AU2019280043A1

AU2019280043A1 - Strap winder

Info

Publication number: AU2019280043A1
Application number: AU2019280043A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Keith Titchy
Original assignee: Vertie Equipment Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Vertie Equipment Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-13
Filing date: 2019-12-12
Publication date: 2020-07-02

Abstract

A strap winder comprising a body, first and second shafts rotatably supported by the body, a crank handle connected to the first of the shafts and a retainer assembly connected to the second of the shafts for receiving a strap. The strap winder also comprises a gear assembly configured to transfer rotational movement from the first to the second of the shafts such that the second of the shafts rotates at a faster rotational velocity than the first of the shafts when the crank handle is turned in use. 1/4 10 4642 44 20 0 12 43 18 26 30 32 38 40 29 34 36 Figure 1

Description

1/4

10 4642 44 20

0

12 43 18 26

30 32 38

29 34

36

Figure 1

STRAP WINDER

Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a strap winder.

Background

[0002] Straps are used for many purposes including for lashing down objects and loads to keep them secured in place during storage and transit. Cargo straps, for example, are often used to tie down and secure heavy objects to utility vehicles. Cargo straps are typically made from woven fabric comprised of nylon, or similar polymeric materials, and can be as long as 10 meters.

[0003] When a strap has been used and needs to be stored, the strap is typically wound by hand into a coil so that it occupies less space and may be stored in a neat and tidy manner. Winding a strap also allows it to be retrieved and uncoiled easily when it subsequently needs to be used again. Manually winding up a strap by hand is a repetitive, intricate and time consuming task to perform. Even small utility vehicles may have a large number straps that need to be wound during a typical delivery task which can be a considerable burden for the driver.

[0004] In this context, there is a need for devices to assist with strap winding.

Summary

[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided a strap winder comprising: a body; first and second shafts rotatably supported by the body; a crank handle connected to the first of the shafts; a retainer assembly connected to the second of the shafts for receiving a strap; and a gear assembly configured to transfer rotational movement from the first to the second of the shafts such that the second of the shafts rotates at a faster rotational velocity than the first of the shafts when the crank handle is turned in use.

[0006] The gear assembly may comprise first and second cogwheels disposed on, respectively, the first and second shafts in meshing contact with one another, wherein a diameter of the first of the cogwheels is larger than a diameter of the second of the cogwheels.

[0007] The strap winder may further comprise a plinth assembly configured to secure the body at an elevated position above a ground surface.

[0008] The plinth assembly may comprise a base having a footplate for receiving a foot of an operator of the strap winder for steadying the strap winder during use.

[0009] The footplate may comprise a textured upper surface to increase friction between the foot of the operator and the footplate.

[0010] The textured upper surface may comprise a plurality of raised markings.

[0011] The textured upper surface may comprise a metal sheet portion comprising checker plate.

[0012] The base may comprise first and second ground engageable wheels rotatably attached to the base.

[0013] The base may further comprise a horizontally aligned elongate support bar and the ground engageable wheels may be rotatably attached to, respectively, first and second outermost ends of the support bar.

[0014] The base may further comprise a ground engageable pedestal extending downwardly from the base for keeping the base steady during use.

[0015] The ground engageable wheels may be disposed towards a rearmost end of the base and the pedestal may be disposed towards a frontmost end of the base.

[0016] The plinth assembly may comprise an elongate mast extending upwardly from the base to the body.

[0017] The strap winder may further comprise a flywheel that is attachable relative to the second of the shafts such that the flywheel rotates with the second of the shafts during use.

[0018] The flywheel may be releasably attachable to the retainer assembly.

[0019] The flywheel may comprise an aperture for slidably receiving the retainer assembly.

[0020] The flywheel comprises a circular body having a substantially flat side that the strap bears against when being wound around the retainer assembly.

[0021] The retainer assembly may comprise a pair of elongate prongs connected to an end of the second of the shafts, wherein longitudinal axes of the prongs are aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second shaft.

