NZ195997A - Load securing strap with stirrup fastenings at each end - Google Patents

Description

195997 Patents Form No. 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FLEXIBLE STRAPPING Number 195997 Dated February 26, 19 81 I/Wac MURRAY RICHMOND TAYLOR of 450 Hutt Road, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, a New Zealand citizen do hereby declare the invention for which 1/*k pray that a Patent may be granted to me^Ks, and the method by which it is to be perfoimed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 195997 The present invention relates to the securing of loads, particularly to the securing of a fuel tank such as a gas cylinder within or to a motor vehicle or similar installation.

The increasing use of fuels such as Liquid Petroleum Gas and Compressed Natural Gas for motor vehicles has led to an increasing demand for a satisfactory arrangement for securing tanks, usually in the form of cylinders, used to contain such fuels, in, for example, the boot of a motor car. The cylinder must be secured in such a manner that the likelihood of it breaking lose in, for instance, an accident is minimized. It is common for such cylinders to be mounted transversely across the boot of a motor car and it is preferable for the clylinder to be secured to some solid structural member of the car, for example, the chassis.

One known arrangement for securing such a gas cylinder within within for example the boot of a car comprises a pair of substantially rigid metal straps, the body portions of which are curved so as to have an interior shape complementary to the external shape of the cylinder to be secured, and whose end portions are cranked and provided with securing holes. In use the base of one strap is secured to the boot floor by for example a bolt passing through the hole formed in the cranked end of the strap. The cylinder is then placed within the boot to engage the interior of the first strap and the second strap is secured by its base to the boot floor adjacent the cylinder such that the upper ends of the two straps may 195997 C \ be brought together over the cylinder and bolted together to clamp the cylinder between the straps. in that it does not always securely affix the cylinder within the car. For example if the exterior shape of the _ cylinder is not identical to the interior shape of the straps, or if the cylinder is of a slightly greater or lesser diameter than that with which the straps are intended for use the cylinder will not be .optimumly secured within the boot of the car. In addition such straps are difficult to use and this problem is compounded by the fact that their use is usually required in confined spaces such as the aforementioned boot of a motor car.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for securing a cylinder for example, within the boot of a car, which minimizes the chances of the cylinder breaking lose in the event of an accident and which provides advantages over such known arrangements.

Accordingly one form of the invention comprises a load securing means including a strap formed of a length of flexible spring metal, each end of said strap terminating in a substantially U-shaped stirrup including fastening means whereby the stirrup at each end of the strap is securable to a base for supporting said load, said strap being capable of conforming substantially to the external contour of the load at the area of contact between the strap and the load upon being tensioned against the said load by the said fastening means.

Such a prior art arrangement suffers from disadvantages 195997 A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a portion of a gas cylinder secured with the preferred embodiment securing arrangement, and Fig. 2 shows an end view of Fig. 1 in the direction of arrow A.

With reference to the drawings it can be seen that the gas cylinder 1 is mounted on a bed comprising a base 2 such that the base 2 will extend across the longitudinal axis of the cylinder 1. The base 2, which is preferably a rail of channel or box section or semi box section as shown, is secured to a solid structural member (not shown in the drawings) preferably forming part of the chassis of the vehicle by, for example, bolts (not shown in the drawings) extending through appropriate holes formed in the base rail 2 into the structural member or, alternatively, as shown in the preferred embodiment, two rectangular plates 3 are welded or otherwise suitably attached to the base rail or rails and appropriate holes are formed in said plates so that bolts (not shown in the drawings) may be inserted through the said holes in the plates 3 into the structural member.

Such an arrangement forms a solid bed on which the cylinder may rest.

To secure the cylinder 1 to this bed a flexible strap 4 extends from adjacent one end of the base rail 2 over the 195991 cylinder 1, to adjacent the other end of the base rail 2 as shown. The strap 4 is preferably formed of a spring steel or similar material and a loop 4a is formed at each end of the strap 4 for example by the strap 4 being folded back on itself and secured with a crimped sleeve 5 as shown and as is known in the art.

A stirrup 7 is secured to the loop at each of the strap 4 by for example a clevis bolt 6 extending through a hole formed in one arm of the stirrup 7 through the loop 4a formed in the end of the strap 4, and through a hole formed in the other arm of the stirrup 7, the bolt 6 being located by a nut 8.

Each stirrup 7 and consequently each end of the strap 4 is secured to the base rail 2 by a bolt 9 extending through a hole formed in the base section of the stirrup 7 and through a hole formed in the base rail 2 with a nut 10 engaging the bolt 9 below and inside the base rail 2. Such an arrangement allows the tension of the strap 4 to be adjusted by tightening or loosening of either of the nuts 10.

In an alternative and lesser preferred form of the invention (not shown in the drawings) the stirrup 7 may be dispensed with and each end of the strap 4 may instead be formed into a substantial L shape with the bolts 9 extending through the base of each L.

In practice a number of preferred embodiment securing arrangements may be positioned along the length of the 19599 cylinder as desired.

A cylinder when secured by the arrangement of the present invention is especially resistent to forces acting transversely of the length of the cylinder as would occur, for example, during braking and acceleration of a car or other vehicle. In addition the strap of the present invention may be used to obtain a more secure placement of the cylinder than is obtainable when using prior art strap since due to its flexible nature the strap of the present invention generally conforms to slight variations in cylinder profile or diameter. Yet a further advantage is provided in that the strap of the present invention may be readily tensioned or retensioned from either side of the cylinder as desired by way of the bolts 9 and nuts 10.

It is not considered that use of the securing arrangement of the present invention is limited to motor vehicles but rather the securing arrangement may be used wherever it is desired to secure a cylinder such as a gas cylinder so that the cylinder cannot easily break free from its mounting. i95'937

Claims (4)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A load securing means comprising a base for supporting a load and a strap for securing said load to said base, a substantially U-shaped stirrup mounted to each end of said strap and a fastening means for each of the said stirrups whereby each stirrup is securable to said base, said strap being formed of a length of flexible spring metal whereby said strap in use conforms substantially to the external contour of the load at the area of contact between the strap and the load upon being tensioned against the said load by the said fastening means.

2. The load securing means as claimed in Claim 1, wherein at each end of the said strap to which a said stirrup is mounted the strap is formed into a loop and wherein said loop is positioned between each arm of its respective stirrup and wherein holes are formed in each arm of the stirrup and wherein a bolt extends through a hole in one arm of the stirrup, through the loop in the end of the strap and through the hole in the other arm of the stirrup, the said bolt having means to retain the bolt in such position.

3. The load securing means as claimed in Claim 1 or in Claim 2, wherein each of the said fastening means comprises a bolt which passes through a hole formed in a I h.Z. PATE3IT0ffwS 1C SEP 1985 RECEIVED 195997 bridge portion of its respective stirrup and through a hole formed in the said base and wherein the length of the strap is so adjusted in relation to the periphery of the load to be secured, that by suitable screwing of the said bolt the said strap can be tensioned around the periphery of the said load to secure the load onto the said base.

4. A load securing means substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. per: ATTORNEYS FOR TH5Z APPLICANT :\.Z. PATENT 10 SEP 1985 RBSgtWP