GB2060332A

GB2060332A - Rotatable spool fishing reel

Info

Publication number: GB2060332A
Application number: GB7936731A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: INTREPID SEALEY Ltd
Current assignee: INTREPID SEALEY Ltd
Priority date: 1979-10-23
Filing date: 1979-10-23
Publication date: 1981-05-07
Also published as: GB2060332B

Abstract

In a fishing reel the spool 25 is disengageably connected to a drag gear 1 so as to apply drag to the spool 25 in one direction of rotation thereof only. A pinion 10 rotates with the spool 25 and drives a planet gear wheel 2 mounted for planetary movement between two positions in one of which it drives the drag gear 1 and in the other of which it does not. It moves between the two positions depending on the direction of rotation of the spool. The planetary movement may be caused solely by the action of the pinion 10 on the planet gear wheel 2. Alternatively it may be partially caused by surface contact between the spool 25 and the mounting element 3 for the planet gear wheel. The mounting element 3 may also be arranged so that the planet gear wheel 2 is counterbalanced. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rotatable spool fishing reel This invention relates to rotatable spool fishing reels i.e. those in which a spool rotates in order to wind line onto it or to dispense line from it. These are primarily the type of reel used for fly fishing.

It is desirable to have an unequal resistance to these rotations. For the initial cast line is stripped from the reel by hand and is projected by a movement of the rod as a whole, with simultaneous release of the line which has been drawn off. The line can then be gradually wound in. When a fish is in play it is desired to have a resistance to further reeling out of line but as little as possible to winding in.

A mechanism having differential resistance to the rotations of the reel is seen in U.K. Specification 950227 and this though effective has the difficulty that the drag assembly, although only unidirectionally effective, is in fact meshing with a pinion fast to the spool at all times. This increases the effective inertia of the spool.

The present invention is concerned to provide a resistance to rotation of the spool in one direction and minimal resistance to the other, by a mechanism which entirely disconnects the drag unit involved from the spool unless the spool is revolving in the direction in which the drag unit is to be engaged and active.

This means that the drag unit can be mounted in a convenient position in the stationary casing of the reel and can be provided with any known means for ready adjustability of the drag which it will exert.

This is because in this invention that drag unit is only coupled to the spool when the spool is rotating in one direction. This is achieved by having a pinion on which is constrained to rotate with the spool (hereinafter "the spool pinion") engaged at all times buy a planet gear wheel. The planet gearwheel can move between two limit positions in one of which it is entirely free from a gear wheel forming part of the drag unit and in the other of which it is engaged with that wheel so that a drive train is set up between the spool pinion and the gear wheel of the drag unit.

To render the planet gear independent of the effects of gravity as far as may be possible (which is important when it is remembered that the reel may be being used in any position), the member upon which it executes its planet movement about the axis of the spool pinion is counterbalanced so that there is not net gravitational effect urging the planet gear wheel in one direction or the other, and we find a particularly convenient way of forming such a counter balancing arm is to mount the planet gear wheel on one end portion of triangular plate which is pivoted around the axis of the spool pinion. The remote ends of the generally triangular plate act against respective stops which define the limit positions of the planet gearwheel.

It is perhaps better not to rely on the planet gear being dragged merely by its own inertia or by being "kicked out" from the spool pinion when the spool rotates and it is possible to arrange for a slight permanent drag to be exerted as between the mounting element of the planet gear and the spool by pressing the member against an extending sleeve-like portion of the spool by a light spring washer. This will drag the member very slightly with the spool in whichever direction it rotates and cause firm engagement of the travelling gear with the gear wheel of the drag unit on the one hand or a positive urging towards the stop in the other direction. However this drag is very slight and is not to be exerted at a part of the drag which is to be exerted on the spool.

A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:- Figure lisa face view of the reel looking from the direction of the spool and with the spool removed; and Figure 2 is a diametrical section through the reel.