[0022] The body may further comprise a handle which may be gripped by an operator to steady the strap winder during use.

[0023] The strap winder may further comprise a guard member attached to the strap winder relative to the retainer assembly, wherein the guard member is configured to stop a buckle at an end of the strap from hitting the operator during use.

[0024] The guard member may comprise an elongate bar that extends transversely from the body, wherein a longitudinal axis of the elongate bar is aligned generally parallel to a rotational axis of the retainer assembly.

[0025] The crank handle may comprise an elongate grip rotatably secured to an end of the crank handle.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0026] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a strap winder according to an example embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a further perspective view of the strap winder, wherein a strap is partially wound around a retainer assembly of the strap winder; Figure 3 is a partial side view of a body of the strap winder comprising a sectional view of a gear assembly of the strap winder; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a strap winder according to a further example embodiment of the invention.

Description of Embodiments

[0027] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, an example embodiment of the present invention provides a strap winder 10 comprising a body 12, first and second shafts 14,16 rotatably supported by the body 12, a manual crank handle 18 connected to the first of the shafts 14 and a retainer assembly 20 connected to the second of the shafts 16 for receiving a strap 22. The strap winder 10 further comprises a gear assembly 24 configured to transfer rotational movement from the first of the shafts 14 to the second of the shafts 16 such that the second of the shafts 16 rotates at a faster rotational velocity than the first of the shafts 14 during use.

[0028] More particularly, in the example depicted the body 12 comprises a rectangular-shaped housing in which the gear assembly 24 is contained. Each of the shafts 14,16 extends laterally through the body 12 via a pair of apertures formed in respective sidewalls of the body 12. The gear assembly 24 may comprise first and second toothed cogwheels 26,28 attached to, respectively, the first and second shafts

14,16 such that the rotational axes of the cogwheels 26,28 are aligned with the respective rotational axes of the shafts 14,16.

[0029] The cogwheels 26,28 are positioned relative to one another inside the body 12 such that their sets of teeth are held in meshing contact with one another. The diameter of the first of the cogwheels 26 is larger than the diameter of the second of the cogwheels 28 to amplify rotational movement transferred from the first shaft 14 to the second shaft 16. The cogwheels 26,28 may be made of case-hardened steel to increase their resistance to wear.

[0030] In other examples, the gear assembly 24 may comprise a drive belt or chain arranged around first and second pulley wheels (not shown) attached to, respectively, the first and second shafts 14,16 for transferring rotational movement between the shafts 14,16. The first pulley wheel may have a larger diameter than the second pulley wheel to amplify rotational movement transferred from the first to the second pulley wheel by the belt or chain.

[0031] The strap winder 10 may also comprise a plinth assembly 26 that is configured to secure the body 12 at an elevated position above a ground surface or platform below the strap winder 10. The plinth assembly 26 may comprise a base 29 and an elongate mast that extends upwardly from the base 29 to the body 12. The mast 30 may be made of a strong, rigid material and, in one example, comprises an elongate portion of tubular steel.

[0032] The base 29 may have a footplate 32 which an operator of the strap winder 10 may place their foot on to keep the strap winder 10 steady during use. The footplate 32 may comprise a textured upper surface that has a plurality of raised and/or depressed markings or striations to increase friction between the operator's foot and the footplate 32. In one example, the footplate 32 may comprise a portion of moulded sheet metal which comprises the markings, such as checker plate, tread plate or diamond plate. In another example, the footplate 32 may comprise a knurled surface section.

[0033] The base 29 may further comprise an elongate support bar 34 disposed towards a rearmost end of the base 29 that is transversely aligned relative to the mast 30, preferably at a right angle to the mast 30. A pair of ground engageable wheels 36,38 may be rotatably attached to respective peripheral ends of the support bar 34 extending outwardly from opposed sides of the base 29.

