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US 6,786,676 B1Granted
Tarpaulin deployment device
OwnerTerry Pitcherinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved spindle and tarpaulin combination to be used in devices to deploy and take up a tarpaulin. The device is comprised of a reinforced spindle and a tarpaulin adapted to be attached to the spindle, such that the tarpaulin may be wound and unwound upon the spindle, with the tarpaulin adapted for use with a spindle having a length substantially less than the width of the tarpaulin.
Claims2
A device to be used as a component in an apparatus which deploys and takes up a tarpaulin, said device comprising a spindle and a tarpaulin, with the spindle having
- a spindle casing comprised of a cylindrical hollow metal tube having a constant inside diameter and having a first end, a second end, an outer surface, and an interior space;
- a first spindle axle comprising a solid metal rod having a round cross-section and a constant diameter, having an inside end, an outside end, and a shaft, and having a length less than one half the length of the spindle casing, with the inside end of the first spindle axle and the shaft of the first spindle axle positioned within the interior space of the spindle casing, and with the outside end of the first spindle axle positioned exterior to the first end of the spindle casing;
- a second spindle axle comprising a solid metal rod having a round cross-section and a constant diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the first spindle axle, having an inside end, an outside end, and a shaft, and having a length substantially equal to the length of the first spindle axle, with the inside end of the second spindle axle and the shaft of the second spindle axle positioned within the interior space of the spindle casing, and with the outside end of the second spindle axle positioned exterior to the second end of the spindle casing;
- a first reinforcement disk, being substantially circular, having a diameter just slightly less than the inside diameter of the spindle casing, and having a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the first spindle axle, with the first reinforcement disk fixedly attached to the inside end of the first spindle axle such that the inside end of the first spindle axle passes into the center circular aperture of the first reinforcement disk;
- a second reinforcement disk, having substantially the same dimensions and shape as the first reinforcement disk, and having a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the second spindle axle, with the second reinforcement disk fixedly attached to the inside end of the second spindle axle such that the inside end of the second spindle axle passes into the center circular aperture of the second reinforcement disk;
- at least four supplemental reinforcement disks, with each supplemental reinforcement disk having substantially the same dimensions and shape as the first reinforcement disk, and each supplemental reinforcement disk having a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the first spindle axle, with a plurality of supplemental reinforcement disks disposed along the shaft of the first spindle axle within the interior space of the spindle casing and fixedly attached to the spindle casing and fixedly attached to the shaft of the first spindle axle such that the shaft of the first spindle axle passes through the center circular aperture of each such supplemental reinforcement disk, and with a like plurality of supplemental reinforcement disks disposed along the shaft of the second spindle axle within the interior space of the spindle casing fixedly attached to the spindle casing and fixedly attached to the shaft of the second spindle axle such that the shaft of the second spindle axle passes through the center circular aperture of each such supplemental reinforcement disk;
- a first spindle support bar constructed of angle iron, having a first side and a second side, with the first side having a common edge with the second side, with the first side of the first spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing and the second side of the first spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing, and with the first spindle support bar oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing;
- a second spindle support bar constructed of angle iron and having a length substantially equal to the length of the first spindle support bar, having a first side and a second side with the first side having a common edge with the second side, with the first side of the second spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing and the second side of the second spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing, and with the second spindle support bar oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing;
- and
- a third spindle support bar constructed of angle iron and having a length substantially equal to the length of the first spindle support bar, having a first side and a second side with the first side having a common edge with the second side, with the first side of the third spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing and the second side of the third spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing, with the third spindle support bar oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing;
- with the first spindle support bar, the second spindle support bar, and the third spindle support bar disposed substantially evenly about the outer surface of the spindle casing;
- and with the tarpaulin having
- a first edge and a tongue, with the tarpaulin having a width greater than the length of the spindle and with the tongue being a portion of the tarpaulin projecting beyond the first edge and having a width less than the length of the spindle, with the tongue adapted to being secured to the first spindle support bar.
10 more elements
A device to be used as a component in an apparatus which deploys and takes up a tarpaulin, said device comprising a spindle and a tarpaulin, with the spindle having
- a spindle casing comprised of a cylindrical hollow metal tube having a constant inside diameter and having a first end, a second end, an outer surface, and an interior space;
- a first spindle axle comprising a solid metal rod having a round cross-section and a constant diameter, having an inside end, an outside end, and a shaft, and having a length less than one half the length of the spindle casing, with the inside end of the first spindle axle and the shaft of the first spindle axle positioned within the interior space of the spindle casing, and with the outside end of the first spindle axle positioned exterior to the first end of the spindle casing;
- a second spindle axle comprising a solid metal rod having a round cross-section and a constant diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the first spindle axle, having an inside end, an outside end, and a shaft, and having a length substantially equal to the length of the first spindle axle, with the inside end of the second spindle axle and the shaft of the second spindle axle positioned within the interior space of the spindle casing, and with the outside end of the second spindle axle positioned exterior to the second end of the spindle casing;
- a first reinforcement disk, being substantially circular, having a diameter just slightly less than the inside diameter of the spindle casing, and having a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the first spindle axle, with the first reinforcement disk fixedly attached to the inside end of the first spindle axle such that the inside end of the first spindle axle passes into the center circular aperture of the first reinforcement disk;
- a second reinforcement disk, having substantially the same dimensions and shape as the first reinforcement disk, and having a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the second spindle axle, with the second reinforcement disk fixedly attached to the inside end of the second spindle axle such that the inside end of the second spindle axle passes into the center circular aperture of the second reinforcement disk;
- at least four supplemental reinforcement disks, with each supplemental reinforcement disk having substantially the same dimensions and shape as the first reinforcement disk, and each supplemental reinforcement disk having a center circular aperture with an inside diameter just slightly greater than the diameter of the first spindle axle, with a plurality of supplemental reinforcement disks disposed along the shaft of the first spindle axle within the interior space of the spindle casing and fixedly attached to the spindle casing and fixedly attached to the shaft of the first spindle axle such that the shaft of the first spindle axle passes through the center circular aperture of each such supplemental reinforcement disk, and with a like plurality of supplemental reinforcement disks disposed along the shaft of the second spindle axle within the interior space of the spindle casing fixedly attached to the spindle casing and fixedly attached to the shaft of the second spindle axle such that the shaft of the second spindle axle passes through the center circular aperture of each such supplemental reinforcement disk;
- a first spindle support bar constructed of angle iron, having a first side and a second side, with the first side having a common edge with the second side, with the first side of the first spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing and the second side of the first spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing, and with the first spindle support bar oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing;
- a second spindle support bar constructed of angle iron and having a length substantially equal to the length of the first spindle support bar, having a first side and a second side with the first side having a common edge with the second side, with the first side of the second spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing and the second side of the second spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing, and with the second spindle support bar oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing;
- and
- a third spindle support bar constructed of angle iron and having a length substantially equal to the length of the first spindle support bar, having a first side and a second side with the first side having a common edge with the second side, with the first side of the third spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing and the second side of the third spindle support bar fixedly attached to the outer surface of the spindle casing, with the third spindle support bar oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the spindle casing;
- with the first spindle support bar, the second spindle support bar, and the third spindle support bar disposed substantially evenly about the outer surface of the spindle casing and with the tarpaulin adapted to being secured to the spindle.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.