GB1578115A

GB1578115A - Fishing tackle

Info

Publication number: GB1578115A
Application number: GB2463978A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-05-30
Filing date: 1978-05-30
Publication date: 1980-11-05

Description

(54) FISHING TACKLE (71) I, SYDNEY SUTTON of 9, Fisher Avenue, Abram, Wigan in the County of Lancaster, a British Subject do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to fishing tackle and more particularly to fishing rods.

According to the invention a fishing rod has a tip mounted for pivotal movement on the end thereof, and a locking mechanism operable to lock the tip in a fixed position relatively to the rod. The tip can be locked in a fixed position to facilitate the casting of a line connected to the rod and/or the striking, playing and reeling in of a fish caught on the end of the line.

Preferably the locking mechanism is operable from the butt end of the fishing rod remote from the tip.

The locking mechanism may be operable to control the extent of pivotal movement of the tip. The tip may be connected to the butt end of the rod by means of a flexible connector, the tension in which connector controls the extent of movement of the tip and/or the locking of the tip, and the flexible connector may comprise a wire, a cord, or a chain.

Preferably, also, the fishing rod is hollow, having a cavity formed longitudinally therethrough, the flexible connector being housed within the cavity.

The locking mechanism may comprise a collar secured to the butt end of the rod, the collar housing a keyway, and a key connected to the flexible connector, the arrangement being such that the tension in the flexible connector increases as the key is withdrawn through the keyway and when the key is withdrawn from the keyway and rotated out of registration therewith the tip is locked in a fixed position relatively to the rod.

An adjustment means may be connected to the flexible connector to provide an adjustment of the tension in the flexible connector to control the extent of movement and/or the locking of the tip. The adjustment means may comprise a threaded shank having one or more nuts threaded thereon, the or each nut being rotatable on the shank to provide the adjustment in the flexible connector. The shank may be connected to the flexible connector by means of an elongate pin to which the flexible connector is rigidly secured, the pin being slidably housed within a passageway formed in the shank, and the pin being releasably securable within the shank at any one of a number of predetermined positions along the length of the passageway. The pin may be releasably securable within the shank by means of a screw threaded through the shank into the passageway and engagable with the pin.

The screw may have an hexagonal head.

Preferably, the key is mounted on the shank, so that the rotation of the or each nut provides longitudinal adjustment of the key relatively to the flexible connector. The or each nut may be adapted to engage with the collar when thekey is slidably positioned within the key way so as to limit the extent of movement of the tip.

A resilient connection means may connect the flexible connector to the tip to urge the flexible connector away from the butt end of the rod and to provide a further adjustment to the tension in the flexible connector.

The rod may have a ferrule on the end thereof, which is adjacent to the tip so that the ferrule is engaged by the tip as the tip moves relatively to the rod, and the ferrule is brought into firm contact with the tip when the tip is locked in a fixed position relatively to the rod, the flexible connector being located in a duct formed longitudinally through the ferrule. A boss on the tip may be arranged to be engaged by the ferrule and the end of the ferrule which is arranged to be engaged by the tip, and/or the boss is chamfered to facilitate the pivotal movement of the tip on, and relatively to the ferrule, for example, during alignment of the ferrule and the tip when the latter is locked in a fixed position relatively to the rod, the tip being forced against the ferrule by the tension in the flexible connector. The ferrule may be connected to the tip, for example, by means of one or more rings secured within holes in the side of the boss of the tip, and the ferrule. The rings allow the tip to be pivoted in a vertical plane relatively to the ferrule while still securing the tip and ferrule together. The tip may comprise, or have connected thereto a swing-tip, or a quiver tip.

One embodiment of a fishing rod will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a fishing rod according to the invention, Figure 2, is a partly sectioned side elevation of the part of the fishing rod circled at A in Figure 1, to a larger scale, and Figure 3 is a partly sectioned side elevation of the fishing rod circled at B in Figure 1, to a larger scale.

A fishing rod is indicated generally at 10 and comprises a hollow cork butt 12 and a two-part hollow plastics shaft 14. The two parts of the shaft 14 are connected by a hollow socket connection as indicated at 16, and as in conventional rods, the rod 10 has a reel 18 mounted on the butt thereof, a line 20 and a series of line guides 22 mounted in spaced-apart relationship along the length of the shaft 14.