[0034] The base 29 may further comprise a ground engageable pedestal 40 that extends downwardly from a frontmost end of the base 29 for keeping the base 29 steady during use.

[0035] The strap winder 10 may further comprise a flywheel 42 that may be attached and secured relative to the second shaft 16 such that flywheel 42 rotates with the second shaft 16 and retainer assembly 20 during use. The flywheel 42 may comprise a circular body that has a pair of substantially flat opposed side surfaces.

[0036] The flywheel 42 may be releasably attachable to an end part of the second shaft 16 or to the retainer assembly 20. For example, the flywheel 42 may comprise an aperture that is disposed centrally within the flywheel 42 into which may be received the retainer assembly 20. In this configuration, the flywheel 42 may be slotted onto the retainer assembly 20 and then pushed inwardly towards the body 12 so that the flywheel 42 slides along the retainer assembly 20 towards the second shaft 16. Once attached, the strap 22 bears against the side of the flywheel 42 facing away from the body 12 when the strap 22 is being wound onto the retainer assembly 20 during use. The flywheel 42 may be removed from the retainer assembly 20 by pushing the flywheel 42 in the opposite direction so that it slides off the retainer assembly 20.

[0037] The retainer assembly 20 may comprise a pair of elongate prongs connected to a peripheral endmost part of the second shaft 16. The longitudinal axes of the prongs may be aligned with a rotational axis of the second shaft 16 so that the prongs extend outwardly from the rotational axis.

[0038] The crank handle 18 may comprise an elongate grip 43 rotatably secured to an end of the crank handle 18. The body 12 may also comprise a handle 44 which may be gripped by an operator to further steady the strap winder 10.

[0039] The strap winder 10 may further comprise a guard member 46 attached to the strap winder 10 relative to the retainer assembly 20. The guard member 46 is configured to stop a buckle (not shown) at an end of the strap 22 from hitting the operator during use. The guard member 46 may comprise an elongate bar that extends transversely from the body 12. A longitudinal axis of the elongate bar 46 may be aligned generally parallel to a rotational axis of the retainer assembly 20.

[0040] In use, the strap winder 10 may be used to manually wind up an elongate strap 22, such as a nylon cargo strap, that needs to be stored and/or transported. An end part of the strap 22 is firstly fed into between the two prongs of the retainer assembly 20. The operator may place their foot onto the footplate 32 to keep the base 29 steady and use a first hand to gently hold or palm a portion of the strap 22 that extends away from the retainer assembly 20.

[0041] Using their second hand, the operator may then turn the crank handle 18 which causes the second shaft 16 and flywheel 42 to rotate. This causes the strap 22 to be wound into a coil around the retainer assembly 20. The crank handle 18 may be turned in either direction but, for convenience, it will typically be turned in a clockwise direction away from the operator.

[0042] During the winding process, the operator may control how tightly the strap 22 is wound onto the retainer assembly 20 by gripping the strap 22 either tightly or softly, as required, as it feeds through the palm of their first hand. Alternatively, the operator may grip the handle 44 to keep the body 12 steady during the turning process.

[0043] The flywheel 42 advantageously stores the rotational energy of the spinning retainer assembly 20 and second shaft 16 which assists with the winding process. The flywheel 42 also provides a convenient flat side surface which a side of the strap 22 bears against when the strap 22 is being wound up. This advantageously enables the strap 22 to be wound into a neat and even coil around the retainer assembly 20.

[0044] The gear assembly 24 advantageously provides that the second shaft 16 (and, therefore, also the retainer assembly 20) rotates at a faster rotational velocity than the first shaft 14 when the crank handle 18 is being turned. This advantageously reduces the number of turns of the crank handle 18 required to wind up the strap 22.

[0045] When the strap 22 has been wound sufficiently, the resultant coil may be pulled sideways to remove it from the strap winder 10. If the strap 22 is wound tightly and cannot be easily removed, the operator may push sideways on the flywheel 42 which causes it to press against the coil and slide off the retainer assembly 20 together with the coil.

