GB2248163A

GB2248163A - Restraining device

Info

Publication number: GB2248163A
Application number: GB9118068A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard James Skoulding
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-08-21
Filing date: 1991-08-21
Publication date: 1992-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 2011-08-21
Also published as: GB9118068D0; GB9018298D0; GB2248163B

Abstract

A restraining device for a fishing line 10 enables the tackle, such as the weight (not shown) hook 20, snood 21, and swivel 11, at the end of the line 10 to be held by a water sensitive member 4 in a streamline inoperative configuration for casting or deploying. The water sensitive member 4 which retains a tensioned member 1, dissolves or disintegrates on immersion in water to allow the tackle to assume its operative position. The water sensitive member 4 may be in the form of a pin rod or ring and consist of preformed fish food or a soluble plastic adapted to dissolve or disintegrate in a predetermined time after immersion in water. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: RESTRAINING DEVICE The present invention relates to a restraining device, notably to one for use in restraining a fishing line and weight during casting thereof.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION: In many forms of angling, the line is weighted to ensure that hooks carried by the line are positioned at a known distance above the bottom of the lake, river or sea in which the angling is being performed. Typically, the weight is a lead or similar weight carried at or adjacent to the end of a wire, nylon or similar trace which is connected by knots or more usually a swivel connector to the main fishing line. One or more hooks are connected to the fishing line by means of a secondary line, or snood, attached by knots or more usually a swivel connector to the line or to a wire or similar arm extending laterally from the line. Typically, the snood is connected to the main fishing line above a break point in the line or the trace carrying the weight so that the weight will break away from the remainder of the line if it becomes snagged under water.In some cases, there may be several snoods or arms carried on a single casting line.

For convenience the term end tackle will be used herein to denote the weight, hooks, side arms, snoods and swivel connectors used to construct this operative end of the fishing line. The term casting line will be used to denote the main line to which the end tackle is connected, although it will be appreciated that the casting line may extend to the weight itself. Typically, the end tackle is connected to the casting line via a swivel or similar connector.

When such a line is cast, problems are often encountered in that the snood or wire side arm of the end tackle becomes entangled with the casting line or the trace carrying the weight so that the snood cannot deploy fully in the water.

Furthermore, such arrangements offer considerable wind resistance and hence reduce the possible distance over which the end tackle can be cast. This loss of casting range is undesirable, especially in beach casting where it is usually desired to cast the end tackle as far as possible beyond the line along which the incoming waves break.

It has been proposed to apply a water soluble tape or string to bind the snood or side arm to the main casting line or to the trace carrying the weight so as to reduce the risk of entanglement during casting and also to reduce the wind resistance of the end tackle. However, such tapes or strings are cumbersome to apply and are often erratic in their release of the snood or side arm. It has also been proposed to provide a loop on the trace or casting line into which the hook engages for casting. The hook is retained in the loop whilst tension is applied to the end tackle by the forward velocity of the weight. When the weight strikes the water surface or comes to rest on the water bottom, this tension is released and the hook can disengage from the loop.However, the release does not occur consistently and release may occur if the tension on the trace or casting line is prematurely released, for example during preparation of the line for casting.

I have now devised a means by which the above problems can be reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: Accordingly, the present invention provides a device for securing the snood of a fishing line in a retracted position adjacent the trace carrying the weight attached to the casting line and/or against the casting line of the fishing line, which device comprises: a. a retaining member carried by the trace, the snood and/or the casting line, which retaining member is adapted to move between a position at which it can engage or retain the hook to a position at which it releases the hook; b. positive biassing means adapted to release the retaining member, preferably so as to release the hook therefrom, when immersed in water; and c. a water releasable member adapted to retain the retaining member in the hook engaging or retaining position against the bias of the biassing means when dry and to release the retaining member when immersed in water whereby when the device is immersed in water the retaining member is adapted to release the hook so that the snood may be deployed away from its retracted position adjacent the trace and the casting line.

