Load tiedown tensioner

Claim 2

A load tie apparatus for securing a compressible load to a support member, an elongated anchor means including a beamlike enclosure adapted to span said load, a first torsion bar fixed at one end to said anchor means and extending through said enclosure and extending from the end of the beamlike enclosure to span said load and terminating in a rotatable free end, a first coupling crank means secured to said free end of the torsion bar, said first crank means being angularly movable from a first preselected stressed position a second torsion bar fixed to the anchor means adjacent the first crank means and extending through said enclosure parallel to the first torsion bar and extending from the opposite end of the beamlike enclosure and terminating in a rotatable free end, a second coupling crank means connected to the free end of said second torsion bar, said second crank means being angularly movable from a first preselected stressed position, and means interconnecting said crank means and rotating said crank means in opposite directions to correspondingly oppositely torque said torsion bars and establish a spring force on the anchor means and the load to secure the load to the support member and establish a stablilizing effect on the load tie apparatus.

Claim 3

The load tie apparatus of claim 1, having stop means connected to the anchor means and in the path of said crank means to establish said first preselected stressed position and a second preselected stressed position to limit the stress on said torsion bars.

Claim 4

The tie apparatus of claim 1, wherein said anchor means is an integrated part of the support member.

Claim 5

A load tie apparatus for secuRing a compressible load to a support member, an elongated box having a rectangular cross section closed at the opposite ends by end closure walls, said box being adapted to span said load, a first torsion shaft having a head at one end mating with a locking opening in the first end closure wall and extending through said box an rotatably supported in the second end closure wall, a first coupling crank means connected to the outer end of the shaft for angularly moving said shaft, a first stop means on said second end closure wall limiting the angular movement of the crank to a first preselected stressed position a second stop means on said second end closure wall limiting the angular movement of the crank to a second preselected stressed position, a second torsion shaft fixed to the second end closure wall adjacent the first crank means and extending parallel to the first torsion shaft and rotatably supported in the first end closure wall, a second coupling crank means secured to the outer end of the second torsion shaft, and a pair of stop means on said first end closure wall limiting said second crank means movement between a first preselected stressed d position and a second preselected stressed position, said crank means extending in diametrically opposite direction in the plane of said torsion shafts.

Claim 6

A load tie apparatus for secuRing a compressible load to a support member, an elongated box having a rectangular cross section closed at the opposite ends by end closure walls, said box being adapted to span said load, a first torsion shaft having a head at one end mating with a locking opening in the first end closure wall and extending through said box an rotatably supported in the second end closure wall, a first coupling crank means connected to the outer end of the shaft for angularly moving said shaft, a first stop means on said second end closure wall limiting the angular movement of the crank to a first preselected stressed position a second stop means on said second end closure wall limiting the angular movement of the crank to a second preselected stressed position, a second torsion shaft fixed to the second end closure wall adjacent the first crank means and extending parallel to the first torsion shaft and rotatably supported in the first end closure wall, a second coupling crank means secured to the outer end of the second torsion shaft, and a pair of stop means on said first end closure wall limiting said second crank means movement between a first preselected stressed d position and a second preselected stressed position, said crank means extending in diametrically opposite direction in the plane of said torsion shafts.

Claim 7

A load tie apparatus for securing a compressible load to a support member, comprising support means adapted to span said load and interconnected to the support member and having a releasable means exerting a force on the exterior of the load toward said support member to establish an essentially constant holding force on said load with compression of the load, said releasable means including a beam member adapted to span said load, a torsion bar means having an essentially flat force-versus-deflection characteristic disposed within said beam with crank members secured to the opposite ends of said bar means, a one-way locking means coupled to the crank members, said locking means allowing free movement of the crank members and bar means toward an unstressed position and preventing movement to a stressed position, and means to selectively release said locking means.

Claim 8

A load tie apparatus for securing a compressible load to a support member, comprising support means adapted to span said load and interconnected to the support member and having a releasable means exerting a force on the exterior of the load toward said support member to establish an essentially constant holding force on said load with compression of the load, said releasable means including a beam member adapted to span said load, a torsion bar means having an essentially flat force-versus-deflection characteristic disposed within said beam with crank members secured to the opposite ends of said bar means, a one-way locking means coupled to the crank members, said locking means allowing free movement of the crank members and bar means toward an unstressed position and preventing movement to a stressed position, and means to selectively release said locking means.

