Ratchet buckle with a removable operating lever

Claim 1

In a ratchet buckle for tightening and tensioning straps having a reel and a pair of ratchet wheels fixedly connected therto, a bifurcated handle member having a pair of oppositely positioned parallel arms connected together by a cross arm, said parallel arms being rotatably mounted on the reel and a ratchet drive plate which engages the ratchet wheels such that when the handle member is actuated the wheel is rotatably driven, the improvement being means for manipulating the handle member comprising: a cross member extending between the arms of the handle member and connected thereto, said cross member having an aperture formed therein, and an elongated operating lever having one end portion thereof fitted into the aperture formed in the cross member, a main body portion greater in diameter than said aperture, a knob portion at said one end portion and a recessed portion between the knob portion and main body portion, the knob portion having a diameter approximately equal to that of said aperture and said recessed portion having a diameter less than that of said aperture, the recessed portion being opposite the edges of said aperture with the lever in its installed portion, the cross arm of the handle member having an aperture formed therein through which the main body portion of the lever is fitted.