GB2313029A - Fishing rod support means - Google Patents

Abstract

Support means, especially for use in supporting a fishing rod on the bank of a river or lake, comprising at least one hub (12) and a plurality of legs (16, 18) secured thereto and extending therefrom. The hub (12) comprises at least two parts (34, 36) (Fig.6) held together by securing means (70) which are operable to enable the two parts (34, 36) to be displaced from one another. They are so formed that respective ends (46) of the legs (16, 18) can each be clamped by the hub (12) selectively in one of two positions, in one of which the legs (16, 18) are substantially parallel to one another for storage and in the other of which the legs (16, 18) diverge from one another. The clamping of the legs (16, 18) in each position is effected by tightening the securing means (70), and a changing of the position of the legs (16, 18) being effected by releasing the securing means (70), changing the position of the legs (16, 18), and then re-tightening the securing means (70).

Description

Support means The present invention relates to support means, especially for use in supporting a fishing rod on the bank of a river or lake.

Hitherto, such support means have comprised a plurality of legs secured to a hub, first attachment means by which each leg can be fixed in position relative to the hub so that they diverge therefrom, and second attachment means which enable the legs to be secured to the hub in such a manner that the legs lie substantially parallel to one another for storage.

A disadvantage of such an arrangement is the independent securing of each leg in position which takes time and trouble, and also the number of separate parts which have to be made to effect such securing for each section.

The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.

According to the present invention there is provided support means comprising a hub and a plurality of legs secured thereto and extending therefrom, wherein the hub comprises at least two parts held together by securing means which are operable to enable the two parts to be displaced from one another, the two parts being so formed that respective ends of the legs can each be clamped by the hub selectively in one of two positions, in one of which the legs are substantially parallel to one another for storage and in the other of which the legs diverge from one another, the clamping of the legs in each position being effected by tightening the securing means, and a changing of the position of the legs being effected by releasing the securing means, changing the position of the legs, and then re-tightening the securing means.

Preferably, the support means have two such hubs connected to respective ends of a cross-bar.

In that case, it is desirable for each hub to be provided with two legs.

In addition to the legs, each hub may be provided with a bank stick which can also be held by the hub in a position which is either parallel with the legs or extending away from the hub, and from the legs as well. In this arrangement, when the legs and the bank sticks are fully extended for use, the cross-bar extends horizontally, the bank sticks extend vertically upwardly from the hub and the legs extend downwardly on a slant in such a manner that the legs of each hub slant downwardly and away from one another in a direction away from the hub to the ground, and such that each pair of legs extends away from the other pair.

In one preferred form of the support means, an end of each leg is pivoted to the hub, and abutment portions are provided on the hub to hold the leg in the respective different positions.

It is desirable to have the securing means in the form of a hand-wheel to which is connected a screw-threaded member extending through the two parts of the hub so that rotation of the hand-wheel enables the two parts of the hub to be displaced from one another.

Resilient means may be positioned between the two parts of the hub to urge them apart so that when the securing means are slackened by rotation of the wheel, the resilient means are able to push the two parts of the hub away from one another. Preferably these resilient means comprise one or more helical compression springs.

An example of support means made in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view to one side and from one end of the support means in an erect condition ready for use; Figure 2 shows a side view of the support means shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an end view of the support means shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a side view of the support means in a folded-up condition ready for storage; Figure 5 shows, on a larger scale, one of the hubs of the support means in which two parts of the hub are displaced from one another; Figure 6 shows an exploded view of the hub shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 shows an exploded view of the hub as shown in Figure 6 in a partially assembled condition; and Figures 8 to 10 show plan views of respective components of the hub shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Figures 1 to 4 show a fishing rod support comprising a tubular cross-bar 10 having two hubs 12, one at each end, each hub having two legs 16 and 18 extending slanting downwardly from the hub 12 towards the ground. The two legs 16 and 18 of each hub 12 are splayed apart from one another, and also, as shown more clearly in Figure 2, each pair of legs are splayed apart from one another. Each leg 16 or 18 has a pointed foot 19 for a firm engagement with the ground. Extending upwardly from each hub 12 is a bank stick 20 at the top of which there is provided a telescopic adjustment 22 which can be made fast with the bank stick 22 by means of a screw-threaded member 24 which has a knurled head. On top of the .telescopic adjustment 22, there is provided a rod support holder 26. The left-hand side bank stick 20, viewing the support as in Figure 1, is slightly longer than the right-hand side bank stick 20.

