GB2052663A

GB2052663A - Method and Apparatus for Tensioning a Curtain

Info

Publication number: GB2052663A
Application number: GB8015813A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Craven Tasker Sheffield Ltd
Current assignee: Craven Tasker Sheffield Ltd
Priority date: 1979-05-14
Filing date: 1980-05-13
Publication date: 1981-01-28
Also published as: GB2052663B

Abstract

The invention provides a tensioning device for a side curtain wall 10 on a transport vehicle or transport container body comprises holding means 14 arranged to releasably receive and retain a fitting 12 on an edge of the curtain, the holding means being mounted in upper and lower bearings (not shown) for rotation in eccentric fashion about an axis by means of a handle to tension the curtain. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method and Apparatus for Tensioning a Curtain This invention relates to a tensioning device for a flexible curtain wall such as a curtain wall forming the side wall of a transport vehicle or container body.

The invention has an object to provide a method and mechanism for tensioning such a side curtain.

Briefly described, the curtain comprises a flexible web fixed at one end and at the other end having a suitable attachment for attaching to the tensioning device. The tensioning device has a holder to receive and hold a fitting on one edge of the curtain, the holder being mounted in eccentric fashion on upper and lower bearings in such a way that on rotation in the bearings the holder executes circular motion on a radius about the axis of the bearings and the curtain will be tensioned by the tensioning device. A ratcher mechanism is preferably provided to stop the curtain unwinding.

In order to promote a fuller understanding of the above and other aspects of the present invention, some embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic plan view of a tensioning device.

Figure 2 shows a similar view to Figure 1 of a second device, and Figure 3 shows in schematic perspective the device of Figure 2.

By way of example the device can be used to enclose an open sided box for example the open side of a box trailer van. In this case it would be an advantage to be able to open and close off the open side of the van to facilitate the loading and unloading of goods. To assist in this operation the curtain 10 would be in a vertical plane with the top edge of the curtain supported at local positions by trolleys or sliders to an overhead rail.

The lower edge of the curtain could be held by similar method or alternatively be allowed to hang free and secured at the bottom with some form of retainer or retainers.

To allow the curtain to be drawn from one end to the other then the curtain has to be able to be removed from the end tensioning device shown generally at 1 The tensioning device is provided with a curtain bar 12 which passes through a sleeve 13 in the curtain 10 and is held in the device 11, as shown in Figure 1 in clamps, or as shown in Figures 2 and 3 in sockets 14.

The sockets 14 are formed at the ends of the channel bar holder these sockets being deeper at one end than the other, (preferably at the top) allowing the bar to be placed into this first to the full depth and then lifted over the shallower lower socket and then dropped the curtain bar into the lower socket; since the upper socket is deeper than the lower socket the bar is retained in the bar holder. Although there is no necessity for the curtain bar 12 to be secured to the curtain 10 some means of retaining the bar inside the end hem sleeve 13 of the curtain is preferable and this can be achieved by several methods two of which would be by either fitting ferrules on the bar at the top and bottom of the curtain the size being too large to pass through the curtain hem tube, or by glueing or rivetting the curtain to the bar.It is also preferable to provide some means of holding the bar and curtain when lifting the bar into the bar holder. A simple strap loop grip can be secured to the curtain hem tube at a convenient point for easy operation.

To close up the side of the van the curtain 10 is moved towards the tensioning device end and the curtain bar 12 plus curtain loaded into sockets 14 of the tensioning device. The lever is then rotated until the curtain is tensioned the desired amount.

A retaining peg or ratchet paw (not shown) is engaged to prevent reversed rotation of the lever.

It can be an advantage to be able to remove the opposite end of the curtain to the tensioning device, and move the curtain towards the tensioning end. This would be achieved by fitting a similar curtain bar into lift up and down sockets, the bar being able to be removed when the curtain is slack or alternatively a tensioning device fitted at both ends of the curtain.

By using this method of reducing the effective length of the curtain any tensioning load is transmitted directly to the curtain hem and the bar can be free to move within the hem tube of the curtain.

This is preferable to any method where the curtain is wrapped onto a bar which is turned about its own axis since the curtain must be secured to the bar by some fixing method and the tensioning loads are transmitted by the fixing method to the bar. The principle underlying the invention is as follows: By turning of the lever about one axis the bar holder moves about that axis in an arc at a distance R from the centre of the axis therefore travelling through a circumferential distance equal to 2R for each revolution of the lever.By arranging for the bar holder to hold a bar, this bar being contained within a hem tube at one end of a curtain allowing the curtain to spread out flat either vertically or horizontally while the other end of the curtain is held in a restrained situation, the movement of the lever reduces the effective length of the curtain therefore either tightening the curtain against the restraint at the other end or reducing the effective length of the curtain.

Moreover, if the bar holder is so shaped, for example as simple channel, then the trailing leg of the channel can be arranged to travel through a greater distance than the bar holder centre. It is preferable that the bar holder also has a leading leg since if it were only angle shaped the bar would drop out of the holder when the reverse movement was used to untension the curtain back to the original effective length; also, when reversing the rotation, the leg assists in preventing the curtain from retensioning before complete untensioning has taken place.

If desired, the upper of the sockets 14 on the tensioning device may be formed with a straight or curved tapered lead in, to assist in the insertion of the curtain bar 12 from below. The top of the bar 12 is preferably pushed up through the upper socket 14, the bottom positioned over the lower socket 14, and the bar then dropped down into the lower socket 14.

Claims

1. A tensioning device for a side curtain wall on a transport vehicle or transport container body comprising holding means arranged to releasably receive and retain a fitting on an edge of the curtain, the holding means being mounted in upper and lower bearings for rotation in eccentric fashion about an axis by means of a handle to tension the curtain.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 in which said holding means comprises an upper and a lower socket, and said fitting comprises a rod received in a hem at said edge of the curtain.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, in which said sockets are formed in a channel section member by means of respective local plates bridging the open face of the member.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, in which said upper socket is formed with a lead-in to guide said rod during insertion.

5. A tensioning device for a side curtain wall on a transport vehicle or transport container body substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.