Cargo strap winch rapid rewinding tool
OwnerStuart Adrian Jonesinventor
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Abstract
This invention is for safely speeding up the rewinding of a strap used to secure cargo on a truck or trailer. The Tool consists of a shaft which in use extends into the inside of a conventional strap winch drum. At the end of the shaft is a cylindrical elastomeric plug which is a tight fit into the inside of the winding drum. The shaft is then connected to a rotary drive apparatus comprising a hand crank or is power driven. Because the tool can be simply pushed into the drum and operated without the requirement of alignment of the shaft, for a mechanical connection between the shaft and winch drum, the operator's hands need not be on the tool other than on the handle which is not above the drum. This is typically quicker and safer than the prior art.
Claims11
A winding tool for winding a strap onto a drum of a cargo winch, the winding tool comprising:
- a shaft having opposite first and second ends and a rotational axis extending therebetween, the first end of the shaft attached to a handle and the second end of the shaft attached to an elastomeric plug,
- the elastomeric plug having a cylindrical body and a rotational axis, the rotational axis of the elastomeric plug being coaxial with the rotational axis of the shaft, the cylindrical body having a saw tooth profile around an external surface of the cylindrical body, with an apex of each tooth of the saw tooth profile being parallel to the rotational axis,
- the cylindrical body having an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter of the cylindrical body is greater than an inner diameter of a drum hub of the drum of the cargo winch,
- wherein, when the elastomeric plug is inserted into the drum hub of the cargo winch by applying an axial force to the shaft, the elastomeric plug compresses radially inwardly towards the rotational axis of the elastomeric plug to reduce the outer diameter of the cylindrical body.
A winding tool for winding a strap onto a drum of a cargo winch, the winding tool comprising:
- a shaft having opposite first and second ends and a rotational axis extending therebetween, the first end of the shaft attached to a handle and the second end of the shaft attached to an elastomeric plug,
- the elastomeric plug having a cylindrical body and a rotational axis, the rotational axis of the elastomeric plug being coaxial with the rotational axis of the shaft,
- the elastomeric plug further including a plurality of longitudinal notches cut into the cylindrical body, each notch of the plurality of longitudinal notches positioned parallel to the rotational axis of the elastomeric plug,
- the cylindrical body having an outer diameter, wherein the outer diameter of the cylindrical body is greater than an inner diameter of a drum hub of the drum of the cargo winch,
- wherein, when the elastomeric plug is inserted into the drum hub of the cargo winch by applying an axial force to the shaft, the elastomeric plug compresses radially inwardly towards the rotational axis of the elastomeric plug to reduce the outer diameter of the cylindrical body.
A winding tool for winding a strap onto a drum of a cargo winch, the winding tool comprising:
- a shaft having opposite first and second ends and a rotational axis extending therebetween, the first end attached to a handle and the second end attached to an elastomeric plug, the elastomeric plug having a cross-section that is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the shaft, wherein a geometry of the cross-section of the elastomeric plug is stellate and comprises a plurality of circumferential vertices located at a circumference of the elastomeric plug, and
- an outer diameter of the elastomeric plug is uniform from a first end to a second end of the elastomeric plug, the second end opposite the first end of the elastomeric plug, and
- wherein the outer diameter of the elastomeric plug is reduced when the elastomeric plug is compressed upon insertion into a drum hub of the drum of the cargo winch so as to releasably engage an outer surface of the elastomeric plug with an inner surface of the drum hub, wherein a torque applied to the shaft and the elastomeric plug is transmitted to the inner surface of the drum hub so as to rotate the drum hub and the corresponding drum of the cargo winch when the shaft is rotated about the shaft's rotational axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.