Lift-up cleat

• US 6,588,355 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Attwood Corporation (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: McKinney, Elzie, Eekhoff, Trent Allan, Reniger, Bruce Lynn, Whitley, Warwick Mellor II
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olson, Lars A.
• Application Number:
  US10/136,594
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 114/218, 114/219, 410/106, 410/107, 410/108, 410/109, 410/110, 410/111
• US Class Current: 114/218
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/045 T-shaped cleats

Abstract

A lift-up cleat assembly includes a base member having an upper plate shaped to abut a mounting surface and at least one normally vertically oriented tube depending from the plate, wherein the tube has a hollow interior, and a retractable cleat member having an upper cleat-shaped head shaped to retain lines thereon, and at least one normally vertically oriented mounting post depending from the head, wherein the post is telescopingly received in the interior of the tube of the base member and is telescopingly movable along a given length of travel. The cleat assembly also includes a cup-shaped retainer located within the hollow interior of the tube base member and having a central portion fixed with respect to the mounting post of the cleat member and an elastically deformable skirt portion that flexibly abuts the tube of the base member, thereby providing infinitesimally small increments of adjustablity of the post of the cleat member within the tube of the base member along the length of travel, and wherein the retainer is shaped to allow liquid located within the interior of the tube of the base member to drain therefrom.

Claims

1. A lift-up cleat assembly, comprising:

a base member having an upper plate shaped to abut a mounting surface and at least one normally vertically oriented tube depending from the plate, the tube having a hollow interior;

a retractable cleat member having an upper cleat-shaped head shaped to retain lines thereon, and at least one normally vertically oriented mounting post depending from the head, wherein the post is telescopingly received in the interior of the tube of the base member and is telescopingly movable along a given length of travel; and

a cup-shaped retainer located within the hollow interior of the tube of the base member and having a central portion fixed with respect to the mounting post of the cleat member and an elastically deformable skirt portion that flexibly abuts the tube of the base member, thereby providing infinitesimally small increments of adjustability of the post of the cleat member within the tube of the base member along the length of travel, and wherein the retainer is shaped to allow liquid located within the interior of the tube of the base member to drain therefrom.

2. The cleat assembly of claim 1, wherein the skirt portion of the retainer includes a pleated section, thereby providing at least one void between the skirt portion of the retainer and the tube of the base member.

3. The cleat assembly of claim 2, wherein the skirt portion of the retainer extends downwardly from the central portion of the cleat member.

4. The cleat assembly of claim 3, further including:

a substantially rigid spacer located between the central portion of the retainer and an end of the mounting post of the cleat member, wherein the spacer abuts a step wall of the interior tube, thereby limiting the travel of the post within the tube.

5. The cleat assembly of claim 4, wherein the interior of the tube of the base member is provided with a rough interior surface.

6. The cleat assembly of claim 5, wherein the retainer is constructed of a polypropylene material.

7. The cleat assembly of claim 4, further including:

a boot surrounding an open end of the tube of the base member and adapted to collect and guide liquid traveling through the open end of the base member away from the base member.

8. The cleat assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least one tube of the base member includes a pair of tubes juxtaposed across a substantially central point of the base member, and wherein the at least one mounting post includes a pair of mounting posts juxtaposed across a substantially central point of the cleat member.

9. The cleat member of claim 8, wherein the base member is shaped to mount flush with the mounting surface.

10. The cleat member of claim 9, wherein the base member includes a recess extending into an upper surface thereof, and wherein the recess receives the head of the cleat member such that an upper surface of the head is flush with the upper surface of the base member.

11. The cleat assembly of claim 1, wherein the skirt portion is divided into a plurality of fingers.

12. The cleat assembly of claim 11, wherein the fingers extend downwardly from the central portion of the cleat member.

13. The cleat assembly of claim 12, wherein each finger includes a radially outwardly extending dimple, and wherein each dimple abuts the tube.

14. The cleat assembly of claim 13, wherein each finger includes an end that bends radially inward.

15. The cleat assembly of claim 11, wherein each finger includes a radially outwardly extending dimple, and wherein each dimple abuts the tube.

16. The cleat assembly of claim 11, wherein each finger includes an end that bends radially inward.

17. The cleat assembly of claim 1, wherein the skirt portion of the retainer extends downwardly from the central portion of the cleat member.

