Lever-release cam cleat

Claim 2

A cleat comprising: a plate and dual oppositely disposed cam members pivotally mounted on one side of the plate for gripping the rope as an incident to rotation of the cam members toward one another; release means connected to the cam members including a tongue positioned in such spaced relationship to the free end of a rope in the cleat that rope tension thereon in a direction having a component perpendicular to the plane of cam member rotation will activate the release means whereby said cam members no longer grip the rope; and a base plate suitable for mounting on a boat, and a cleat plate, positioned between the cam members and base plate,; the release means being pivotally mounted between the base plate and cleat plate and having one part engageable with a cam and another part positioned for engagement by the rope at the exit side of the cam members whereby tension on the otherwise free end of a rope causes the release means to operate.

Claim 3

In a cleat suitable for marine use of the type which includes a pair of cam members mounted and biased for relative rotation toward and away from one another in a direction to grip and release, respectively, a roPe extending between them against a pulling force on the rope at the entry side of said cleat, the improvement which comprises; a cam member operator carried on said cleat at the exit side of said cam members and movable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of cam member rotation, said cam member operator being responsive to movement in said direction to cause relative rotation of said cam members in a direction to release the rope; said cam member operator being a lever and being pivotally mounted on the cleat for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of cam member rotation, said cam member operator including a lever arm connected with a tongue which is positioned across the exit from said cam members and having another actuating arm engageable with at least a rotatable one of said cam members at a point separated from the rotational axis of said rotatable one of said cam members whereby depression of said tongue causes a pivoting of the lever to force rotation of the cam member by pressure applied to said actuating arm-

Claim 4

In a cleat suitable for marine use of the type which includes a pair of cam members mounted and biased for relative rotation toward and away from one another in a direction to grip and release, respectively, a roPe extending between them against a pulling force on the rope at the entry side of said cleat, the improvement which comprises; a cam member operator carried on said cleat at the exit side of said cam members and movable in a direction perpendicular to the plane of cam member rotation, said cam member operator being responsive to movement in said direction to cause relative rotation of said cam members in a direction to release the rope; said cam member operator being a lever and being pivotally mounted on the cleat for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of cam member rotation, said cam member operator including a lever arm connected with a tongue which is positioned across the exit from said cam members and having another actuating arm engageable with at least a rotatable one of said cam members at a point separated from the rotational axis of said rotatable one of said cam members whereby depression of said tongue causes a pivoting of the lever to force rotation of the cam member by pressure applied to said actuating arm-

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 2 in which cam member operator comprises a depressable tongue extending across the exit side of said cam members and which is movable to a position above the plane of the lower level of said cam members.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 3 in which said cam members are formed with jaws having serrations which extend over the face of the jaws in the direction of said plate and toward the entry side of said jaws whereby force on the rope from the entry side tends to result in drawing the rope down into the jaws against the plate.

Claim 7

The invention defined in claim 4 which further comprises a pair of bosses disposed on opposite sides of said tongue.