Supports – Staff type – Bracket
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-02
2004-01-06
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Staff type
Bracket
C248S534000, C248S540000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672559
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device designed to retain a fishing pole in an upright position proximate to the railing of a watercraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fishing is one of the most popular activities in the United States. Typically fisherman use a pole to cast a line into the water where bait attached to the line lures fish. The bait is attached to a hook that will grip a fish when they attempt to bite the bait. The fisherman then uses a reel attached to the pole to pull back said line and said fish attached thereto. Frequently fishermen spend several hours during this activity. There are times when the user needs to release the pole to use their hands in other tasks or simply to rest them. There are several reasons why a holder for the fishing pole would be extremely convenient in this instance. Firstly, the line on fishing poles can become easily entangled when a pole is set down on the ground. The hook attached to the line is sharp and can cause injury. Having a holder mounted out of the way and upright would prevent either of these difficulties. A holder of this type should be easily mounted and retrieved. Secondly fishermen often like to leave their line in the water for long period of times to attract fish to the bait. A holder should be mountable so that the user can mount the pole in the holder and the pole will be held in a position where the line can remain cast into the water.
Many of the inventions that exist in the prior art incorporate permanent mounting mechanisms. This is defective since the device would be limited to use at one location rather then any point on the boat or on multiple boats. None of the inventions in the prior art that comprise a removable mounting mechanism are designed to accommodate a watercraft railing. Many watercrafts comprise a two rail railing design that extends around the perimeter. A convenient device would be specifically designed to mount onto this railing and hold a fishing pole in a position in which it can maintain a cast.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,259 to Lester A. Reynolds discloses a fishing rod holder that comprises a permanently mounted bracket. A holder is attached to a cleat that slides into the bracket. The bracket and cleat design of this invention would not have the convenient remountable design of the present invention. In addition the bracket is mounted using a plurality of bolts passing into a fixture on a boat. This can be problematic with many modem railings since they often are made of metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,458 to Larry C. Wagner is an alternate design for a fishing pole holder that also uses a permanently attached mechanism. In this invention a base that comprises a bracket similar to the Reynolds '259 patent is permanently attached to a fixture on a boat. The abovementioned deficiencies of a permanent mechanism apply here. In addition the holder design of the Wagner '458 design departs greatly from the present invention. No base exists in the Wagner '458 design. In addition the Wagner '458 design requires several parts that would be more expensive to produce and would be susceptible to wear and tear causing the holder to malfunction over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,441 to Baynard et al. comprises a mounting mechanism that is permanently screwed into a fixture on a boat. The holder is then attached to said mounting mechanism by a threaded bolt design. The abovementioned deficiencies of a permanent mechanism apply here. The holder illustrated here departs greatly from the present invention. No base exists in the Baynard '441 design. In addition the Baynard '441 design holds the rod in a less desirable horizontal position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,479 to Bo Suter and U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,798 to Anthony S. Schmitt U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,798 are the only prior art inventions that disclose a nonpermanent mounting mechanism. The designs of these mechanisms comprise a c-clamp design that provides a base upon which is mounted a fishing pole holder. This design is not as uniquely suited to railings as the present invention. It does not offer the level of support of the present invention because it is limited to a single mounting point. The holders illustrated here depart greatly from the present invention. No base exists in the Suter '479 and Schmitt '798 designs. In addition both designs require several parts that would be more expensive to produce and would be susceptible to wear and tear.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 303,003 to Napoleon Combs is a design for a fishing rod holder that also uses a permanently attached mounting mechanism. The abovementioned deficiencies of a permanent mechanism apply here. In addition the holder in the Combs '003 design is supported at a single point on its base. This design will not provide the level of support that exists in the present invention.
Therefore a need exists for a novel and enhanced method for mounting a fishing rod so that it will sit securely and be easy to be removed. This need includes adaptability to railings of many boats and an adequate level of support. In this respect, the rail mounted fishing pole holder according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of mounting fishing rods to the rails of watercraft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of mounting devices for fishing poles now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved combination of security and utility, and overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved rail mounted fishing pole holder which has all of the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a rail mounted fishing pole holder which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in combination thereof.
In furtherance of this objective, the rail mounted fishing pole holder comprises a seven-shaped holder mount that comprises an upper arm and a bottom arm. The ends of said arms are separated by a distance equal to the standard distance between rails on watercraft. Attached to said ends of said arms are brackets.
There has been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The present invention may in addition comprise a fishing pole holder that is attached to said lower arm. Said holder compromises a drum with a base and an opening surrounded by a rim.
An additional aspect of the rail mounted fishing pole holder is that said holder is attached to said mount by a plurality of threaded bolts passing through a plurality of holes in said lower arm and a plurality of threaded holes in the side of said holder.
In order to optimize the design of the present invention for use with railing on watercraft the present invention incorporates a lower bracket shaped to grasp a lower railing and hold said lower arm at an angle passing upwards to hold a fishing pole at an angular position. In addition an upper bracket is also incorporated that is shaped to grasp an upper rail and hold said upper arm in a position perpendicular to said upper rail.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is no
Braun Leslie A.
Sterling Amy J.
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