AU4263800A - Fishing reel drag arrangement - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PETTY PATENT.

Invention Title: FISHING REEL DRAG ARRANGEMENT Name of Applicant: ROBERT GLEGHORN The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 A Fishing Reel Drag Arrangement The present invention relates to a drag arrangement for a fishing reel of a type that includes a spool mounted for rotation about a spool support (typically a shaft) Background Art Drag structures in fishing reels are known in the art. One known type of drag structure for a fishing reel of the type that includes a spool mounted for rotation about a spool shaft, is disclosed in US 5259565 and US 5348245. Both documents show a drag structure having a series of abutting plates some of which are mounted to the *"shaft and some of which are mounted to the spool, and which frictionally engage during spool rotation on the shaft to provide a drag effect to such rotation. The documents also disclose a drag controller mounted to the free end of the shaft for adjusting the amount of frictional force between the plates. However, the arrangements disclosed in these documents introduce excessive force at the mounting of the spool shaft to a fishing reel body. Thus, when excessive drag force is applied, or where a sharp force is applied to the spool by a fishing line (eg by a large fish or through line snagging etc) then the spool can stick against rotation, and this can lead to reel failure or fishing line snapping/breakage.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a drag arrangement for a fishing reel of a type including a spool mounted for rotation about a spool support, the spool having a wall and the spool support extending through the wall, the drag arrangement including a first drag device disposed on a first side of the wall and a second drag device disposed on a second side of the wall, each said drag device 38718 3 including a first drag element mounted to the support such that rotation of the first drag element relative to the support is restricted, and a second element connected to the spool such that rotation of the spool effects rotation of the second drag element, the first and second drag elements being frictionally couplable to each other for imparting a drag effect between the spool support and the spool With this arrangement drag force can be shared evenly on either side of the spool wall, thus spreading the drag force over a greater area and more evenly accommodating sharp forces applied to the spool via a fishing line.

Preferably the support is a spool shaft and each drag eeo* device includes a friction element located between the 15 first and second elements.

Preferably each drag device includes two first elements located on opposite sides of the second element, with a friction element located between each first element and the second element.

Preferably a further friction element is located between the wall and the first element closest to the wall.

Preferably the first, second and friction elements are generally parallel plates, with the first element keyed to and extending out from the shaft and the second element keyed to and extending from the spool.

Preferably the plates are washers, each being generally orthogonally aligned with respect to the shaft.

Preferably the spool has two recesses, with a respective drag device positionable within each recess in use, and preferably the wall is an inner wall defined between the recesses and having a passage defined therein through which the shaft extends in use.

38718 4 Preferably each drag device is retained within its respective recess by a spring retention clip located near an opening to each recess.

Preferably a locking member is mountable to a remote end of the spool support and is adapted for being adjustably urged against that drag device closest to the remote end to regulate the amount of drag between the first and second elements.

Preferably a hub member is positioned on the support on an opposite side of the wall to urge against the other drag device when the locking member acts against said i closest drag device.

A sealed ball bearing assembly can also be located between the locking member and said closest drag device, 15 and between the hub member and the other drag device.

Preferably the spool support is a fixed shaft extending out from a body of a fishing reel, with a rotary e* o frame being rotatable about the spool by a drive mechanism located within the body, for winding a fishing line onto 20 the spool.

*'...Brief description of the drawings Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cross sectional side elevation of an assembled drag arrangement for a fishing reel in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 shows an exploded cross-sectional side elevation of an alternative arrangement to Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows an exploded cross-sectional side elevation of an arrangement similar to Figure 1 in accordance with the present invention.

38718 5 Modes For Carrying Out The Invention Referring to the drawings, a drag arrangement for a fishing reel is shown in the form of a drag system The drag system includes a spool 12 having a skirt 14 which is positionable about a fishing reel body (not shown). The spool is mounted for rotation about a spool support in the form of a spool shaft 16, and the shaft extends through an internal wall 18 of the spool. The spool is supported for rotation on the shaft at an inner face A pair of recesses 22, 24 are defined within the spool on either side of wall 18, and within each recess a respective drag device is located (in accordance with the present invention) Each drag device is defined by a 15 plurality of plates in the form of washers which will now be described.

"In Figure 1, each drag device firstly includes a pair of spool shaft washers 26 which are keyed to shaft 16.

Typically the keying is such that each washer 26 can be slid along the shaft but cannot be rotated therearound.

**Mounted between the pair of shaft washers 26 is a spool .i washer 28. This spool washer is keyed to the spool 12 via a pair of side lugs 30 which are received in a recess groove 32 formed within recesses 22, 24. The spool washer 28 is also spaced from the shaft 16 as shown and rotates with the spool about the shaft.

Positioned between each shaft washer 26 and the spool washer 28 is a friction washer 34. Each friction washer can impart a drag force between the rotating spool washer and the fixed shaft washer. The drag device further includes a spool friction washer 36 located between the internal wall 18 and the shaft washer 26 closest thereto.

