CA2003999A1 - Disintegrating casting weight and fish attractor and method of making same - Google Patents

Abstract

CASTING WEIGHT AND FISH ATTRACTOR
AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

Abstract The present invention relates to a water-soluble casting weight and fish attractor and its method of fabrication. The casting weight is a body consisting essentially of sand size stone, soil, calcium carbonate and clay with a length of flexible material which is formed into a cord by twisting main strands of the flexible material and which extends between the ends of the body member providing a closed loop through which a fishing line, hook or lure may be passed. The casting weights are formed by filling appropriately shaped cavities in a mold with a mixture of the components of the casting weight to which water has been added. The mold rests upon a layer of resilient material attached to a base plate by resilient means. A length of twisted, flexible material is placed into each mold cavity and passed through openings and a recess in the bottom of each mold cavity with the aid of a tool having a notched end. The mold apparatus is attached to a shaker table and vibrated before and after insertion of the flexible material. Excess water is removed by a blotter material placed over the mold. The mixture is finally dried and removed from the mold cavities.

Description

Z00~9~3 Backqround of the Disclosure The present invention relates to disintegrat-ing, i.e., water soluble, casting weights for attachment to fishing lines, hooks or lures and to novel methods used in the fabrication thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to dissolving casting weights of improved qualities and construction and techniques useful in the fabrication of the improved weights.
In many types of fishing situations it is necessary or desirable to add weight to the hook-carrying end of the line to assist in casting the hook to a point in the water at some distance from the fisherman. Where it is desired for the hook to remain submerged, the weight may be attached in a permanent or semi-permanent manner to provide a "sinker" as well as a casting weight. However, such weights are unsuitable where the hook is to be located at or near the surface during fishing.
A number of types of casting weights have been proposed which dissolve or otherwise disintegrate upon, or a short time after, contact with the water. Among the materials used for such weights are ice (see U.S. Patent Nos. 3,415,005 and 4,186,907) and compositions of various substances with a binder such as cornstarch or sugar (see Patents Nos. 3,393,467 and 3,834,059). Also, various means have been employed to secure such weights to the fishing line, hook or lure. However, the disin-tegrating casting weights of the prior art have been subject to a number of limitations, among the most serious of which is that they are not suitable for fly f ishing using spin casting equipment with light, monofilament line.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of fabricating a fish attracting casting weight from a moldable mixture of water, soil, 2~0~

calcium carbonate and sand size stone. A mold is prepared having an upper opening and a surface defining a substantially hemispherical cavity with a lower opening extending through said mold at an apex of said hemispherical cavity defining surface. The mold is positioned with said apex facing downward. Said cavity is filled with said mixture such that said mixture includes an upper surface and then said mold is sub-jected to a first vibration to compact said mixture in said cavity. A length of flexible material is inserted into said mixture in said cavity. Said flexible material, having free ends and a medial portion, is inserted into said compacted mixture through said upper surface of said compacted mixture and out through said lower mold opening such that said free ends of said flexible material extend out of said upper surface of said compacted mixture and said medial portion forms a small, closed loop extending out of said mold through said lower opening. Said mold is then subjected to a second vibration to compact said mixture about said flexible material. Said compacted mixture is dried to remove substantially all of said water therefrom and the casting weight with said flexible material embedded therein is removed from said cavity.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, said flexible material is formed into a cord by twisting together at least two main strands of said flexible material.
Also according to the present invention there is provided a casting weight and fish attractor for engagement with a fishing line, hook or lure to assist in casting the hook and in attracting fish thereto, said weight having a body member consisting essentially of a dried mixture of between about 50% and 85% sand size stone and the remainder being soil in the form of silt loam or silty clay loam in which calcium carbonate is present. A length of flexible material formed into a cord by at least two twisted main strands of said flexible matexial extends between first and second ends 2003~3'n,~

of said body member. An intermediate portion of said flexible material extends from said rounded end of said body member to form a closed loop, and from said loop through said body member to said other end thereof. A
portion of said flexible material, adjacent at Ieast one end of said body member extends laterally across said flat end of said body and is embedded therein. The disintegrating casting weight and fish attractor provides a natural attraction for fish due to rile and bubbles.
According to one embodiment of the invention the casting weight and fish attractor is made using soil formed from a silty clay loam mixture which includes illite clay or a clay in which illite clay is dominant.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an elevational view of the casting weight and fish attractor in a preferred embodiment;
Figures 2-5 are elevational views of various modified forms of the weight;
Figure 6 is an exploded, perspective view of a preferred form of apparatus for use in fabricating weights such as those shown in Figures 1-5;
Figure 7 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, in section, of a portion of the apparatus of Figure 6 in the assembled condition;
Figure 7a is a small-scale cross section on the line 7a-7a of Figure 7:
Figure 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, eleva-tional view of portions of the apparatus, illustrating a step in the preferred method of fabrication of the weights: and, Figure 9 shows a portion of a cord which is usable for the flexible material in the present inven-tion.

Detailed Description Referring now to the drawings, in Figure 1 is shown a representative example of the article of the 2~

manufacture of the invention, namely, a casting weight and fish attractor for attachment to a fishing line, hook or lure. The weight includes a solid body portion lO of substantially hemispherical shape, having rounded end 12 and flat surface 14. A flexible material such as a length of thread or string (hereinafter referred to as string) includes closed loop portion 16 extending from rounded end 12 and portions 18 and 20 extending out from flat surface 14 or, preferably, fully or partly embedded in such surface substantially as shown in Figure 1. It is preferred that at least a major portion of the length of the string is embedded within the weight. The preferred material forming body portion 10, as well as methods and apparatus employed in the fabrication thereof, will be discussed in detail later herein.
In use, the hook attached to the end of a fishing line or leader, either directly or by being affixed to a fly, lure or other artificial bait, is placed through closed loop 16. The hook and bait may then be cast or thrown a considerably greater distance and placed with greater accuracy by virtue of the momentum provided by the weight of body portion 10, such weight being on the order of 1/4 ounce or greater, as desired. Upon entering the water, body portion 10, by its water soluble nature, begins to dissolve and is released from the hook after a few seconds, the time period being selectively variable in accordance with the nature of body portion 10, as also discussed later herein.
In Figures 2 and 3 are illustrated modified forms of the weight for use when it is desired to insure that the string will be disengaged from the hook after body portion 10 disintegrates. In Figure 2, one of end portions 18 and 20 is not embedded in surface 14, but extends therefrom for attachment of additional string removing means. A slow dissolving material (i.e., slower than body portion 10) such as a gelatin is provided in the nature of saucer shaped disc 22, applied at time of manufacture, in initially liquid form to surface 14, 200~9q~

surrounding and attaching to end portion 18. Thus, when body portion 10 dissolves, disc 22 forms a water anchor or drag, causing the string to disengage from the hook, when the line is retrieved. In the modification of Figure 3, a conventional, soft metal, pinch-on sinker 24 is secured to end portion 20, which is preferably initially embedded in the end of the weight, as in Figure 1, and pulled free for attachment on sinker 24.
Sinker 24 provides additional weight as well as insuring that the string will disengage from the hook after disintegration of body portion 10. The embodiments of both Figures 2 and 3 are particularly useful in fly fishing, as when very light lures or flies are used, especially with monofilament line, both to provide the necessary weight and to submerge an artificial insect of the type which is initially submerged and rises to the surface or remains submerged.
Since the nature of body portion 10 and the manner of fabrication thereof, as described later, causes bubbles to form and rise in the water as the weight dissolves, this serves as a natural attractant for many types of fish. An important aspect of the invention, however, has been found to be the effect of the rile which is dispersed in the water from the disintegrating body. The rile rising from the body may be carried by currents in the water, and fish some distance from the body, on detecting the rile in the water will follow it to its source and thus encounter the lure or bait. In some situations, an additional attractant such as a natural fish food or extract thereof, and/or additional scent to which certain species of fish are attracted, may be added if desired.
Body portion lO may be formed with a cavity, such as that shown in Figure 4 extending into surface 14 and denoted by reference numeral ~6, so that a fisherman may inject or insert a fish attractant of his choice.
Alternatively, attractant 28 may be incorporated in body portion lO, as shown in Figure 5, during the fabrication 21~03~

thereoE and may, if desired, be segregated from the material of body portion 10 by a suitable sealant.
In order to provide greater resistance against removal of the string from the disintegrating casting weight, the string may be a cord formed by two twisted strands 16a and 16b as shown in Figure 9. Each main strand may be formed from a plurality of wound smaller strands. The mixture, while still in the moldable form, flows in between the strands so that after hardening, it clings to the cord with greater tenacity. The string is preferably of a material which will sink in water.
Turning now to Figure 6, a preferred form of apparatus for fabricating the casting weights and fish attractors of the invention is shown. Rigid base plate 30 is attached by legs or pads 32, preferably of rubber or other resilient material, to rigid layer 34. Resili-ent layer 36, of sponge rubber or other like material, is cemented or otherwise secured to rigid layer 34 with a first array of openings 38 in resilient layer 36 in registration with a like array of recesses 40 in the upper surface of rigid layer 34. A second array of openings 42 in the resilient layer are aligned with openings 44 so that the openings 42 and 44 extend continuously through layers 34 and 36. Such openings may also extend through resilient pads 32 and base plate 30 if aligned therewith in layers 34 and 36.
Mold member 46 is formed from a suitable plastic, or other material commonly used for such purpose, with an array of cavities 48 having a shape corresponding to the desired final shape of the casting weights, e.g., a substantially hemispherical or ovoid shape. The lower surface of mold member 46 is recessed to provide a peripheral border fitting the outside dimensions of layers 34 and 36, whereby the mold member may be placed upon resilient layer 36 with the latter fitting inside the peripheral border on the mold member, a portion of which is indicated in Figure 7 by reference numeral 50. When so positioned, the center of each of 200~

mold cavities 48 is aligned with one of openings 38 and recesses 40.
Openings 52 extend through the lower side of mold member 46 at the center of the lower, curved surface of each of cavities 48. Thus, when mold member 46 is positioned on resilient layer 36 as described, mold openings 52 directly overlie openings 38 and recesses 40. The assembled items are placed on a conventional shaker table, a portion of which is indicated in Figure 7 by reference numeral 54, provided in known manner with suitable oscillating or vibrating means (not shown). Base plate 30 is inserted between a pair of guide tracks 56 affixed to the table surface, and the apparatus is secured at each end to the table by clamps, one of which is indicated by refer~nce numeral 58 in Figure 7, pressing the lower surface of mold member 46 into sealing engagement with resilient layer 36.
With the apex of the mold facing downward, mold cavities 48 are then filled with the mixture from which the casting weights are formed. It has been found that the properties of the finished items are optimised by using a mixture consisting only of sand size par-ticles of stone (hereinafter referred to as aggregate) with a suitable natural soil composition and sufficient water to render the mixture moldable. A suitable mixture has been prepared using aggregate, soil and water in approximate relative proportions of 60~, 25% and 15% (by weight) respectively. All, or substantially all, of the water is later removed by drying, leaving a finished item composed of approximately 70% aggregate and 30%
soil. The aggregate is a stone preferably of a size small enough to pass a 10 mesh screen (10 openings per linear inch) and large enough not to pass a 30 mesh screen. The soil is a relatively fine silt-loam or loam which may have some clay content and also some, but preferably little, sand and combinations thereof.
The composition of the weight is entirely sand size pieces of stone, preferably from at least 50% to 20~3~J~9 about 85%, and the remainder a natural soil such as silt loam or silty claim loam, the soil including CaCO3 or having CaCO3 added to it. It has been found that a product having preferred characteristics is produced by using illite clay in a silty clay loam mixture. As an example, in a mixture which includes a clay content of about 14% by weight in the total finished product, and wherein illite clay is a dominate constituent of the clay, say about 80%, a more stable finished product is produced. Additionally, the presence of CaCO3 in the soil mixture also provides a cementing effect in the product. The CaCO3 further improves the bubble effect of the product as it disintegrates, and the bubbles, in addition to being a fish attractor, assist in the breaking up of the casting weight which break up would be somewhat slower when a significant amount of clay is used. A product found to have good characteristics is one which may contain about 14~ clay by weight in the total product weight and about 16~ CaCO3 which can occur naturally. As a result of testing, it is believed that in excess of 20% of CaCO3 by weight may be possible by using silt in which CaCO3 occurs naturally. Alterna-tively, when using silt loam or silty clay loam mix-tures, which do not contain any or have very little natural CaCO3 content, it can be added in amounts up to 20 to 25% of the total weight.
After mold cavities 48 are filled the vibrat-ing mechanism of shaker table 54 is actuated and an initial vibration imparted to the mold and its support-ing apparatus so that the mixture is well settled in the cavities. Vibration is stopped, excess material is removed from the top surface of mold member 46 by passing a straight edge thereover with a reciprocating motion, and perforated plate 60 (Figures 6 and 8), formed of a transparent sheet of plastic or other rigid material, is placed on the upper surface of mold member 46. Plate 60 is larger in 1ength and width than mold member 46 and is provided with a recess in the lower surface of the approximate dimensions of the mold member 20039~

so as to fit thereon with each of openings 6~ in plate 60 in registration with the center of mold cavities 48.
Cut-out areas 64 in the ends of plate 60 are provided to accommodate clamps 58 so that the plate may lie flat on the surface of mold member 46.
The lengths of string, each having free ends and a medial portion, are then inserted in the mixture in the mold cavities by engaging the medial portion of the string through notch 66 in the end of elongated rod 68. Openings 62 serve as a guide, through the upper surface which the notched end of rod 68 is inserted. Rod 68 is forced downwardly, through the mixture of material in mold cavity 48, through opening 52 at the bottom of the mold cavity, through opening 38 in resilient layer 36 and into recess 40 in rigid layer 34. When rod 68 is withdrawn, the string remains, forming closed loop 16 extending out of the lower, curved end of the material in the mold and free ends 18 and 20 extending out of upper, flat end, as indicated in Figure 8. The resilie-nce provided by layer 36 assists in the insertion of rod 68 and the proper seating of loop 16 in recess 40, for example, if solid material passes from the mold cavity into opening 38 and recess 40, resilient layer 36 may expand somewhat as rod 68 is forced downwardly to accommodate the rod end of loop 16.
After the strings have been inserted through the material in all of the mold cavities, whether one at a time, several, or all at once by simultaneous movement of a plurality of notched rods, plate 60 may be removed from the upper surface of mold member 46. The shaker table is then actuated again and the mold and supporting structure subjected to a second vibration for a suitable time to compact the mixture and to seat it firmly about the embedded string. A liquid absorbent material such as a layer of paper towels is then placed over the upper surface of mold member 46 which serves to place ends 18 and 20 in close contact with the upper surface of the material in the mold cavities, as well as to absorb some of the water which has risen to the surface during 2003~

vibration of the mold apparatus. Preferably a roller of resilient material is passed a few times over the surface of the absorbent material, thereby embedding all or most of the string ends 18 and 20 in the upper surface of the material in the mold cavities.
Clamps 58 are then released and mold member 46 is removed from the supporting structure. Openings 42 and 44, extending continuously through 1ayers 36 and 34 respectively, facilitate the removal of mold member 46 from resilient layer 36. A low pressure air spray may be passed over the lower surface of mold member 46 to remove any material which may have passed through the lower mold openings during vibration from closed loops 16 extending from the bottom of the mold member, but a preferable method is that of simply brushing the surface lightly with a bristle type brush. Actually, very little of the mixture will pass through openings 52 and 38, which is preferred, due to the seal between mold member 46 and resilient layer 36. The material in mold cavities 48 is then dried, removing essentially all of the water, by placing mold member 46, with the absorbent layer still in place, in an oven or other drying chamber for a suitable time period. It will be noted that mold member 46 rests upon peripheral border 50 during the drying operation, permitting loops 16 to extend freely from the lower surface of the mold and remain open. After drying, the absorbent layer is removed and the finished items are removed from the mold by inverting and tapping it, such as with a small mallet.

Claims (18)

1. A method of fabricating a fish attracting casting weight comprising:
a) preparing a moldable mixture of water, soil, calcium carbonate and sand size stone;
b) preparing a mold having an upper opening and a surface defining a substantially hemispherical cavity with a lower opening extending through said mold at an apex of said hemispherical cavity defining surface;
c) positioning said mold with said apex facing downward;
d) filling said cavity with said mixture such that said mixture includes an upper surface;
e) subjecting said mold to a first vibration to compact said mixture in said cavity;
f) inserting a length of flexible material, said length of flexible material having free ends and a medial portion, into said compacted mixture through said upper surface of said compacted mixture and out through said lower mold opening such that said free ends of said flexible material extend out of said upper surface of said compacted mixture and said medial portion forms a small, closed loop extending out of said mold through said lower opening;
g) subjecting said mold to a second vibration to compact said mixture about said flexible material;
h) drying said compacted mixture to remove substan-tially all of said water therefrom and to fabricate said casting weight; and i) removing said casting weight with said flexible material embedded therein from said cavity.

2. The method as defined in claim I wherein said flexible material is formed into a cord by twisting together at least two main stands of said flexible material.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the preparing of said mixture includes the adding of soil in the form of a silt loam or silty clay loam.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein said clay in said mixture includes illite clay or a clay in which illite clay is dominant.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein CaCO3 is present in the silt loam or silty clay loam mixture.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein CaCO3 is present in an amount of about 16% by weight of said silt loam or silty clay loam.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein CaCO3 is added to said soil in an amount up to 25% by weight of said mixture.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2 including an additional step of placing a layer of liquid absorbent material over said upper opening of said mold, in contact with said upper surface of said compacted mixture, after said second vibration.

9. The method of claim 8 including the further step of pressing said absorbent material into engagement with said upper surface of said compacted mixture with a resilient roller, thereby embedding said free ends of said flexible material into said upper surface of said compacted mixture.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said drying step is carried out in a heated chamber with said absorbent material in place.

11. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said inserting step is performed by engaging said medial portion of said flexible material with one end of an elongated rod, passing said rod through said compacted mixture and said lower mold opening and withdrawing said rod, leaving said flexible material extending through said compacted mixture.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 or 2 and further comprising the step of attaching to one free end of said flexible material a small body forming a water anchor for assisting in disengaging said flexible member from a fishing hook.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein said small body is formed of a slow dissolving material.

14. A casting weight and fish attractor for engagement with a fishing line, hook or lure to assist in casting the hook and in attracting fish thereto, said weight comprising a) a body member consisting essentially of a dried mixture of between about 50% and 85% sand size stone and the remainder being soil in the form of silt loam or silty clay loam in which CaCO3 is present; and b) a length of flexible material formed into a cord by at least two twisted main strands of said flexible material and extending between first and second ends, an intermediate portion of said material extending from said rounded end of said body member to form a closed loop, and from said loop through said body member to said other end thereof, a portion of said material adjacent at least one end thereof extending laterally across said flat end of said body and being embedded therein.

15. The casting weight and fish attractor of claim 14 wherein said flexible material is non-floating.

16. The casting weight and fish attractor of claim 14 wherein said clay in said mixture includes illite clay or a clay in which illite clay is dominant.

17. The casting weight and fish attractor of claim 14 or 16 wherein CaCO3 is present in an amount of about 16% by weight of said silt loam or silty clay loam.

18. The casting weight and fish attractor of claim 14 or 16 wherein CaCO3 is added to said soil in an amount up to 25% of said mixture.