The invention further provides a retaining member for use in the device of the invention, which retaining member comprises: a) a pair of legs linked together at one end thereof and provided with a spring bias means adapted to splay the legs apart; b) engagement means carried at or adjacent the free ends of each leg and adapted to co-operate with one another when the free ends of the legs are biassed together to provide members which are adapted to engage with a water soluble or disintegrable material in ring or rod form so as to retain the legs in their biassed position against the spring bias whereby a temporarily closed loop member is formed.

The invention provides a simple and reliable means whereby the hook and its snood can be temporarily anchored to the trace or the casting line for casting whereby the risk of tangling of the lines is reduced. Furthermore, since the lines present a streamlined configuration, the loss of casting distance is reduced. Since the restraining member is positively held in the hook engaging or retaining position until the retaining member is dissolved or disintegrated by contact with the water, premature release of the hook during handling before casting is minimised.

Also, since the device is positively biassed to the release position, the hook release is more positive than with previous proposals.

The casting line and end tackle used with the device of the invention can be of conventional design and construction and the end tackle can contain a number of hooks, snoods and lateral arms carrying those. Each hook can be engaged with a separate hook retaining member or a single retaining member may be used to retain more than one hook. It will also be appreciated that the retaining member can be carried by the hook or on the snood immediately adjacent the hook and the trace or casting line engaged with the retaining member, rather than vice versa. However, for convenience, the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of a casting line carrying a single end tackle having a single snood and hook attached thereto and in terms of the retaining member to be engaged by the hook being carried on the trace or casting line.

The retaining member is preferably spring biassed into the hook release position so that it opens to release the hook from engagement therewith. However, it is within the scope of the present invention for the device of the invention to be biassed into the release position by other means. Thus, for example, the lateral arm of the end tackle by which the snood is attached to the trace or casting line can be formed so that the foot portion of the arm which is mounted on the casting line or trace extends axially along the trace or casting line. If the arm is laid so that its longitudinal axis is parallel to the line or trace, this will cause the line or trace to follow a dog leg path through the foot portion of the arm. If tension is then applied to the line or trace, this will cause the trace or line to straighten out so that the arm will be biassed to adopt a position at which its axis is substantially normal to the axis of the trace or line. In another biassing method, the lateral arm carrying the snood is formed from a buoyant material so that it will tend to float when immersed and thus bias the arm from a position parallel to the trace or line to one substantially normal thereto.

For convenience, the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of a retaining means which incorporates a spring bias means, notably by virtue of being formed from a spring steel or plastic and with a configuration which is biassed into the hook release position.

The retaining member can take a number of forms, depending upon the precise form of action it is to take. However, in general it is preferred that the retaining member take the form of a V shaped member formed from a spring steel or plastic so that the free ends of the arms of the V member are biassed apart, ie. into the open position. The ends of the arms of the V are formed with means which can be engaged by or engage with the water soluble or disintegrateable member which retains the arms of the V member together against the splaying bias of the V member.

Thus, the end of one arm can be formed with a fork or loop and the end of the other arm of the V can be bent to form a loop or hook at right angles to the plane of the loop or fork on the other arm so that it passes through the loop or between the tines of the fork. A peg of water sensitive material can then be inserted across the loop or the tines of the fork of the first arm and through the hook or loop of the second arm to retain the second arm in a tensioned position against the bias of the V member, in the manner of a safety pin type of construction. Alternatively, the end of each arm of the V member can be formed with a hook so that a loop of water sensitive material can be passed over the free ends of the arms to engage the hooks and thus retain the arms in a closed or semi-closed position against the bias of the V member.Where the biassing is provided by a means other than the construction and design of the retaining member itself, for example by virtue of the buoyancy of the lateral arm or the shape of its mounting foot, the retaining member can take the form of a loop in the trace, casting line or snood through which a cooperating loop carried by the snood, hook or the other member which is to be used in securing the hook in its retracted position. The two loops can then be passed through one another and a pin of water sensitive material passed through either or both loops to retain them in the engaged position until the pin is immersed in water.

For convenience, the invention will be described hereinafter in terms of a spring biassed metal or plastics V shaped retaining member whose open end is closed by or is held closed by a pin or loop of water sensitive material.

