Cleat cover

Abstract

A cleat cover is disclosed which may be placed over an existing cleat such that any rope or line affixed to the cleat contacts the cleat cover rather than the cleat and is protected by the cleat cover from abrasion and other wear and tear.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to boats and more specifically to a cover for a boat cleat.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Boats have been used throughout history and for nearly as long as there have been boats, there have been docks. Boat docks are most often used by securing a boat to the dock. In most cases, a rope or line is used to secure a boat to the dock. Nearly always the line is used to tie the boat to the dock.

In many cases a boat is secured to the same dock in the same position many times or for a long period of time. In most cases the boat is affixed to the dock by tying a line from the boat to a cleat affixed to the dock. In other cases, a loop in the line may be placed over the cleat to secure the boat and the line is not tied. There are a variety of cleats, but most cleats are metal and have the general shape of a “T” with a short, vertical leg. When a boat is tied to the same cleat a number of times or for a long period of time, the line wears where it wraps around the cleat. When a boat is tied to a cleat, the movement of the boat in the water and the movement of the dock cause the line to rub against the cleat and cause wear to the line.

When a boat is tied to the same cleat many times or for a long period of time, the line used to tie the boat to the cleat wears at the same place on the line over and over. That is, the major portion of the line may be in good and usable condition, but the relatively small portion of the line affixed to the cleat wears out. The entire line may have to be replaced even though only a small portion is worn out.

There have been a few inventions which are intended to prevent wear and tear on the portion of a boat line which is affixed to a cleat. For example, the patent to Stevens et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 89,514; Apr. 27, 1869) discloses a cleat made out of two types of metal. The bulk of the metal is iron while the inner portion of the cleat which comes in contact with the line is made from a softer material such as brass. The softer material is believed to cause less wear and tear on a line affixed to the cleat. Another type of cleat cover is disclosed in the patent to Silvia (U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,500; Aug. 11, 1987). This device comes in two solid pieces which are hollowed out in their interior such that the interior hollow approximates the exterior of a cleat. The two solid pieces are connected by elastic such that they may be pulled apart, placed around the cleat, and held together by the elastic.

The cleat cover of the instant invention is believed to solve the above problems relating to wear of lines where they are affixed to cleats. The cleat cover of the instant invention is a cover made from a material much softer than metal. The cleat cover covers the metal portions of the cleat which contact the line such that the line contacts the cover rather than the cleat. Because the line contacts the relatively soft and unabrasive cover rather than the cleat, the portion of the line making such contact wears much more slowly than if it contacted the metal cleat directly. The ideal cleat cover should be capable of being easily affixed to a boat cleat such that a line affixed to the cleat contacts the cover rather than the metal cleat. It should also be simple, reliable, inexpensive, and easy to operate and maintain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Nearly all boating type cleats have the general shape of a “T” with a vertical leg which is shorter than the horizontal leg. The cleat cover of the instant invention has the same general shape as the cleat. In the preferred embodiment, the cleat cover comes in two pieces—the inner cover and the outer cover. The inner cover includes a hollow tube at its outer end having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the horizontal element of the cleat. The inner end of the inner cover includes a hook and loop fastener on its outer surface. The outer cover also includes a hollow tube at its outer end having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the horizontal element of the cleat. The inner end of the outer cover includes a hook and loop fastener on its inner surface.

The inner cover is slid over one of the horizontal elements of the cleat such that half of the horizontal element of the cleat and most of the vertical element are covered. The outer cover is slid over the other of the horizontal elements of the cleat such that the other half of the horizontal element and most of the vertical element are covered. The hook and loop fastener on the outer cover engages the hook and loop fastener of the inner cover and holds the two parts of the cleat cover in place on the cleat. A line may be affixed to the cleat in the normal manner. However, the line engages the cleat cover rather than the metal of the cleat itself.

The cleat cover of the instant invention may be removed from the cleat by simply pulling apart the hook and loop fasteners and removing the two parts of the cleat cover from the cleat. Although the invention is described above with the inner and outer covers covering half of the horizontal element of the cleat, the invention would work as well with different portions of the cleat being covered by the inner and out covers.

In a second embodiment, any of various conventional snap fasteners may be used instead of the hook and loop fastener. A snap fastener is considered any fastener in which two pieces snap together and may be unsnapped or pulled apart.

One of the major objects of the present invention is a device capable of being easily affixed to a boat cleat such that a line affixed to the cleat contacts the cover rather than the metal cleat.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a cleat cover which is simple, reliable, inexpensive, and easy to use and maintain.