18. The cleat assembly of claim 1, further including:

a substantially rigid spacer located between the central portion of the retainer and an end of the mounting post of the cleat member, wherein the spacer abuts a step wall of the interior of the tube, thereby limiting the travel of the post within the tube.

19. The cleat assembly of claim 1, wherein the interior of the tube of the base member is provided with a rough interior surface.

20. The cleat assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer is constructed of a polypropylene material.

21. The cleat assembly of claim 1, further including:

a boot surrounding an open end of the tube of the base member and adapted to collect and guide liquid traveling through the open end of the base member away from the base member.

22. The cleat assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one tube of the base member includes a pair of tubes juxtaposed across a substantially central point of the base member, and wherein the at least one mounting post includes a pair of mounting posts juxtaposed across a substantially central point of the cleat member.

23. The cleat member of claim 1, wherein the base member is shaped to mount flush with the mounting surface.

24. The cleat member of claim 23, wherein the base member includes a recess extending into an upper surface thereof, and wherein the recess receives the head of the cleat member such that an upper surface of the head is flush with the upper surface of the base member.

25. A lift-up cleat assembly, comprising:

a one-piece base member having an upper plate defined by a top surface and a bottom surface, the base member shaped such that the bottom surface of the base member is adapted to flushly abut a mounting surface, the base member also including and at least one normally vertically oriented tube depending from the plate, the tube having a hollow interior, the base member further including a recess extending into the top surface;

a retractable cleat member having an upper cleat-shaped head shaped to retain lines thereon, and at least one normally vertically oriented mounting post depending from the head, the post telescopingly received in the interior of the tube of the base member, the head including an upper surface that is substantially flush with the upper surface of the base member when the cleat member is in a retracted position; and

a fastener coupled with the tube of the base member and adapted to abut a bottom surface of the mounting surface, thereby retaining the base member to the mounting surface.

26. The cleat assembly of claim 25, wherein the tube has a threaded outer surface, and wherein the fastener includes a nut that is threadably received on the outer surface of the tube.

27. The cleat assembly of claim 26, wherein the fastener includes a washer received about the tube of the base member, the washer abutted by the nut and adapted to abut the lower surface of the mounting surface when the base member is retained to the mounting surface.

28. The cleat assembly of claim 25, further including:

a cup-shaped retainer located within the hollow interior of the tube of the base member and having a central portion fixed with respect to the mounting post of the cleat member and an elastically deformable skirt portion that flexibly abuts the tube of the base member, thereby providing infinitesimally small increments of adjustability of the post of the cleat member within the tube of the base member along the length of travel.

29. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein the retainer is shaped to allow liquid located within the interior of the tube of the base member to drain therefrom.

30. The cleat assembly of claim 29, wherein the skirt portion of the retainer includes a pleated section, thereby providing at least one void between the skirt portion of the retainer and the tube of the base member.

31. The cleat assembly of claim 29, further including:

a boot surrounding an open end of the tube of the base member and adapted to collect and guide liquid traveling through the open end of the base member away from the base member.

32. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein the skirt portion of the retainer extends downwardly from the central portion of the cleat member.

33. The cleat assembly of claim 28, further including:

a substantially rigid spacer located between the central portion of the retainer and an end of the mounting post of the cleat member, wherein the spacer abuts a step wall of the interior of the tube, thereby limiting the travel of the post within the tube.

34. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein the interior of the tube of the base member is provided with a rough interior surface.

35. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein the retainer is constructed of a polypropylene material.

36. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein the at least one tube of the base member includes a pair of tubes juxtaposed across a substantially central point of the base member, and wherein the at least one mounting post includes a pair of mounting posts juxtaposed across a substantially central point of the cleat member.

37. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein the skirt portion is divided into a plurality of fingers.

38. The cleat assembly of claim 37, wherein the fingers extend downwardly from the central portion of the cleat member.

39. The cleat assembly of claim 38, wherein each finger includes a radially outwardly extending dimple, and wherein each dimple abuts the tube.

40. The cleat assembly of claim 39, wherein each finger includes an end that bends radially inward.

41. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein each finger includes a radially outwardly extending dimple, and wherein each dimple abuts the tube.

42. The cleat assembly of claim 28, wherein each finger includes an end that bends radially inward.