GB2281343A - Running cleat for mooring line - Google Patents

Abstract

A flying or running cleat 18 for use in mooring a vessel has wings (19, 20) each with shoulders (21, 22) spaced to define an entrance slot to an enlarged cavity (27). The wings have flat upper surfaces (23, 24) and tapering lower surfaces (25, 26) joined by a central flat portion defining a side of the cavity (27). The cleat (8) is used on a mooring line (9, 11, 13) (Figure 2) in a manner whereby only a loop (10, 12, 14) need be passed around a fixed cleat (6) on the deck of a vessel thus enabling any selected line (9, 11, 13) to be released without disturbing the other lines. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE A Cleat and a Mooring Method using the Cleat The invention relates to a cleat adapted to be attached movably to a mooring line and to a mooring method comprising attaching a cleat of the invention to a mooring line so that it is movable along the line when required. The invention is especially applicable to the mooring of leisure boats such as yachts or similar craft.

The intention of the invention is to provide a means and method of tying and adjusting mooring lines between a boat and the shore (or pontoons or other craft) especially where more than one line has to be attached to any of the traditional fixed cleats on a boat.

Boats are usually provided with a number of fixed mooring cleats bolted to some part of the deck.

Tdeally, no fixed cleat should have more than one mooring line, usually a rope, attached to it. However, in practice, the number of fixed cleats available is rarely sufficient, so two or more mooring lines are tied on the same cleat - one over the other. This situation is represented by Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings to which reference is made. This explanatory view shows a fixed cleat 1 fixed to a support surface 5 and mooring lines 2, 3 and 4 attached to the same fixed cleat 1.

This mooring technique makes it awkward to adjust the individual mooring lines 2, 3, 4. The first line on the fixed cleat 1 is immobilised by the second and subsequent lines and the first line cannot be adjusted or removed until the line or lines on top of the first line have been removed.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a cleat adapted to be attached movably to a mooring line, the cleat comprising an elongate member forming a body having wings extending longitudinally away from a central open or cut-out portion adapted to receive a mooring line, an entrance to the open portion being defined by opposed spaced shoulders and the said entrance of the cut-out- portion leading to an enlarged partially closed cavity in the body of the cleat. Preferably the wing surfaces adjacent the entrance to the open portion and defining the shoulders are flat and preferably at least part of each wing opposite from the entrance to the cut-out portion tapers towards the end of the cleat body.

Desirably each wing surface opposed to the entrance to the cut-out portion is bridged by a flat surface portion adjacent the closed cavity. The ends of the wings of the cleat may have flattened attenuated portions.

Advantageously the closed surface of the cavity extends in the longitudinal direction of the cleat. Preferably a central portion of the cleat, around which a standing mooring line is intended to wrap, may have a roughened surface to increase friction between the cleat and the line.

In a desirable form of the invention each wing of the cleat has a respective flat surface extending along the length of the cleat, the flat surfaces being spaced apart by the shoulders defining the entrance of the cutaway portion, and each said flat surface tapering towards the entrance of the cut-away portion.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a mooring method comprising attaching a cleat according to this invention to a mooring line so that it is movable along the line when required. Preferably a mooring line is moored to a fixed cleat by forming a loop at a standing part of the line by applying the said cleat to the standing part of the line, the loop so formed embracing the fixed cleat.

By way of example preferred forms of the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2 to 9 of the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figures 2 to 4 are explanatory views of movable cleats embodying the invention which have been applied to mooring lines, Figure 5 is a perspective view of one form of cleat illustrative of the invention; Figure 6 is a front view of the cleat of Figure 5, Figure 7 is a plan view of the cleat of Figure 6, Figure 8 is an end view of the cleat of Figure 6, Figure 9 is a perspective view of another form of cleat illustrative of the invention.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a further form of cleat illustrative of the invention, and Figure 11 is an end view of the cleat of Figure 10.

With reference to Figures 2 to 4, there is shown in Figure 2 a fixed cleat 6 similar to the fixed cleat 1 of Figure 1, fixed to a support surface 7, for instance a wharf or jetty or a boat, pontoon or other craft, and movable cleats 8 illustrative of the invention applied to mooring lines 9,11 and 13. Each mooring line 9,11, 13 is formed into a respective loop 10,12,14 by the cleat 8 applied to it. Each loop 10,12,14 is placed over the fixed cleat 6. The three loops 10,12,14 can be placed over the fixed cleat 6 without interfering with each other and each loop 10,12,14 can be adjusted by its respective movable cleat 8 without disturbing the other loops.The adjustment of the loops 10,12,14 is preferably done by leaving the cleat 8 in the same position relative to the standing part and loosening or shortening the free/loop end of the mooring line and then retying that end to the cleat 8 as described later with reference to Figure 4. The arrangement shown offers obvious advantages over the use of knots by simply forming a loop by tying an end of the line 9,11,13 to itself because it would be very awkward to tie a knot with a long coil of mooring line, and it would be virtually impossible to untie the knot with the mooring line, usually a rope, under tension.

