Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ll~5~S43
lhe present invention relates to a releaseable
clasping device for clasping or fastening a flexible strap
to hold an object firmly in position.
According to the Japanese ~tility ~odel Publi-
cation (Vnexamined) No.44690/1974 which was laid open to
public inspection in 197~, there is disclosed a releaseable
clasping device for ~astening a flexible strap, encircled
around packages to hold them together. The known clasping
device has various disadvantages which are discussed in detail
later.
These disadvantages inherent in the known clasping
device can substantially be overcome according to the present
invention.
According to the invention there is provided a
clasping device comprising: a body comprised of a pair of
plate members connected to each other in a spaced relationship,
said pair of plate members having a first end and a second end
opposite said first end and said flrst end having a clearance
therethrough; manipulatable lever means pivotally mounted on
said second end of said body for pivotal movement on said
body toward and away from said first end of said body, said
lever means comprised of a pair of lever members connected to
each other in a spaced relationship; first and second pin
members in spaced relation to each other positioned between
said spaced plate members, said first pin member positioned
through and connecting said lever means to said body; a third
pin member positioned between said spaced lever members; a
flexible strap having first and second ends and extending
from said first end through said clearance in said first end
of said body, past and in contact with said first pin member,
around said third pin member and back past and in contact with
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l~S;~S43
said second pin member and back out said clearance when said
manipulatable lever means is pivoted away from said body,
said strap between said second and third pin members being
turned around said first pin member in contact with said
strap portion contacting said first pin member when said
lever means is pivoted toward said body; and pulling force
receiving means pivotally coupled to said manipulatable
lever means for receiving an external pulling force acting
in a direction substantially counter to the direction of
said second end of said strap.
In this construction, a length of flexible strap,
preferably made of a belt of woven cloth, such as canvas, or
leather, extends first through the substantially U-shaped body
in one direction and again through the substantially U-shaped
body in the opposite direction after having been turned
around a stanchion carried by the manipulatable lever means.
Therefore, as the manipulatable lever means is pivoted from
the unlocked position towards the locked position, the
stanchion,around which the strap is turned,angularly moves
about the pivotal connection between the manipulatable
lever means and the substantially U-shaped body, thereby
drawing the holder in relation to and towards the U-shaped
body.
In view of the structural feature of the clasping
device according to the present invention, the extent to
which the pac};ages are fastened together by the strap at
the time the clasping device has been locked is ultimately
determined by the relative movement between the manipulat-
able lever means and the U-shaped body and, therefore, one
who handles the clasping device of the present invention
may not pull the free end of the flexible strap to such an
105'~54~
extent that the major portion of the strap, encircled around
the packages to be fastened together, become held under
tension sufficient to hold them tightly together at the
time the clasping device is to be locked. In other words,
with the clasping device of the present invention, it may
not always be required to pull the strap to hold the
packages tightly together at the time the clasping device
is to be locked. A slight slackening may be present in
the strap, in which case such slackening of the strap can
advantageously be compensated for by the relative movement
of the manipulatable lever means with respect to the sub-
stantially U-shaped body.
Although the clasping device according to the
present invention has a wide rangé of application, not only
in fastening packages together, but also in fixing one or
more objects to a foundation, it is suited for use in
fastening an automobile to a deck within a hold of a ferry
or frieghter during transportation of such automobile by
such ferry or freighter at sea.
In any event, these and other objects and
features of the present invention will become apparent
from the following description taken in conjunction with
preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accom-
panying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a clasping device
according to one preferred e~bodiment of the present inven-
tion;
Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the clasping
device shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on an enlarged
scale, of the clasping device shown in Fig. l;
,,j .~
S'~543
Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of the clasping
device shown in Fig. 3, which is illustrated in one opera-
tive position:
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, the clasping
device being shown in another operative position;
Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 4 and 5,
respectively, showing the clasping device according to
another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 8 is a side sectional view of the prior art
clasping device to which reference has already been made.
Fig. 8 illustrates a side sectional view of the
known clasping device disclosed in the Japanese Utility
Model Publication referred to above. The known clasping
device comprises a length of flexible strap 1 having one
end secured to a holder 2 pivotally connected to an elon
gated body of substantially U-shaped cross section. The
elongated body includes a pair of spaced parallel plates 3
of substantially scalene triangular shape and has a pair
of spaced stanchions 4 and 5 integral with and bridging
between these parallel plates 3. While a substantially
intermediate portion of the strap 1 is encircled around
packages (not shown, but a surface of one of which packages
is shown by the broken line and indicated by P), the other
end of the flexible strap 1 substantially extends through a
space between the parallel plates 3, after having first
been turned around and externally of the stanchion 4, then
around the stanchion 5 and finally around and internally
of the stanchion 4.
