Tiedown Device and System

This invention relates to a novel and improved tiedown device and more particularly a device and system for tiedown purposes such as tying down a boat cover to a boat transport frame.

A variety of relatively large covers have been heretofore provided such as, for example, to cover boats, to keep moisture and weather from the inside of the boat when not in use. In the past, rather makeshift cords or ropes and items such as bungee cords have been utilized for this purpose, but they have not been entirely satisfactory and, in particular, the hook portions on bungee cords have not been sufficiently strong to avoid coming loose and the open hook is not entirely reliable as there is a tendency for the cords to slip from the hooks. Further, there is no known tiedown system that assures a generally uniform holddown tension along the entire periphery of a relatively large cover, such as that used to cover boats.

Peardon U.S. Pat. No. 1,373,349 discloses an outwardly flared hook having an eyelet at each end of a rope with one hook permanently attached to the rope and the other hook adjusts longitudinally of the rope. Simon U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,064 discloses a tiedown device using a conventional open U-shaped hook with an eyelet along one shank and having a flexible cord looped through the eyelet and secured to the rope. A hook is also provided at the opposite end of the cord. Tracy U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,677 discloses a stretchable tiedown device having an open hook of a special hollow construction and a special fastening arrangement between the hook and the flexible cord.

A tiedown device disclosed includes a rigid hook-like end fastening member with a bifurcated main body and an inturned end portion defining a restricted opening to the inside of the fastening member. A flexible cord of a selected size and length is secured preferably to an eyelet at one end of the end fastening member. A resilient coating covers the secured cord and end fastening member as well as the free end of the cord. A tiedown system utilizes a plurality of the tiedown devices which are selectively attached in such a way as to apply substantially uniform tension to a cover for a boat or the like.

Details of this invention are described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like parts bear similar reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a tiedown device embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the end fastening body without the cord attached and prior to being coated;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the end fastening body tied to the flexible cord but without the coating;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a tiedown system for a boat cover embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of one of the tiedown devices of the tiedown system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of one end of the tiedown device fastened to a strap loop on the boat cover and to the boat transport frame;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the other end of the tiedown device from that shown in FIG. 8 for tying down the cover.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 a tiedown device 11 embodying features of the present invention in general includes a hook-like end fastening member 12 to which is secured one end of a flexible cord 13. The end fastening member 12 shown has a bifurcated main body of uniform cross section which includes a curved bight portion 15 from which extend two opposed diverging arm portions 16 and 17. An inturned end portion 19 extends in from arm portion 17. An end portion of the cord 13 is secured to the end member 12. A resilient coating 22 is shown covering end fastening member 12. A coating 23 is shown covering the other free end portion of the cord 13. The coating preferably is a composition of rubber or synthetic rubber to provide a resilient external surface and to avoid having the metal body scratch and further serves to hold the knot in place. A restricted opening 20 of a preselected dimension is provided between the end of end portion 19 and the connected end portion of the cord 13. The restricted opening 20 is less than the diameter of the cord in an unstretched condition and will slide through said opening when stretched. The length of the device designated "l" is shown in FIG. 1 and is typically four feet.

In the construction shown the end fastening member 12 is provided by an inner, rigid, one-piece, metal body 26 preferably of a cold-rolled steel that is zinc coated. This body 26 is shown in an unattached and uncoated condition in FIG. 3. This body 26 is made with a flattened eyelet 27 through which the secured end portion of the cord 13 is passed and the cord is secured thereto by means of a knot 28. The cord 13 is flexible and capable of being stretched along its length. Preferably, the cord is made of a synthetic rubber core and has an external braided fabric covering of a material such as nylon.

A tiedown system utilizing a set of the above described devices is shown in FIGS. 5-9. There is shown a typical boat 41 on a wheeled boat transport frame 42 and the cover 43 shown has thirteen (13) strap loops 44 at selected spaced positions throughout the periphery of the cover. The arrangement shown has a strap loop at the front, two strap loops at the rear and five strap loops on each side.

To apply each tiedown device the free end of the cord 13 is looped around the frame and back through the end fastening member 12 to form an end loop 51 as best seen in FIG. 9. The opposite end of the cord is passed through the strap loop 44 and drawn down to a selected tension and then secured as by tying a knot 47 and securing the free end of the cord with tape 48 as shown to form a second end fastening loop 55. This is repeated around the boat with substantially the same tension applied to each loop. It is understood that other quick fastening techniques may be used.

An alternative to the strap loop 44 shown in FIG. 10 found in many boat covers is a rigid metal ring 52 through a shorter strap loop 53 secured to the cover. In this case, the cord 13 would pass through the ring 52.

A typical set of the tiedown devices to provide a tiedown system for a boat cover as above described would include thirteen identical devices. These may be tied as for example six on each side and one at the front or five on each side, one at the front and two across the rear as shown in FIG. 6. The tiedown devices may be made in a range of sizes such as 1/4", 5/16", 3/8" and 1/2" for the diameter of the cord and the body forming the end fastening member. Another typical set would be four identical devices.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.