Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Holder
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-03
2003-11-25
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Holder
Reexamination Certificate
active
06651377
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable
REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”
Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for dispensing live bait to a fisherman and preferably for dispensing live insects such as crickets and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved live insect cage and dispensing device that features a housing having an outlet that is moveable between opened and closed positions, wherein an improved linkage enables a user to quickly open and close the outlet and wherein the housing has an outer wall that varies light transmission to the interior of the housing, preferably along a gradient between end portions of the housing so that the dispensing end portion is darker than other portions of the housing.
2. General Background of the Invention
Freshwater fishermen often use live insects as bait when pursuing certain freshwater fish such as bream, bass, perch and the like. For many, many years, a cylindrically shaped cage has been commercially available to fishermen. This prior art cricket cage contains live insects such as crickets, providing a dispensing end portion with an outlet through which the insects can be dispensed one at a time for use by the fishermen. These “cricket cages” as they are commonly called provide a closure plug for closing the outlet opening. The plug can be a cork, rubber stopper, or closure cap. In such commercially available cricket cages, a user must manually remove the cork, stopper or closure cap with one hand while holding the cage with the other hand. This is an awkward method and apparatus for dispensing live insect bait (e.g. crickets) because both hands of the user are occupied, one with the cage and the other with the closure cap or stopper. Additionally, such commercially available cricket cages typically provide a uniform screen wall that enable the crickets to disperse themselves evenly over the entire cage and away from the outlet opening. The user must typically hold the cage in one hand, remove the stopper, closure or cork, and then shake the cage in order to dispense one of the live insects through the outlet opening. Many crickets escape as the user attempts to catch them as they emerge from the cage via the outlet opening.
Another commercially available, prior art insect cage that is used by fisherman is a cube shaped or cylindrically shaped box container having a large opening on one wall. The opening enables the human hand to pass through it and obtain access to the inside of the cage. This large opening is surrounded by a peripheral skirt of a plastic material that is slippery (e.g. polypropylene or other soft plastic) so that the insects cannot easily crawl from the cage interior to the exterior thereof through this enlarged opening. However, the insects typically congregate immediately behind the annular skirt so that the fishermen must tap the cage several times against the bottom of the boat or dock in order to dislodge the insects. Hopefully the fisherman is quick enough to grab an insect before the insects quickly retreat behind the annular skirt at the top of the cage.
Various live bait cages for holding insects have been patented. The following are examples of U.S. Patents for such devices and all are hereby incorporated herein by reference:
An early U.S. Pat. No. 2,160,436 issued to Jones is entitled “Grasshopper Holder”. This patent shows a cage having solid walls and a tapered or conical section with an outlet opening having a closure plate. This cage apparatus is directed to holding grasshoppers for fishing purposes.
Another grasshopper dispenser is the subject of the Cave U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,549.
A dispensing receptacle is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,297. The apparatus is said to be useful for dispensing bait such as minnows, small fish or other live bait such as insects or the like.
The Dohrer U.S. Pat. No. 2,843,968 is directed to a storing and dispensing apparatus for crickets.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,705 issued to J. Woodcock provides a bait dispenser that includes a container having a conically shaped end portion with a dispensing outlet. The apparatus is said to be useful for preserving and dispensing bait such as crickets.
A fishing bait container for holding live insects is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,570 entitled “Fishing Bait Containers”.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,320 issued to Lee provides a bait dispenser for use by fisherman which includes a container for carrying live bait to be dispensed and a cooperating dispenser tube having a slot cut in the end thereof to form a pair of jaws with levers attached, which levers facilitate a widening of the slot when depressed. The bait dispenser also includes a spring loaded plunger on the dispenser tube which communicates with the interior of the tube to block the passage of live bait through the tube.
A cricket dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,230. In the '230 patent, a cricket dispensing nozzle has a generally annular open end for communicating with the source of crickets. Four resilient prongs emerge from the annular member and converge toward a dispensing opening in a continuous manner. Spaces between the four prongs permit insertion of a hook, both through that space and through the space below so that the hook may be passed through the cricket twice and the cricket removed from the nozzle without otherwise damaging the cricket.
A cricket gun is disclosed in the Pleasants patent 5,103,585 that can be used by fishermen to dispense live insects such as crickets. The cricket gun of the '585 patent includes a bait container for holding a limited supply of crickets with a bait dispensing head attached to the funnel end of the cage. On the opposite end of the cage is a spring loaded handle. By compressing the handle, a cricket is allowed to enter and be entrapped in the dispenser head chamber. The cricket may be discharged by pulling back on the release trigger. When the release trigger is pulled back the carriage is pulled forward allowing the cricket to fall out the bottom of the dispenser head. When the trigger is released the spring loaded carriage is pulled back into position. The cricket gun enables a fisherman to discharge one insect at a time or keep one in reserve in the isolated chamber for later use.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved live bait dispensing cage for dispensing live insects (for example, crickets, grasshoppers, grubs and the like). The apparatus has particular utility to fresh water fishermen.
The apparatus includes a housing having an outer wall surrounding a hollow interior. The housing includes proximal and distal end portions.
An outlet opening at the distal end of the housing extends through the housing wall. A trigger mechanism is attached to the housing for operating a linkage that connects between the trigger mechanism and a valve member.
The valve member is attached to the linkage and moves with it. The valve member is moved by the linkage between open and closed positions. In the closed position, the valve member closes the outlet opening so that no live insects can escape from the housing interior.
In one embodiment, the housing has a plurality of wall openings that enable light to pass through to the interior housing. In the preferred embodiment, more light passes through the wall at one end portion of the housing than at the other end portion of the housing.
In the preferred embodiment, the wall achieves variable light transmission (i.e. a gradient) by providing openings through the wall of larger diameter at the proximal end of the housing, holes of smaller diameter at the distal end of the housing, and holes at the central portion of the housing that vary in diameter between larger and smaller moving proximally to distally.
This variable light intensity can also be generated by other means such as by providing a solid, translucent wall that has a variable tint
Golba Tara M
Jordan Charles T.
Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, L.L.P.
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