By means of the telescopic adjustment means 22, the height of the rod support holder can be adjusted. Each leg 16 or 18 also has telescopic adjustment means 28 by which the effective length of the leg can be adjusted. The telescopic adjustment means 28 is provided with a screwthreaded member 30 to secure the leg 16 or 18 at the desired length. The screw-threaded member 30 also has a knurled head.

Each hub is provided on the side opposite to the cross-bar 10 with a hand-wheel 32 by means of which the legs and the bank sticks may be folded-up against the cross-bar 10 for storage purposes. The precise manner in which this is achieved will now be described with reference to Figures 5 to 10.

The hub shown in Figures 5 to 10 comprises two generally disk-shaped aluminium die-cast moulded parts 34 and 36. The inner of these parts 34, being the part to which the cross-bar 10 is secured, is provided with a spigot 38 (shown more clearly in Figure 6) which is inserted into one end of the tubular cross-bar 10 to secure the hub 12 to the cross-bar 10.

The inner part 34 is formed with three slots 40 spaced apart around its periphery approximately equiangularly, that is to say at angular spacings of about 120 . Each slot is open to the two main faces of the disk-shaped part 34 and also is opened at the periphery thereof. However, it is blind at its inner end. Furthermore, it is formed with a shoulder 42 on the inner side of the hub part, at the blind end of the slot 40.

On the outer side of the hub part 34, the latter is provided with three pairs of channels 44. The channels 44 of each pair are on opposite sides of an associated slot 40, extend transversely of the slot at opposite sides thereof, and open out on to the slot at a position between the shoulder 42 and the periphery of the inner hub part 34.

An inner end 46 of each leg 16 and 18 and bank stick 20 has a rounded tip 48 which is therefore hemispherical, and just inwardly of the tip 48 is provided with two transverse trunnions 50 extending outwardly on opposite sides of the end 46 of the leg 16 or 18 or bank stick 20.

These trunnions 50 are received within the channels 44 of the hub part 34. Thereby, the leg 16 or 18 or bank stick 20 is pivotally attached to the hub 12. In order to capture each end 46 of each leg 16 and 18 and bank stick 20, a circular metal plate 52 is secured by means of screws 54 to the outer main face of the inner part 34 of the hub 12. The plate 52 is also provided with three slots 56 corresponding in position and location to the slots 40 of the part 34, so that whilst both portions of the inner end 46 of each leg 16 or 18 or bank stick 20 are able to project outwardly through the slots 40 and 56 of the part 34 and the plate 52 respectively, the trunnions 50 cannot escape from the channels 44.

The part 34 is further provided with three locating spigots 58 which extend outwardly from the outer main face of the part 34 through respective holes 60 in the plate 52 and are received in associated blind holes 62 which extend inwardly into the outer part 36 of the hub 12 from its inner main face. Three helical compression springs 63 are threaded respectively onto the three spigots 58, and urge the two parts 34 and 36 away from one another.

In addition, the inner main face of the outer hub part 36 is provided with channels 64 which extend inwardly from the periphery of the part 36, and which are approximately equiangularly spaced therearound so as to be in registration with the slots 40 of the inner part 34. The width of the channel 64 is substantially equal to the diameter of the inner end 46 of the leg 16 or 18, and the cross-section of each channel 64 is semi-circular. At a position roughly half-way between the inner blind end of each channel 64 and the periphery of the part 36, there is a recess 66 which is generally hemispherical and snugly receives the tip 48 of the inner end 46 of each leg 16 and 18 and bank stick 20.

