GB2287338A - Security alarm - Google Patents

Abstract

A security alarm for fishing tackle comprises a fishing rod support 10 having a rounded rod receiving portion 12 for embracing a fishing rod butt 14 of corresponding shape. A pressure switch 16 is set into the rod receiving portion such that the switch adopts a first state when a rod is present and embraced by the receiving portion and adopts a second state when the rod is removed from the receiving portion. An alarm signal generator is connected to the switch by cable 40 and generates an alarm signal upon the switch changing from the first state to the second state or upon interruption of the connecting means 40. <IMAGE>

Description

SEwRIT? ALARM This invention relates to a security alarm with particular reference to the security of fishing tackle.

The equipment used by anglers can be expensive, and this is particularly true of rods and reels. An angler who is interested in catching specimen fish might set up one, two or even three rods on a rod rest and carry on fishing continuously for a long time, sometimes for several days at a stretch. Such long session angling makes it impossible for the angler to keep a permanent watch on the equipment, and to allow the angler opportunities to eat, sleep and generally attend to other matters while fishing, various alarm devices have been proposed. Same are bite detectors, which alert the angler to outward movement of the fishing line, and some are intended to respond if equipment is removed, so they function as theft alarms.

Typically, a portable control box carries batteries and an on/off switch, contains the necessary electronic functions, and is provided with a loudspeaker to sound any alarm. It is connected by a flexible extension lead to a rod support away from the butt end of the rod where the reel is mounted, so it can both support the rod tip and receive the monofilament fishing line between reel and rod tip in a slot containing a line movement sensor. The angler can keep the control box to hand even when he is asleep in his tent by the water's edge. In the event of a bite sufficient to draw even a small length of line through the slot, the line movement sensor causes the alarm to sound and alert the angler.

A bite detector of this general kind can function as a crude theft alarm if it responds to such careless removal of the fishing line from the slot as results in line being drawn through the bite detector's line movement sensor rollers. However, if the rod is lifted vertically from the rod rest so that the line is removed cleanly from the bite detector slot, no alarm will sound.

Provision may also be made to sound the alarm if the flexible lead between the bite detector and its control box is disconnected or cut, to give a positive anti-theft function to the device.

However, while this may protect the bite detector and rod support and stand against theft, it does not protect the rod and reel.

It is an object of this invention to provide an alternative form of security alarm for safeguarding fishing tackle, which in at least some respects offers greater protection or convenience.

In accordance with the present invention a security alarm for fishing tackle may comprise some or all of the elements and features disclosed in the following description. The scope of the invention extends to all novel aspects of the alarm, whether individually or in combination with other features as described herein.

More specifically, in one embodiment of the invention, a security alarm may comprise a fishing rod support having a rounded rod receiving portion for embracing a fishing rod butt of corresponding shape, a pressure switch set into the rod receiving portion such that the switch adopts a first state when a rod is present and embraced by the receiving portion and adopts a second state when the rod is removed from the receiving portion, and an alarm signal generator and means for connecting it to the switch whereby to generate said alarm signal upon the switch changing from the first state to the second state or upon interruption of the connecting means.

In a preferred embodiment, the switch is provided with an actuator positioned substantially at the rod embracing surface of the support and connected to the switch, biased to lift from the surface and open an electrical connection in the absence of a said rod but capable of being depressed to the surface and close the said connection by the presence of the said rod.

The invention may further comprise an alarm set including a said fishing rod support, provided with a said pressure switch, a said alarm signal generator, and a length of flexible lead adapted to connect the switch and the alarm signal generator.

There may be a plurality of said supports and a plurality of means for connecting each support to the alarm signal generator, in a parallel and functionally independent manner, the alarm signal generator being adapted to generate said alarm signal in response to a switch in any one of the fishing rod supports adopting the second state or upon interruption of the connection to any one of said switches.

We have found that a security alarm in accordance with the invention gives a number of advantages. First, the conventional alarm does not sound if the fishing line is undisturbed. It is therefore very easy to circumvent by carefully cutting the line on either side of the bite detector, so that the rod and reel can be taken without activating the alarm. Second, since there is no need to incorporate the present invention in a bite detector, and no need for the inclusion of means for detecting line movement, there are substantial cost benefits. By careful attention to the design and location of the switch in the rod support, it can be made very difficult to circumvent the alarm by interference with the switch before the rod is lifted.

