STRAP TENSIONER

• US 3,742,558 A
• Filed: 02/07/1972
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph D. Lewis Jr
• Original Assignee: Joseph D. Lewis Jr
• Inventors: Lewis, Joseph D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Donald A.
• Application Number:
  US05/224,119
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 254/51,55,56,73 24/68R,71ST,2TT,68D,68E 81/9.1R,9.1S,9.1M,9.3 140/93.2
• US Class Current: 254/253
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 13/24 Securing ends of binding material

Abstract

A strap tensioner for gripping longitudinally spaced portions of a strap arranged in encircling relation to an object to be bound with the strap passing through a buckle, the tensioner includes a lever having longitudinally spaced, spring biased clamping dogs mounted thereon and arranged to urge a first portion of the strap towards the buckle and pull a second portion of the strap from the buckle to tighten the strap.

Claims

1. A strap tensioner for engaging longitudinally spaced portions of a flexible strap arranged in encircling relation to an object to be bound and which passes through a buckle, the tensioner comprising, an elongated, unitary, rigid body member having a handle adjacent one end portion, a first strap clamping means provided at the end of the unitary, body member opposite said handle, and a second strap clamping means provided on the unitary body member in spaced relation to said first strap clamping means intermediate said handle and said first strap clamping means, said first and said second strap clamping means including discrete clamping dogs, each dog being individually pivotably mounted in spaced relation upon said unitary body member for movement relative to each other, and spaced clamping surfaces on said unitary body member for cooperating with said clamping dogs, and discrete spring means biasing each dog into engagement with a clamping surface.

2. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said first and said second spring biased clamping dogs is pivotably mounted upon a pin attached to said body member, each of said spring means having a central coil portion encircling each pin, each of said dogs being substantially U-shaped for receiving a spring means central coil portion.

3. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 1, wherein said body member is provided with a pair of recesses, and the clamping dogs being mounted within the recesses.

4. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 3, said body member further defining slots communicating with said recesses for providing access of the strap to the recesses and underneath the clamping dogs.

5. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 3, wherein one of the clamping dogs engages a first longitudinal portion of the strap extending to the buckle and the other of the clamping dogs engages a portion of the strap extending from the buckle, said clamping dogs being mounted to exert a pushing action on the strap extending to the buckle and a pulling action on the strap extending from the buckle upon displacement of said handle.

6. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 3, and further including an indentation between said first and said second clamping means for facilitating positioning of the strap upon displacement of the tensioner to tighten the strap.

7. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 3, the clamping surface of each clamping means being substantially parallel with the gripping surface of the cooperating clamping dog.

8. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 7, wherein the clamping surface of said first clamping means is angularly disposed relative to the clamping surface of said second clamping means.

9. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 7, wherein the clamping surfaces and said body member are of integral construction.

10. A strap tensioner as defined in claim 1, wherein an end of said body member adjacent said first strap clamping means is curved to facilitate pivotable displacement of the tensioner relative to the object to be bound.