GB2171749A

GB2171749A - Strap fastener

Info

Publication number: GB2171749A
Application number: GB08505227A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Richmond
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-02-28
Filing date: 1985-02-28
Publication date: 1986-09-03
Also published as: BE904305A; GB2171749B; GB8505227D0

Abstract

A securement system comprises strap 1 to pass over an article supported on a surface and strap anchorages, one at each end of the strap, for attachment to said surface, by which the strap can be held down at each end and firmly in contact with the article to be secured; each anchorage comprising parts 13,21,25 which can be joined and separated by means of a key. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Article securement system The present invention relates to an article securement system.

Due to the prevalence of theft of articles from places where they are displayed or stored, a need has arisen to prevent such theft.

Electronic alarm systems are known to deter such theft, but they merely provide an alarm should a theft take place and they do not prevent physical removal of the articles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an article securement system, which prevents physical removal of articles, but which can be quickly and simply operated.

In one aspect of the present invention, the securement system comprises a strap to pass over an article supported on a surface and strap anchorages, one at each end of the strap, for attachment to said surface, by which the strap can be held down at each end and firmly in contact with the article to be secured; each anchorage comprising parts which can be joined and separated by means of a key.

One of the parts may be a stud comprising a head and a screw-threaded shank with the head bearing an axial bore of a predetermined cross-section. In this case, another part of the anchorage comprises a plate having means for connecting it securely to a through hole in the surface and a screw threaded bore passing therethrough to take the shank of the stud; and a further part comprises a socket carried at a respective end of the strap bearing a hole in the floor of the socket to allow the shank of the stud to pass through into the screwthreaded bore in the plate to hold the socket tight against the plate when the stud is screwed home; the axial bore in the stud head being screwed by a key comprising a bar of complementary cross-section to the axial bore.

The key may be in the form of a cranked bar or it may have a screw-driver type handle.

The plate may have means for securing it to the underside of the surface so that the through bore in the plate aligns with the through hole in the surface. It will be understood that with this arrangement, once the stud is secured home in the plate, the strap could not be removed from the surface even if the securing means for the plate were removed.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the securement systems comprises a strap to pass over an article supported on a surface, strap anchorages, one at each end of the strap, and a slideway adapted to be secured in or on said surface and to receive each strap anchorage so that the strap can be held down at each end and firmly in contact with the article to be secured; each strap anchorage being such as to be slidable in the slideway to accommodate straps of different lengths. Preferably, each strap anchorage in this aspect of the invention is one as described above.

By having the strap anchorages displaceable towards 10 and away from one another, articles of different size can readily be secured by a strap of suitable length.

Preferably, the strap is of tough steel to resist cutting by a tool.

The present 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 an embodiment according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is an exploded view of a part of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the embodiment comprises a toughened steel strap 1 of a general "U" shape to pass over an article 3 (diagrammatically indicated in outline) supported on a surface 5 such as a shelf (indicated in chain dot line) strap anchorages 7, one at each end of the strap, and a slideway 9 adapted to be secured in a slot 11 formed through the surface.

Each anchorage comprises separable parts, namely, a stud 13 comprising a head 15 and a screw-threaded shank 17 with the head bearing an axial bore 19 in the form of a slot, a plate 21 formed with a screw-threaded through bore 23 to receive the shank 17 therethrough and a socket 25 made integral with a side face SF of a respective limb of the strap; each socket being formed in the floor 26 thereof with a through bore 28.

The slideway comprises lateral members 27, formed with a depending wall (one of which 29 is seen in Fig. 1); and each depending wall is formed with a groove 31 passing the entire length of the member to receive a respective lateral edge 27' of the plate so that the plate can slide in the groove. The slideway also comprises end members 33 each formed with a depending wall 35 likewise formed with a groove 37 to receive a respective adjacent lateral edge 37' of the plate when the plate is at one of the other extreme positions in the slideway.

The slideway is fixed to the surface by, for instance, screw-threaded shanks 39 (three of which are seen in Fig. 1) passed through suitable holes formed in the surface then to receive nuts (not shown) thereon to secure the siideway in place with the depending walls 29, 35 fronting the edges of the slot 11. The plates 21 of the anchorages are mounted in the slideway during assembly thereof and, as will be evident from Fig. 1, they cannot be removed from the assembled slideway.

In use of the system to secure the article in place on the surface, the stud of each anchor age is passed into the respective socket to extend the shank of the stud from the underside of the socket, and the shank is then screwed into the bore 23 of the respective plate. For this purpose, a key is used comprising a bar (not shown) of a complementary cross-section to the slot 19 to fit thereinto so that by imparting a rotary movement to the bar, torque is applied to the stud head to turn it; the key being formed with a screw-driver type handle to facilitate operation of the key.

When the studs are screwed home tight into the plates 21, the strap is drawn closely around the article to make it virtually impossible to remove the article; and the studs could only be removed by possession of the key. It will also be understood that the slideway itself could not be removed since normally the screw shanks 39 would not be accessible from above the surface 5.

Further, by providing the slideway with an integral flange to seat against the underside of the surface, once the studs are screwed home, it would not be possible to remove the slideway even if the screw shanks were accessible and were removed.

An advantage of the illustrated embodiment is that simply by choice of suitable straps, articles of different sizes can readily be secured. This is of especial importance in the display of goods since the display may need frequently to be changed with articles being removed and replaced by different articles.

The illustrated embodiment may be modified to dispense with the slideway; the plates merely being fixedly mounted in a member providing a flange to act against the underside of the surface, thus preventing removal of the mounting once the studs are screwed home even if the securement of the mounting is itself removed.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A securement system comprising a strap to pass over an article supported on a surface and strap anchorages, one at each end of the strap, for attachment to said surface. by which the strap can be held down at each end and firmly in contact with the article to be secured; each anchorage comprising parts which can be joined and separated by means of a key.

2. A securement system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a part of the anchorage is a stud comprising a head and a screw-threaded shank with the head bearing an axial bore of a predetermined cross-section.

3. A securement system as claimed in claim 2 where-in another part of the anchorage comprises a plate having means for connecting it securely to a through hole in the surface and a screw threaded bore passing therethrough to take the shank of the stud; and a further part comprises a socket carried at a respective end of the strap bearing a hole in the floor of the socket to allow the shank of the stud to pass through into the screwthreaded bore in the plate to hold the socket tight against the plate when the stud is screwed home; the axial bore in the stud head being screwed by a key comprising a bar of complementary cross-section to the axial bore.

4. A securement system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the key comprises a cranked bar.

5. A securement system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the key comprises a screwdriver type handle.

6. A securement system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the plate has means for securing it to the underside of the surface so that the through bore in the plate aligns with the through hole in the surface.

7. A securement system comprising a strap to pass over an article supported on a surface, strap anchorages, one at each end of the strap, and a slideway adapted to be secured in or on said surface and to receive each strap anchorage so that the strap can be held down at each end and firmly in contact with the article to be secured; each strap anchorage being such as to be slidable in the slideway to accommodate straps of different length.

8. A securement system as claimed in claim 7, wherin each strap anchorage is as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A securement system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the strap comprises tough steel.