In Fig. 1 a drag unit is mounted for rotation on a post on the casing of the reel and includes a drag gear 1. A triangular clicker ratchet 11 engages per manentlywith the drag gear, being urged towards its centered position, as shown, by a U-spring 12 wound round the post 13. The resistance to rotation of the drag gear 1 exerted by this ratchet is equal in either direction of rotation of the gear 1.

In addition the drag gear 1 sandwiches between itself and the casing of the reel a friction washer 14 (Fig. 2) and is variably pressed into engagement with that by means of a plate 15 acting on the opposite face of the gear through a second friction washer 14.

This plate is urged towards the casing of the reel buy a spring washer at 16 caught underthe head 17 of a stem 18 which is keyed in an aperture in the casing.

Part of the stem 18 extends as the screw threaded portion 19 where it is engaged by a control knob 20 which by rotation can therefore draw the stem 18 variably through the body and thereby vary the pressure at which the gear 1 acts on the friction washers 14 and hence the drag on rotation of the gear 1. The control knob 20 is held in position by interengagement of teeth on it which interact with teeth on a stationary spring plate 23.

Fig. 1, planet gear 2 is mounted for planetary movement around the axis 21 of the spool of the reel. The member by which it is mounted is a generally triangular shaped plate 3 which pivots about a central post 24 on the body within which a shaft 22 for the spool is mounted. The plate 3 is arranged in such a way that its tail portion 6 forms a counterbalance for the mass of the gear wheel 2 so that there will be nQ tendency for the gear wheel to have any preferred position as a result of the action of gravity.

The planet gear wheel 2 can move between two limit positions which are defined by stops 7 and 8 respectively. When stop 8 has been reached travelling gear 2 is engaged with the gear wheel 1 of the drag unit. When stop 7 is reached planet gear 2 is completely free of the gear wheel 1.

The drawing(s) originally filed were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

The spool 25 which is mounted on the shaft 22 is a conventional spool fitted with handle 26 and spool release mechanism 27 but has integral pinion track 10 which lies at the radially outer periphery of a generally cylindrical sleeve extension 28. The planet gearwheel 2 meshes at all times with the spool pinion 10. The flat end 29 of the cylindrical extension comes into face-to-face contact with the plate 3 and this contact is assured by a light spring washer 9 acting between plate 3 and the casing.

There is a further ratchet clicker mechanism at 30 which has a control knob (not shown) whereby the ratchet can be taken clear of the spool pinion 10 or can be brought to a position where it is in engagement with it, being urged to its centered position by a U-spring 31.

The operation of the embodiment is as follows:- When the spool is being rotated in one direction corresponding to the reeling-in of line, the plate 3 is rotated in a cloclwise direction as seen in Fig. 1 so that it abuts against end stop 7. This rotation is assured by the frictional contact between the end 29 of the cylindrical extension 28 of the spool and the plate 3 underthe influence of the spring washer 9.

The planet gear wheel 2 is then entirely clear of the gear wheel 1 of the drag unit 1 and no drag or inertia is exerted on the spool 25 from that source. If however the spool is rotated in the other direction the interaction between the plate and the spool will bring the gear 2 into engagement with the gear 1 and further rotation of the spool will be resisted to an extent determined by the setting of the control knob 20, this braking effect being transmitted from the spool through the geartrain made up of gear 1, gear 2 and spool pinion 10.

Claims

1. A fishing reel having a drag gear, a spool having a pinion constrained to rotate with it, and a planet gearwheel driven by the pinion and which is mounted for planetary movement between two positions in one of which it is engaged so as to transmit drive from the pinion to the drag gear and in the other of which it is disengaged from the drag gear.

2. A fishing reel according to claim 1 in which the planet gear wheel is mounted on a mounting element itself mounted for rotation around the axis of the pinion, the mounting element being so arranged that the planet gear wheel is counterbalanced.

3. Afishing reel according to claim 2 in which the spool and the mounting element are in surface contact so that rotation of the spool tends to cause rotation of the mounting element in the same direction.

4. A fishing reel according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the amount of drag on the drag gear may be varied.

5. Afishing reel substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.