Apparatus and method for bundling and binding items

Abstract

Disclosed is a securement block, comprising a generally rectangular-sided cuboid structure having a front face 10, a rear face 11, a left sidewall 12, a right sidewall 13, a top surface 14, and a bottom surface 15, and beveling treatment on some surfaces. To facilitate using the securement block 1, the device is fabricated with four correlated through-openings, being a tunnel entry 20, a tunnel exit 21, a channel entry 23(a), and a locking orifice 22. The channel 19 is tapered rearwardly, and culminates in a vertical locking slot 27 proximate the locking orifice 22. The four through-openings of the device work in conjunction with the use of an “encirclement means,” e.g., a cord, which, when routed sequentially into and out of the through-openings, and tied into at least one strategically-placed knot, provides for a taut, firm, fastening about items to be bundled or secured.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cuboid-shaped device having rectangular surfaces comprising a front face, a rear face, a left sidewall, a right sidewall, a top surface, a left bevel, an upper bevel, a right bevel, and a bottom surface, further comprising (a) a tunnel having a circular cross-section, extending from the left front face to a tunnel exit on the rear right face; and (b) a rearwardly-tapering, open channel having a U-shaped channel floor, a left wall, and a right wall, wherein (i) the upper half of both walls of the channel merge, to form a vertical locking slot proximate the left rear face, (ii) the lower segment of both channel walls intersect the channel floor, and (iii) the channel floor extends longitudinally through the device, forming the lower arc of a circular locking orifice on the right rear face. 
     
     
         2 . The cuboid device of  claim 1 , wherein the left bevel is constructed in a vertical orientation from the left sidewall to the left rear face, the upper bevel is constructed in a horizontal orientation from the rear of the top surface to the upper portion of the rear face, and the right bevel is constructed in a vertical orientation from the right sidewall to the right rear face. 
     
     
         3 . The cuboid-shaped device of  claim 1 , wherein the material of manufacture is recyclable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. 
     
     
         4 . The cuboid device of  claim 1  wherein the relative dimensions of the device comprise a front face width of 32.0 mm, vertical height of 16.0 mm, front face to rear face length of 38 mm, a rear face width of 32.0 mm, a distance of 15.0 mm between the longitudinal axis of the tunnel and the longitudinal axis of the locking orifice, the diameter of the tunnel being 7.0 mm, the width of the channel entry being 7.0 mm, the diameter of the locking orifice being 7.0 mm, the length of the V-shaped channel being 30.0 mm, and the angular dispersion of the channel from the locking slot to the channel entry being thirty-six (36.0) degrees. 
     
     
         5 . A device for assisting in the securement of a single item or a plurality of items for the purpose of bundling the items for lifting, transporting, or immobilizing them, comprising:
 A cuboid-shaped structure having rectangular surfaces comprising a front face, a rear face, a left sidewall, a right sidewall, a top surface, a left bevel, an upper bevel, a right bevel, and a bottom surface, further comprising (a) a circular, cross-sectioned tunnel extending from the left front face to a tunnel exit on the rear right face; and (b) a rearwardly-tapering, open channel having a U-shaped floor, a left wall, and a right wall, wherein (i) the upper half of both walls of the channel merge, to form a locking slot proximate the left rear face, (ii) the lower segment of both channel walls intersect the channel floor, and (iii) the channel floor extends longitudinally through the device to form the lower arc of a circular locking orifice at the right rear face.   
     
     
         6 . The cuboid device of  claim 5 , wherein, wherein the left bevel is constructed in a vertical orientation from the left sidewall to the left rear face, the upper bevel is constructed in a horizontal orientation from the rear of the top surface to the upper portion of the rear face, and the right bevel is constructed in a vertical orientation from the right sidewall to the right rear face. 
     
     
         7 . The cuboid structure of  claim 5 , wherein the structure is manufactured from recyclable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. 
     
     
         8 . The cuboid device of  claim 5 , wherein its operational function of bundling is achieved by orienting and placement of the bottom surface such that the bottom surface abuts the upper segment of any gathering of items to be bundled. 
     
     
         9 . The cuboid device of  claim 5  wherein the relative dimensions of the device comprise a front face width of 32.0 mm, vertical height of 16.0 mm, front face to rear face length of 38 mm, a rear face width of 32.0 mm, a distance of 15.0 mm between the longitudinal axis of the tunnel and the longitudinal axis of the locking orifice, the diameter of the tunnel being 7.0 mm, the width of the channel entry being 7.0 mm, the diameter of the locking orifice being 7.0 mm, the length of the V-shaped channel being 30.0 mm, and the angular dispersion of the channel from the locking slot to the channel entry being thirty-six (36.0) degrees. 
     
     
         10 . A method for gathering, bundling, and securing a fixed item or grouping of items for the purpose of lifting, transporting, and/or immobilizing the items as one unit, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a cuboid-shaped structure having rectangular surfaces comprising a front face, a rear face, a left sidewall, a right sidewall, a top surface, a left bevel, an upper bevel, a right bevel, and a bottom surface;   (b) constructing, in the cuboid-shaped structure, a circular, cross-sectioned tunnel extending from the left front face to a tunnel exit on the rear right face;   (c) constructing, in the cuboid-shaped structure, a rearwardly-tapering, open channel having a U-shaped channel floor, a left wall and a right wall, wherein (i) the upper half of both walls of the channel merge to form a vertical locking slot proximate the left rear face, (ii) the lower segment of both channel walls intersect the channel floor, and (iii) the channel floor extends longitudinally through the structure, forming the lower arc of a circular locking orifice on the right rear face;   (d) providing an encirclement means, comprising an article of string, cord, rope, wire, cable, or similarly-structured article, the article having a first end with a first tip, a second end with a second tip, and a length sufficient to enclose the vertically-oriented circumference of the subject items with a remaining length of the article at each the first end and the second end; and   (e) placing the first end of the article into the tunnel entry of the cuboid-shaped structure, withdrawing it therefrom, subsequently placing the first end into the channel orifice, drawing sufficient length of the first end of the article upwards so as to engage the locking slot in a firm manner while simultaneously gathering the second cord end and tying both ends into at least one knot so as to bind the article tautly about the circumference of the bundled items.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the relative dimensions of the cuboid-shaped structure comprise a front face width of 32.0 mm, vertical height of 16.0 mm, front face to rear face length of 38 mm, a rear face width of 32.0 mm, a distance of 15.0 mm between the longitudinal axis of the tunnel and the longitudinal axis of the locking orifice, the diameter of the tunnel being 7.0 mm, the width of the channel entry being 7.0 mm, the diameter of the locking orifice being 7.0 mm, the length of the V-shaped channel being 30.0 mm, and the angular dispersion of the channel from the locking slot to the channel entry being thirty-six (36.0) degrees. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cuboid-shaped structure is manufactured from recyclable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.