis; said first passage and said cavity both lying in the same horizontal plane; a locking bolt slidable in said cavity between a retracted position and a locked position wherein said bolt extends transversely from said housing for engaging said latching recesses; said bolt being substantially shorter than the width of said end wall structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
A vehicle tiedown winch for use in a tiedown system including a track structure having opposed tracks, at least one of which has spaced latching recesses, said tiedown winch comprising: a housing; a central chamber located between a pair of end portions of the housing; top and bottom walls extending between said end portions; a winch drum in said chamber mounted for rotation about an axis extending between said top and bottom walls; a first of said end portions including a first passage extending outwardly from said chamber, said first passage being disposed to one side of the central longitudinal axis of the housing; a transversely extending cavity in said first end portion disposed on the opposite side of said central longitudinal axis; said first passage and said cavity both lying in the same horizontal plane; a locking bolt slidable in said cavity between a retracted position and a locked position wherein said bolt extends transversely from said housing for engaging said latching recesses; said bolt being substantially shorter than the width of said end wall structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A tiedown winch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising spring means in said cavity biasing said bolt toward the locked position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A tiedown winch as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a retention pin extending from said bolt and engageable with retaining means on said first end portion for releasably retaining said bolt in the retracted position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A tiedown winch as claimed in claim 1, the second of said end portions including a second passage extending outwardly from said chamber and disposed to said opposite side of said central longitudinal axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A tiedown winch as claimed in claim 1, the second of said end portions including a second passage extending outwardly from said chamber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A tiedown winch as claimed in claim 1, said first and second end portions of said housing including outwardly extending lugs adapted to be slidably received in the opposed tracks of the track structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A tiedown winch as claimed in claim 6, wherein said transversely extending cavity extends through one said lug, and wherein said locking bolt is supported in said transversely extending cavity for both sliding and rotational movement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
A tiedown winch as claimed in claim 7 further comprising spring means in said cavity biasing said locking bolt toward the locked position, a retention pin extending from said bolt, and retaining means including a generally L-shaped slot in said housing for receiving said retention pin and releasably retaining said bolt in the retracted position.