When the packages are to be fastened together,
a first necessary procedure is to pull the free end of
the fleY~ible strap 1 in a direction as indicated by F and
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1~5~543
in a direction opposed to the holder 2 being then pulled in
the direction counter to the direction in which the free end
of the flexible strap 1 is pulled. At this time or when the
free end of the flexible strap 1 is so pulled in the direction
F, the front edges, as at 3a, of the parallel plates 3 are
held flatly against the package surface P.
Thereafter, a manipulatable lever portion 6 of the
elongated body is, while the free end of the flexible strap 1
is still pulled ln the direction F, depressed by the application
of an external pushing force thereto, thereby establishing the
condition substantially as shown in Fig. 8. As best shown in
Fig. 8, depression of the manipulatable lever portion 6 so
effected in a direction towards the package surface P causes
the elongated body to pivot clockwise about the obtuse ang~ed
edges, as at 3b, of the parallel plates 3, which obtuse angled
edges 3b turn in frictional ¢ontact with the package surface P.
At the time the clasping device is locked by further
depressing the manipulatable lever portion 6, the side edges,
as at 3c, of the parallel plates 3 are held flat against the
package surface P on one hand and, on the other hand, the
longitudinal axis of the stanchion 5 is moved in a direction
towards the package surface P and assumes a position between
the package surface P and the imaginary plane passing througn
the longitudinal axis of the stanchion 4 in parallel relation
to the package surface P, thereby substantially avoiding any
accidental counterclockwise turn of the manipulatable lever
position 6. Any accidental unlocking of the clasping device,
which may otherwise result in slackening of the flexible
strap 1 is thereby prevented.
The known clasping device of the above described
construction has been found to be an instrument convenient
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to tempor~rily hold the packages together and to readily
release them ~rom each other. ~lowever, it has been found
that the known clasping device has some disadvantages. By
way of example, after the manipulatable lever portion 6
has been pivoted about the point of contact of the obtuse
angled edges 3b of the parallel plates 3 with the package
surface P to a substantially intermediate position between
unlocked and locked positions by the application o~ the
external pushing force thereto during a fastening operation,
the external pulling force applied to the ~ree end of the
flexible strap 1 in the direction F no longer acts on a
major portion of the flexible strap 1 encircling the packa~-es.
This is because a portion of the strap 1 which is turned
around the stanchion 4 tightly presses another portion of the
same strap 1 which is turned around the stanchion 4, but is
passed through between the stanchion 4 and that portion of
the strap 1 around said stanchion 4 with the intervention of
said another portion of said strap 1. Therefore, the extent
to which the packages are fastened together by the strap 1
at the time the clasping device has been locked depends upon
how far the strap 1 has been pulled by the application of the
external pulling force to the free end thereof.
In other words, the extent to which the packages
are fastened together is determined by how far one operat-
ing the clasping device can pull the free end of the strap
1 away from the clasping device and then lock it.
In addition, where the known clasping device is
employed to connect an object to be fixed to a fixed por-
tion, such as in the case where an automobile to be trans-
ported by a ferry or freighter is to be fixed relative toa deck ~ithin a hold of the ferry or freighter, with the
~C15~43
clasping device su~ported in the air between two lengthes
of strap ~hich respectively extends from the automobile
and the hold deck, the clasping device can hardly be locked.
More specifically, in such case, since there i9 no surface
to which the front edges 3a of the parallel plates 3 are
engaged and the unlocked position of the manipulatable lever
portion 6 becomes far spaced from the locked position there-
of as the free end of the strap is pulled in the direction
F, a relatively great amount of combined pulling and pushing
force is necessary to turn the manipulatable lever portion from
the unlocked position towards the locked position once the
two lengths of straps have been held under tension.
sefore the description of the present invention
proceeds, it is to be noted that like reference numerals .
are employed to desiynate like parts throughout the accom-
panying drawings. It is also to be noted that, for the
sake of brevity, the clasping device according to the pre-
sent invention will be described as used in fastening an
automobile to be transported by a ferry to a hold deck in
the ferry, it being understood that the present invention
is not limited thereto.
With reference to Figs. 1 to 5, a clasping device
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention basically comprises a substantially U-shaped body
X, a manipulatable lever means Y having one end pivotally
connected to said body X and a holder Z having one end
pivotally connected to the manipulatable lever means Y and
the other end having a hook member 10 pivotally connected
thereto.
The U-shaped body X is constituted by a pair of
substantially U-shaped plate members lla and llb connected
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~(lS~5~;~
to and in spaced relation to each other by means of a plurality
of spacer pins 13, 14 and 15. Each of the plate members lla
and llb has one side edge convexed and the opposed side ed~e
concaved to provide a recess 12a or 12b and is, therefore,
rendered to represent a substantial shape of a figure "U".
