Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct – Anchor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-29
2001-02-27
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Load lashing retainer or load lashing adjunct
Anchor
C410S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193454
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to winches of the type used to restrain cargo in place on trucks and other vehicles. More particularly, the invention deals with an improved pawl for use with this type of winch and with a method of constructing the pawl.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,749 to Arbues discloses a ratchet and pawl construction which is useful in a cargo restraint system employing a winch and a cargo strap to secure the cargo in place on a flatbed truck. The ratchet wheel and pawl have teeth which are located in offset planes and staggered so that the forces that are applied during service are distributed among different teeth which are offset linearly and situated in different planes. This type of ratchet and pawl mechanism exhibits enhanced structural integrity of the mechanical parts and minimizes the failure of the teeth on the ratchet wheel and pawl.
However, one problem that has been encountered is that the tip of the pawl provides only a small area for gripping with the finger in order to release the pawl from the ratchet wheel. Release of the pawl requires this small tip to be squeezed between the thumb and forefinger and pulled in a direction to pivot the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. The tip surfaces which are gripped are in the same plane that the pivotal movement of the pawl takes place, so the fingers can easily slip along the tip of the pawl. This problem can make it difficult to release the pawl, especially because the winch is typically tightened with considerable force to assure that the cargo is properly restrained. Thus, a relatively large force must normally be overcome in order to release the pawl from the ratchet wheel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved pawl and to a method of constructing the pawl. The principal goal of the invention is to provide a pawl which can be easily released from the ratchet wheel and which can be fabricated in a simple and inexpensive manner.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a pawl which has a finger tab extending out of the plane of the pawl body so that the tab can function essentially as a crank handle to facilitate release of the pawl from the ratchet wheel of the winch system. Preferably, the finger tab is bent at about 90° to the pawl body so that it is readily accessible and can be easily manipulated with the finger without the need to apply undue force for release of the pawl.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of constructing a pawl in a simple and economical manner while providing a release tab on the tip of the pawl. In this regard, a pair of planar pawl sections are first constructed and are secured face to face to form the pawl body. One of the pawl sections has a fin that is bent at a right angle from the tip of the pawl to provide a finger tab for easily releasing the pawl from the ratchet wheel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2895714 (1959-07-01), Clark
patent: 3101927 (1963-08-01), Gray
patent: 3697045 (1972-10-01), Farley
patent: 5145299 (1992-09-01), Stephenson, Jr,
patent: 5490749 (1996-02-01), Arbues
patent: 5664918 (1997-09-01), Heider et al.
patent: 5853164 (1998-12-01), Hunt
patent: 5860777 (1999-01-01), Walsh et al.
Gordon Stephen T.
Multiprens C.A.
Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
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