Low-profile folding chock

Abstract

A folding chock for recreational boats and the like has a flush-mounted body member, a foldable chock member and a detent mechanism. The flush-mounted body member has facilities for mounting on an associated boat surface, requiring only screw-diameter holes drilled in the boat surface. The foldable chock member lies flat when not in use, and upright when extended for holding a rope. A detent mechanism keeps the foldable chock member in either the extended or retracted position until it is changed by a force exerted on the foldable chock member.

1 . A folding chock for a boat, the folding chock comprising:
 a flush mounted body member;   a chock member hingedly coupled to the flush mounted body member; and   a detent, the detent holding the chock member either in an extended position or in a retracted position until changed by an outside force.   
     
     
         2 . The folding chock of  claim 1 , wherein the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by a plurality of screws, the screws passing through the flush mounted body and into a surface of the boat. 
     
     
         3 . The folding chock of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member has a plurality of threaded studs and the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by the threaded studs passing through a surface of the boat and the threaded studs are held in place by a plurality of nuts. 
     
     
         4 . The folding chock of  claim 1 , wherein the detent comprises one or more spring loaded balls, the spring loaded balls urged into longitudinal grooves formed in the hook member. 
     
     
         5 . The folding chock of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more spring loaded balls are held within cavities of the flush mounted body member by cover plates that are held to a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member by screws. 
     
     
         6 . The folding chock of  claim 1 , wherein the a chock member is hingedly coupled to the flush mounted body member by pins, the pin formed at distal ends of the chock member and the pins held in mating cavities of the flush mounted body member by plates and screws. 
     
     
         7 . A folding chock for a boat, the folding chock comprising:
 a flush mounted body member having a means for attaching to a surface of a boat;   a chock member;   a means for hingedly interfacing the chock member to the flush mounted body member whereby the chock member does not require holes to be cut in the surface of the boat for allowing the chock member to extend and retract; and   a means for holding the chock member in either an extended position or in a retracted position until changed by an outside force.   
     
     
         8 . The folding chock of  claim 7 , further comprising a means for mounting the flush mounted body member to the surface of the boat. 
     
     
         9 . The folding chock of  claim 8 , wherein the means for mounting is a plurality of screws, the screws passing through the flush mounted body and into a surface of the boat. 
     
     
         10 . The folding chock of  claim 8 , wherein the means for mounting includes a plurality of threaded studs extending from a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member and the threaded studs pass through the surface of the boat and the threaded studs are held in place by a plurality of nuts. 
     
     
         11 . The folding chock of  claim 7 , wherein the means for holding is a detent mechanism, the detent mechanism comprising one or more spring loaded balls, the spring loaded balls urged into longitudinal grooves formed in the chock member. 
     
     
         12 . The folding chock of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more spring loaded balls are held within cavities of the flush mounted body member by cover plates that are held to a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member by screws. 
     
     
         13 . The folding chock of  claim 7 , wherein the means for hingedly interfacing includes pins formed at distal ends of the chock member, the pins hingedly held in mating cavities of the flush mounted body member by plates and screws. 
     
     
         14 . A folding chock for a boat, the folding chock comprising:
 a flush mounted body member having a generally D-shaped central opening, one side of the central opening being substantially flat, the flush mounted body member having hinge holes near distal ends of the substantially flat side;   a chock member having a linear edge for interfacing with the flush mounted body member, the chock member has pins at each end of the linear edge and one or more longitudinal grooves;   a means for rotatably holding the pins to the flush mounted body member, the means for rotatably holding enabling the chock member to fold from an extended position to a retracted position; and   a detent mechanism in the flush mounted body member, the detent mechanism having a detent member that is urged into one of the longitudinal grooves when the chock member is rotated about the hinge pin and the one of the longitudinal grooves faces the detent mechanism.   
     
     
         15 . The folding chock of  claim 14 , wherein the flush mounted body member has a plurality of mounting holes and the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by a plurality of screws, the screws passing through the mounting holes and into a surface of the boat. 
     
     
         16 . The folding chock of  claim 14 , wherein a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member has a plurality of threaded studs and the flush mounted body member is affixed to the boat by the threaded studs passing through a surface of the boat and the threaded studs are held in place by a plurality of nuts. 
     
     
         17 . The folding chock of  claim 14 , wherein the detent mechanism comprises one or more balls, the balls being biased by springs, the balls urged into longitudinal grooves by the springs. 
     
     
         18 . The folding chock of  claim 17 , wherein the one or balls and springs are held within cavities of the flush mounted body member by cover plates that are held to a bottom surface of the flush mounted body member by screws.