Adjacent the spacer pin 13, a guide tongue 16 is provided
with respective side edges thereof connected to, or otherwise
integrally formed with, portions of the convexed side edges
of the plate members lla and llb. This guide tongue 1~ defines
in cooperation with said spacer pin 13 a clearance 17 through
which a length o~ strap S loosely extends in a manner as will
be described in more detail.
The manipulatable lever means Y is constituted by
an elongated plate 1~ which has the opposed side edges inte-
grally connected with respective levers l9a and l9b of the
same shape, each of the levers 19a and l9b lying at right
angles to the plane of the elongated plate 18. This
manipulatable lever means Y has one end pivotally connected
to one end of the body X, which is remote from the clearance
17, by means of a pin member 20 which extends from one end
of one lever l9a to one end of the other lever 19b after
having passed through the plate member lla and the plate
member llb. The manipulatable lever means Y of the above
construction is manually pivotable about the longitudinal
axis of the pin member 20 between the unlocked position, as
shown in Fig. 5. The manipulatable lever means Y has a
stanchion 21 extending between the levers l9a and l9b.
The holder Z is constituted by a pair of arm
members 22a and 22b and has one end pivotally connected to
the manipulatable lever means Y by means of a connecting
pin member 23 which extends from one end of one arm member
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:~S;~5~3
22a to one end of the other arm member 22b a~ter having passed
through the lever 19a and the lever 19b. At the opposite end
o~ the holder Z, a hook 10 is pivotally connected thereto by
means of a connecting member 24 extending from the arm member
22a to the arm member 22b with one end of the hook lO sand-
wiched therebetween.
While the clasping device according to the present
invention is constructed as hereinbefore described, a length
of the strap S extends from its free end Sa towards another
hook 25, af~er first passing through the clearance 17, then
turns around the stanchion 21 after having been deflected by
the pin member 20 and, after having again been deflected by
the spacer pin 15, finally emerges through the clearance 17.
The operation of the clasping device of the present
invention will now be described with particular reference to
Figs. 4 and 5.
Assuming that the manipulatable lever means Y is
held in the unlocked position as shown in Fig. 4 and that the
hook 10 is engaged to an eyelet (not shown) secured to the
hold deck in the ferry while the hook 25 is engaged to a
corresponding hook member (not shown) secured to the automobile,
the first procedure is to pull the free end Sa of the strap S
in a direction opposed to the hook lO. When the portion of
the strap S, which extends between the stanchion 21 and the
hook 25 is held under tension with the hooks 10 and 25 pulled
in the opposite directions away from each other, the clasping
device is then fastened. This can readily be achieved merely
by turning the manipulatable lever means Y about the pin
member 20 from the unlocked position towards the locked position
substantially as shown in Fig. 5. ~s the manipulatable lever
means Y is so pivoted, the hook 10 is drawn close to the body
-- 10 --
,_
~ S~
X while said hook 10 pivots about the connecting pin member
23 and the connecting member 24. The longitudinal axis of
the connecting member 24 tends to align with the direction in
which a straightened portion o~ the strap S between the body
X and the hook 25 is pulled under tension.
When the manipulatable lever means Y has been
positioned at the locked position as shown in Fig. 5, the
straightened portion o the strap S between the body X and
the hook 25 are brought into line with the longitudinal axis
of the connecting member 24 and, more particularly, the holder
Z, as shown. At the same time, a portion of the connecting
pin member 23 between the levers 19a and l9b is accommodated
within a space defined by the recesses 12a and 12b in the
plate members lla and llb. On the other hand, a portion of
the strap S, which has been described as deflected in contact
with the connecting pin member 20 is turned around said pin
member 20 while being tightly pressed thereagainst by a portion
of the strap S extending between the stanchion 21 and the
spacer pin 15. This portion of the strap S between the
stanchion 21 and the spacer pin 15 is also turned around the
connecting pin member 20 externally of and in overlapping
relation to that portion of the strap S turned in contact
with the connecting pin member 20. It is to be noted that,
as the manipulatable lever means Y is moved towards the `
locked position, the area of contact of that portion of the
strap S, which is adjacent the free end Sa of the strap S and
~s deflected in contact with said pin member 20, will the
connecting pin member 20 gradually increases accompanying
a corresponding increase of the area of contact of that portion
strap S between the stanchion 21 and the spacer pin 15 to that
~(~5~3
portion of the strap S externally of and in overlapping
relation with said portion of the strap S be~ween said
stanchion 21 and the spacer pin 15.
