Rapid Adjustment Cleat Assembly

Abstract

A mooring cleat assembly includes a base having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a central portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion. A first horn extends outwardly from the first end portion and a second horn extends outwardly from the second end portion. A cam cleat is attached to the central portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a cleat that is used with a mooring line to secure a vessel to a location.

Description of the Related Art

Mooring cleats are used to secure the mooring lines of a ship or boat to a pier or a dock to prevent the vessel from floating away from the pier or the dock.

It would be beneficial to provide a mooring cleat with wrapping features as well as a cam cleat for securing a mooring line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one embodiment, the present invention is a mooring cleat assembly including a base having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a central portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion. A first horn extends outwardly from the first end portion and a second horn extends outwardly from the second end portion. A cam cleat is attached to the central portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mooring cleat assembly according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 1, with the cam cleat removed, showing only the mooring cleat;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the mooring cleat of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the mooring cleat of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, like numerals indicate like elements throughout. Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. The embodiments illustrated below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. These embodiments are chosen and described to best explain the principle of the invention and its application and practical use and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.”

As used in this application, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.

The word “about” is used herein to include a value of +/−10 percent of the numerical value modified by the word “about” and the word “generally” is used herein to mean “without regard to particulars or exceptions.”

Additionally, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word “about” or “approximately” preceded the value of the value or range.

The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claims is intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimed subject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims. Such use is not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of those claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures.

It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention.

Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.

Mooring cleats are used to secure a vessel, such as a boat or a ship, to a location, such as a dock or a pier. Mooring cleats can be fixedly located on the deck or pilings of a dock or pier, or can be slidingly attached to a docking apparatus, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,724,197, invented by the present Applicant and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Alternatively or in addition, mooring cleats can be attached to the deck of the vessel. Mooring lines are wrapped around the mooring cleats to secure the vessel to the dock or the pier.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a mooring cleat assembly 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Assembly 100 provides for rapid adjustments to a vessel mooring at rest, or in changing conditions, such as weather, sea swell, or other circumstances.

Assembly 100 includes a base 110 having a first end portion 112, a second end portion 114, and a central portion 116 extending between the first end portion 112 and the second end portion 114. A cam cleat 150 can be integrally or removably attached to base 110.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, base 110 is generally oblong in shape and includes a pair of through openings 118 to removably secure cam cleat 150 to base 110, such as with screws 151 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2).

A first horn 120 extends outwardly from the first end portion 112 and a second horn 130 extends outwardly from the second end portion 114. Cam cleat 150 is attached to the central portion 116.

Note that first horn 120 and second horn 130 are only connected to each other along the base 110, and not along the base and the top of cleat 100, like prior art cleats. Cam cleat 150 prevents such a top connection.

First horn 120 comprises a first horn support 122 extending upwardly from the base 110 and a first horn portion 124 attached to the first horn support 122. A first nub portion 126 extends from the first horn support 122 toward the second horn 130. A through opening 128 extends through first horn support 122. Through opening 128 is sized to allow a securing bolt (not shown) to extend therethrough to secure cleat assembly 100 to a dock, a pier, a deck, or other apparatus (all not shown).

Similarly, the second horn 130 comprises a second horn support 132 extending upwardly from the base 110 and a second horn portion 134 attached to the second horn support 132. A second nub portion 136 extends from the second horn support 132 toward the first horn 120. A through opening 138 extends through second horn support 132. Through opening 138 is sized to allow a securing bolt (not shown) to extend therethrough to secure cleat assembly 100 to a dock, a pier, a deck, or other apparatus (all not shown). While a single through opening 128 is shown extending through first horn support 122 and base 110 and a different through opening 138 is shown extending through second horn support 132 and base 110, those skilled in the art will recognize that more than two through openings 128, 138 can be provided through base 110.

Cam cleat 150 is located between the first nub portion 126 and the second nub portion 136. Cam cleat 150 can be a commercially available cam cleat, such as the Cam-Matic Kit w/Wire Fairlead, manufactured by Harken. Cam cleat 150 includes an inverted U member 152 constructed from stainless steel to prevent dislodgement of the mooring line (not shown) as the mooring line is pulled through cam cleat 150.

In an exemplary embodiment, base 110 and horns 120, 130 are a unibody construction and can be constructed from nylon, nylon compounds, carbon fiber, brass, anodized aluminum, stainless steel, engineered plastics, or other suitable material.

To secure a mooring line to assembly 100, the mooring line is run through inverted U member 152, then through cam cleat 150, and then cross-wrapped around horns 120, 130 inevitably locking the mooring line in cam cleat 150 when the mooring line crosses over the top of cam cleat 150.

Assembly 100 can be used to provide a quicker and a more secure way to tension a docking line due to the combination of the cam cleat 150 and horned cleat. An operator can first tension or adjust the line, taking advantage of the features of cam cleat 150 and then utilize the horns 120, 130 to secure the free end of the line, providing greater security than just the cam cleat 150.

Assembly 100 is not limited to any particular size or load capacity, but can be constructed in different sizes to accommodate different use requirements.

It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

Claims

1. A mooring cleat assembly comprising:

a base having: a first end portion; a second end portion; and a central portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion;

a first horn extending outwardly from the first end portion;

a second horn extending outwardly from the second end portion; and

a cam cleat attached to the central portion.

2. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first horn and the second horn are only connected to each other along the base.

3. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first horn comprises a first horn support extending upwardly from the base and a first horn portion attached to the first horn support.

4. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first horn portion comprises a first nub portion extending from the first horn support toward the second horn.

5. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 4, wherein the second horn comprises a second horn support extending upwardly from the base and a second horn portion attached to the second horn support.

6. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 5, wherein the second horn portion comprises a second nub portion extending from the second horn support toward the first horn.

7. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 6, wherein the cam cleat is located between the first nub portion and the second nub portion.

8. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cam cleat comprises an inverted U member.

9. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cam cleat is removably attached to the central portion.

10. A mooring cleat assembly comprising:

a base having: a first end portion; a second end portion; and a central portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion;

and

a cam cleat attached to the central portion.

11. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cam cleat comprises an inverted U member.

12. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cam cleat is removably attached to the central portion.

13. A mooring cleat assembly comprising:

a base having: a first end portion; a second end portion; and a central portion extending between the first end portion and the second end portion;

a first horn extending outwardly from the first end portion; and

a cam cleat attached to the central portion.

14. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 13, wherein the first horn comprises a first horn support extending upwardly from the base and a first horn portion attached to the first horn support.

15. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 14, wherein the first horn portion comprises a first nub portion extending from the first horn support toward the second horn.

16. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 15, wherein the cam cleat is located adjacent to the first nub.

17. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 13, wherein the cam cleat comprises an inverted U member.

18. The mooring cleat assembly according to claim 13, wherein the cam cleat is removably attached to the central portion.