CLIP SYSTEM FOR USE WITH TARPS AND OTHER FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL

• Main Author: CAMERON, ROBERT W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 18.03.2014
• Subjects: BLASTING; DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS ORMACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS,CLIPS, WEDGES, JOINTS OR JOINTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A clip system for use with tarps and other flexible sheet material. The system includes first and second parts that arc rotatably mounted so as to be free to twist independently of one another, in response to wind or other forces. The first part may be a clip body having jaws for gripping a tarp or other flexible sheet material, and the second part may be an attachment fitting for engaging an article separate from the tarp. There may be a series of different attachment fittings that are interchangeably mountable to the clip body, such as a hook, a screw-on fitting for attachment to a bottle that forms a weight, or a fitting for attachment of a strap or shock cord, for example. The two pieces may be joined by a male coupler and a female receptacle that receives the coupler in locking engagement. The male coupler may have a plurality of resiliently flexible legs with beveled end surfaces that flex inwardly to pass through the opening of' the female receptacle. The legs then snap back outwardly so that undercut surfaces on the ends of the legs engage the receptacle to prevent separation of the pieces. A plug in the receptacle may be biased into a central opening between the legs so as to prevent them from bending back inwardly after the pieces have been assembled. The coupler and receptacle may further include cooperating annular surfaces that form a bearing interface for rotation of the parts.