A nylon cord 24 passes through the cavity 26 formed within the hollow rod 10 and connects a tip socket 28 pivotally connected to the free end 30 of the shaft 14 remote from the butt 12 to a control means 32 located adjacent to the free end of the butt 12.

The control means 32 is slidable outwardly and away from the butt 12 so that the nylon cord 24 can be tightened to exert a pull on the tip socket 28 and to thereby draw the tip socket 28 into alignment with the shaft 14. The control means 32 can also lock the tip socket 28 in a position in which it is aligned with the shaft 14 so that it is easier to cast with the rod, or reel in a fish.

A metal ferrule 34 fits over the end 30 of the shaft 14 and is secured thereto by adhesive. The outer end of the ferrule 34 has a flange 36 and the flange 36 has a pair of holes 38 drilled one through either side thereof. The ferrule 34 is hollow and the flange 36 has an aperture 35 therethrough, the nylon cord 24 passes through the ferrule 34 and the aperture 35 in the flange 36 and is connected to the tip socket 28.

The tip socket 28 has a flange 40 which is similar in construction to the flange 36, and has a pair of holes 42 drilled one through either side thereof. The holes 42 are in registration with the holes 38 in the flange 36 and a wire ring 43 is secured through a hole 42 and a hole 38 at each side of the flanges 40 and 36. The ferrule 34 and the tip socket 28 are therefore connected together so that the tip socket 28 is free to pivot in a vertical plane, but not in a horizontal plane, relatively to the ferrule 34. The flanges 40 and 36 are chamfered where they contact each other in order to facilitate the pivotal movement of one flange relatively to the other flange as the tip socket 28 pivots relatively to the ferrule 34.

The tip socket 28 has a passageway 44 formed therethrough and the socket 28 is internally screw threaded at its outer end 46.

A tip holder 48 is screwed into the end 46 of the tip socket 28 and a swing-tip bite indicator 50 is secured between two jaws 52 on the tip holder 48, the arrangement being such that the swing-tip bite indicator 50 is rigidly connected to the socket 28 when the holder 48 is tightened thereon so that the swing-tip bite indicator 50 pivots with the socket 28.

An annulus 54 is formed within the passageway 44 and a pin 56 is slidably through the annulus, a head 58 of the pin 56 preventing the pin from being withdrawn through the annulus 54. A compression spring 60 is located between the annulus 54 and the head 58 of the pin 56 so that the spring 60 is compressed whenever the pin 54 slides towards the ferrule 34 through the annulus. The pin is thereby urged away from the ferrule 34 by means of the spring 60. The nylon cord 24 is tied on the end of the pin 56 remote from the head 58 thereof so that a pull on the nylon cord 24 causes the pin to be slid towards the ferrule 34 through the annulus 54 against the action of the spring 60. The reaction of the spring 60 against the annulus 54 as the nylon cord 24 is pulled causes the tip socket to be pulled into engagement with the ferrule 34, and the chamfers on the flanges 36 and 40 ensure that the tip socket 28 is pivoted relatively to the ferrule 34. Thus, as the tension in the nylon cord 24 increases (i.e.

as the cord 24 is pulled harder) the tip socket 28 is caused to pivot through an increasingly greater angle relatively to the ferrule 34, until the flanges 40 and 36 come into full face contact at which time the socket 28 and the indicator 50 connected thereto are aligned with the shaft 14. The angle between the socket 28 and the ferrule 34 can therefore be controlled by the pull exerted on the nylon cord 24. When the nylon cord 24 is released, the spring 60 urges the pin 56 to move back through the annulus, and the socket 28 pivots away from the ferrule 34 under the action of gravity.

At the outer free end of the butt 12 is the control means 32 which comprises a collar 62, a shank 64, a pair of lock nuts 66 and an actuator rod 68. The nylon cord 24 is rigidly secured to the actuator rod 68, at the inner end 70 thereof, and a control boss 72 is secured onto the outer end 73 of the actuator rod.

The collar 62 fits over the free end of the butt and is secured by adhesive thereto.

The collar 62 has a duct 74 formed therethrough, the duct 74 being in registration with the cavity formed through the fishing rod 10. A keyway 75 is formed adjacent to the duct 74 at the outer end of the collar 62. The shank 64 is a sliding fit within the collar 62 and a screw 76 having a hexagonal recess formed therein is screwed into the shank 62 at a central transverse position thereof. The screw 76 communicates with a passageway 78 formed through the shank 64 in which the actuator rod 68 is slidingly positioned. The screw 76 can thus be tightened onto the actuator rod 68 to maintain the latter in a fixed position relatively to the shank 64. The head or upper end 80 of the screw 76 projects beyond the surface of the shank 64 when the screw is tightened onto the actuator rod 68, and the upper end 80 acts as a key for the keyway 75.

