GB2294088A

GB2294088A - Lockable swivel joint

Info

Publication number: GB2294088A
Application number: GB9420447A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Craig Leslie Middleton
Original assignee: MIDDY TACKLE INT Ltd
Current assignee: MIDDY TACKLE INT Ltd
Priority date: 1994-10-11
Filing date: 1994-10-11
Publication date: 1996-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-11
Also published as: GB9420447D0; GB2294088B

Abstract

In a lockable swivel joint for connecting two components, preferably of a fishing rod rest or a keepnet, comprising means associated with one component for movably and lockably supporting means associated with the other component in any one of a number of angular positions, the locking means are biassed by manually-releasable means into a locking condition. In the illustrated embodiment, an operating pin extending through an annular part of a support 22 for a rod rest 10 is non-rotatably mounted within a bracket 18 and biassed by a compression spring 53 into a locking position wherein lugs 54 on the pin engage selected grooves 44 of the annular part of the support 22. The pin includes an externally accessible push-button 48 which requires only a small amount of finger pressure to release the locking of the support 22, whereby the rod rest can be moved easily to a desired angular position relative to a stake 12. Release of the push-button enables the pin to move back to a locking condition. <IMAGE>

Description

Locking Apparatus This invention relates to apparatus for releasably locking components together, particularly to apparatus adapted to lock one component in any of a number of angular positions relative to another component, the apparatus being suitable for use with fishing equipment and fishing rod rests in particular.

Many anglers, particularly in competitions, find it is necessary to have supports or rests for the rod which is in use at the time of the competition. Rod rests are available which comprise a stake for driving into the ground, the stake mounting a bracket at its upper end in which a rod rest support can be pivotally mounted. The support can be moved to any angular position on the bracket and is retained in the desired position by the friction between the bracket and the support. Such an arrangement can be unreliable, particularly after some wear and tear, and any resultant undesired movement of the rod support and thus the rod rest can create problems, particularly in competitive fishing.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for releasably locking components together, the apparatus comprising means which can be associated with one of the components and which is adapted to movably support means which can be associated with the other of the components, means for locking the movable means to the support means in any selected one of a plurality of angular positions, means for biassing the locking means into a locking condition, and means for manually releasing the locking means from the locking condition whereby to enable the movable means to be moved to any other selected angular position.

Preferably the locking means is located within the support means and the manual release means is accessible from externally of the support means. The locking means may include an operating pin, one end of which is externally accessible to provide the manual release means in the form of a push button.

The operating pin may extend through a pair of spaced legs on the support means and through an aligned aperture in the movable means, the latter being provided with a plurality of grooves, and a section of the operating pin being provided with at least one lug for engagement in the selected one of the grooves when the operating pin is in the locking condition. The biassing means may be in the form of a compression spring operatively engageable with an end of the operating pin opposite the push button end. The movable means preferably has a plurality of radially extending grooves, and the operating pin may have a pair of diametrically opposed lugs. The lug mounting section of the operating pin may be profiled to locate in a correspondingly profiled bore in the support means, whereby to prevent rotation of the operating pin.

Preferably the spacing between the legs of the support means, and the dimensions of the various components, are such that the movable means is a close fit within the defined space.

Alternatively, the operating pin mounts the movable means whereby to move therewith, at least one locking lug being provided on the support means whereby to engage in the selected groove of the movable means when the operating pin is moved to the locking condition.

The invention further provides fishing equipment having a releasable locking apparatus as described in any of the five preceding paragraphs.

The fishing equipment may comprise a fishing rod rest or a keep net.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view df an apparatus according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a mounting bracket of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of an operating pin for a locking arrangement of the apparatus; Fig. 4 is an end view of the pin of Fig. 3 in the direction of arrow A; Fig. 5 is an end view of a movable component of the apparatus; and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 2 but showing other components installed.

Referring to the drawings, a fishing rod rest 10 has a stake 12 arranged to have its pointed end (not shown) driven into the ground, and having an internally threaded bore 14 in its upper end for receiving an externally threaded projection 1 6 on a lower end of a support bracket 18. The latter mounts a rod rest support in the form of an arcuate elongate member 20 having a centrally positioned mounting leg 22 and having inturned ends between which extends a flexible rest tube 24. The elongate member 20 may be formed of a rigid plastics material, while the rest tube 24 may be formed of a nonrigid plastics material. The leg 22 is movably mounted on the bracket 18 as hereinafter described.

The bracket 18 is preferably formed of a moulded plastics material, having a base section 26 and a pair of spaced apart upstanding legs 28, 30 (Fig. 2). The leg 28 has a width greater than the leg 30 and is formed with a profiled through bore 32. The latter has an outer part 34 of circular cross-section and an inner part 36 of hexagonal cross-section, for a purpose hereinafter described. The leg 30 has a through aperture 38 of circular cross-section.

The support leg 22 (Fig. 5) is mounted at one end on the elongate member 20 and at its other end is formed with an annular part 40 which thereby provides a through aperture 42. On one side face of the annular part 40 there is formed a plurality of radially extending grooves 44, the latter facing towards the leg 28 when the support 22 is positioned relative to the bracket 18 with the annular part 40 in the space defined between the legs 28, 30. The thickness of the annular part 40, relative to the width of the spacing between the legs 28, 30, is such that the annular part 40 is a close fit within the bracket 18.

For releasable locking of the support leg 22 to the bracket 18, and therefore to the stake 12, there is provided an arrangement including an operating pin 46 (Figs. 3 and 4) which is housed within the bracket 18.

