Boat fender hanger

An adjustable hanger to be hung from a suspension cable having a cross section dimension, the hanger comprising:

• an elongated body having an outboard face, an inboard face, a head, a foot and an axis of elongation;
• a bail on the outboard face of the foot, the bail defining an opening for passage of a line from an object to be suspended from the hanger;
• a protrusion extending from the outboard face of the head, the protrusion having a hole of diameter sufficiently large to accommodate the line, and the hole having an axis substantially parallel to the axis of elongation, the hole extending upward to a ledge at an acute angle with a plane coincident with the outboard face, the protrusion further including an angular extension outboard of the ledge, the angular extension defining an inboard facet;
• a back plate extending along a portion of the inboard face and spaced apart therefrom to define a channel having an open end proximate to the foot and adapted to receive the suspension cable;
• a bridge joining the elongated body and back plate, the bridge defining a closed end to the channel in a serpentine cross section adapted to pivotally support the hanger on the suspension cable;
• and
• a spring-loaded cam cleat mounted on the inboard facet to releasably fasten the line which is threaded upward through the bail, alongside the outboard face and through the hole.

The method of adjustably positioning an object to be suspended from one end of a line, comprising the steps of:

• (a) hanging an adjustable hanger at a preselected position along a substantially horizontal suspension cable, the adjustable hanger comprising:
• an elongated body having an outboard face, an inboard face, a head and a foot;
• a bail on the outboard face of the foot, the bail defining an opening for passage of a line from the object to be suspended;
• a ledge extending from the outboard face of the head at an acute angle with a plane coincident with the outboard face;
• a fairlead on the head to allow free vertical movement and restricted horizontal movement of the line;
• a back plate extending along a portion of the inboard face and spaced apart therefrom to define a channel having an open end proximate to the foot and adapted to receive the suspension cable;
• a bridge joining the elongated body and back plate, the bridge defining a dosed end to the channel in a serpentine cross section adapted to pivotally support the hanger on the suspension cable;
• and
• a line attachment means on the hanger for releasably fastening the line to the hanger;
• by inserting the suspension cable into the channel and advancing the cable in the channel until the cable seats against the closed end;
• (b) threading the free end of the line from below the hanger through the bail, along the outboard face, and between the fairlead and ledge;
• (c) while holding the free end substantially vertically above the boat fender, hauling in or paying out the line until the object is raised or lowered to a predetermined vertical position;
• and
• (d) fastening the free end to the line attachment means, thereby holding the object in fixed vertical position relative to the suspension cable.