Thus, unless the end 80 of the screw 76 is in registration with the keyway 75, the shank 64 cannot be slidingly positioned within the collar 62. Also, when the shank 64 has been withdrawn from the collar 62 the end 80 of the screw 76 can be moved out of registration with the keyway 75 by rotation of the shank 64 relatively to the collar 62 to prevent the shank from sliding back into the collar 62.

The shank 64 is screw threaded at its outer end 82 and the nuts 66 are arranged to be screwed onto the end 82. The first nut 66 threaded onto the end 82 of the shank 64 is arranged to engage with the collar 62 to thereby restrict the extent to which the shank 64 can be pushed into the collar 62.

The second nut 66 is threaded onto the end 82 of the shank until it is tightened against the first nut to lock the latter in its position on the shank 64.

When fishing, a bite indicator such as for example a swing-tip indicator is often required to be located on the end of a fishing rod in order to give the fisherman an indication as to when a fish has taken the bait from a line connected to the rod. The swing-tip indicator is pivoted on the end of the rod and droops downwardly therefrom.

Unfortunately, the swing-tip indicator and the like are a disadvantage to fishermen when it is required to reel in the fish or to cast the line. The embodiment of the present invention described with reference to the accompanying drawings allows the swing-tip ot other bite indicator to operate normally when the line has been cast, but arranges for the indicator to be locked in alignment with the rod to facilitate casting of the line or reeling in of the line.

The nuts 66 allow the shank 64 to be adjusted relatively to the collar 62 and the screw 76 allows the actuator rod 68 to be adjusted relatively to the shank 64.

To set the rod 10 ready for fishing, the shank 64 is firstly pulled through out of the collar 62 with the end 80 of the screw 76 in registration with the keyway 75. The shank 62 is then rotated so that the screw 76 and keyway 75 are out of registration and the screw 76 is rested on the collar 62. The actuator rod 68 is then pulled through the shank 64 causing the nylon cord 24 to be pulled through the rod 10 so that the tip socket 28 is thereby pivoted on the ferrule 34 as previously described. Once the tip socket 28 and indicator 50 are pulled into alignment with the shaft 14, the screw 76 is tightened onto the actuator rod 68. It is thus ensured that when the shank 64 is removed from the collar 62 with the screw 76 resting in contact with the outer end of the collar (i.e. being urged against the collar by the tension in the cord 24 caused by the spring 60), the tip socket 28 and the indicator 50 are then locked in alignment with the shaft 14 so that the line can be cast or reeled in with ease. When the shank is repositioned in the collar with the end 80 of the screw 76 in registration with the keyway 75, the actuator rod 68, and thereby the shank fixed thereto, are pulled into the collar by the action of the spring 60 exerting a pull on the cord 24. However, the shank 64 can only enter the collar 62 until the first nut 66 engages with the collar 62. At this stage the indicator 50 has been pivoted relatively to the ferrule 34 and the shaft 14 as desired by the fisherman for normal fishing i.e. the swing-tip indicator 50 is in its "normal position" desired by the fisherman for best indication of a bite in the prevailing conditions. This "normal position" is adjusted to suit the prevailing conditions by adjustment of the nuts 66 on the shank 64 which controls the angle at which the indicator 50 is allowed to pivot when the shank 64 is located in the collar, the engagement of the first nut 66 with the collar 62 preventing further pivoting of the indicator 50.

Thus when it is required to fish, the control boss 72 is grasped and rotated until the end 80 of the screw 76 is in registration with the keyway 75 and the boss 72 is then pulled to withdraw the shank 64 from the collar 62. The boss 72 is then rotated to move the screw 76 out of registration with the keyway 75 and the boss 72 is released so that the screw 76 engages with the collar 62. As previously described, the indicator 50 is thereby locked in alignment with the shaft 14, and the line can be cast. After casting, the boss 72 is again rotated to bring the screw 76 into register with the keyway 75 and the spring 60 and the cord 24 urge the shank 64 into the collar 62 until a nut 66 engages with the collar 62 to prevent further movement of the shank therein, and to locate the swing-tip indicator 50 in its "normal position" where it is pivoted on the end of the shaft 14.