The water sensitive material can take a number of forms depending on the shape and method of operation of the retaining member with which it is to co-operate. As indicated above, the water sensitive material is preferably formed into a loop whicb is passed over the free ends of the arms of the V retaining member. In this case, the hook of the fishing tackle can be passed through and/or engage with the loop of water sensitive material rather than with the metal or plastic of the V member. Alternatively, the water sensitive material can be formed as a pin of material which is passed through a loop or hook at the free end of one arm of the U to retain the free end of the other arm against or in close proximity therewith so that the V member forms a closed loop into which the hook carried by the snood engages.

The water sensitive material in whatever physical form it is used is one which will either disintegrate or dissolve when immersed in water. Thus, the loop or pin of material can be formed from a water soluble plastic, from a solid bonded together by a water soluble resin so that the bond breaks down upon immersion in water, from a water soluble organic or inorganic material sintered, moulded or otherwise formed to the desired shape, or from any other suitable material.

The water sensitive material preferably dissolves or disintegrates to a sufficient extent to release the retaining member within from 5 to 120 seconds of being immersed in water. The optimum type of material and its physical form can readily be determined for any given case by simple trial and error. Thus, one form of material suitable for present use is pelleted fish food in pin or loop form. Such pelleted foods are availabe commercially and may be used as such or readily re-processed to give a material suitable for present use, for example by applying a water resistant coating thereto to increase the time taken to disintegrate in water, or by incorporating an effervescent material into the composition which may otherwise be water insensitive so as to cause or assist break up of the material upon contact with water.Other suitable materials for present use include compressed or compacted cereals, for example breakfast cereals in ring or pin rod form, pressed cereal flakes; baked, heat cured or dried goods, for example biscuits, dough sticks and the like; animal or fish foods in pelleted, pin, stick, ring or other forms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: To aid understarding of the invention it will now be described by way of illustration only with respect to preferred embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows one form of the retaining member and its use; Figure 2 shows a form of the device where the bias to the release position is provided by the buoyancy of the lateral arm: Figure 3 shows an alternative form of the device to that shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a device where the anchorage loop on the weight provides part of the retaining member of the device; and Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 show alternative applications of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: The retaining device for use in the device of Figure 1 comprises a V shaped piece 1 of spring metal or plastic, the ends of the arms of the V being formed with terminal hooks 2, 3. The arms of the V are pressed together to wholly or partially close the open end of the V and a ring 4 of water sensitive pelleted fish food is fitted over the ends of the arms to engage the hooks 2 and 3 and retain the arms in their compressed position as shown in Figure ib.

The V member 1 is affixed to the casting line 10 either directly or via an intermediate sleeve 11 carried by the line 10. Preferably, the sleeve 11 is a slideable fit upon line 10 and carries V member 1 attached thereto by means of an elastic line 12.

In use, hook 20 carried on the snood 21 attached to line 10 by means of a swivel connector 22 is hooked through the ring 4 as shown in Figure lc. Sleeve 11 is slid up line 10 until the elastic line 12 is taut and holds the snood under tension. The whole tackle can now be cast with reduced risk of tangling of the snood and hook with the weight (not shown) and line 10. When the tackle enters the water, ring 4 will begin to dissolve or disintegrate until the spring bias in member 1 overcomes its retaining effect and the arms of member 1 spring apart to release the hook 20.

In the device shown in Figure 2, the snood 21 and the hook 20 are carried at the distal end of a lateral arm 30 which is connected to line 10. The arm carries a metal or plastics loop 31 and line 10 carries a corresponding loop 32 which fits through loop 31 and is secured in position by passing a peg 33 of pelleted fish food through that part of loop 33 protruding through loop 31 to hold arm 30 generally alongside line 10. When the tackle enters the water, the peg 33 disintegrates to release arm 30 from its position against line 10 so that its buoyancy causes it to adopt a horizontal position as shown dotted in Figure 2.

In the form of the device shown in Figure 3, the retaining member comprises a shank portion 40 carrying at one end thereof a loop 41. The other end of the shank is formed into a coil spring section 42 from which extends an arm 43 generally parallel to shank 40 and carrying at its free end a hook 44. Upon compression of shank 40 and arm 43 inwardly, hook 44 can be passed through loop 41 and secured in position by passing a pin 45 of water soluble plastic therethrough. The retaining device is mounted by means of a plastic or similar sleeve on the casting line 10 in place of the swivel connector joining line 10 to the trace 23 which carries the weight 24 terminally thereon. The hook 20 carried by snood 21 engages arm 43 of the retaining device.If desired, the retaining device can be mounted on line 10 by means of a plastic or other sleeve 46 so as to allow the device to slide upon line 10. The device is then located on line 10 by means of an elastic line 47 attached to a sleeve 48 which is a tight sliding fit upon line 10.

