Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Automatic hookers or catchers
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-18
2003-07-22
Poon, Peter M (Department: 3643)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Automatic hookers or catchers
C043S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06594940
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fish hooking device which is triggered in response to a fishing line being pulled.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,269 discloses a fish hooking device for automatically setting the hook in a fish after the fish takes the bait. The fish hooking device includes a base, a receiving tube for receiving a fishing rod, an adjustable spring mount, and a trigger mount. A spring is connected between the receiving tube and the adjustable spring mount. The trigger mount is configured to connect the receiving tube so as to hold the receiving tube in a “cocked” position against the tension of the spring. When a fish takes the bait with a force sufficient to move the fishing rod and the receiving tube forward against the spring, the trigger mount will disengage. When the trigger mount is disengaged, the spring tension acts on the receiving tube in a backward direction so as to cause the fishing rod to be pulled backward against the pull of the fish, thereby setting the hook in the fish.
A disadvantage of the fish hooking device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,269 is that the spring connected between the receiving tube and the adjustable spring mount must have a rather small spring constant because the fish must be able to trigger the fish hooking device by pulling against the spring force. The small spring constant of the spring means that the force that pulls the fishing rod in the backward direction is rather small and may be even be too small to set the hook in the fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,332 discloses a fish hooking device with a fishing rod holder that is hinged mounted on a top side of a base support member. A trigger mechanism is provided to release the cocked fishing rod holder so that the fishing rod holder may swing upwardly in order to hook the fish. The coil spring may be adjusted to control the force acting to rotate the fishing rod upwardly and to control the force required to release the trigger.
The fish hooking device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,332 has the disadvantage that the coil spring must have a small spring constant because the fish triggers the fish hooking device by pulling against the force of the coil spring. The small spring constant results in a small pulling force for pulling the fishing rod upwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,178 discloses fish hooking device which supports a fishing rod and is triggered in response to a fish jerking on the fishing line. The fish hooking device includes a support member which pivotally carries on its end portion a second member which supports a rod holder. A spring biases the second member in a predetermined pivotal direction for setting the hook in the fish's mouth. A trigger which is mounted on the support member maintains the second member in a predetermined pivotal position by counteracting the forces applied to the second member by the spring. The trigger releases the second member responsive to a fish jerking on the fishing rod such that the tension spring assembly thereby sets the hook in the fish's mouth. U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,178 also has the disadvantage, that the force required to trigger the fish hooking device and the force for setting the hook is substantially equal because these forces are generated by the same spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,868 discloses a fish hooking device which is triggered in response to a tug or pull on the fishing line. The fishing line is looped around a pivotable latch element. In response to a pull on the fishing line, the latch element pivots and triggers the fish hooking device such that the fish hooking device moves from a cocked position to a released position. A disadvantage of this fish hooking device is that the fishing line has to be looped around the latch element and around a further element prior to being ready for operation. Further fish hooking devices that operate by looping the fishing line around triggering elements of the fish hooking device are for example described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,804,277, 5,245,778, 2,744,351, 5,076,001, 2,918,746, and 4,730,408. The operation of such fish hooking devices is generally complicated and the fishing line or the fishing rod may be damaged when these fish hooking devices are triggered because the fishing line does not run in its usual path along the fishing rod. In particular, a monofilament fishing line attached to the trigger mechanism may be damaged as a result of the triggering operation. A further disadvantage of these fishing-line triggered devices is that the looping of the fishing line results in a slack in the fishing line immediately after the triggering. This slack in the fishing line may have the result that the fishing line gets tangled upon triggering the fish hooking device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a fish hooking device which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known fish hooking devices of this general type and which can provide a sufficient force for pulling in the fishing rod and which provides a reliable and simple operation.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a fish hooking device, including:
a fishing rod holder pivotably mounted such that the fishing rod holder is pivotable about a first pivot axis and pivotable about a second pivot axis substantially parallel to the first pivot axis;
the fishing rod holder having a cocked position and a released position, the fishing rod holder pivoting about the first pivot axis when moving between the cocked position and the released position;
a trigger device connected to the fishing rod holder, the trigger device being configured to hold the fishing rod holder in the cocked position;
the fishing rod holder triggering the trigger device when pivoting about the second pivot axis, the trigger device allowing the fishing rod holder to move from the cocked position into the released position when being triggered; and
an elastic element connected to the fishing rod holder, the elastic element moving the fishing rod holder from the cocked position to the released position, when the trigger device is triggered.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the elastic element exerts a first force on the fishing rod holder when the fishing rod holder is in the cocked position; and the fishing rod holder pivots about the second pivot axis when a second force, which is smaller than the first force, is exerted on the fishing rod holder. The force for pulling in the fishing rod can advantageously be set to be much greater than the force required for triggering the fish hooking device.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, a first end of a hinged plate is hinged connected to a base plate at the first pivot axis; and the fishing rod holder is pivotably mounted to the hinged plate at the second pivot axis.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the trigger device includes a first hook attached to the base plate and a second hook attached to the hinged plate; the first hook and the second hook engage one another when the fishing rod holder is in the cocked position; and the first hook and the second hook are disengaged from one another when the trigger device is triggered.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the trigger device includes a cable having a first cable end attached to the hinged plate and a second cable end attached to the second hook; and at least one cable guide is disposed on the fishing rod holder, the cable is guided by the at least one cable guide.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the at least one cable guide is at least one pulley and/or at least one eyelet.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the fishing rod holder is a tubular device.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the elastic element is a coil spring.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention,
a first support (hinged plate) is provided and the fishing rod holde
Greenberg Laurence A.
Mayback Gregory L.
Olszewski Joan M.
Poon Peter M
Stemer Werner H.
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