Cable support apparatus

• US 6,928,704 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Issued: 08/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AFC Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Window Support Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavinder, Jack W.
• Application Number:
  US10/714,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20040093699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 241/30, 241/29.R, 241/29.A, 241/15.H, 241/15.M, 241/15.K, 241/226, 114/218, 188/65.2, 188/65.4, D 8/356
• US Class Current: 24/130
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 1/363 Bay windows
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/324 Cord-locks cord-locks for curtains A47H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3918 Wedge slot

Abstract

The cable support apparatus includes a cleat mountable to support structure for having one end of a cable laced thereto and mechanism for supporting a load. The cleat includes a longitudinal elongated base having transversely opening jam lugs, hook lugs with the jam lugs longitudinally intermediate thereof and end lugs joined thereto. The jam lug longitudinally intermediate the longitudinally adjacent jam lugs in combination with the base forms generally V-shaped notches that open outwardly in transversely opposite directions. With the cleat mounted to have the lugs vertically above one another, the top hook lug opens transversely opposite the opening of the adjacent jam lug whereby, with the cable extending diagonally upwardly from the last mentioned jam lug to the hook lug, the cable is then bent to extend through the transverse aperture in the top end lug.

Claims

1. A cleat device mountable to a supporting structure for having a cable or rope that supports a load laced thereto, comprising a base having a longitudinal axis, longitudinally opposite end portions and a top surface, at least three longitudinally spaced jam lugs joined to the base to extend above the top surface, the three jam lugs including a first and a second jam lug and an intermediate jam lug longitudinally intermediate the first and second jam lugs, each of the jam lugs at least one of alone and in combination with the base having a generally V-shaped notch, the intermediate jam lug notch opening transversely outwardly, the first and second lug notches opening transversely outwardly in a direction opposite the opening of the notch of the intermediate jam lug and on the transverse opposite side of the longitudinal axis from that of the notch of the intermediate jam lug to be transversely offset from the notch of the intermediate jam lug, a hook lug mounted to the base longitudinally opposite the first jam lug from the intermediate jam lug and having a cutout opening transversely outwardly in the direction opposite the opening of the notch of the first jam lug, the hook lug having an undersurface portion that is spaced from the base by a distance that is greater than the thickness of the cable, and an end lug joined to at least one of the base and the hook lug longitudinally opposite the hook lug from the first jam lug, the end lug having an aperture extending transversely therethrough for having the cable extended therethrough, the entire aperture being transversely offset from the cutout in the same direction that the first jam lug notch is offset from the cutout.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the jam lugs are parallel to one another.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the jam lugs has an undersurface that at least in part defines the respective notch and extends diagonally outwardly from the base at an acute angle in overlapping relationship to the base and the base has longitudinally opposite ends and the end lug is joined to one of the base ends.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein each of notches is at least in part defined by a base top surface portion underlying the respective jam lug undersurface and the end lug aperture is at a higher elevation than the base top surface portion.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein a second hook lug is joined to the base longitudinally opposite the second jam lug from the intermediate lug and the jam lugs and hook lugs are joined to the base in longitudinally spaced relationship with each each of theses lugs being spaced about the same longitudinal distance from the adjacent lug.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein a second hook lug is mounted to the base longitudinally opposite the second jam lug from the intermediate jam lug and has a cutout opening transverse outwardly in the same direction as the opening the notch of the intermediate jam lug.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the base has a generally planar bottom surface and a first elongated chisel point ridge joined to the bottom surface to depend therefrom, the chisel point ridge having surfaces that converge toward one another in a direction away from the planar surface.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the base has longitudinally elongated side surfaces and end surfaces and the chisel point ridge has a transversely elongated portion and a longitudinally elongated chisel point ridge portion.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the base has a second elongated chisel point ridge joined to the bottom surface to depend therefrom, the second chisel point ridge having horizontally elongated surfaces that converge toward one another in a direction away from the bottom surface, the second chisel point ridge being joined to the base bottom surface longitudinally remote from the first ridge, the base having a vertical screw mounting aperture adjacent each of the chisel point ridges.

