US20030037417A1

US20030037417A1 - Structure rope buckle

Info

Publication number: US20030037417A1
Application number: US09/934,491
Authority: US
Inventors: Yi-Chin Shen; Chung-Lin Wu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-23
Filing date: 2001-08-23
Publication date: 2003-02-27
Also published as: DE20116041U1

Abstract

An improved structure rope buckle having length adjustment capability that is comprised of a restraining base, a latch plate hinged onto the restraining base, a cramp block fitted into the two sides at the bottom end of the latch plate and capable of rotating along with the latch plate, and a torque spring installed under preloaded tension between the restraining base and the latch plate. The restraining base, the latch plate, and the cramp block are each punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate and, furthermore, the restraining base and the latch plate are sectionally aligned in a one-way teeth enmeshing arrangement. When the rope buckle of the present invention is in the normal state, the cramp block fitted into position at the bottom end of the latch plate has its teeth faces engaged against arresting blocks on the restraining base by the preloaded tension of the torque spring to thereby clutch the rope inserted between them. To adjust the length of the rope, downward force is applied to the far end of the latch plate, which releases the engagement of the cramp block teeth faces from the latch plate and enables adjustment.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention

The invention here relates to an improved structure rope buckle in which the restraining base, the latch plate, and the cramp block are each punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate and, furthermore, providing a structural feature that enables one-way teeth enmeshment when the restraining base and the cramp block are engaged together; the present invention also minimizes the material utilized when the rope buckle is fabricated and, furthermore, the one-piece punch formed construction not only provides for fabrication simplicity, but also rapid production and shaping as well as a one-way adjustment release feature enabling the free end of the rope to be pulled in a single direction for adjustment purposes to achieve corrective biasing at one side that increases rope tightness.

2) Description of the Prior Art

In a conventional rope buckle, the frame, latch plate, and locking block are all formed by compression casting and, furthermore, the latch plate and the locking block are of one-piece compression casted construction, with the conjoinment section coupling the two components consisting of a solid structural arrangement that results in greater fabrication complexity and, furthermore, involves additional material and cost expenditures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the invention herein is to provide an improved structure rope belt comprised of a restraining base, a latch plate, a cramp block, and a torque spring; when the said rope buckle is in the normal state, the cramp block fitted into position at the bottom end of the latch plate has its teeth faces engaged against arresting blocks on the restraining base by the preloaded tension of the torque spring to thereby clutch the rope inserted between them; to adjust the length of the rope, downward force is applied to the far end of the latch plate, which releases the engagement of the cramp block teeth faces from the latch plate and enables adjustment; since the said restraining base, latch plate, and cramp block are each punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate and, furthermore, solid material for the conjoinment section is minimized because the cramp block and the latch plate are both individually punch formed, production cost is reduced; in addition, the one-piece punch formed construction not only provides for fabrication simplicity, but also rapid production and shaping.