The line 47 not only serves to impart tension to snood 21 but also can act as a shock absorber for line 10 where line 47 is of sufficiently heavy duty and the tension in line 47 results in slight slack in line 10 between sleeves 46 and 48.

In the device shown in Figure 4, the retaining device of Figure 3 is mounted adjacent the weight 24 terminally on a heavy breaking strain line 10. The weight 24 is carried on a lighter breaking strain line 25 connected to line 10 by a swivel connector 26. The retaining device is substantially identical to that shown in Figure 3, except that loop 44 is formed so that it is long enough to pass through the loop 41 and the loop 27 at the top of the weight 24. The peg 45 of water sensitive material passes through loop 44 to trap both loops 41 and 27. The construction shown in Figure 4 need not carry a snood and hook as with the constructions shown in Figures 1 to 3 and serves to provide a means whereby the weight 24 can be cast connected through the retaining device to the high breaking strain line 10.However, once immersed in water, the retaining device releases the weight which is then connected to line 10 through the lighter breaking strain line 25 which will break preferentially to line 10 and thus reduce the risk of loss of the more expensive end tackle items (not shown) connected further up line 10 if the weight 24 should become snagged.

With the alternative form of the device shown in Figure 5, the retaining device is provided by a ring 50 carried at the end of an elastic line 51 connected to line 10. A second line 52 is connected at an axially removed point to line 10 and carries a loop 53 which can be passed through ring 50. A water sensitive peg is passed through loop 53 protruding through ring 50 so as to form a tensioning line 51/52 which causes slack to develop in line 10 between the anchorage points of lines 51 and 52. The tensioning line acts as a shock absorber for line 10 to absorb the stresses during casting of the weight.

As an alternative to the device shown in Figure 5, the ring 50 can be in the form of a water sensitive ring or axially elongated plate having two apertures adjacent the ends thereof which is then engaged by hooks carried at the ends of each of the lines 51 and 52.

The concept of using a water sensitive retaining device to release a device when immersed in water finds use in other application in fishing. Thus for example as shown in Figure 6, a water sensitive pin 60 can be used to retain the spring biassed lid 61 of a ground bait box 62 in the closed position until the box has been immersed in water.

This enables an angler to cast the box of bait out far further than conventional bank or shore based bait hand scattering techniques can achieve. Furthermore, the ground bait box can form part of the end tackle of the casting line so that the ground bait will be released in the immediate neighbourhood of the tackle and thus attract fish to the area of the tackle.

Accordingly, the present invention provides means for deploying and/or releasing a component of a cast fishing tackle in the water, characterised in that the component of the tackle is retained in an inoperative configuration by a water sensitive retaining means which is adapted to release the component into its operative configuration upon immersion in water.

The invention further provides a water sensitive device for retaining a component of a cast fishing tackle in an inoperative configuration, which device comprises: a generally U shaped spring member having the free ends of its arms configured so as to accept a water sensitive ring or pin to hold the members in a position in which they are restrained against the spring bias of the U shaped member, the U shaped member being adapted to be engaged with one or more components of the fishing tackle; in association with a ring or pin made from a water sensitive material adapted to engage the free ends of the arms of the U member and which dissolves and/or disintegrates when immersed in water, preferably within 120 seconds of being fully immersed.

Such a water sensitive device can be used as described above to retain the hook at the end of the snood aligned substantially parallel to another component, for example the casting line or trace, of the fishing tackle during casting. However, the device can also be used to provide part of the side arm by which the snood is carried upon the casting line or the trace so that the side arm can also be collapsed to lie parallel to the line or trace for casting, but will spring clear of the line or trace when immersed in water to adopt its extended position at right angles to the line or trace so as to aid deployment of the snood and hook.