10. A cleat device mountable to a supporting structure for having a cable or rope that supports a load laced thereto, comprising a base having a longitudinal axis, longitudinally opposite ends and a top surface, at least three longitudinally spaced jam lugs joined to the base to extend above the top surface, the three jam lugs including a first and a second jam lug and an intermediate jam lug longitudinally intermediate the first and second jam lugs, each of the jam lugs having a lug jaw portion that has an undersurface extending diagonally and intersecting with the base to diverge away from the base at an acute angle of about 20 to 40 degrees to open transversely outwardly in overlapping relationship to the base, the intermediate jam lug undersurface opening outwardly transversely in the opposite direction of the opening of the undersurfaces of the first and second jam lug undersurfaces, the intersection of the undersurface of the intermediate jam lug being transversely offset from the intersection of the first and second lug undersurfaces with the base in the direction of the opening of the intermediate lug undersurface, a hook lug joined to the base in longitudinally spaced relationship to the first jam lug and being longitudinally opposite the first jam lug from the intermediate jam lug, the hook lug having a cutout opening outwardly in a direction opposite the opening of the first jam lug undersurface, the hook lug having an undersurface portion in spaced overlapping relationship to the base and an arcuate portion intersecting with the hook lug undersurface portion and the base, the intersection of the hook lug arcuate portion with the base being transversely offset from the intersection of the first jam lug undersurface with the base in a transverse direction opposite the opening of the first jam lug undersurface opening and an end lug joined to at least one of the base and the hook lug longitudinally opposite the hook lug from the first jam lug and having a wall portion defining a transverse aperture extending therethrough, the wall portion being transversely offset from the hook lug arcuate portion of the base in a direction that the first jam lug undersurface opens outwardly.

11. The cleat device of claim 10 wherein the undersurface of each of the jam lugs is defined by at least two longitudinally spaced, transversely extending lug ridges and that the base has a surface portion in spaced lapped relationship to each of the jam lug undersurfaces with at least one transverse ridge.

12. The cleat device of claim 10 wherein the end lug has an edge surface that is transversely most closely adjacent to the intersection of the arcuate portion with the base and has an edge surface that extends longitudinal and at a general right angle to the base and has the aperture opening therethrough, the end lug edge surface being transversely offset from the intersection of the arcuate portion with the base in the direction of the opening of the first lug undersurface.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the base has a bottom surface portion and first and second elongated chisel point ridge portions extending downwardly of the bottom surface portion, at least one of the chisel point ridge portions extending longitudinally and the other of the chisel point ridge portions extending transversely.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein each of the chisel point ridge portions has horizontally elongated surfaces that converge in a downward direction away from the bottom surface.

15. A cleat device mountable to a supporting structure for having a cable or rope that supports a load laced thereto, comprising a base having a longitudinal axis, longitudinally opposite ends, a top surface and a generally planar bottom surface, at least three longitudinally spaced jam lugs joined to the base to extend above the top surface, the three jam lugs including a first and a second jam lug and an intermediate jam lug longitudinally intermediate the first and second jam lugs, each of the jam lugs at least one of alone and in combination with the base having a generally V-shaped notch, the intermediate jam lug notch opening transversely outwardly, the first and second lug notches opening transversely outwardly in a direction opposite the opening of the notch of the intermediate jam lug and on the transverse opposite side of the longitudinal axis from that of the notch of the intermediate jam lug to be transversely offset from the notch of the intermediate jam lug, a hook lug mounted to the base longitudinally opposite the first jam lug from the intermediate jam lug and having a cutout opening transversely outwardly in the direction opposite the opening of the notch of the first jam lug, the hook lug having an undersurface portion that is spaced from the base by a distance that is greater than the thickness of the cable, and an end lug joined to at least one of the base and the hook lug longitudinally opposite the hook lug from the first jam lug, the end lug having an aperture extending transversely therethrough for having the cable extended therethrough and elongated first and second chisel point ridge portions joined to the base bottom surface to extend away therefrom in a direction away from the top surface and extending horizontally relative to one another at an angle other than 180 degrees.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the base has longitudinally opposite first and second end portions, a mounting screw apertures extending vertically therethrough adjacent each end portion, the ridge portions including a longitudinally extending portion adjacent each of the mounting screw apertures and a transversely extending portion adjacent each of the mounting screw apertures.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein each of the ridge portions has downwardly converging first and second surfaces with the first surface intersecting with the base bottom surface and extending at an obtuse angle relative to the base bottom surface and the second surface intersecting with the base bottom surface and extending at about right angles to the base bottom surface, the intersection of the ridge portion first surface being more remote from the adjacent mounting screw aperture than the intersection of the ridge portion second surface with the base bottom surface.