The rod receiving portion of the rod support may be U-shaped, with the switch set into the closed curved end of the U. If the support is substantially vertical in use, the weight of the rod butt will normally be adequate to close the pressure switch. Alternatively, tension means such as an elastic strap may be used to press the rod against the switch actuator. In another embodiment, the rod receiving portion may be C-shaped, with resilient arms, to more securely grip the rod butt. Other shapes of spring clip are equally possible, and in each case the switch actuator will be set into the curved rod receiving portion thereof. A spring clip has the advantage that it must be opened to remove the rod, adding to the difficulty of keeping the pressure switch closed while the rod is removed.

Preferably, the switch is closed in the first state and open in the second state, so that the switch can be part of a continuous electrical circuit when the alarm is set, and opening the switch or interrupting the connection between the switch and the alarm signal generator have the equivalent effect and either occurrence activates the alarm.

If the switch is closed by pressing the actuator to the rod embracing surface of the support between the rod butt and the said surface, the actuator can be hidden from sight, and the restricted access can make it difficult to apply and maintain continuous pressure on the actuator to prevent activation of the alarm while the rod is removed, or the switch is otherwise tampered with.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a general perspective view of a fishing rod support in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an elevation of one half of the head of the support showing its internal components, mounted at the top end of a support column shown in section, with one end of a connecting lead and a jack plug; Figure 3 is a cross-section through the support shown in Figure 1, perpendicularly to the internal view shown in Figure 2, showing some internal components; Figure 4 is an elevation of a control box also showing a jack plug at the other end of the connecting lead also shown in Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the elements of the alarm signal generator contained within the control box.

The security alarm illustrated in the drawings comprises a fishing rod support (Figures 1 to 3) and an alarm signal generator (Figures 3 to 5) with connecting means (Figures 2 and 4) and a pressure switch set into the rod support.

Figures 1 to 3 show that the rod support has a head 10 with a rounded U-shaped rod receiving portion 12 at the top for receiving a round rod butt 14 (Figure 1, dashed outline). The two halves of the rod support head can be separated to reveal a simple on/off microswitch 16 connected by leads 18 to a standard 2.5mn jack socket 20, and a captive bolt 22 in threaded engagement with the top end of rod support column 24, where it is secured by lock nut 26.

Microswitch 16 is operated through a spring loaded pressure button 30 encased in waterproof membrane on its top surface, and provided with an actuator in the form of a hinged lever 32 whose tip is covered by a slip resistant plastics sleeve 34 (Figure 3). In the absence of the rod butt 14, the switch is spring loaded to the position shown in Figure 3, which corresponds to a switch open condition; when the rod is placed in the rod receiving portion 12, its weight is sufficient to depress lever 32 to a position substantially flush with the surface thereof, closing the switch by the action of the lever against the button 30.

Flexible conductor lead 40 terminates in two jack plugs, 36 and 38, by which jack socket 20 in the rod support is connected to any one of three equivalent jack sockets 42 in the casing 44 of the control box shown in Figure 4. The casing also carries an on/off switch 46, a light-emitting diode 47 to serve as an on/off indicator lamp, and a water resistant loudspeaker cover 48.

Flexible connecting lead 40 is as long as may be required to allow an angler to carry the control box while not directly attending to his fishing equipment. Further, two or three equivalent connecting leads 40 may be bundled together, with a corresponding number of jack plugs at each end of the bundle, which plugs may be colour coded, so that the three jack sockets 42 may each be used to monitor three separate fishing rod supports in accordance with the invention.

Figure 5 shows the principal elements of one possible arrangement of the alarm signal generator in control box 44. Trigger signal input block 50 includes three jack sockets 42, which enable the system to be connected to up to three external microswitches, and is followed by three elements 52, 54 and 56, each based upon a COOS dual in line 555 timer, to generate a time-limited sequence of alarm tones in speaker 58. Power supply 60 consists of a PP3 9V dc battery and the on/off switch 46 (Figure 4).

