Patent US3730129A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3730129A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Extruded cam cleat
Assignee: Seahorse Spars and Equipment Ltd
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Filing: 1971-01-25
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Granted: 1973-05-01
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Expires: 1991-01-25
Abstract
Abstract A cam cleat for releasably holding a rope line or the like against axial slippage comprised of a base plate having pivotally mounted thereon a pair of opposing cam jaws cut from extruded metal or plastic stock having an arcuate cam surface upon which is formed a plurality of wedge-shaped, rope-engaging teeth, the projecting edges of which are rounded upon a uniform and relatively small radius. An axial chamber within each jaw concentrically receives a base plate spindle and an offset chamber provides a detent for both a biasing spring and a pivotlimiting stop. Configuration of the jaw teeth is such that the rear face of each tooth is substantially perpendicular to the arcuate cam surface and a plurality of teeth on each jaw will simultaneously engage a line inserted between opposing cam surfaces. Insertion of the line is facilitated by a chamfer through the upper end of each tooth.
Inventors
- 👤 J Helms
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:39
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63B; B63B21/00; B63B21/04; B63B21/08; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T24/00; Y10T24/39; Y10T24/3936; Y10T24/394; Y10T24/3951
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
419 words
A cam cleat for securing flexible lines against forward axial movement toward a source of tension comprising: a. a base adapted to be fastened to a mounting structure and having an outer supporting surface; b. a cam jaw having a pivotal axis and an accurate cam periphery about an eccentric axis to the rear of said pivotal axis, said cam jaw having an upper axial bore and a lower internal chamber of cylindrical cross-section communicating axially with said upper bore, both said bore and said internal chamber being located concentric to the pivotal axis of said jaw and said internal chamber being adapted to house the biasing portion of a spring means; c. spindle means adapted to mount the cam jaw upon the supporting surface of said base with one edge of the cam periphery adjacent thereto and to journal said jaw for rotation about its pivotal axis and including a spindle shaft having an upper bearing surface and a cylindrical ledge concentric to the base of said shaft and adapted to provide a lower bearing surface, the axial bore of said cam jaw receiving and bearing upon the upper bearing surface of said spindle and a portion of the internal concentric chamber of said jaw receiving and bearing upon the lower bearing surface of said concentric ledge for pivotal rotation of said cam jaw; d. a plurality of wedge-shaped jaw teeth curvilinearly mounted upon said cam periphery with one end of the wedge adjacent to the supporting surface of said base, each of said teeth having a major angle contiguous to and toward the rear of said periphery and its small edge spaced from said periphery and accurately rounded on a uniformly small radius to form a smooth line engaging ridge along the projecting tip of the tooth, the angle between wedge faces adjacent to said small edge providing a rear wedge face of substantial depth and the arc radius of said cam periphery bringing the tips of said plurality of teeth simultaneously into frictional engagement with a secured line; e. opposing line engaging means mounted upon said base opposite to said cam periphery and adapted to cooperate with said cam jaw to hold a line between said jaw periphery and said engaging means by jamming it onto the rounded tips of said plurality of cam jaw teeth; f. and spring means housed within said internal jaw chamber and adapted to be anchored to said spindle means and to bias said jaw toward said opposing line engaging means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
419 words
A cam cleat for securing flexible lines against forward axial movement toward a source of tension comprising: a. a base adapted to be fastened to a mounting structure and having an outer supporting surface; b. a cam jaw having a pivotal axis and an accurate cam periphery about an eccentric axis to the rear of said pivotal axis, said cam jaw having an upper axial bore and a lower internal chamber of cylindrical cross-section communicating axially with said upper bore, both said bore and said internal chamber being located concentric to the pivotal axis of said jaw and said internal chamber being adapted to house the biasing portion of a spring means; c. spindle means adapted to mount the cam jaw upon the supporting surface of said base with one edge of the cam periphery adjacent thereto and to journal said jaw for rotation about its pivotal axis and including a spindle shaft having an upper bearing surface and a cylindrical ledge concentric to the base of said shaft and adapted to provide a lower bearing surface, the axial bore of said cam jaw receiving and bearing upon the upper bearing surface of said spindle and a portion of the internal concentric chamber of said jaw receiving and bearing upon the lower bearing surface of said concentric ledge for pivotal rotation of said cam jaw; d. a plurality of wedge-shaped jaw teeth curvilinearly mounted upon said cam periphery with one end of the wedge adjacent to the supporting surface of said base, each of said teeth having a major angle contiguous to and toward the rear of said periphery and its small edge spaced from said periphery and accurately rounded on a uniformly small radius to form a smooth line engaging ridge along the projecting tip of the tooth, the angle between wedge faces adjacent to said small edge providing a rear wedge face of substantial depth and the arc radius of said cam periphery bringing the tips of said plurality of teeth simultaneously into frictional engagement with a secured line; e. opposing line engaging means mounted upon said base opposite to said cam periphery and adapted to cooperate with said cam jaw to hold a line between said jaw periphery and said engaging means by jamming it onto the rounded tips of said plurality of cam jaw teeth; f. and spring means housed within said internal jaw chamber and adapted to be anchored to said spindle means and to bias said jaw toward said opposing line engaging means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
74 words
A cam cleat as claimed in claim 1 wherein a cam jaw stop means is mounted upon said concentric ledge and said cam jaw includes a second internal chamber offset from said concentric chamber and adapted to cooperate with said stop means to limit the rotational arc through which said jaw may pivot about said concentric ledge and to act as a detent for receiving and retaining the biasing end of said spring means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A cam cleat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said opposing line engaging means is comprised of a second cam jaw having a mirror image structure of said first cam jaw.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
A cam cleat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the length of said wedge-shaped teeth is equal to or less than the thickness of the cam periphery upon which they are mounted and the ends of said teeth away from said supporting surface of the cleat base have a chamfer substantially intersecting the cam periphery at the base of said tooth ends at an acute angle of less than 80* to the eccentric axis of said cam periphery.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A cam cleat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the concentric ledge of said spindle means is rigidly mounted upon said base as an integrally formed cylinder projecting outward from the outer supporting surface of said base.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
178 words
A cam cleat as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spindle means includes cam jaw fastening means comprised of a concentric washer having an aperture through the center thereof and a counterbored recess concentric to and communicating witH said aperture from the underside of said washer, said recess being adapted to receive the upper end of said spindle shaft so as to center and lock said washer thereon and the underside of said washer having a bearing surface adapted to bear upon a substantial area of the upper surface of said cam jaw, said washer bearing surface and the counterbored recess cooperating to resist upward cam jaw movement during tensile loading of flexible line secured therein; and a bolt means adapted to pass through said washer aperture, said spindle shaft and said base to secure the cam jaw upon said spindle between said washer bearing surface and the supporting surface of said base, said spindle shaft being of sufficient length to provide space between said bearing and supporting surfaces to permit free rotation of the cam cleat jaw.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
80 words
A cam cleat as claimed in claim 6 wherein said base has a counterbored recess on its underside concentric to said bolt means and said bolt means includes a shank and nut member, said nut member being located completely within said recess so as not to interfere with the mounting of the cam cleat base and coacting with said shank to secure said cam jaw in operative position upon said spindle before said base is fastened to its mounting structure.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-30 | 1976-10-30 | 1977-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-30 | 1980-10-30 | 1981-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-30 | 1984-10-30 | 1985-05-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |