AU4443696A - Securing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

"SECURING APPARATUS" This invention relates to securing apparatus. This invention has particular but not exclusive application to securing apparatus for securing fishing 5 rods to vehicles and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However, it is to be understood that this invention could be used in other applications where articles require securing. 10 Fishing rod holders for holding fishing rods to the bullbar of a vehicle are presently available. Typically such fishing rod holders comprise a short piece of steel or aluminium tubing which slidably receives the butt portion of a fishing rod. Often the 15 tubes are notched to receive the mounting block of the . fishing reel. In normal use the rod holder is mounted . to the bullbar such that the upper end portion of the . fishing rod can rest on a roof-rack. Whilst such rod holders do provide for easy . 20 loading, transport and removal of fishing rods, they also allow easy access for removal of the rods by unauthorized persons. Furthermore, the rods are usually not sufficiently supported to prevent damage to . the rods and/or reels during travel on rough roads 25 wherein the rods move about within the rod holders - causing scratching and sometimes breakage. The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the aforementioned disadvantages and to provide securing apparatus which will be reliable and efficient 30 in use. With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in securing apparatus including: support means for supporting a fishing rod, and 35 securing means for securing the fishing rod to said support means.

2 Preferably, the support means is adapted for mounting to a bullbar of a vehicle and for this purpose may include mounting means such as apertures or brackets adapted to receive U-bolts, clamps of the 5 like. It is also preferred that the support means is adapted to support the fishing rod adjacent the reel seat whereby the rod is supported at the normal hand position. Preferably, the securing means is adapted to 10 engage the fishing rod such that both lateral and longitudinal movement of the rod is prevented. It is also preferred that the securing means is adapted to secure the rod to the support means and also secure the reel against removal from the rod whilst the securing 15 means is in its operative securing position. To this end, it is preferred that the securing means includes a securing member which prevents access to the reel seat such that the fasteners fastening the reel assembly to the reel seat cannot be released. 20 Preferably the securing means may be locked to the support means. Such locking may be performed by any suitable locking means but preferably the securing means may be locked to the support means by a padlock. Preferably, the securing apparatus also includes 25 holding means for holding the butt of the fishing rod. . In a preferred form, the holding means includes a tubular member adapted to slidably receive the butt of a fishing rod therein. In such form it is also preferred that the tubular member include a notch for 30 receiving the supporting stem of a fishing reel assembly. Preferably the securing apparatus includes cushioning means for cushioning the fishing rod. Such cushioning means may be inserts adapted to cooperate 35 with the securing means and/or the support means or may be formed therewith. A plurality of differently sized 3 inserts may be provided for adapting an apparatus to suit different fishing rods. In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference 5 will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of securing apparatus according to the invention; 10 FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are pictorial representations of various components of the apparatus of Fig 1. FIG. 6 is a pictorial representation of a conventional fishing rod holder which can be secured to the apparatus of Fig. 1, and 15 FIG. 7 is a pictorial representation of a fishing rod and reel. The securing apparatus 10 illustrated in the drawings includes an upper clamp half 11 and a lower clamp half 12 constructed of aluminium and which pivot 20 relative to each other about one end on pivot pin 13 which is slidably receivable in socket 14. The clamp halves can be locked together at their other ends by passing a padlock or the like through complementary opposed apertures 16. 25 Four identical spaced apart recesses 18 are - provided in the upper clamp half for alignment with four corresponding recesses 19 provided in the lower clamp half. Each recess is adapted to receive a cushioning pad 21 therein for supporting a fishing rod 30 and preventing direct contact between the rod and the aluminium clamp halves. The cushioning pads 21 are retained in the recesses by the side walls 18a and 18b and 19a and 19b of the opposed recesses respectively. End blocks 22a and 22b respectively as shown in Fig 2 35 extend between the side walls and prevent escape of the cushioning pads in the longitudinal direction of the 4 fishing rod. The lower clamp half 12 may be mounted to a bullbar or other suitable mounting place by U-bolts or the like which may extend through apertures 23 and 24 5 provided in the base of the lower clamp half. Mounting brackets 26 and 27 extend outwardly from the base of the lower clamp 12 and have apertures 28 and 29 provided therein to which a conventional fishing rod holder 31 as illustrated in Fig. 6 may be fixed by 10 bolts extending through apertures 32 and 33 respectively. In use, a preferred form of the invention having the securing apparatus of Fig. 1 and a conventional fishing rod holder 31 mounted thereto, is bolted to a 15 bullbar by U-bolts extending through apertures 23 and . 24. A fishing rod 36 as illustrated in Fig. 7 is then . placed in a recess 19 such that the reel stem 37 is . received in a notch 34 formed in the tubular member 35 of the conventional rod holder 31. A further three 20 rods may be placed in the remaining recesses 19 in the same manner if desired. The upper clamp half 11 is then fitted to the lower clamp half by first aligning the pivot pin 13 and - the socket 14 and then sliding the upper clamp half 11 25 into alignment with the lower clamp half 12 until the apertures 16 align and can be padlocked. It will be appreciated that in this procedure the base lla of the upper clamp 11 rests on the underside of the reel 35 and effectively covers the reel seat 38 thereby 30 preventing removal of the reel assembly 30 from the rod 36. In order to remove the rod from the apparatus the reverse sequence is followed. It will of course be realised that while the above has been given by way of illustrative example of 35 this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons 5 skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as claimed in the following claims.

Claims (14)

1. Securing apparatus including: support means for supporting a fishing rod, and securing means for securing the fishing rod to 5 said support means.

2. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support means is adapted for mounting to a bullbar of a vehicle.

3. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 10 2, wherein the support means is adapted to support a fishing rod adjacent the reel seat.

4. Securing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means is adapted to engage the fishing rod such that both lateral and 15 longitudinal movement of the rod is prevented.

5. Securing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means is adapted to secure the rod to the support means and also to secure the reel against removal from the rod whilst the - 20 securing means is in its operative securing position.

' 6. Securing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means includes a securing member which prevents access to the reel seat such that the fasteners fastening the reel assembly to 25 the reel seat cannot be released.

7. Securing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the securing means may be locked to the support means.

8. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein 7 the securing means may be locked to the support means by a padlock.

9. Securing apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and further including holding means 5 for holding the butt of the fishing rod.

10. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the holding means includes a tubular member adapted to slidably receive the butt of a fishing rod therein.

11. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, 10 wherein the tubular member includes a notch for receiving the supporting stem of a fishing reel assembly.

12. Securing apparatus as claimed in any one of the - preceding claims, wherein the securing apparatus 15 includes cushioning means for cushioning the fishing rod.

13. Securing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cushioning means include inserts adapted for fitting to the securing means and/or the support 20 means.

14. Securing apparatus as hereinbeforer described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS Eighth DAY OF February, 1996. MICHAEL SHANE DIXON 25 by PIZZEYS 's40o/c 000s AZ7 N ( C N 0 o - 7 F4.7 F3 . 1