Removable safety chain tie down apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9522583-B2
Application number	US-201313752243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2013
Priority date	Oct 14, 2008
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A tie down apparatus that may be utilized for securing an item, such as a safety chain, wherein the tie down apparatus may be used with a hitch mounting system. In one embodiment, the tie down apparatus may include a receiving member, a tie down member, and a clocking member. The receiving member may include an opening located there through. The tie down member may include at least one aperture, wherein the tie down member may be capable of being located and rotated within the receiving member. The tie down member may be rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise. The locking member may include at least one leg capable of being housed within the aperture. The locking member may engage the receiving member once the tie down member is rotated, thereby trapping the item within the tie down apparatus.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A tie down apparatus for securing an item, the tie down apparatus comprising:
a body member rotatable about an axis between first and second rotational positions within a receiving member; and
a locking member extending through the body member and being axially moveable relative to the body member between first and second axial positions, wherein the locking member in the second axial position prevents rotation of the body member from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and the locking member is prevented from moving from the first axial position to the second axial position until the body member is rotated from the first rotational position to the second rotational position.

2. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiving member causes the locking member to move to the first axial position when the body member is inserted into the receiving member and moves to the second axial position when the body member is rotated to the second rotational position.

3. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body member includes a handle contoured to secure a safety chain.

4. The tie down apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the body member includes a post extending in a direction opposite the handle, whereby the post engages the receiving member when the body member is in the second rotational position.

5. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein rotating the body member about the axis from the first rotational position to the second rotational displaces the locking member in a direction generally parallel to the axis from the first axial position to the second axial position.

6. The tie down apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the body member includes at least one aperture.

7. The tie down apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the locking member comprises:
a pair of legs extending through the at least one aperture; and
a bridge member attached between the pair of legs, wherein the pair of legs and bridge member are operatively engaged with the body member whereby the pair of legs and bridge member being attached generally prevents separation of the pair of legs and bridge member from operative engagement with the body member.

8. The tie down apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the locking member includes at least one lifting tab.

9. The tie down apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one lifting tab is located on an opposite side of at least one of the pair of legs whereby displacing the lifting tab away from the body member disengages the locking member permitting the body member to rotate about the axis from the second rotational position to the first rotational position.

10. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a chain is capable of being attached to the body member whereby the chain generally prevents the locking member from moving from the second axial position.

11. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body member is rotatable in either of a clockwise and counter clockwise direction.

12. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the locking member in the second axial position prevents rotation of the body member to the first rotational position.

13. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body member is rotatable from the first rotational position to the second rotational position in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.

14. The tie down apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the locking member engages with features of the receiving member when in the second axial position thereby preventing rotation of the body member.

15. The tie down apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the locking member engages other features of the receiving member when the body member is in the first rotational position thereby preventing the locking member from moving from the first axial position to the second axial position.

16. The tie down apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the other feature is a top surface of the receiving member.

17. The tie down apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the locking member is aligned with aperture on the receiving member when the body member is in the second rotational position thereby allowing axial movement between the first and second axial positions.

18. A tie down apparatus for securing an item, the tie down apparatus comprising:
a monolithically formed body member rotatable about an axis between first and second rotational positions within a receiving member, the body member including at least one aperture;
a pair of legs extending through the at least one aperture; and
a bridge member attached between the pair of legs, wherein the pair of legs and bridge member being attached generally prevents separation of the pair of legs and bridge member from the body member.

19. The tie down apparatus of claim 18 , wherein rotating the body member about the axis to the second rotational position allows displacement of the pair of legs from a first axial position to a second axial position generally preventing rotation of the body member.

20. The tie down apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising the receiving member, wherein the pair of legs being displaced to the second axial position engages the pair of legs with the receiving member generally preventing rotation of the body member from the second position.

21. The tie down apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the body member includes a post extending from the body member a distance, whereby the post is capable of engaging the receiving member substantially preventing rotation of the body member from the second rotational position.

22. The tie down apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising a chain selectively attached to the body member, whereby the pair of legs generally maintains engagement of the post with the receiving member during application of side forces.

23. The tie down apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the pair of legs extend a leg distance form the body member whereby the leg distance is substantially equivalent the distance when the pair of legs are in the second axial position.

24. A tie down apparatus for securing an item, the tie down apparatus comprising:
a body member capable of being positioned within a receiving member;
a post extending from the body member a fixed distance;
a locking member extending through the body member, the locking member comprising at least one leg extending through the body member; and
wherein rotating the body member along a plane allows axial displacement of the at least one leg perpendicular to the plane, whereby axial displacement of the at least one leg generally prevents rotation of the body member.

25. The tie down apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the locking member further comprises a bridge member attached with the at least one leg, wherein the at least one leg and bridge member being attached generally prevents separation of the at least one leg and bridge member from the body member.

26. The tie down apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising the receiving member, wherein displacing the at least one leg engages the at least one leg with the receiving member generally preventing rotation of the body member.

27. The tie down apparatus of claim 26 , further comprising a chain selectively attached to the body member, whereby the at least one leg generally maintains engagement of the post with the receiving member during application of side forces.

28. A tie down ap

Assignees

• Cequent Performance Prod Inc

Inventors

• Mccoy Richard W

Classifications

• B60P7/0807

  Attachment points · CPC title

• Y10S280/901

  Adaptation of nonspecialized vehicles to semitrailer tractors · CPC title

• B60D1/488

  mounted directly to the chassis of the towing vehicle · CPC title

• B60D1/58

  Auxiliary devices · CPC title

• B60D1/06 Primary

  Ball-and-socket hitches · CPC title