Another objective of the invention herein is to provide an improved structure rope belt, wherein since the said cramp block teeth faces and the restraining base arresting blocks structurally consist of a perpendicular face at one end and a curved slanted face at the other end, this structural feature enables one-way teeth enmeshment when the restraining base and the cramp block are engaged together; as such, when the tautness of a rope tied around cargo is insufficient, the free end of the rope can be pulled in a single direction for adjustment and while the rope is being pulled, the curved slanted faces of the arresting blocks do not clutch the rope (the perpendicular faces clutch the rope) and, furthermore, the rope is capable of elevating the latch plate 2 a certain degree to achieve the single-sided adjustment of the rope and thereby further increase rope tightness to correct looseness; thus, when the rope is tied around cargo, the free end can be pulled to adjust the degree of tightness to prevent the hazardous slippage of the tied object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded drawing of the invention herein. [0007]
FIG. 2 is an isometric drawing of the invention herein [0008]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional drawing of the invention herein in the engaged state. [0009]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional drawing of the invention herein in the disengaged state. [0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the structural arrangement of the invention herein, the present invention is comprised of a [0011] restraining base 1, a latch plate 2 hinged onto the restraining base 1, a cramp block 3 fitted into the two sides at the bottom end of the latch plate 2, and a torque spring 4 installed under preloaded tension between the restraining base 1 and the latch plate 2, of which:
The said [0012] restraining base 1 is punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate into a U-shaped substructural body having an opening 11 though the bottom end and, furthermore, the said opening 11 provides for rope insertion; teeth-shaped arresting blocks 12 are disposed along a side of the said restraining base 1 opening 11 and, furthermore, each arresting block 12 is one-way enmeshing tooth consisting of a curved slanted face 121 at one end and a perpendicular face 122 at the other end, thereby allowing an inserted rope S to only slide in a single direction; a pivot hole 13 is formed in each of the two ends of the restraining base 1 that provides for the insertion of a pin P to conjoin the latch plate 2 and the restraining base 1 into a unitary hinged body.
The [0013] said latch plate 2 is punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate into a planar structure that is contoured slightly downward from the upper front end and, furthermore, with a lateral portion 21 extending outward along each of its two sides that facilitates the fitting in and placement of the cramp block 3; a pivot hole 22 is formed in each of the two ends of the latch plate 2 lateral portions 21 to provide for the insertion of a pin P and, furthermore, a slot 23 is formed at each of the bottom ends of the pivot holes 22 to provide for the snapped insertion of a matching tenon 33 at each of the two sides of the cramp block 3.
The [0014] said cramp block 3 is punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate into a rectangular solid structure arrayed with enmeshing teeth-shaped projections each having a curved slanted face 32 at one end and a perpendicular face at the other end, thereby providing for the sliding of the rope S in a single direction; a tenon 33 extends along each of the two sides of the said cramp block 3 and, furthermore, the tenons 33 are inserted into the slots 23 of the latch plate 2 and then the slightly stretched lateral portions 21 of the latch plate 2 draw back together to position the cramp block 3 onto the latch plate 2 such that it is carried along as the latch plate 2 is rotated.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, after the [0015] cramp block 3 tenons 33 have been inserted into the said latch plate 2 slots 33, the two lateral portions 21 of the latch plate 2 rebound inward to ensure that the cramp block 3 remains clipped and restricted into position on the latch plate 2 and, furthermore, the teeth faces of the cramp block 3 engage the arresting blocks 12 on the restraining base 1; then, the latch plate 2 pivot holes 22 are aligned with restraining base 1 pivot holes 13 and, as the pin P is about to be inserted, the torque spring 4 is installed and, furthermore, one extremity of the said torque spring 4 is situated against the bottom edge of the latch plate 2 and the other extremity is situated against the top of the restraining base 1 such that the torque spring 4 is tightly postured between the restraining base 1 and the latch plate 2.
Pressing the far end of the [0016] latch plate 2 causes a certain degree of separation to occur between the cramp block 3 teeth faces and the restraining base 1 arresting blocks 12, the rope S is then inserted into the resulting space of separation and drawn out through the opening 11; releasing the latch plate 3 subjects the latch plate 3 to the decompressive exertion of the torque spring 4, causing the cramp block 3 teeth faces to engage the restraining base 1 arresting blocks 12; as such, when the said rope buckle is in the normal state, the upper edge of the latch plate 2 is parallel to the upper edge of the restraining plate 1 and, furthermore, the cramp block 3 fitted into position at the bottom end of the latch plate 2 has its teeth faces engaged against the arresting blocks 12 on the restraining base 1 by the preloaded tension of the torque spring 4 to clutch the rope S inserted between them (as shown in FIG. 3).
To adjust the length of the [0017] rope 2, downward force is applied to the far end of the latch plate 2 and at the same time, the torque spring 4 deforms, causing the front end of the latch plate 2 to move upward at the axial center of the pin P and disengage the teeth faces of the cramp block 3 installed at the bottom edge of the latch plate 2 from the restraining base 1, thereby facilitating the adjustment of the rope S (as shown in FIG. 4); following the release of force application, the latch plate 2 returns to a parallel disposition by the preloaded tension of the torque spring 4, thereby resuming the engaged state.
Since the said [0018] restraining base 1, latch plate 2, and cramp block 3 are each punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate and, furthermore, solid material for the conjoinment section is minimized because the cramp block 3 and the latch plate 3 are both individually punch formed, production cost is reduced; in addition, the one-piece punch formed construction not only provides for fabrication simplicity, but also rapid production and shaping.
The said [0019] cramp block 3 teeth faces and the restraining base 1 arresting blocks 12 each consists of a perpendicular face at one end and a curved slanted face at the other end, a structural feature that enables one-way teeth enmeshment when the restraining base 1 and the cramp block 3 are in an engaged state; as such, when rope S tightness is insufficient while tied to an object, the free end S1 of the rope S can be pulled in a single direction for adjustment and while the rope S is being pulled, the curved slanted face 121 of the arresting blocks 12 do not clutch the rope 2 (the perpendicular faces 122 clutch the rope S) and, furthermore, the rope S is capable of elevating the latch plate 2 an appropriate degree to achieve a single-sided adjustment of the rope S and thereby further increase rope tightness to correct looseness; therefore, when the rope S is tied around cargo, the free end S1 can be pulled to adjust the degree of tightness to prevent the hazardous slippage of the tied cargo.