Refering now to Figure 7 this shows a groundbait dispenser or swimfeeder held on the line 10 through a swivel 63. The swimfeeder comprises a cylindrical container 64 closed at its upper end 65 and containing groundbait 66 retained in the container 64 by a pivotted disc 67. The disc 67 is biassed closed against a water soluble pin 68 by an elastic element 69. In the inoperative configuration as shown in Figure 7a the tackle is ready for casting or deploying in the water. When the swimfeeder enters the water the pin commence to dissolve or disintegrate and the elastic element 69 opens the disc 67 about the pivot 70 as shown in Figure 7b so releasing the bait from the container 64 into the water in a normal operative configuration.

Claims

What I claim is:1.A restraining device for securing the snood of a fishing line in an inoperative retracted position adjacent the trace carrying the weight attached to the casting line and/or against the casting line of the fishing line, which device comprises: a. a retaining member carried by the trace, the snood and/or the casting line, which retaining member is adapted to move between an inoperative position at which it can engage or retain the hook to an operative position at which it releases the hook; b. positive biassing means adapted to release the retaining member; and c. a water releasable member adapted to retain the retaining member in the hook engaging or retaining position against the bias of the biassing means when dry and to release the retaining member when immersed in water whereby when the device is immersed in water the retaining member is adapted to release the hook so that the snood may be deployed away from its retracted position adjacent the trace and the casting line.
2. A restraining device for deploying and/or releasing a component of a cast fishing tackle in water, characterised in that the component of the tackle is retained in an inoperative configuration by a water sensitive retaining member which is adapted to release the component into its operative configuration after immersion in water.
3. A retaining member for use in the restraining device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the retaining member comprises: a) a pair of legs linked together at one end thereof and provided with a spring bias means adapted to splay the legs apart; b) engagement means carried at or adjacent the free ends of each leg and adapted to co-operate with one another when the free ends of the legs are biassed together to provide engaging members which are adapted to engage with a water soluble or disintegrable material in pin rod or ring form so as to retain the legs in their biassed position against the spring bias whereby a temporarily closed loop member is formed.
4. A retaining member as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 in which the retaining member is formed from an elastic material which is tensioned in the inoperative configuration.
5. A retaining member as claimed in claim 4 in which the legs of the V shaped retaining member are provided with the engaging members which engaged with the water soluble or disintegrateable member to hold the legs of V shaped member together against the splaying bias of the legs.
6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the water releasable member has a preset release time on immersion in water.
7. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which the water releasable member consists of pelleted fish food in the form of a pin rod or ring.
8. A device as claimed in claim 6 in which the water releasable member is a water soluble plastic material.
9. A restraining device for deploying and/or releasing a component attached to a fishing line which is held in an inoperative configuration by a water soluble release member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 in which the plastic material consists of a solid particulate material bonded together with a water soluble resin formed into a desired shape.

10. A restraining device as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of hooks and snoods each engaged by a retaining device as claimed in any of claims 3 to 9.

11. A restraining device for deploying and/or releasing a component of a cast fishing tackle in water, so that the component of the tackle is retained in a inoperative configuration by a water sensitive retaining means which is adapted to release the component into its operative configuration after immersion in water substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A restraining device for use with a fishing line including a water soluble release member arranged to trigger a release mechanism after a period of immersion in water.

2. A restraining device as claimed in claim 1 in which the release member includes pelleted fish food in a soluble binder.

3. A restraining device as claimed in claim 1 in which the release member comprises a water soluble plastics material.

4. A restraining device as claimed in any preceding claim in which the release member is in the form of a rod.

5. A restraining device as claimed in any of claims 1 or 2 or 3 in which the release member is in the form of a ring.

6. A restraining device as claimed in any preceding claim and including a retaining member adapted to be carried by a trace line, or a snood, or a casting line, and arranged to hold a hook in an inoperative position until released by the water soluble release member.

7. A restraining device as claimed in claim 6 including a positive biassing means which provides the energy to deploy the hook away from the casting line when released.

8. A restraining device as claimed in claim 7 in which the positive biassing means consists of a pair of legs linked together at one end thereof and provided with a spring biassing means adapted to splay the legs apart when released.