These and other features of the invention will become apparent when taken in consideration with the following detailed description and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of one element of the cleat cover of the instant invention cut out, but not sewn;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the inner cover of the instant invention placed on a cleat; and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the inner and outer covers of the instant invention placed upon a cleat

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 through 3 there are shown various views of the instant invention. The invention has been made to be used as an accessory to an existing cleat. The cleat is not considered a part of the invention and the cleat shown represents any of a wide variety of conventional cleats.

Now referring to FIG. 1, a top view of one element of the cleat cover of the instant invention cut out, but not sewn is shown. This view shows that each element has the general shape of a “T” when the element has been cut out but not sewn. The material shown for the preferred embodiment is conventional fire hose material, but any material having similar strength, lack of abrasion, weatherproof, and malleability characteristics would work. The two elements of the instant invention are created by sewing the range of the outer edge of material 2 labeled range A, to the range of the outer edge of material 2 indicated by range B. The length of the seam indicated by range A1 and range B1, form a tube which may be placed over the end of one of the horizontal elements of a typical cleat (not shown). The length of the seam indicated by range A2 and range B2 partially cover the vertical element of a cleat (not shown).

Now referring to FIG. 2, a side view of the inner cover of the instant invention placed on a cleat is shown. As may be seen, an inner cover 4 is provided which may be slid onto one of the horizontal elements of a cleat 6. The inner cover 4 has an outer end which is generally tubular and largely covers one of the horizontal elements of the cleat 6. A strip of hook and loop fastener labeled inner fastener 8 is affixed to said inner cover 4 on the outer surface of said inner cover 4 near the inner end of said inner cover 4. Note that said inner fastener 8 is located near the center line of the vertical element of said cleat 6. There is also an outer cover 10 which has the same configuration as said inner cover 4 which the exception that there is a second, complementary, strip of hook and loop fastener, outer fastener 12, which is affixed to the inner surface of the outer cover 10 rather than the outer surface. When said outer cover 10 is placed on said cleat 6, the outer fastener 12 becomes removably affixed to said inner fastener 8, and holds said outer cover 10 to said inner cover 4. For clarity, said outer cover 10 is shown in a position which is not pushed fully onto said cleat 6.

Now referring to FIG. 3, a side view of the inner and outer covers of the instant invention placed upon a cleat is shown. As may be seen in this view, when said inner cover 4 and said outer cover 10 are both slid onto said cleat 6 and said inner fastener 8 (not shown in this figure) has been affixed to said outer fastener 12; said cleat 6 is almost entirely covered by the cleat cover of the instant invention. A line or rope may be affixed to said cleat 6 without the line or rope coming into contact with said cleat 6. This prevents such a line or rope from rubbing against said cleat 6 and causing unnecessary wear and tear.

In a second embodiment of the instant invention, the hook and loop fastener described above is replace by any of a number of conventional snap fasteners. A snap fastener is considered any fastener in which two pieces are snapped together and may be unsnapped or pulled apart.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in these embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. That is, the method could be used for a wide variety of purposes either in combination or separately.

Claims

1. A cleat cover used to cover a conventional cleat in which the cleat has the general shape of a “T” with the horizontal element of the “T” being longer than the vertical element and in which the cleat is used by tying or otherwise affixing a line to the cleat and the line engages the cleat near the inner portion of the cleat where the horizontal element of the cleat is affixed to the vertical element, comprising:

(1) a first half cleat cover which is capable of covering half of the portion of the cleat which engages the line;

(2) a second half cleat cover which is capable of covering the other half of the portion of the cleat which engages the line; and

(3) fastening means which is affixed to the first half cleat cover and the second half cleat cover and is capable of fastening said first half cleat cover to said second half cleat cover.

2. The cleat cover of claim 1 in which the fastening means is a hook-and-loop fastener.

3. The cleat cover of claim 1 in which the fastening means is a snap fastener.

4. A cleat cover used to cover a conventional cleat in which the cleat has the general shape of a “T” with the horizontal element of the “T” being longer than the vertical element and in which the cleat is used by tying or otherwise affixing a line to the cleat and the line engages the cleat near the inner portion of the cleat where the horizontal element of the cleat is affixed to the vertical element, comprising:

(1) a first half cleat cover which is capable of covering a portion of the cleat which engages the line;

(2) a second half cleat cover which is capable of covering the other portion of the cleat which engages the line; and

(3) fastening means which is affixed to the first half cleat cover and the second half cleat cover and is capable of fastening said first half cleat cover to said second half cleat cover.

5. The cleat cover of claim 4 in which the fastening means is a hook-and-loop fastener.

6. The cleat cover of claim 4 in which the fastening means is a snap fastener.