TIE DOWN WITH AUTOMATIC STRAP TENSION ADJUSTMENT

A tie down apparatus wherein a center leg of each of a pair of load springs is mounted in the space between a pair of drum pins, which space receives and holds a tied down strap. Each load spring is fixedly attached to a respective one of first and second ratchet wheels and a circular plate is positioned within each ratchet wheel and configured to rotate through a selected arc with respect to each ratchet wheel to limit the pre-load applied to the load springs.