The first element 52 is a monostable with a time delay of about twelve seconds. This can be made variable by incorporating a potentiometer between the power supply and the discharge/threshold pins 6/7 of the 555 timer. Trigger signal input block 50 is connected to trigger pin 2 of the 555 timer in a manner such that the removal of any input jack 36 or 38, a change of state (ie switching off) in any microswitch 16, or cutting any connecting lead 40, generates sufficient current pulse to trigger the timer.

The output from pin 3 of the monostable 555 timer in block 52 is taken as the power supply for the next element 54, an astable 555 timer circuit operating as a pulser at about 1 Wz, and the output from this is used as an intermittent power supply for the next element 56, an astable 555 timer circuit operating as a tone generator at an audio-frequency of about 800 Hz, driving speaker 58. When monostable element 54 switches off after twelve seconds or so, the sound ceases and the alarm is effectively reset.

The limited alarm duration has the advantage that in the event of a bite while the alarm is on, an angler can immediately pick up the rod and concentrate on the fish in the knowledge that although the alarm will sound, it will do so only for a limited time.

Many variations from this embodiment of the invention are possible, including the provision of different alarm signal generators, and alternative or additional alarm signal devices, such as vibrators and lamps which may be preferred in certain circumstances.

Claims (16)

1. A security alarm for fishing tackle comprising a fishing rod support having a rounded rod receiving portion for embracing a fishing rod butt of corresponding shape, a pressure switch set into the rod receiving portion such that the switch adopts a first state when a rod is present and embraced by the receiving portion and adopts a second state when the rod is removed from the receiving portion, and an alarm signal generator and means for connecting it to the switch whereby to generate said alarm signal upon the switch changing from the first state to the second state or upon interruption of the connecting means.

2. A security alarm according to claim 1 wherein the switch is provided with an actuator positioned substantially at the rod embracing surface of the support and connected to the switch, biased to lift from the surface and open an electrical connection in the absence of a said rod but capable of being depressed to the surface and close the said connection by the presence of the said rod.

3. A security alarm according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the rod receiving portion of the rod support is U-shaped, with the switch set into the closed curved inner end of the U.

4. A security alarm according to claim 3 wherein the switch is adapted to be actuated by the weight of a rod in the rod support.

5. A security alarm according to any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising tension means to press the rod against the switch actuator.

6. A security alarm according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the rod receiving portion is provided with resilient spring arms, adapted to grip the rod butt.

7. A security alarm according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the switch comprises a spring loaded pressure button encased in a waterproof membrane on its top surface and provided with a lever actuator.

8. A security alarm according to claim 7 wherein the lever includes a rod-engaging tip which is provided with a slip resistant sleeve.

9. A security alarm according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the switch is closed in the first state and open in the second state, and is part of a continuous electrical circuit when the alarm is set, whereby either opening the switch or interrupting the connection between the switch and the alarm signal generator activates the alarm.

10. An alarm set comprising a security alarm according to any preceding claim wherein the means for connecting the alarm signal generator to the switch comprise a length of flexible conductor lead.

11. An alarm set according to claim 10 wherein the alarm signal generator is contained in a control box provided with one or more of a socket for receiving a conductor from a said switch, an on/off switch, an on/off indicator lamp, an alarm device, and a water resistant cover therefor.

12. An alarm set according to claim 10 or claim 11 comprising a plurality of said supports and a plurality of means for connecting each support to the alarm signal generator, in a parallel and functionally independent manner, the alarm signal generator being adapted to generate said alarm signal in response to a switch in any one of the fishing rod supports adopting the second state or upon interruption of the connection to any one of said switches.

13. An alarm set according to any one of claims 10 to 12 wherein the alarm signal generator comprises a power supply, a timer adapted to be triggered by the interruption of a continuous circuit, and an alarm device adapted to give an alarm signal for a time controlled by the timer.

14. An alarm set according to any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein the timer controls the alarm device through a pulser whereby to give an intermittent pulsed alarm signal from the alarm generator.

15. An alarm set according to any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein the alarm device comprises a loudspeaker, a vibrator or a lamp.

16. A security alarm for fishing tackle substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.