The pin 46 has a first part of circular cross-section defining a push button 48, for a purpose hereinafter described, and a second part 50 of hexagonal cross-section greater than the section of the push button 48, the latter extending from one side of the hexagonal part 50. On the other side of the latter is provided a further part 52 of circular cross-secton providing a location for one end of a compression spring 53 (Fig. 6). The pin 46 is inserted in the bracket 18 from externally thereof through the profiled bore 32 with the push button 48 foremost. The support leg 22 is firstly positioned within the spacing between the legs 28, 30, with the through aperture 42 aligned with the through aperture 38 in the leg 30. The push button 48 locates through the aligned apertures 42, 38 to enable the hexagonal section 50 of the operating pin 46 to locate in the section 36 of the profiled bore 32 (see Fig. 6). The compression spring 53 is then located on the section 52 and a tapper lock bung 55 is fitted into the section 34 of the profiled bore 32 to retain the operating pin 46 and spring 53 in position. The spring 53 biasses the pin 46 towards the leg 30 to the extent that the push button 48 is normally accessible externally of the leg 30.

On the face of the hexagonal section 50 of the pin 46 from which the push button 48 extends, there are also formed a pair of diametrically opposed lugs 54. The latter are dimensioned such that, in the normally biassed condition of the operating pin 46 (Fig. 6), the lugs 54 engage in an opposed pair of the grooves 44 in the annular part 40 of the support leg 22. This engagement positively locks the support leg 22 relative to the bracket 18. To change the angular position of the support leg 22 in the bracket 18, the fisherman can apply pressure by means of a finger or thumb on the accessible end of the push button 48, to move the operating pin 46 against the spring bias. The hexagonal section 50 moves in the bore 36 away from the leg 30 and the lugs 54 are moved out of engagement with the grooves 44.The support leg 22 can then be moved as required, and release of the push button 48 will cause the spring to move the lugs 54 back towards the annular part 40 and into the nearest pair of grooves 44.

The rod support can therefore be locked in any desired angular position by easily applied hand pressure, the design being such that the support leg is closely adjacent respective inner sides of the legs 28, 30 of the bracket 18, whereby to substantially prevent ingress of dirt etc., which could otherwise file the operation. Only a small amount of finger pressure is required which therefore provides a considerable advantage to the fishermen in that there is no need for any nuts, bolts, screws or wing nuts, therefore no need for any tightening tools. Even finger tightening of wing nuts or the like presents problems to fishermen, because of the often wet and cold environment, and also the time required where competitive fishing is involved.

All moving parts are substantially enclosed to reduce or eliminate the effect of weather.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the rod support leg may be fixed to the operating pin, in which case the pin is not provided with the locking lugs but rather the latter are formed as part of the bracket.

Movement of the push button effects lateral movement of the annular part of the support leg, and therefore movement of the grooves therein, into and out of locking engagement with the lugs.

The invention may find application for other fishing equipment, such as a keep net.

The invention may find application with existing equipment, such as a rod rest wherein the support leg is a friction f.t within a bracket adapted to be screw threaded onto the internally threaded upper end of the stake. An intermediate crmponent is then provided, which has the design of the support leg 22 as described above, but which has the end remote from the annular part not connected to any other component but having an internally threaded recess. Within that recess can be located an externally threaded part of the bracket of an existing rod rest design. As it is not then necessary for the rod rest of the existing design to be movable relative to the existing bracket, these two components can be locked together and moved relative to the bracket 18 for angular adjustment, as described above.

Various other modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, the shape and configuration of the various components may differ from those described and shown, and, in particular, the rod rest may be of any other desired configuration.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing Specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. Apparatus for releasably locking components together, the apparatus comprising means which can be associated with one of the components and which is adapted to movably support means which can be associated with the other of the components, means for locking the movable means to the support means in any selected one of a plurality of angular positions, means for biassing the locking means into a locking condition, and means for manually releasing the locking means from the locking condition whereby to enable the movable means to be moved to any other selected angular position.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the locking means is located within the support means and the manual release means is accessible from externally of the support means.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking means includes an operating pin, one end of which is externally accessible to provide the manual release means in the form of a push button.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the operating pin extends through a pair of spaced legs on the support means and through an aligned aperture in the movable means.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the movable means is provided with a plurality of grooves, and a section of the operating pin is provided with at least one lug for engagement in the selected one of the grooves when the operating pin is in the locking condition.

6. Apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 5, wherein the movable means has a plurality of radially extending grooves, and the operating pin has a pair of diametrically opposed lugs.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the lug providing section of the operating pin is profiled to locate in a correspondingly profiled bore in the support means, whereby to prevent rotation of the operating pin.

8. Apparatus according any of Claims 3 to 7, wherein the biassing means is in the form of a compression spring operatively engageable with an end of the operating pin opposite the push button end.

9. Apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 8, wherein the spacing between the legs of the support means, and the dimensions of the various components, are such that the movable means is a close fit within the defined space.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the operating pin mounts the movable means whereby to move therewith, and the movable means is provided with a plurality of grooves, at least one locking lug being provided on the support means whereby to engage in the selected one of the grooves of the movable means when the operating pin is moved to the locking condition.

11. A device for use in fishing, having a releasable locking apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims.

12. A device according to Claim 11, including a functional component and a supporting component therefor, the support means of the locking apparatus being connectable to the supporting component and the movable means of the locking apparatus mounting the functional component.

13. A device according to Claim 12, wherein the functional component is a fishing rod rest.

14. A device according to Claim 12, wherein the functional component is a keep net.

15. Apparatus for releasably locking components together, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A device for use in fishing, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding Claims.