Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force – Portable implements or apparatus for tensioning flexible... – Including rotatably driven drum for engaging either material...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-05
2004-01-27
Marcelo, Emmanuel (Department: 3654)
Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force
Portable implements or apparatus for tensioning flexible...
Including rotatably driven drum for engaging either material...
C254S238000, C024S0680AS, C024S0680CD
Reexamination Certificate
active
06682053
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a winch of a lashing rope, more particularly a winch, which is operated for stretching the lashing rope by means of pivoting a lever to and fro with hands, and which is provided with a finger operated element that is safe and comfortable to use.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A lashing rope winch is usually used for fastening cargo onto a truck with. Referring to
FIGS. 5
, and
6
, a conventional winch
2
of a lashing rope includes a shaft
21
, two ratchets
22
, a support base
23
, and an operating member
24
.
The support base
23
has two opposing lateral plates
23
, a connecting rod (not numbered) connected to outer ends of the lateral plates
23
. The lateral plates of the support base
23
have opposing pivotal holes at inner ends thereof and have opposing elongated holes
233
that are formed along middle portions thereof. In addition, the lateral plates of the support base
23
have convexly curved sections
235
, and locating gaps
236
on the inner ends. A first engaging plate
231
is movably fitted to the support base
23
with engaging projections
234
sticking out from respective elongated holes
233
of the lateral plates. A spring
232
is connected to the first engaging plate
231
to bias the same towards the inner end of the support base
23
.
The shaft
21
is turnably passed through the pivotal holes of the lateral plates of the support base .
23
at two ends. The shaft
21
has connecting slot
211
lengthways formed thereon for allowing a lashing rope to be connected thereto. The ratchets
22
are connected to a respective end of the shaft
21
so that they can turn together with the shaft
21
.
The operating member
24
has two opposing lateral lever portions, and has opposing elongated holes (not numbered) lengthways formed on the lateral lever portions thereof The operating member
24
is pivotally connected to the shaft
21
at inner ends of the lateral lever portions thereof.
A second engaging plate
242
is movably fitted to the operating member
24
with two lateral edges being passed through respective elongated holes of the lever portions. The second engaging plate
242
has engaging projections
243
sticking out to engage the ratchets
22
, and is connected to a spring
241
to be biased towards the inner end of the operating member
24
. In addition, the second engaging plate
242
has two finger operated plate portions
244
sticking outwards substantially perpendicular to the main surface thereof.
Thus, the first engaging plate
231
is forced to engage the ratchets
22
at the engaging projections
234
by the spring
232
, and the second engaging plate
242
is forced to engage the ratchets
22
at the engaging projections
243
thereof by the spring
241
.
In using the winch, a first rope is connected to an edge of the deck of a truck and the connecting rod of the support base
23
at two ends. And, a second rope is connected to the opposite edge of the truck deck and the shaft
21
at tow ends, and is passed over the cargo on the truck. Then, the operating member
24
is pivoted to and fro to turn the ratchets
22
and the shaft
21
for the second rope to be wound around the shaft
21
. Thus, the ropes are stretched to fasten the cargo tightly onto the truck.
After the lashing operation is finished, the second engaging plate
242
is moved for the engaging projections
243
to be disengaged from the ratchets
22
by means of pushing the finger operated plate portions
244
with fingers, and the operating member
24
is pivoted past the convexly curved sections
235
of the support base
23
to a locked position where the inner ends of the lever portions engage the locating gaps
236
of the support base
23
. Thus, the operating member
24
is locked, and the second rope is secured in position. To unlock the second engaging plate
242
for the same to become operable again, first the finger operated plate portions
244
are pushed for disengaging the engaging projections
243
of the second engaging plate
242
from the locating gaps
236
, and then the second engaging plate
242
is pivoted past the convexly curved sections
235
. Finally, the plate portions
244
are released so that the second engaging plate
242
is forced to engage the ratchets
22
by the spring
241
.
The user has to push the plate portions
244
with fingers very often. However, the finger operated plate portions
244
are found to have disadvantages as followings:
1. The second engaging plate
242
is made of metal therefore the finger operated portions
244
of the plate
242
are relatively hard, making the users feel uncomfortable when the users press them with fingers.
And, the finger operated portions
244
have very small dimensions, e.g. 1 cm long each side. Consequently, a lot of pressure will be placed on those portions of a user's fingers in contact with the finger-operated portions
244
when the user is pushing the engaging plate
242
, causing the user to feel uncomfortable.
2. When the user is pushing the engaging plate
242
, the metallic finger-operated portions
244
are likely to hurt the user's fingers with sharp edges formed thereon.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a winch for a lashing rope, which is safe and comfortable to use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective pad to a finger-operated element of a winch of a lashing rope that can't easily fall off the winch when used.
The winch of a lashing rope according to the present invention includes a protective pad made of soft materials, which is joined to a metallic finger-operated element. The finger-operated element has a flat main body, and two spaced-apart plate portions, which are to be pushed for allowing the winch to be moved to a locked position. The plate portions stick outwards perpendicular to the main body. The protective pad is joined to the finger-operated element with a portion thereof covering the plate portions so that a user doesn't have to contact the metallic plate portions directly in operating the finger-operated element.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3703024 (1972-11-01), Johnson
patent: 4227286 (1980-10-01), Holmberg
patent: 5416952 (1995-05-01), Dodge
patent: 5943742 (1999-08-01), Huang
patent: 6457701 (2002-10-01), Huang
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