Tie down apparatus

A vehicle arresting device comprising a tie down device and a container for storing said tie down device therein;

• said container having a bottom, surrounding sides and a top with an opening in the top adapted to be flush with and adjacent with the top surface of the ground and to be fixed stationary in the ground for tieing down a mobile vehicle by an eyelet of the vehicle by a straight line connection between the eyelet and the fixed container;
• said tie down device having a frame with a pair of side supports and with a spool rotatably mounted between the side supports;
• an elongated, flexible belt having an inner end attached to said spool and wound onto said spool and having an outer end with a first attachment means attached thereto;
• a second attachment means attached to said frame of said tie down device;
• spring means mounted between said frame and said spool to urge said spool to rotate on said frame in a direction to wind said belt onto said spool;
• at least one of said first and second attachment means being attached to said container;
• said container opening in its top being of a size to allow at least the belt of the tie down device and at least one of the said first and second attachment means to be extended therethrough, whereby the at least one said first and second attachment means may be attached to the eyelet of the vehicle, with the belt being unwound from the spool to a length between said first and second attachment means to span the distance between the container and the vehicle, and with the spring means providing tension on the connection between the vehicle and container taut.

A vehicle arresting device for tieing down a vehicle upon a stationary surface comprising an upright container having tie down device within the container;

• said tie down device having a spool with an elongated flexible belt having an inner end wound on and attached to the spool and having an outer end;
• said container being adapted to be fixed beneath the stationary surface with a bottom and surrounding sides and an openable cover at its upper end substantially flush with the stationary surface;
• at least the belt of the tie down device adapted to be extended from the container through the openable cover to provide a tie down connection between the container and an eyelet attached to the vehicle, when upon the surface;
• said tie down device having a frame supporting the spool;
• a first hook means attached to the frame, and a second hook means attached to the outer end of the belt;
• at least one of the hook means of the device being adapted to be drawn from the container through an opening by the cover with the belt unwinding from the spool to a length for the one hook means to reach and be hooked to an eyelet on the vehicle, the other hook means being hooked to the container, with the extended belt providing a tie down connection between the container beneath the surface and the vehicle upon the surface;
• spring means in the tie down device urging said spool in a direction to wind the belt to maintain the belt taut in its connection.