Container for tie down strap

Abstract

A container for a tie down strap includes a housing with upper and lower walls and a rotatable shaft extending between the upper and lower walls. The shaft has a slot formed therethrough through which the free end of one strap of the tie down strap is journaled. A handle on the end of the shaft permits rotation of the shaft to wind the strap free end around the shaft. A tensioner member extending inwardly from a side wall of the housing is resilient, and engages the strap wound around the shaft, to frictionally engage the strap and bias against free rotation of the shaft.

I claim:  
     
         1 : In combination: 
 a tie down strap including first and second independent straps, the first strap including a free end and an engagement end;    a ratchet mechanism operably connected to the first strap to selectively lengthen and shorten an engagement portion of the strap between the ratchet mechanism and the engagement end of the first strap;    said second strap having a first end fastened to the ratchet mechanism, and a second engagement end; and    a container for storage of the free end of the first strap, removably attached to the first strap at a location spaced away from the ratchet mechanism, said container including: 
 a housing including opposing upper and bottom walls, opposing side walls, forward wall, and an open rearward end;  
 a shaft extending between the upper and bottom walls and rotatably mounted on a longitudinal axis;  
 said first strap free end journaled through the open rearward end of the housing and selectively removably connected to the shaft; and  
 means connected to the shaft for selectively rotating the shaft on the longitudinal axis of the shaft to wind the first strap free end around the shaft.  
   
     
     
         2 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein said container includes a resilient clip mounted on the bottom wall, removably attaching the container to the tie down strap.  
     
     
         3 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein said upper and bottom walls, opposing side walls, and forward wall of said housing form a substantially enclosed housing with an open rearward end.  
     
     
         4 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft has an upper end extending through the upper wall, and wherein the means for selectively rotating the shaft includes a handle connected to the shaft upper end exteriorly of the housing.  
     
     
         5 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein said shaft includes an elongated slot extending therethrough, and said strap free end is journaled through the slot to selectively removably engage the shaft.  
     
     
         6 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the slot extends upwardly from a lower end of the shaft.  
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 1 , further comprising a tensioner member having a first end mounted on the housing and a second end positioned generally tangent to the shaft.  
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 7 , wherein the tensioner member first end is mounted on one of said forward wall and side walls and extends inwardly therefrom, a tensioner member formed of a resilient flexible material permitting bending of the tensioner member as the strap is wound around the shaft and biases against the tensioner member second end.