The present invention comprises an apparatus for use in line with a chain or a strap tie-down assembly. When the chain or strap tie-down assembly is tightened on a commodity to prevent movement of the same during shipping, the apparatus compresses and stretches. During transport, if the commodity loosens and creates slack in the chain or tie-down assembly, the apparatus may decompress and shorten, thereby taking up the slack and maintaining tension in the chain or tie-down assembly to prevent or minimize loosening and damage of the commodity.

A strap tensioning buckle apparatus provides a ratchetless strap tensioning buckle apparatus for tensioning straps utilized in tying down objects. The ratchetless strap tensioning buckle apparatus has a base having a first end and a second end, a linkage pivotally attached to the base at a midpoint thereof, a handle having a first end and a second end, the handle having a shaft at the first end thereof for holding a loop of strap, the shaft further rigidly connecting the handle to the linkage, the handle pivoting via the linkage and moving the shaft in an arc from a first position to a second position, wherein moving the shaft from the first position to the second position tightens the strap and locks the strap in place.

An adjustable load restraint system includes a chain binder has handle, a first coupling and a second coupling. Each of the first coupling and the second coupling may be removably secured to an associated one of a pair of chains. The handle may be manipulated such that the first coupling is selectively moved toward and away from the second coupling. Thus, the chain binder selectively urges the pair of chains toward each other and away from each other. A grapple is movably coupled to the second coupling. The grapple may engage the associated chain at a selected one of a pair of locations on the associated chain. Thus, the chain binder may accommodate a variety of distances between the pair of chains.

Disclosed is an assembly for automatically securing at least one mail item on a transport tray, the assembly including the mail item and the transport tray, on which the mail item can be placed, and a fixing arrangement designed to secure the mail item on the transport tray, wherein the assembly for lowering and raising the transport tray in a height-adjusting manner is designed in such a way that, by lowering the transport tray into a loading position, the distance between the fixing arrangement and the transport tray is increased in such a way that, in the loading position, the mail item can be placed on the transport tray between said transport tray and the fixing arrangement, and is designed in such a way that, by raising the transport tray from the loading position, the distance between the fixing arrangement and the transport tray is reduced in such a way that the fixing arrangement comes to rest on the mail item in order to secure the mail item against falling off from the transport tray. Due to the proposed assembly, it is ensured that, during transport, for example over a distance of several hundred metres, the mail item cannot fall off from the transport tray and thus be lost.

Embodiments relate to a winding assembly (16) comprising: a tensioner (37) to which a tensioning line (10) is engageable; an interface (19, 19B) configured to receive actuation force; and a drive linkage (18, 18A, 18B, 42, 42A, 42B) coupling actuation of the interface (19, 19B) to motion of the tensioner.

A multi-attachment lever binder with a lever having a first and second bifurcated arm mounted thereon. The first bifurcated arm is mounted on the lever to establish a first pivot point. The second bifurcated arm is mounted on the lever to establish a second pivot point. The ends of the first and second bifurcated arms disposed opposite from the pivot points may be joined together to form a cavity for retaining the end of a connection device. The second pivot point is configured to move in an arc centered about the first pivot point as the lever is moved from an open position to a binding position.

An adjustable load restraint system includes a chain binder has handle, a first coupling and a second coupling. Each of the first coupling and the second coupling may be removably secured to an associated one of a pair of chains. The handle may be manipulated such that the first coupling is selectively moved toward and away from the second coupling. Thus, the chain binder selectively urges the pair of chains toward each other and away from each other. A grapple is movably coupled to the second coupling. The grapple may engage the associated chain at a selected one of a pair of locations on the associated chain. Thus, the chain binder may accommodate a variety of distances between the pair of chains.

A bone plate system for securing a plurality of bones is provided including a plate member, a locking device of the bone plate, and a surgical cable having a trailing end for being connected to the bone plate and a leading end for being advanced around the bones and into the locking device. The surgical cable may be tensioned to approximate the bones, urge the bones together, and seat the bone plate against the bones. The locking device may be reconfigured to a locked configuration to fix the bone plate to the surgical cable. The bone plate further includes a plurality of throughbores for receiving bone anchors that rigidly fix the bone plate to the bones. The bone plate system utilizes the tensile strength of the surgical cable and the rigid fixation between the bone anchors and the bone plate to resist relative movement of the bones.

A securing apparatus configured to provide automated tensioning and loosening of a strap being utilized to secure an object to a flatbed trailer. The present invention includes a first plate member that is movably mounted proximate the bottom surface of the flatbed trailer. The first plate member includes an aperture proximate the first end thereof. A cylinder bracket member is present on the bottom surface of the first plate member and is surroundably present to the aperture. A cylinder is releasably secured to the cylinder bracket member and the piston thereof is configured to pass through the aperture and engage the bottom of the flatbed trailer. A hook member is formed on the first end of the first plate member and is configured to have an end of strap secured thereto. The first plate member is movable with respect to the trailer.

A cargo restraining system for a vehicle includes an extended flexible structure movably connected to a positioning arrangement. The flexible structure is adapted for holding cargo arranged on a cargo floor of a vehicle cargo compartment in position in relation to the cargo floor, and the flexible structure is sized to cover at least a part of the cargo floor. The positioning arrangement is adapted for enabling movement of the flexible structure between a storage position and a load securing position, where in the storage position the flexible structure is adapted to be positioned on a first height from the cargo floor, and where in the load securing position the flexible structure is adapted to be positioned on a second height from the cargo floor. The first height is different from the second height.