Alternative embodiments according to the invention are also envisaged for example, the swing-tip indicator could be replaced by a different bite indicator or by a swing-tip indicator of different length, the other indicator being secured into the holder 48 in the place of the indicator 50.

Also, the nylon cord 24 could be replaced by a wire, a chain or a similar flexible member.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A fishing rod having a tip mounted for pivotal movement on the end thereof, and a locking mechanism operable to lock the tip in a fixed position relatively to the rod.

2. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 1, in which the locking mechanism is operable from the butt end of the fishing rod remote from the tip.

3. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the locking mechanism is operable to control the extent of the pivotal movement of the tip.

4. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which the tip is connected to the butt end of the rod by means of a flexible connector, the tension in which connector controls the tip.

5. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 4, in which the flexible connector comprises a wire, a cord, or a chain.

6. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which the rod is hollow, having a cavity formed longitudinally therethrough, the flexible connector being housed within the cavity.

7. A fishing rod as claimed in any one of the Claims 4 to 6, in which the locking mechanism comprises a collar secured to the butt end of the rod, the collar housing a key-way, and a key connected to the flexible connector, the arrangement being such that the tension in the flexible connector increases as the key is withdrawn through the keyway and when the key is withdrawn from the keyway and rotated out of registration therewith the tip is locked in a fixed position relatively to the rod.

8. A fishing rod as claimed in any one of the Claims 4 to 7, in which there is an adjustment means connected to the flexible connector to provide an adjustment of the tension in the flexible connector to control the extent of movement and/or the locking of the tip.

9. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 8, in which the adjustment means comprises a threaded shank having one or more nuts threaded thereon, the or each nut being rotatable on the shank to provide the adjustment of the tension in the flexible connector.

10. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 9, in which the shank is connected to the flexible connector by means of an elongate pin to which the flexible connector is rigidly secured, the pin being slidably housed within a passageway formed in the shank, and the pin being releasably securable within the shank at any one of a number of predetermined positions along the length of the passageway.

11. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 10, in which the pin is releasably securable within the shank by means of a screw threaded through the shank into the passageway and engageable with the pin.

12. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 11, in which the screw has a hexagonal recess in the head thereof.

13. A fishing rod as claimed in any one of the Claims 9 to 12, in which the key is mounted on the shank, so that the rotation of the or each nut provides longitudinal adjustment of the key relatively to the flexible connector.

14. A fishing rod as claimed in any one of the Claims 9 to 13, in which the or each nut is adapted to engage with the collar when the key is slidably positioned within the keyway so as to limit the extent of movement of the tip.

15. A fishing road as claimed in any one of the Claims 4 to 14, in which a resilient connection means connects the flexible connector to the tip to urge the flexible connector away from the butt end of the rod and to provide a further adjustment to the tension in the flexible connector.

16. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 15, in which the resilient connection means comprises a spring means.

17. A fishing rod as claimed in any one of the preceding claims when dependent from Claim 4, having a ferrule mounted on the end thereof which is adjacent to the tip so that the ferrule is engaged by the tip as the tip moves relatively to the rod, and the ferrule is brought into firm contact with the tip when the tip is locked in a fixed position relatively to the rod, the flexible connector being located in a duct formed longitudinally through the ferrule.

18. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 17, in which a boss on the tip is arranged to be engaged by the ferrule.

19. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 17 or Claim 18, in which the end of the ferrule which is arranged to be engaged by the tip and/or the boss is chamfered to facilitate the pivotal movement of the tip on and relatively to the ferrule.

20. A fishing rod as claimed in any one of the Claims 17 to 19, in which the ferrule is connected to the tip.

21. A fishing road as claimed in Claim 20, in which the ferrule is connected to the tip by means of one or more rings secured within the holes in the side of the boss of the tip and the ferrule.

22. A fishing rod as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the tip

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a different bite indicator or by a swing-tip indicator of different length, the other indicator being secured into the holder 48 in the place of the indicator 50. Also, the nylon cord 24 could be replaced by a wire, a chain or a similar flexible member. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A fishing rod having a tip mounted for pivotal movement on the end thereof, and a locking mechanism operable to lock the tip in a fixed position relatively to the rod.

comprises or has connected thereto a swing tip, or a quiver-tip.

23. A fishing rod substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. A fishing rod as claimed in Claim 23 and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.