GB2100102A - Tool for disengaging a fish- hook from inter alia fish jaws - Google Patents

Abstract

A tool for disengaging a fish- hook from inter alia fish jaws consists of an elongated handle (1) and an oval shaped head (2) eccentrically connected to one end thereof, said head (2) being provided with an axial through hole (4) communicating with a longitudinal side cut (5) and a diametral groove (3) at its connection with said handle. The fish line is hooked in said groove (3), then passed through said side cut (5) after 90 DEG rotation of the tool to engage the line in the hole (4). By sliding the tool along the line, introducing the head thereof in the mouth of hooked fish and slightly urging it towards the fish, the fish- hook can be disengaged from the flesh of the fish in a simple and easy way. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tool for disengaging a fishhook from inter alia fish jaws The present invention refers to the field of fishing tackle and more particularly to a tool for disengaging a fishhook from inter alia fish jaws.

Tools of the above-mentioned type are already known in the art and consist of an elongate handle ending with a shaped head provided with an axial through hole and a narrow front cut communicating lengthwise with said hole.

The operation of disengaging the fishhook from fish jaws, after the fish has been hooked, is carried out in the following way: while holding by hand the portion of fishing line from one end of which the fish is hanging, the shaped head of the disengaging tool is presented to the line keeping the line.parallel to the tool and trying to introduce it in said axial hole through said front cut; then the tool is slid along the line towards the hanging fish until said shaped head is introduced into the mouth thereof thus causing the stem of the fishhook to enter the axial hole. At this point, it is sufficient slightly to urge the tool towards the fish, to disengage the point of the hook from the flesh and to extract it from the mouth of the fish.

The above described procedure is affected by two main operating difficulties: introducing the fishing line in the front cut and avoiding the escape of the line from the cut, as a consequerce of accidental movements occurring especially along the plane of symmetry of the tool, along which said front cut is made. It is understood that these difficulties, arising from the shape of the fishhook disengaging tools actually used in current fishing practice, are a cause of trouble and loss of time for the fisherman.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tool for disengaging a fishhook from inter alia fish jaws that, owing to its new shape, is quick and easy to use, thus solving the above problems relevant to the aforementioned prior art tools.

A fishhook disengaging tool according to the present invention comprises an elongate handle ending with a shaped head provided with a substantially axial through hole and is characterized by the fact that said head is substantially oval shaped, is eccentrically connected to the end of said handle, and is provided with a longitudinal side cut communicating lengthwise with said axial hole, said shaped head having a diametral groove communicating with both said axial hole and said longitudinal side cut.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of the fishhook disengaging tool according to one example of the invention; Figure 2 is an end view in accordance with arrow F of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the tool; Figure 4 is a partial section taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1; Figure 5 is a fufrther partial section along line V-V in Fig. 3; Figure 6 illustrates the fishhook disengaging tool of Fig. 1 provided with additional useful fittings.

A tool for disengaging a fishhook from fish jaws according to one example of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1, where 1 indicates an elongate handle, which in this embodiment is of circular or slightly elliptical cross-section, provided at one of its ends with a shaped head 2. Handle 1 and head 2 are made in a single piece from plastic materials, light metals, wood or other suitable material.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, head 2 has a circular cross-section and a substantially oval or truncated cone shape and is radiussed with rounded off edges to merge into handle 1.

The axis of symmetry of head 2 does not coincide with the longitudinal axis of handle 1, said head 2 extending eccentrically from the end of handle 1. More particularly, approximately half a portion of total cross-sectional area of head 2 is provided for combination with handle 1, the remaining portion forming a rounded ridge 2a. A diametral groove 3 is formed between said ridge 2a and the opposite side of end portion 1 a of handle 1, said end portion 1 a being slightly tapered towards head 2.