The hand-wheel 34 is provided with an axially extending screw-threaded rod 70 which extends through central holes in the parts 34 and 36 and the plate 52. The central hole of the part 34 is internally screw-threaded to engage the screw-threading of the rod 70.

With the fishing rod support in the folded-up condition, as shown in Figure 4, it can be readily rearranged to the erected condition, as shown in Figure 1, by anti-clockwise turning of each hand-wheel 34 so as to release its clamping effect on the two parts 34 and 36 of each hub 12. The parts 34 and 36 therefore separate automatically under the action of the springs 63. Then each leg 16 and 18 and each bank stick 20 can be swung outwardly about their trunnions 50 until the inner tip 48 of each leg 16 or 18 and bank stick 20 abuts its associated shoulder 42. In that position, the wheel 34 is now turned clockwise to tighten its clamping effect on the parts 34 and 36 so that the end 46 of each leg 16 and 18 and bank stick 20 is now also abutted by the base of the associated channel 64 and by the shoulder 42 of the associated slot 40. This holds it firmly in a positively locked manner in its outwardly extending position.

After use, to fold-up the legs and bank sticks once more ready for storage, the hand-wheel 34 is rotated anticlockwise to slacken its hold on the parts 34 and 36, the legs and the bank sticks are all folded-up towards the cross-bar 10, and the hand-wheels 34 are turned clockwise to tighten their clamping effect on the parts 34 and 36.

In this new condition, each tip 48 of each leg and bank stick is received and held in its associated recess 66 in the outer part 36 of the hub 12.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing illustrated construction facilitates one-handed operation by the user to change the support means from an erect condition to a folded-up condition, and vice versa.

It will also be appreciated that many variations and alterations will occur to the reader without taking the illustrated embodiment outside the scope of the present invention. For example, one conceivable form of the invention would have no cross-bar 10, only one hub 12, and the bank stick 20 thereof replaced by another leg so that the support means constitutes a tripod.

The plate 52 may be made of a synthetic plastics material instead of metal.

Instead of the hand-wheel 32 and screw-threaded rod 70 for the securing means, there may be provided a quickrelease pivoted lever having a cam at its pivot end to effect clamping together of the parts 34 and 36.

Claims (9)

Claims:

1. Support means comprising at least one hub and a plurality of legs secured thereto and extending therefrom, wherein the or each hub comprises at least two parts held together by securing means which are operable to enable the two parts to be displaced from one another, the two parts being so formed that respective ends of the legs can each be clamped by the hub selectively in one of two positions, in one of which the legs are substantially parallel to one another for storage and in the other of which the legs diverge from one another, the clamping of the legs in each position being effected by tightening the securing means, and a changing of the position of the legs being effected by releasing the securing means, changing the position of the legs, and then re-tightening the securing means.

2. Support means according to claim 1, having two such hubs connected to respective ends of a cross-bar.

3. Support means according to claim 2, in which each hub is provided with two legs.

4. Support means according to claim 3, in which each hub is provided with a bank stick which can also be held by the hub in a position which is either (a) parallel with the legs or (b) extending away from the hub, and from the legs as well.

5. Support means according to any preceding claim, in which an end of each leg is pivoted to the hub, and abutment portions are provided on the hub to hold the leg in the respective different positions.

6. Support means according to any preceding claim, in which the securing means are in the form of a hand-wheel to which is connected a screw-threaded member extending through the two parts of the hub so that rotation of the hand-wheel enables the two parts of the hub to be displaced from one another.

7. Support means according to claim 6, in which resilient means are positioned between the two parts of the hub to urge them apart so that when the securing means are slackened by rotation of the wheel, the resilient means are able to push the two parts of the hub away from one another.

8. Support means according to claim 7, in which the resilient means comprise one or more helical compression springs.

9. Support means comprising at least one hub and a plurality of legs secured thereto, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.