Claim 9

A load tie apparatus for securing a compressible load to a support member, comprising support means adapted to span said load and interconnected to the support member and having a releasable means exerting a force on the exterior of the load toward said support member to establish an essentially constant holding force on said load with compression of the load, said releasable means including an elongated anchor means adapted to span said load, a first torsion spring shaft fixed at one end to said anchor means and extending to span said load and terminate in a first coupling crank means at the opposite side of the load, said first crank means being angularly movable from a preselected stressed position, a second torsion spring shaft fixed to the anchor means adjacent the first crank means and extending parallel to the first torsion spring shaft with a second coupling crank means at the opposite end, said second crank means being angularly movable from a first preselected stressed position, a locking means for each of said crank means and each including a housing having a cam surface spaced from the free end of the crank means, said free end defining a second cam surface spaced from the first cam surface by a progressively changing amount, and a locking member disposed between said cam surfaces thereby preventing the pivoting of the crank means and the associated stress to said anchor means.

Claim 10

A load tie apparatus for securing a compressible load to a support member, comprising support means adapted to span said load and interconnected to the support member and having a releasable means exerting a force on the exterior of the load toward said support member to establish an essentially constant holding force on said load with compression of the load, said releasable means including an elongated anchor means adapted to span said load, a first torsion spring shaft fixed at one end to said anchor means and extending to span said load and terminate in a first coupling crank means at the opposite side of the load, said first crank means being angularly movable from a preselected stressed position, a second torsion spring shaft fixed to the anchor means adjacent the first crank means and extending parallel to the first torsion spring shaft with a second coupling crank means at the opposite end, said second crank means being angularly movable from a first preselected stressed position, a locking means for each of said crank means and each including a housing having a cam surface spaced from the free end of the crank means, said free end defining a second cam surface spaced from the first cam surface by a progressively changing amount, and a locking member disposed between said cam surfaces thereby preventing the pivoting of the crank means and the associated stress to said anchor means.

Claim 11

The load tie apparatus of claim 6 wherein said housing is connected to said anchor means and opens toward said crank means, the outer end of the crank means defining a circular surface having the axis of the associated shaft as a center, said housing having a base wall defining an opposed curved surface with a center offset to establish a greater spacing from the circular surface at the end aligned with the unstresseD position of the crank means, a roller disposed within said space and having a diameter less than said maximum spacing and greater than said minimum spacing, and a release rod in said housing and coupled to said roller for holding the roller in said area of maximum spacing for initial securement of said crank means.

Claim 12

A load tie apparatus securing a compressible load to a support member, comprising an elongated beamlike housing spanning the load, a pair of parallel torsion bars secured within said housing to span the load and essentially enclosed by the housing to protect the bars from the surrounding environment, means securing one end of the first torsion bar to the housing and securing the opposite end of the second torsion bar to the housing, a first connection means between the second end of the first torsion bar and the support member and twisting said first torsion bar about its axis to torque up the torsion bar at the connection means to thereby define a spring loading of the interconnection between the housing and the support member, a second connection means between the support member and the second end of the second torsion bar and twisting the second torsion bar about its acid in a direction opposite from that of the first torsion bar to torque up the second torsion bar and establish a spring connection of the torsion bar to the support member, said torsion bars defining an essentially flat force-versus-deflection characteristic and thereby establishing an essentially constant holding force on said load with compression of the load.

Claim 13

A load tie apparatus securing a compressible load to a support member, comprising an elongated beamlike housing spanning the load, a pair of parallel torsion bars secured within said housing to span the load and essentially enclosed by the housing to protect the bars from the surrounding environment, means securing one end of the first torsion bar to the housing and securing the opposite end of the second torsion bar to the housing, a first connection means between the second end of the first torsion bar and the support member and twisting said first torsion bar about its axis to torque up the torsion bar at the connection means to thereby define a spring loading of the interconnection between the housing and the support member, a second connection means between the support member and the second end of the second torsion bar and twisting the second torsion bar about its acid in a direction opposite from that of the first torsion bar to torque up the second torsion bar and establish a spring connection of the torsion bar to the support member, said torsion bars defining an essentially flat force-versus-deflection characteristic and thereby establishing an essentially constant holding force on said load with compression of the load.