US Patent Issued to Patrick Industries on Nov. 3 for "Folding marine cleat with fastener retention" (Washington Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 3 -- United States Patent no. 12,780,361, issued on Nov. 3, was assigned to Patrick Industries Inc. (Elkhart, Ind.).

"Folding marine cleat with fastener retention" was invented by Paul Masato Furrer (Everett, Wash.) and Paul Olliges (Everett, Wash.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A folding marine cleat can include a base and a cleat head having a detent spring member. The cleat head can be positionable with respect to the base in stowed and deployed positions by a four-bar linkage with first and second legs to transition the cleat head between deployed and stowed positions. The legs can include stowed and deployed flat portions positionable to selectively be in contact wi...