Claims

1. An improved structure rope buckle comprised of:

A restraining base having an opening though the bottom end and, furthermore, teeth-shaped arresting blocks disposed along a side of the said opening; a pivot hole formed in each of the two ends of the said restraining base that provides for the insertion of a pin to conjoin a latch plate and the said restraining base into a unitary hinged body:

A latch plate having a pivot hole formed in each of its two ends to provide for the insertion of the said pin.

A cramp block situated at the bottom end of the said latch plate.

A torque spring installed under preloaded tension between the said restraining base and the said latch plate.

The innovative features of which include:

The said restraining base, the said latch plate, and the said cramp block are each punch formed from a single sheet of iron plate.

After the said latch plate is fabricated, a lateral portion extending outward along each of its two sides facilitates the fitting in and placement of the said cramp block; the said cramp block is snapped into position between the two sides at the bottom end of the said latch plate.

As such, solid material for the conjoinment section is minimized to thereby reduce production cost which, furthermore, not only provides for fabrication simplicity, but also rapid production and shaping.

2. As mentioned in claim 1 of the improved structure rope buckle of the invention herein, the said arresting blocks of the said restraining base that sectionally contact the teeth faces of the said restraining base are of one-piece punch formed construction in a one-way teeth enmeshing arrangement consisting of a curved slanted face at one end and a perpendicular fare at the other end, thereby providing for the adjustment of rope tightness by pulling the free end of the rope to prevent the hazardous slippage of tied cargo.

3. As mentioned in claim 1 of the improved structure rope buckle of the invention herein, a slot is formed in the two sides at the bottom ends of the said latch plate and a matching said tenon projects from each of the two sides of the said cramp block and, furthermore, the said tenons are inserted into the said slots of the said latch plate and then the slightly stretched said lateral portions of the said latch plate draw back together to position the said cramp block onto the said latch plate such that it is carried along as the said latch plate is rotated.

4. As mentioned in claim 1 of the improved structure rope buckle of the invention herein, the said pin is inserted through the coils of the said torque spring as it is slipped into the said restraining base and the said latch plate and, furthermore, one extremity of the said torque spring is situated against the bottom edge of the said latch plate and the other extremity is situated against the top of the said restraining base such that the said torque spring is tightly postured between the said restraining base and the said latch plate.