As shown in particular in Fig. 5, an axial through hole 4 is provided in the head 2, the hole 4 extending from groove 3 to the free end of head 2, the axis of hole 4 slightly converging towards axis of handle 1. With reference to Figs. 3 and 4, said axial through hole 4 also extends for a short length along said tapered end portion 1 a in the form of a groove 4a the depth of which decreases away from head 2. Head 2 is furthermore provided with a longitudinal side cut 5, communicating lengthwise with said axial through hole 4. Cut 5 is made along a plane perpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the tool, i.e. the plane defined by the axes of handle 1 and head 2, and its width is smaller than the diameter of hole 4.With particular reference to Figs. 2 and 3, on the surface of said head 2 there are formed small longitudinal slots 6 suitably provided for holding fishhook point at the time of disengagement thereof from the flesh of a fish. As can be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, the free end of head 2 presents a sloping face 7 on its side opposite the one in which side cut 5 is provided. The above described structure of head 5 has been considered the best one for a proper extraction attitude for a fishhook, as it will be explained hereinbelow.

The use of the above described fishhook disengaging tool is extremely simple and easy, In order to disengage the fishhook from jaws of a hooked fish, the tool is approached to the fishing line moving the tool in a per pendicular direction towards the line in such a way as to engage the line in diametral groove 3, the tapering of handle 1 near head 2 making it easier for such engagement to be achieved. Then, by rotating the tool through 90 the tool is brought into alignment with the line, the line then being in coincidence with the side cut 5, passes through the cut 5 so entering the hole 4.With the line thus engaged in the hole 4, the tool is caused to slide along the line itself, is inserted into the mouth of the fish along the line in such a way as to introduce the stem of fishhook into the hole 4, and then by slightly urging th tool towards the fish, the fishhook disengaged from the flesh of the fish. Due to the slope of end sloped face 7 of the tool, the point of the fishhook is prevented from engaging the side of head 2 where side cut 5 is provided (such anoccurrence could mean failing the extract ing operation) and a proper positioning of the fishhook point in slots 6 is facilitated. At this point, by drawing back the tool the fishhook is easly extractd from the mouth of fish.

It is apparent from the foregoing that introducing the line into the axial through hole 4 is extremely simple, because the tool by virtue of its diametral groove 3 acts as a hook by which the line can easily be seized. Likewise the risk of the line leaving the hole 4, while the tool is sliding along the line, is greatly reduced, owing to the fact that side cut 5 does not lie on the symmetry plane of the tool and that groove 4A is provided for retaining the line in a backwards staggered position with respect to the plane of side cut 5.

In Fig. 6 the fishhook disengaging tool is illustrated in a form provided with useful fittings. As it can be seen, at the other end of the elongated handle 1, there is provided a metallic point 8, applied thereto in a known way, which can be advantageously used to slacken and loose small knots unavoidably formed along the line after repeated casts.

Said point 8 may be also used to take off the fishhook when the hook is hooked to a lip of the fish instead of jaws. Point 8 is suitably covered by safety cap 9, provided with a clip 10 to secure the tool to the edge of a pocket and a hole 11 to hang it from a tool holder depending on circumstances.

The invention is not to be considered as being limited by the embodiment described herein and it is understood that it comprises any form of variation or modification which falls within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims (5)

1. A tool for disengaging a fishhook from inter alia fish jaws, comprising an elongate handle ending with a shaped head provided with a substantially axial through hole characterized in that said shaped head is substantially oval and is eccentrically connected to the end of said handle and is provided with a longitudinal side cut communicating lengthwise with said axial through hole, said shaped head, at the coincidence of the head with said handle, having a diametral groove communicating with both said axial through hole and said longitudinal side cut.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the surface of said shaped head small longitudinal slots are formed for holding fishhook points at the time of disengagement thereof from flesh of the fish, the free end of said shaped head presenting a sloping face on the side thereof opposite the side in which said longitudinal side cut is provided.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said handle, at its end portion connected to said head, is tapered towards said head and is provided with a groove extending from said axial through hole on said tapered end portion, said groove decreasing in depth in a direction away from said head.

4. A tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said handle is provided with a metallic point, and an appropriate safety cap, at its end opposite to said shaped head.

5. A tool for disengaging a fishhook from inter alia fish jaws substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.