Railcar load tie-down belt winding and storage apparatus

Abstract

A belt winding and storage compartment is fixed to an outward facing railcar surface. An aperture is provided in a front wall portion of the compartment. A belt winder is removably insertable through the front wall aperture to coil at least a portion of the belt inside the compartment. The belt winder incorporates first and second rods which are fixed at a right angle. A spaced-apart pair of belt-receiving members are fixed to and extend outwardly from an upper end of the first rod, parallel to the second rod and in a direction opposite to the direction at which the second rod extends relative to the first rod. In one embodiment, an aperture is provided in the railcar surface, in alignment with the front wall aperture. The aligned apertures rotatably support opposed ends of the belt-receiving members as the belt is coiled inside the compartment. In an alternative embodiment, a belt winder support and belt guide plate is fixed to the outward facing railcar surface. An aperture is provided in the plate in alignment with the front wall aperture. The aligned apertures rotatably support opposed ends of the belt-receiving members as the belt is coiled inside the compartment. The belt winder support and belt guide plate is preferably spaced apart from an opposed front wall portion of the compartment by a distance which is just sufficient to accommodate a width dimension of the belt between the belt winder support and belt guide plate and the front wall portion. This prevents the belt edges becoming jammed against the front wall and/or railcar surface. Preferably, the compartment has a removable cover to prevent penetration of water, snow or ice inside the compartment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.