U.S. Patent Number 8,205,818 – Strap Winder
Every Tuesday, the United States Patent and Trademark Office publishes newly granted patents. This blog post is part of a weekly series in which I pick an interesting new patent that has Idaho connections and briefly describe it.
Inventors: Joseph Paul Gonzales (Chubbuck, ID), Donna L. Gonzales (Chubbuck, ID), Fernando B. Gonzales (Pocatello, ID)
This invention can be used to wind cargo straps or cords. After cargo straps have been unsecured from cargo on trucks or trailers, the straps may commonly be left on the ground, which is generally dirty and therefore bad for the straps. The winder can be worn (slots on the chest plate can engage with a belt or harness) for added convenience.
One interesting thing about the prosecution of this patent is that the patent was allowed only 11 months after the application date, which is unusually fast. A quick examination of the patent file history shows that the applicants filed a petition to make the application special, which was granted. In this case, the petition was made on the basis of age (one of the applicants is over 65 years of age).