The movable cleat 8 is attached to a standing part of the mooring line 15 so that the shoulders (see shoulders 21,22 of cleat 18 in Figure 5 and shoulders 121,122 of cleat 118 in Figure 9) rest on the line 15.

Even minimal tension in the standing part of the line 15 holds the cleat 8 suspended as shown in Figure 3. It can stay suspended from the line 15 while loose end 16 of the line 15 is moved, looped or adjusted. The loose end 16 is finally made fast on the cleat 8 in the form of a loop 17 as shown in Figure 4. The ability to suspend as described is helpful, leaving the operator's hands free to handle the loose end 16. Such is a temporary convenience. The cleat 8 may be inboard or outboard.

A number of different mooring arrangements employing cleats 8 are possible.

Reference is now made to Figures 5 to 8. Movable cleat 18 has longitudinally extending wings 19, 20 which are provided to give an operator a reasonable grip on the cleat 18 and for the final tying of a mooring line in a traditional figure of eight manner. Shoulders 21,22 have been mentioned previously and the wings 19,20 have respective flat upper surfaces 23,24 to provide the least resistance to a mooring line under tension sliding inward towards cut-away portion 27 intended to receive the mooring line. The wings 19,20 then act as a lever. A sloping upper surface would resist that movement.

Sloping lower surfaces 25,26 of the wings 19,20 are provided to allow an operator's hand on one wing to clear a standing mooring line, even while under tension, when turning the cleat 18 to dip the other wing under the mooring line before levering the cleat 18 towards the open or cut-away portion 27, this being one suitable way of attaching the cleat 18 to a mooring line. The sloping lower surfaces 25,26 may be concavely curved to give a slightly better clearance for the operator's hand.

The cut-away portion 27 has three functions: to centre a mooring line; to enable the cleat 18 to remain suspended on a standing line, and to provide sufficient friction to prevent the cleat 18 sliding along the mooring line. One simple turn around the cleat 18 will usually be sufficient but a figure of eight would provide even more resistance.

Referring to Figure 6, dimension A, that is the distance between the shoulders 21, 22 in the longitudinal direction of the cleat 18, is preferably kept to a minimum, that is it should be equal to or greater than the diameter of the thickest mooring line to be used with the cleat 18. The ends of the cleat 18 are shown at 30, 31, the sides of the cut-away portion 27 are shown at 33 and 34, the bottom of the cut-away portion at 35 and the bottom of the cleat 18 at 36. An ear 28 is shown with hole 29 for a lanyard (not shown).

Referring to Figure 7, dimension B, that is the distance between the opposed sides 33,34 of the cut-away portion 27 in the longitudinal direction of the cleat 18 is preferably twice the diameter of the thickest mooring line to be used with the cleat 18.

Referring to Figure 8, dimension C, that is the distance between the bottom 35 of cut-away portion 27 and the bottom of the cleat 18 will usually depend on the material used in the manufacture of the cleat, for example cast aluminium or wood and possibly a plastics material.

The hole 29 for the lanyard is intended to save the cleat 18 should it be dropped or shaken off a standing part of a mooring line to which it has been applied.

Advantageously the lanyard would be attached to the standing part of the mooring line itself so that the lanyard moves with the cleat 18 and the mooring line.

Referring to Figure 9, a cleat 118 is shown similar to the cleat 18 illustrated by Figures 5 to 8. Parts 119,120,121,122,123,124,125,126 and 127 of Figure 9 correspond substantially to parts 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 and 27 of Figures 5 to 8. However, in Figure 9 sloping lower surfaces 125 and 126 of the wings 119 and 120 terminate in flattened portions 128 and 129, that is the sloping surfaces 125 and 126 terminate before the ends 130 and 131 of the cleat 118, enabling an operator's hands to grip the attenuated ends 130 and 131 more firmly. The significance of this form of cleat 118 as compared with the cleat 18 of Figure 5 is that it allows greater clearance for the operator's hands over a standing mooring line.The clearance is greater due to increased overall height of the cleat (that is the distance between the bottom 136 and the flat upper surfaces 123,124 of the wings 119 and 120) because the shoulders 121,122 are thicker than the shoulders 21,22.

That clearance is available for a larger length of the wings 119 and 120 due to the flattened portions 128,129, thereby enabling an operator's hands to grip the attenuated ends 130 and 131 more firmly as mentioned above.

