Tensioning apparatus
AssigneeC. N. Unwin Limited
InventorsStuart Leslie Mason, John Chatterley Perring, Cecil Norman Unwin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A belt (3) can be pulled out from a spring biased retractor reel (2) when a ratchet mechanism (16) is released. The belt (3) is entrained around a movable shoe (4) before being led to a fastening point. When fastened, the spring bias in the reel (2) takes up the slack. Operation of an actuator, such as by depression of a pedal (10), first causes the ratchet mechanism (16) to engage and then shifts the shoe (4) to stretch and tension the belt between the reel (2) and the fastening point. The pedal (10) is retainable in its fully depressed, belt-tensioning position.
Claims10
Tensionable flexible tie apparatus comprising:
- a flexible tie,
- a spring biased retractor reel on which the tie is wound and from which the tie can be withdrawn against the spring bias, a deviation element around which the withdrawn tie is entrained on its route to attachment to a workpiece,
- a locking mechanism for the reel which, when engaged, prevents the tie being withdrawn from the reel and which, when disengaged, allows the tie to be withdrawn from the reel,
- an actuator movable from a start position to a stable finish position to determine the condition of the locking mechanism and simultaneously to move the deviation element to lengthen the route of the tie between the reel and the workpiece and thereby progressively tension the tie,
- the locking mechanism being disengaged when the actuator is at its start position with the deviation element minimizing the route of the tie between the reel and the workpiece, and
- the locking mechanism being engaged whenever the actuator is not at its start position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.