The spool friction washer applies a friction force between 38718 6 that shaft washer and the rotating spool wall adjacent thereto. The series of washers are held within their respective recess 22, 24 by a spring circlip 38 located within a respective circumferential groove 39 formed in each recess.

The drag force on the rotating spool can be progressively increased by progressively clamping together the plates, and visa versa. In this regard, at the fishing reel end of the spool shaft 16 a hub 40 is mounted. The hub is keyed to shaft 16 so that it neither rotates thereon nor slides from the assembled position shown in Figure i. Thus, the hub provides an abutting surface for the adjacent drag device (ie. the series of washers). The hub can be provided with a star wheel 41 15 (Figures 2 and 3) with a clicker provided thereon for engaging appropriate protrusions in skirt 14 (not shown) to provide an audible clicking sound to the user of the device, thus indicating spool rotation.

Screwed onto the remote opposite end of the shaft 16 *1 is a drag regulating control/nob 42. The nob is screw mounted to shaft 16 (ie. the nob has an internally .'.threaded passage 44 which is screwed onto a threaded end 46 (Figures 2 and 3) of shaft 16). A projecting skirt 48 of the nob is urged against right-most shaft washer 26 (Figure and as the nob 42 is progressively screwed onto thread 46, the skirt is progressively urged against washer 26. As the washer 26 is slidable along shaft 16, the advancing skirt causes the series of washers on both sides of the wall 18 to be clamped together, with the left-most washer 26 of the left drag device being clamped against hub 40. The clamping of the series of washers increases the frictional force between each spool washer 28 and the surrounding friction washers 34, and between 38718 7 each friction washer 36 and the internal wall 18. In this way, with increasing drag force applied to the spool, its freedom of rotation about the shaft 16 is limited (and vice versa). Thus, the more the control nob 42 is screwed onto the shaft end 46, the greater the drag force applied to the spool, and vice versa.

By supporting the spool at both ends of the spool shaft 16 with two opposing drag devices, drag pressure is spread out over the spool shaft and is not concentrated at the point of attachment of the spool shaft to the fishing reel. In other words, the drag force is distributed more evenly over the spool and spool shaft. It has been observed that this then leads to less "locking" of the *o*device when sharp forces are applied to the spool, and also increases the life of the drag arrangement. It has also been observed in practice that the drag force is evenly and smoothly applied to and released from the spool.

Figure 2 shows a similar arrangement to Figure 1, however in the left-most drag device only one shaft washer 26 and one friction washer 34 are employed. Thus recess 22 need not be as deep as recess 24, and a wider wall 18 can be employed. This can provide greater rotational support for the spool 12 on shaft 16.

Referring to Figure 3 where like reference numerals are used to denote similar or like parts, the arrangement is essentially the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2.

However, between the hub 40 and the left-most shaft washer 26, and between the skirt 48 and the right-most shaft washer 26, a sealed ball bearing assembly (floating race) is positioned. A pair of spacing washers 52 are mounted on either side of the ball bearing assembly, and each has an annular projection 54 for abutting an internal 38718 8 annular portion 56 the ball bearing assembly 50. Thus, an external circumferential portion 58 of the ball bearing assembly is free to rotate on the annular portion 56 and is not engaged or restricted by the washers 52. The external circumferential portion 58 engages with an inside face of each respective recess 22, 24 to provide further support and stability to the rotation of the spool on the shaft 16. The ball bearing assemblies also take up any side load applied to the spool (eg. from an angled fishing line extending thereout to which tension is suddenly applied).

Typically the shaft washers and spool washers are formed from a metal material, typically a corrosion S•resistant metal such as a stainless steel, and typically the friction washers are formed from a low friction material. The use of a low friction material enables better friction regulation, and suitable materials include "teflon or other similar polymer, leather etc. Typically o the ball bearing assembly and spacing washers are formed from a corrosion resistant metal such as stainless steel as are the spring circlips. The hub is typically formed from a plastic or corrosion resistant metal such as stainless steel, as is the control nob. Typically the shaft is formed from stainless steel and the spool is formed from metals such as aluminium, stainless steel or other alloy metals or a tough plastics material.

Whilst a series of washers has been described for each drag device, plates and other projecting elements can also be employed. Thus each drag device can be constituted as simply as an element mounted to the spool that frictionally engages with an element mounted to the shaft. Numerous drag type device arrangements can thus be employed. The particular drag devices disclosed, however, 38718 9 have the advantage of providing a controlled frictional drag to the retaining spool, whilst also spreading the drag force along the shaft.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to a number of preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in many other forms.

38718

Claims (4)

1. 2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the *support is a spool shaft and each said drag device includes a friction element located between the first and second elements, the first elements being located on respective opposite sides of the second element, and a friction element being located between each first element and the second element.
2. 3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spool has two recesses, each said drag device being accommodated in one of the recesses.
3. 4. A drag arrangement for a fishing reel substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 11th day of November 1999 ROBERT GLEGHORN By his Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK
4. 38718.DOC