One especially suitable method of attaching the cleat 118 to a mooring line under tension, making a mooring line under tension much easier to have the cleat 118 attached to it, involves turning the cleat 118, without any dipping, rather like a tourniquet, with both sides of the standing mooring line passing under the wings 119 and 120, then rolling the cleat 118 half a turn along the mooring line to arrive at a situation as shown in Figure 3.

The parts 133,134,135 and 136 in Figure 9 correspond to the parts 33,34,35 and 36 of Figures 5 to 8.

Usually the manufactured cleat, 8,18,118 will have corners and edges slightly rounded to protect an operator's hands in handling the cleat and so that no sharp edges or corners may damage a mooring line.

Referring to Figures 10 and 11, a cleat 218 is shown similar to the cleat 118 illustrated by Figure 9. Parts 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 233, 234, 235 and 236 in Figures 10 and 11 correspond to parts 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 135 and 136 of Figure 9.

The wings 219, 220 are somewhat thickened as compared with the wings of 119, 120 of Figure 9. This gives a more comfortable grip for the user. Also the ends 230, 231 of the respective wings 219, 220 are completely rounded off so that no corners of the cleat 218 press into the user's palms. The edges of the cleat 218 are rounded as much as possible so that a rope does not have to negotiate tight corners, which might weaken the rope. The only exceptions are the lower edges D of the shoulders 221, 222.

The rope on which the cleat 218 initially suspends would be more likely to slide off the edges D if these edges D were also rounded.

In the embodiment illustrated by Figures 5 to 8 an ear 28 is shown with hole 29 for a lanyard (not shown). Such an ear 28 is dispensed with and has been replaced by a sloping hole 239 through the bottom 236 of the cleat 218. This allows the rope wound around the bottom 236 of the cut-away portion 227 to slide sideways when required; this would be prevented by the presence of an ear such as ear 28. It has been found that a lanyard may be secured by looping around the bottom of slot 227.

The upper surfaces 223, 224 of the wings 219,220 slope downwardly along their length towards the cut-away portion 227.

This enables a rope to sit slightly better on the cleat 218 when being wound around it. However, the height E of the shoulders 221, 222 should not be less than the radius of a maximum rope size. This is because it has been found extremely advantageous for a looped rope, returning to the cleat 218, to pass through the cut-away portion 227, which then keeps it centred. It is almost equally advantageous for the rope to then pass in an almost complete circle under both wings 219, 220 but over the returning rope - thus holding it firmly in the cut-away portion 227 - before forming figures of eight around the wings 219, 220. F denotes an imaginary horizontal plane extending from end 230 to end 231 of the cleat 218 to give some indication of the downward slope of the flat upper surfaces 223, 224 towards the cut away portion 227.

Claims (11)

1. A cleat adapted to be attached movably to a mooring line, the cleat comprising an elongate member forming a body having wings extending longitudinally away from a central open or cutout portion adapted to receive a mooring line, an entrance to the open portion being defined by opposed spaced shoulders and the said entrance of the cut-out portion leading to an enlarged partially closed cavity in the body of the cleat.

2. A cleat according to Claim 1, wherein the wing surfaces adjacent the entrance to the open portion and defining the shoulders are flat and preferably at least part of each wing opposite from the entrance to the cut-out portion tapers towards the end of the cleat body.

3. A cleat according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein each wing surface opposed to the entrance to the cut-out portion is bridged by a flat surface portion adjacent the closed cavity.

4. A cleat according to any preceding claim, wherein the ends of the wings of the cleat have flattened attenuated portions.

5. A cleat according to any preceding claim, wherein the closed surface of the cavity extends in the longitudinal direction of the cleat.

6. A cleat according to any preceding claim, wherein a central portion of the cleat, around which a standing mooring line is intended to wrap, may have a roughened surface to increase friction between the cleat and the line.

7. A cleat according to any preceding claim, wherein each wing of the cleat has a respective flat surface extending along the length of the cleat, the flat surfaces being spaced apart by the shoulders defining the entrance of the cut-away portion, and each said flat surface tapering towards the entrance of the cutaway portion.

8. A mooring method comprising attaching a cleat according to any preceding claim to a mooring line so that it is movable along the line when required.

9. A mooring method according to Claim 8, wherein a mooring line is moored to a fixed cleat by forming a loop at a standing part of the line by applying the said cleat to the standing part of the line, the loop so formed embracing the fixed cleat.

10. A cleat constructed substantially in accordance with the drawings and as described herein and for the purpose set forth and exemplified.

11. A method of mooring a vessel using a cleat substantially as herein described and exemplified.