Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Line-attached bodies – hooks and rigs
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-02-20
Rowan, Kurt (Department: 3643)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Line-attached bodies, hooks and rigs
C043S044820
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189257
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To increase the chance of catching a large number of fish or other seafood, fisherman sometimes attach multiple hooks onto a single line. The use of multiple hooks has largely been restricted to bait fishing (still fishing) and often required tying several individual hooks to a fishline. Such hooks were in many instances initially tied to short leads, with such leads then being tied to the fishline. Such an arrangement was cumbersome and time consuming.
In sport fishing (cast & retrieve) the use of multiple hooks has largely been neglected inasmuch as in the past, no practical arrangement existed for permitting the fisherman to secure multiple lures to the fishline in an arrangement that prevents such multiple lures from becoming entangled with one another or with weeds and obstructions.
One of the more common ways of connecting one hook to another hook in accordance with the teachings of the prior art involved the use of a rubber tube or a coil spring that is wrapped about the hooks, such as in the manner illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,700,242 and 3,082,563. However, the use of an additional element such as the rubber tube or coil spring for connection has proven to be undesirable in that the tube or spring is difficult to apply and contributes to undesirable clutter and inconvenience. Connectors of this type also have the deficiency of allowing the hook or hooks to move relative to each other in a twisting or sliding motion, as well as the deficiency of permitting one or more of the hooks to get easily snagged or hung up on branches or the like while in the water.
Connectors that do not require additional elements to connect one hook to another include, for example, those illustrated in French Patent No. 1,085,713 to Barreras, which relies on a permanent connection between a leading hook and a trailer hook. A permanent connection has proved to be too restrictive in that there are many situations where it is desirable to remove the trailer hook from the leading hook. For example, a fisherman using a trailer hook system may get a catch on the trailer hook and instead of removing the hook from the catch, will want to detach the trailer hook from the leading hook. By keeping the hook in the catch, it is easier to connect the catch to a fish stringer or the like.
The Porth U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,242 entitled “BAIT HARNESS” shows a multiple hook array, but such an arrangement is complicated and expensive, and is not functional for the purposes of the instant invention.
The Chilton U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,291 entitled “TRAILER HOOK SYSTEM” shows a multiple hook arrangement in which the eye of one hook, identified as the trailer hook, engages the curved portion of the leading hook, with this arrangement preventing undue twisting and sliding of the hooks relative to one another. However, the Chilton arrangement makes no provision for the lures placed on such hooks to reside in a horizontally disposed, essentially lifelike attitude.
The Clark U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,364 entitled “FISHHOOK” reveals a fishhook with what is described as a “return bend” portion designed to resist the sliding of gelatinous lures along the shank of the hook, but the Clark patent teaches nothing regarding the use of multiple hooks clustered in a tangle-free arrangement.
It was in an effort to provide a distinct improvement over these prior art devices that the present arrangement was evolved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention I have provided a novel fishhook adapted to be used in a hook array, with each fishhook of the array being individually mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the hook disposed thereabove, with this arrangement being such as to minify the chance of entanglement with weeds or trash. My novel hook bears a relationship to the basic fishhook forming the subject of the now-allowed patent application Ser. No. 09/211,488 entitled “WEEDLESS HOOK AND LURE HAVING LURE INTERCHANGABILITY” in that the instant hook is of generally triangular configuration, having an eye from which the hook is to be supported. Both the earlier hook design as well as the instant hook design involve a substantially straight upper shank portion commencing at the eye of the hook and extending at an angle downwardly and forwardly from the eye, as well as an integral lower, lure-receiving shank portion adapted to receive a lure intended to reside in a generally horizontally disposed attitude. The upper and lower shank portions meet in a curved forward shoulder portion of small radius so as to form an acute angle, such that the lower shank portion is able to reside in the desired generally horizontal position when the hook is suspended from the eye and a lure has been inserted upon such lower shank portion with the head of the lure residing close to the curved forward shoulder portion.
The end of the lower shank of each hook remote from the curved forward shoulder portion has a curved, upturned portion terminating in a point. Typically a barb is utilized adjacent the point of the upturned portion, with such point being directed toward and in substantial alignment with the eye. The point on this upturned portion is intended to protrude from a rear location of a lure inserted onto the lower shank.
Despite the distinct similarities between the basic hook forming the subject of my already-allowed patent application and the instant hook, it is important to understand that the instant hook differs quite significantly from the earlier hook. The distinctive portion of the instant hook involves the utilization of a relatively small loop formed in the lower shank portion of the hook, which loop is adapted to closely receive the eye of a like hook that is to be suspended below the lower shank portion. This loop or open ended eye is generally circular and preferably disposed in a plane that includes the upper and lower shank portions. To be noted is the fact that the relatively small, preformed loop is located in a forward part of the lower shank portion, being disposed closer to the curved forward shoulder portion of the hook than to the upturned portion that terminates in the point. Because of this forward placement of the generally circular loop on the lower shank, each lower hook of the vertically clustered array is caused to be located slightly forward of the hook from which it is suspended.
With regard to both the earlier hook as well as the instant hook, it is to be noted that the radius of curvature of the upturned portion adjacent the point is preferably closely similar to the radius of curvature of the curved forward shoulder portion, and the angle at the forward shoulder portion between the upper and the lower shank portions is in the range of 40° to 70°.
With further regard to the instant hook designed for use in a clustered array, in the preferred instance a plurality of these novel fishhooks is adapted to be used such that each fishhook of the array is individually mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the hook thereabove, thus to be able to avoid entanglement with weeds or trash. Each of the hooks is of generally triangular configuration and has an eye from which the hook may be supported, with each hook further having a substantially straight upper shank portion and a lower, lure-receiving shank portion integral with the upper shank portion, with the upper and lower shank portions of each hook meeting in a curved forward shoulder portion of small radius so as to form an acute angle, such that the lower shank portion is able to reside in a generally horizontal position when the hook is suspended from the eye and a lure has been inserted upon the lower shank portion. Because of the relatively small, generally circular loop formed in the lower shank portion of each hook, it may readily receive the eye of a like hook to be suspended below the lower shank portion. The relatively small, generally circular loop of each hook is preferably disposed in a plane that includes the upper and lower shank portions.
It is to be noted that the effective support location for each hoo
Renfro, Esq. Julian C.
Rowan Kurt
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