WO2003033340A1

WO2003033340A1 - Cleat device

Info

Publication number: WO2003033340A1
Application number: PCT/AU2002/001396
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gabriel Mercuri; Steven Mallen
Original assignee: Gabriel Mercuri; Steven Mallen
Priority date: 2001-10-16
Filing date: 2002-10-16
Publication date: 2003-04-24
Also published as: AUPR830501A0

Abstract

A portable cleat device which includes a body having attachment means (30) for a tethering line (50), said body being provided with at least one aperture opening and extending from a periphery of the body towards its interior such that the body can attach to a line (41) passing through said aperture. By this means a spring line between the bow and stern of a boat can be easily established.

Description

CLEAT DEVICE

Technical Area

This invention relates to the area of cleating or fastening means for ropes, cables or chains and in particular to a device to effect such restraint. While the invention has many applications, for convenience sake it will be discussed here in terms of its application to restraining ropes or chain on boats.

Background to the Invention

Many people who use boats have occasion to anchor their boats whether it is for fishing or mooring purposes.

Customarily anchors are lead from the bow of a boat, unless a stern anchor is also used, however the motion of a boat lying at anchor can be extremely unpleasant where the wind direction is oriented at some angle to the tidal flow.

In order to keep a boat's bow directed into the wind it has been known to run a rope from the stern and attach it some distance as required down the anchor rope to effect a spring line. While this can be quite effective it is difficult to tie such a line to an anchor rope or chain and again very difficult to untie after use. Outline of the Invention

It is an object of this invention to provide a device to facilitate the connection and fastening of ropes and chains and act as an effective cleat for the same.

The invention is a portable cleat device which includes a body having attachment means for a tethering line, said body being provided with at least one aperture opening and extending from a periphery of the body towards its interior such that the body can attach to a line passing through said aperture.

It is preferred that the number of apertures be two and that these be generally elongate in shape the arrangement being such that a line may enter a first aperture, pass across a central portion of the body and exit the body through a second aperture. It is also preferred that these apertures be located adjacent opposing edges of the body.

It is further preferred that the apertures open on a same side of the body.

It may also be preferred that the cleat device be light in weight and be fabricated from some strong synthetic material such as injection moulded plastic however any appropriate material could be used.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood we shall describe by way of non limiting example a specific embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawing Figures

Fig. 1 Is a perspective view of the upper surface of the cleat device;

Fig. 2 Is a plan view of the cleat device;

Fig. 3 Shows the cleat device attached to a line;

Fig. 4 Shows the cleat device attaching an anchor line of a boat to a stern line;

Outline of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

In one embodiment of the invention a cleat device 10 is manufactured from a synthetic material and in particular from an injection moulded plastic. The device has a body 20 which is substantially planar in shape and has excised portions 22 on either side of the body 20 which define ridges 21. The excised portions are to keep the device light in weight whereas the ridging provides strength to the device. The precise arrangement of such ridges is however not a feature of the invention.

The body member 20 and is provided approximately centrally with an aperture 30 passing through the body, adjacent one edge of the body, through which a free end of a rope or the like can be passed and attached to the body. This attachment aperture could be located any where on the body but for balance and ease of handling is preferably located centrally to the body. It is preferred however that the free-end of the rope should attach to the rope line after passing through the body by whatever means is desired. Descending from one side of the body and adjacent opposite sides of the body are two symmetrical excised portions 40 which are substantially elongate in shape such thatthe body is provided with arms 27 at either side. These excised portions or slots are able to receive rope 41 or chain, as shown in Figure 3, depending on the size of the device and the purpose for which it is to be used.

If for example a rope is passed through one slot and across a face of the body and through the opposite slot any pressure on the rope will cause the rope to be held tight within the cleat device.

For the purpose of creating an effective spring line to maintain a boat in a particular orientation a length of rope 50 can be attached to the device through the aperture 30 passing through the body while the other end of the rope is attached to the stern of the boat.

The cleating device 10 can then be simply attached to the anchor rope 41 , shown in three positions in Figure 4, where required and the orientation of the boat can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the line 50 extending from the device of the invention. Alternatively the boat orientation can be altered by varying the position 55 of device 10 on bow line 41.

In order to provide better grip on line 41 the device 10 is provided with grip members on at least one inner face 26 of arms 27 of the device. While the device of the invention has been discussed here in terms of its application in relation to orienting an anchored boat it does however have many and varied applications relating to its use for fastening or restraining rope, chain or cable and the like.

In relation to boating the device would make the process of tying a boat up to a bollard on a pier much easier. The usual methods are to either tie several hitches to a bollard or to slip an appropriate sized loop of rope over the bollard.

The first such method has the problem that a boat tugging on a rope line can cause it to become undone or alternatively, if a line is positively tied off it can be hard to undo when required. The obvious difficulty with using a pretied loop of line is that its size has to be predetermined.

Using the device of the invention it is a simple matter to pass a line around a bollard and then attach the device where required on that line. By this means the line is not only firmly secured but the size of any resulting loop of rope can be adjusted as required.

A further advantage of the cleating device is that the rope used passes through the slots in its body and is thereby jammed. As a result knots do not have to be tied in the rope used and therefore by using the device the weakening effect of knots on a rope or other such line is removed. Whilst we have described herein several specific embodiments of the invention it is envisaged that other embodiments of the invention will exhibit any number of and any combination of the features previously described and it is to be understood that variations and modifications in this can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A portable cleat device which includes a body having attachment means for a tethering line, said body being provided with at least one aperture opening and extending from a periphery of the body towards its interior such that the body can attach to a line passing through said aperture.

2. A portable cleat device as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are two apertures.

3. A portable cleat device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the apertures are generally elongate in shape, the arrangement being such that a line may enter a first aperture, pass across a central portion of the body and exit the body through a second aperture.

4. A portable cleat device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the apertures are located adjacent opposing edges of the body and open on a same side of the body.

5. A portable cleat device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the apertures have inner faces upon an one of which grip means may be provided.

6. A portable cleat device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the attachment means for a tethering line is an aperture in the body through which a free end of the line may pass and then be attached to the line.

7. A portable cleat device as claimed in claim 1 which is fabricated from injection moulded plastic.

8. A portable cleat device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DATED THIS 16^th DAY OF OCTOBER 2001

Stephen Mallen and Gabriel Mercuri

By their Patent Attorneys

A. TATLOCK & ASSOCIATES