[0046] Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a strap winder 50 according to a further example embodiment of the invention. The strap winder 50 is materially the same as the strap winder 10 depicted in Figures 1 to 3 except that it is configured to be mounted onto a surface of a table or workbench 52 and does not, therefore, comprise a plinth assembly 26. Instead, the strap winder 50 comprises an elongate support arm 54 that extends away from the body 56 of the strap winder 50 to a mounting assembly 58 that, in turn, connects the support arm 54 to the surface.

[0047] Whilst the strap winder 50 depicted in Figure 4 is shown attached to a table or workbench 52, it will be appreciated that the strap winder 50 is attachable to other structures and objects, including movable objects such as parts of trailers and utility vehicles.

[0048] Embodiments of the present invention provide strap winders that are useful for winding elongate straps, such as cargo straps, for storage, transportation and convenience in handling.

[0049] For the purpose of this specification, the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning.

[0050] The above embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A strap winder comprising: a body; first and second shafts rotatably supported by the body; a crank handle connected to the first of the shafts; a retainer assembly connected to the second of the shafts for receiving a strap; and a gear assembly configured to transfer rotational movement from the first to the second of the shafts such that the second of the shafts rotates at a faster rotational velocity than the first of the shafts when the crank handle is turned in use.

2. The strap winder according to claim 1, wherein the gear assembly comprises first and second cogwheels disposed on, respectively, the first and second shafts in meshing contact with one another, wherein a diameter of the first of the cogwheels is larger than a diameter of the second of the cogwheels.

3. The strap winder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the strap winder further comprises a plinth assembly configured to secure the body at an elevated position above a ground surface.

4. The strap winder according to claim 3, wherein the plinth assembly comprises a base having a footplate for receiving a foot of an operator of the strap winder for steadying the strap winder during use.

5. The strap winder of claim 4, wherein the footplate comprises a textured upper surface to increase friction between the foot of the operator and the footplate.

6. The strap winder of claim 5, where the textured upper surface comprises a plurality of raised markings.

7. The strap winder according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the base comprises first and second ground engageable wheels rotatably attached to the base.

8. The strap winder of claim 7, wherein the base further comprises a horizontally aligned elongate support bar and the ground engageable wheels are rotatably attached to, respectively, first and second outermost ends of the support bar.

9. The strap winder according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the base further comprises a ground engageable pedestal extending downwardly from the base for keeping the base steady during use.

10. The strap winder according to claim 9, wherein the ground engageable wheels are disposed towards a rearmost end of the base and the pedestal is disposed towards a frontmost end of the base.

11. The strap winder of according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the plinth assembly comprises an elongate mast extending upwardly from the base to the body.

12. The strap winder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the strap winder further comprises a flywheel that is attachable relative to the second of the shafts such that the flywheel rotates with the second of the shafts during use.

13. The strap winder according to claim 12, wherein the flywheel is releasably attachable to the retainer assembly.

14. The strap winder according to claim 13, wherein the flywheel comprises an aperture for slidably receiving the retainer assembly.

15. The strap winder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flywheel comprises a circular body having a substantially flat side that the strap bears against when being wound around the retainer assembly.

16. The strap winder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retainer assembly comprises a pair of elongate prongs connected to an end of the second shaft, wherein longitudinal axes of the prongs are generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the second of the shafts.

17. The strap winder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body further comprises a handle which may be gripped by an operator to steady the strap winder during use.

18. The strap winder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the strap winder further comprises a guard member attached to the strap winder relative to the retainer assembly, wherein the guard member is configured to stop a buckle at an end of the strap from hitting the operator during use.

19. The strap winder according to claim 18, wherein the guard member comprises an elongate bar that extends transversely from the body, wherein a longitudinal axis of the elongate bar is aligned generally parallel to a rotational axis of the retainer assembly.

20. The strap winder according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the crank handle comprises an elongate grip rotatably secured to an end of the crank handle.