Cargo Tie-Down Device

This invention relates to vehicle mounted cargo racks and more specifically to tie-down devices used in connection therewith.

When objects need to be secured to a cargo rack, it becomes necessary to pass a long length of cord back and forth across the load, feeding it around the rails of the rack, and securing the ends with a knot or some similar means. This cumbersome and time consuming process can be overcome by the use of a multitude of fabric-jacketed elastomeric cords or ropes with incorporated end hooks. The hooks currently in use offer little or no adjustability and are shaped in such a way as to attach to only a limited number of surfaces. In such a case it would be advantageous to have a system for securing cargo to a variety of surfaces, without the use of multiple or oversize lengths of cord.

The principal and secondary objects of this invention are to provide a simple tie-down system for quickly securing various types of loads to a cargo rack without having to utilize multiple or overly cumbersome lengths of cord. These and other objects are achieved by providing a length of fabric-jacketed elastomeric cord or rope, hooks that are easily adjustable and adaptable to polygonal, cylindrical, and irregular surfaces, and a third similar or same hook that is easily attachable to any point along the length of the cord.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear, right side and bottom perspective view of the end hook;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of said hook;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a sectional view taken along axis Y--Y;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the intermediary hook;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the intermediary hook;

FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the alternate embodiment of the end hook; and

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the alternate embodiment of the end hook.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1, a cargo tie-down system. The system comprises a fabric-jacketed elastomeric cord 1, and two or more attachment hooks 2. The bails 3, of these hooks have an inside surface that is lined with teeth 4. These teeth have a peak angle of 135 degrees. Each tooth is successively offset from the adjacent one by an angle of 90 degrees. This offset of angles allows the hook to attach to polygonal, cylindrical or irregular surfaces. A transverse hole 5 is bored through the bail. This hole is of size and shape to accommodate an index finger to facilitate grasping and pulling of the hook. Each hook is carved out of a generally oval, flat slab of plastic or metal. Although it may also be manufactured by molding process.

The end hook 2, detailed in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 has a shank 6, and two cylindrical channels 7, 8 bored through the thickness of the slab. The axes of these bores are parallel to each other and symmetrically equidistant from the lateral faces 5a, 5b of the hook. These bores are of a shape and size to allow the passage of the cord 1. One end of the cord is inserted through the bottom end of one of the channels, bent around the separating thin wall 9 of the channels, and passed back through the opposite channel, the outer walls 7a and 8a of the channels apply two opposing restraining forces against the cord, holding the cord in a generally reverse direction bend. The top end of the separating wall 9 between the two channels is notched in the shape of an arcuate wedge 10. This notch tapers down from the lateral edge of the slab toward a point defined by the intersection of the axis X--X of the bend in the cord and the median axis Y--Y of the separating wall 9 about the middle of that wall. As more specifically illustrated by FIG. 4a, the wall 10a and 10b of the notch 10 are slightly arcuate. When either end of the cord is pulled, the bent portion of the cord is drawn down onto the notch and progressively squeezed by the arcuate walls. The natural pinching action upon the cord between the walls 10a, 10b, prevents either end of the cord from being pulled through the channels. This process can be easily reversed, allowing the hook to be adjusted to shorten the cord working length.

FIGS. 5 and 6 refer to the intermediary hook 11. The shank 12, of this hook, forms a tapered slot 13. The mouth of the slot 14 is smaller than the diameter of the cord, so that when attached to the cord it creates a pinching action against the cord, protecting the hook from accidental disengagement. One or more of these universal intermediary hooks can be attached at any point along the cord, shaping the cord in a zig-zag fashion so as to cover a wider load area.

FIGS. 7 and 8 refer to an alternate embodiment of the end hook 2a. The second channel 16 has a slot 16a along the top edge of the hook. A hole 17 is bored through the separating wall the channels 15 and 16 perpendicular to the axes of the channels. After the cord is passed through the cylindrical channel, it is bent as in the first embodiment, and run through the channel 15 and the hole 16. The outer edge 17 of the hole 16, and the inner wall 18 of the channel 15 apply two opposing restraining forces to hold the cord in a reverse direction bend engaging the wedged notch 19 as in the first embodiment.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, modifications can be made thereto and other embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.