Thumb Lock Marine & RV (MRV) Fasteners are a system of fastening buckles and straps designed to hold loose or portable equipment to horizontal surfaces. They are strong, durable, easy to use, and very versatile for a variety of temporary and permanent fastening applications. The system provides several options for holding equipment in place. These include direct attachment of the equipment with the fasteners, as well as traditional strap-over methods of holding. The fastening buckles (fasteners) are attached using self-sticking 3M adhesive pads, or they can be screw-fixed to a surface that is not suitable for adhesive bonding. Three of the fasteners are designed with mounting for this purpose. A locking strap is used to connect the fasteners for holding. The fasteners can be moved in either direction on the strap for adjustment. The strap is locked or released by a cam lock that can be opened or closed with a lever on the fastening buckle. This is used to take up slack between two buckles when fastening equipment down, or to release the strap from a fastener to remove the equipment. The locking strap itself can be screw-fixed directly to a holding surface. This is useful for applications where fasteners are needed at just one end of the strap to release or lock equipment. The adhesive used for the Thumb Lock system is the strongest self-sticking adhesive made by the 3M company. It provides exceptional holding strength in conditions of heavy vibration and jarring movement. However, the adhesive is non-hardening and non-curing and it is not intended for holding static weight on a vertical surface or overhead. For these applications the adhesive should be used for restraint purposes only, not for holding weight. Thumb Lock fasteners are available in four sizes. The fastener model numbers denotes the footprint (in square inches) of the fastener base. These range in size from 1 to 6 squaere inches in base dimensions of 1 x 1", 1 x 2", 2 x 2", and 2 x 3". | | The base size of the fastener determines the size of the adhesive pad, and thus its holding strength when attached with adhesive. The fastening buckles of the two smaller fasteners (T-1, T-2) are designed for 3/4" locking strap, the T-4 for a 1" strap, and the T-6 for a 1" strap with punched holes. The T-6 is the largest fastener of the Thumb Lock line, and varies in design from the original. The open/close lever has a dowel at the center of the cross pin that inserts through a hole in the locking strap when the lever is closed. Like a belt buckle, this prevents any strap slippage through the fastener from heavy tension loads. The T-6 is made of LEXAN™, a very strong high impact plastic, with thicker reinforced walls and pins compared with the smaller fasteners. The purpose of the T-6 is to provide a larger, stronger Thumb Lock fastening system for heavier duty applications. THUMB LOCK FEATURES * STRONG - Superior holding strength for fastener size and use * VERSATILE - For OEM and aftermarket use * EASY - To apply, use, and remove * DURABLE - Quality materials and engineering, long lasting PERFORMANCE TESTING AND ENGINEERING Thumb Lock was designed for the U.S. Navy to secure PCs and high-tech equipment at sea, and underwent the Navy's TAC-4 combat performance compliance tests for shipboard restraint. It is used by the military for underwent sea trials and completed all performance requirements for use abooard the Trident submarine fleet. |
