Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – Fishing rod reel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-18
2001-09-04
Matecki, Katherine A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
Fishing rod reel
C074S032000, C242S476700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283392
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing reels of the type having an oscillating assembly which reciprocates as line is being retrieved to cause the line to be distributed evenly over the spool.
2. Background Art
Geared oscillating assemblies in fishing reels have been used and, of late, improved, so that retrieved line is distributed quite evenly over a spool. An exemplary system is shown in
FIG. 6
herein on a spinning-type fishing reel at
10
. The reel
10
has a frame
12
on which an operating mechanism at
14
is mounted.
The operating mechanism
14
consists of a rotor assembly
16
with a rotor body
18
having a base portion
20
and diametrically oppositely located ears
22
,
24
projecting forwardly from the base portion
20
.
The rotor body
18
supports a bail assembly at
26
. The bail assembly
26
consists of bail arms
28
,
30
, mounted one each to the rotor ears
22
,
24
, for pivoting about an axis
32
. A bail wire
34
connects fixedly between the bail arms
28
,
30
so that the bail arms
28
,
30
and bail wire
34
move as one piece around the axis
32
. A line guide
36
is mounted at the juncture between one end
38
of the bail wire
34
and the bail arm
28
.
Rotation of the rotor assembly
16
around a fore and aft axis
40
is imparted by an external crank handle
42
. The crank handle
42
drives a face gear
44
around an axis
45
that is orthogonal to the axis
40
. The face gear
44
in turn drives a pinion gear
46
on a shaft
48
that is fixed to the base portion
20
of the rotor body
18
.
A shaft
50
, which carries the face gear
44
, also carries a concentric gear
52
, which is in mesh with an oscillation gear
54
on an oscillating assembly
56
that is part of the operating mechanism
14
. The oscillation gear
54
is mounted to the frame
12
for rotation around an axis
58
that is parallel to the axis
45
of the face gear
44
. The oscillation gear
54
has a laterally projecting pin
60
which is offset from the axis
58
and cooperates with a slotted follower
62
. The follower
62
is fixed to a shaft
64
, which is slidably received within the shaft
48
and connects at its forward region to a line carrying spool
66
. The follower
62
, shaft
64
, and spool
66
move as a unit in the fore and aft direction along the axis
40
.
The follower
62
has a rectangular body
68
with an elongate slot
70
therein extending over the majority of its vertical extent. The slot
70
receives the pin
60
and is dimensioned so that the pin
60
is guidingly movable smoothly, without interference, along the length thereof.
In operation, as the crank handle
42
is advanced by a user in the direction of the arrow
72
, the gear
52
is driven in the direction of the arrow
74
around the axis
45
. This in turn causes the oscillation gear
54
, in mesh therewith, to be driven around the axis
58
in the direction of the arrow
76
. As this occurs, the pin
60
on the oscillation gear
54
bears on a vertical straight edge
78
bounding the slot
70
to drive the follower
62
, and the shaft
64
fixed thereto, rearwardly, i.e, to the left in
FIG. 6
, along the axis
40
. The pin
60
slides vertically downwardly in the slot
70
as the crank handle
42
is operated progressively until realizing the position shown at A. Continued rotation of the gear
54
in the direction of the arrow
76
, with the pin
60
in the A position, causes the pin
60
to bear on the opposite vertical edge
80
bounding the slot
70
. The pin
60
moves progressively downwardly in the slot
70
to the position shown at B. In transition from the A position to the B position, the pin
60
drives the follower
62
and shaft
64
forwardly. Continued rotation causes the pin
60
to bear forwardly on the edge
80
as it moves upwardly from the B position to the C position, at which point the pin
60
bears again against the edge
78
to move the follower
62
and shaft
64
rearwardly until the pin
60
again reaches the A position. Continuous rotation of the crank handle
42
causes the repetitive, reciprocating movement of the follower
62
, shaft
64
, and spool
66
. The distance between the A and C positions represents the “stroke length” for the follower
62
, shaft
64
, and spool
66
.
At the same time as this oscillation is occurring, the face gear
44
, through the pinon gear
46
, is driving the rotor assembly
16
in rotation around the axis
40
. As this occurs, the bail assembly
26
causes line to be wrapped around the reciprocating spool
66
.
In the event that it is desirable to increase the stroke length for the follower
62
, shaft
64
, and spool
66
, the diameter of the gear
54
must be increased, as must the length of the follower
62
and slot
70
. By doing so, the lengthwise and vertical dimensions of the reel
10
necessarily increase, which is undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form, the invention is directed to a fishing reel having a frame and an operating mechanism on the frame. The operating mechanism has a line carrying spool that is movable guidingly and reciprocatingly in a first path in first and second opposite directions, a bail assembly which is rotatable around a first axis to direct line onto the line carrying spool, a drive element that is operable to rotate the bail assembly, and an oscillating assembly. The oscillating assembly is driven by operation of the drive element and thereby causes the line carrying spool to move in the first path. The oscillating assembly has a first gear element that is rotatably driven by operation of the drive element around a second axis that is transverse to the first axis and a second gear element that is in mesh with the first gear element. The second gear element extends both a) in the first direction beyond the second axis and b) in the second direction beyond the second axis as the fishing reel is operated.
In one form, the line carrying spool is moveable in the first path along a first line that is coincident with the first axis.
The first axis may be substantially orthogonal to the second axis.
The second gear element may have a first line of gear teeth.
In one form, the first line of gear teeth extends along a line that is substantially parallel to the first axis.
The second gear element may have a second line of gear teeth spaced from the first line of gear teeth.
In one form, the first line of gear teeth and second line of gear teeth each extend along a line that is substantially parallel to the first axis.
In one form, the first and second lines of gear teeth are connected by an arm so that the arm and first and second lines of gear teeth cooperatively define a U shape.
In one form, the first gear element has an array of teeth that repetitively engages and disengages the first line of gear teeth as the first gear element rotates around the second axis.
The array of gear teeth may extend in a curved path around the second axis through less than 360° around the second axis.
In one form, the array of teeth around the first gear element alternatingly a) engages the first line of gear teeth and disengages the first line of gear teeth and b) engages the second line of gear teeth and disengages the second line of gear teeth as the first gear element rotates around the second axis. The first gear element engaged with the first line of gear teeth causes the line carrying spool to move in the first direction in the first path as the first drive gear is rotated in one direction around the second axis. The first gear element engaged with the second line of gear teeth causes the line carrying spool to move in the second direction in the first path as the first drive gear is rotated in the one direction around the second axis.
In one form, the gear element has an array of gear teeth that extend through less than approximately 180° around the second axis.
The drive element may be a crank handle that is engageable by a user and rotatable about an axis parallel to the second axis.
In one form, the axis about which the crank handle i
Brunswick Corporation
Matecki Katherine A.
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
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