Inventor has new take on the ratchet

Barry Armour shows the side-loading ratchet which he has invented. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
Barry Armour shows the side-loading ratchet which he has invented. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
Dunedin engineer Barry Armour has come up with his third patented product to help the transport industry, and he believes the opportunity for it is "huge".

His latest invention involves ratchet tie-downs and solving the "age-old problem" of the time taken to thread the strap through the ratchet.

He designed a side-loading ratchet which allowed the strap to be loaded into the side of the ratchet, rather than being threaded through.

A patent application has been lodged with the US patent office.

Mr Armour got sick of the time wasted threading the strap through conventional ratchets then having to roll up and tie the unused strap - so he decided to do something about it.

"The other issue is walking backwards when unloading the ratchet and then running into something or being bowled over by a vehicle. It's a huge health and safety issue in the transport industry," he said.

Mr Armour, who has been involved in the industry for more than 30 years, believed the potential for the product was "huge", with "millions and millions" of ratchets sold worldwide every year.

"Ratchet tie-downs are not only used 24/7 in the transport industry, but every household that has a trailer or roof-rack is bound to have a ratchet tie-down used to secure loads."

The tie-downs, which were invented in the 1980s, had proved to be "just such a good thing" although the design had never really changed since then.

His invention had impressed transport operators to whom he had shown it.

The new product will be marketed through Mr Armour's technology export company, Armour Transport Technologies Ltd, which already markets the company's innovative load anchor and crouching truck technologies.

The company would now embark on a process of looking for international partners to commercialise the new technology.

That would involve working closely with the Dunedin City Council economic development unit and Trade NZ, which offered assistance with pursuing such commercial opportunities, he said.

His latest invention further demonstrated Dunedin could "foot it with the best" when it came to the development of innovative products, he said.

 

 

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