Therefore, it is clear that there is no possibility
that, even though the external pulling force necessary to
bring that portion of the strap S between the body X and the
hook 25 under substantial tension is no longer applied to the
free end Sa of the strap S shortly before the manipulatable
lever means Y is moved to the locked position, a portion of
the strap S between the body X and the free end Sa thereof
will be drawn into the clearance 17 thereby slackening the once-
tensioned portion of the strap S between the body X and the
hook 25.
If the manipulatable lever means Y in the locked.
position is moved back towards the unlocked position about
the connecting pin member 20 by the application of an external
pulling force, Y the clasping device of the present invention
can readily be unlocked, thereby loosening that portion of the
strap S between the body X and the hook 2S.
Preferably, the connecting pin member 20 has a
peripheral surface roughened or rouletted or ~therwise formed
with a pattern of inaentations, thereby avoiding any possible
frictional slip between the connecting pin member 20 and
that portion of the strap S deflected in contact with said
pin member 20 after the manipulatable lever means Y has been
pivoted to the locked position.
It is to be noted that either the spacer pin 15
or the connecting pin member 20 should be positioned relative
to the plate members lla and llb such that the portion of the
strap S between the connecting pin member 20 and the spacer
pin 15 extends clear of the space defined by the recesses 12a
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1~5'~5g3
and 12b in the respective plate members lla and llb.
In order to avoid any possible accidental release
of the manipulatable lever means Y from the locked position,
the clasping device of the present invention may have means
for holding the manipulatable lever means Y in the locked
position. In the embodiment illustrated in Figs . 1 to 5,
the means for holding the manipulatable lever means Y is
shown to comprise a pair of opposed pro jections, formed at
26a and 26b on the respective levers l9a and l9b and protruding
therefrom in the opposite directions away from each other at
right angles to the associated levers l9a and l9b. Detent
holes cooperative with said projections 26a and 26b and are
defined at 27a and 27b in the respective plate members lla
and llb. It will readily be seen that, when the manipulatable
lever means Y is pivoted to the locked position, the projec-
tions 26a and 27b respectively click into the corresponding
detent holes 27a and 27b, thereby holding the manipulatable
lever means Y firmly in the locked position. Release of the
manipulatable lever means Y so firmly held in the locked
position can be achieved in a similar manner as hereinbefore
described, but requires a greater external pulling force than
that applied in the case where no means for holding the
manipulatable lever means Y in the locked position is employed.
Alternatively, the means for holding the manipulat-
able lever means Y such as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may be
employed. This alternative means comprises a clip 28 secured
to a bridge member 29 straddling the levers l9a and l9b in
a similar fashion to the elongated plate 18 and having a pair
of spaced legs 28a and 28b. Cooperative with this clip 28
is the spacer pin 13. When the manipulatable lever means Y
is pivoted towards the locked position, the legs 28a and 28b
_ - 13 -
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l~Si~S~3
of the clip 28 allow the spacer pin 13 to enter a space there-
between and finally bite said spacer pin 13 and firmly hold
the manipulatable lever means Y in the locked position.
In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, it has
been described that a portion of the strap S is turned around
the stanchion 21 in contact with said stanchion 21. The area
of contact of that portion of the strap S to said stanchion
21 is substantially constant and relatively great irrespective
of the position of the manipulatable lever means Y and, there-
fore, a frictional resistance tends to be exerted between thestanchion 21 and that portion of the strap S during movement
of the strap S in either direction and/or during angular
movement of the stanchion 21 incident to the movement of the
manipulatable lever means Y between the unlocked and lockçd
positions. Where this frictional resistance is undesirable,
one method of minimizing or substantially eliminating this
resistance would be to make the stanchion 21 rotatable about
its own longitudinal axis and another method would be to use
a sleeve mounted on said stanchion 21, around which sleeve
that portion of the strap S is turned.
The employment of such a sleeve is shown by 30
in Figs. 6 and 7. However, it is to be noted that the stanchion
21' shown in Figs. 6 and 7 corresponds in function to the com-
bination of the stanchion 21 and connecting pin member 23 of
Figs. 1 to 5. In other words, the stanchion 21' serves not
only as an element around which that portion of the strap S
is turned through the sleeve 30 rotatably mounted thereon,
but as an element by which the holder Z is pivotally connecte~
to the manipulatable lever means Y.
Although the present invention has fully been
described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof
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1C~5'~5~3
with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be
noted that various changes and modifications are apparent
to those skilled in the art. By way of example, instead
of the employing of the hook 10 and the hook 25, the end
of the strap S which has been described as connected to the
hook 25 may be connected to the holder Z, or another length
of strap similar to the strap S may be employed to connect
the hook 10 to the holder Z depending upon the purpose for
which the clasping device of the present invention is
practically applied.
Therefore, such changes and modifications arel unless
they depart from the true scope of the present invention, to
be understood as included within the scope of the present
invention.
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