GB2112611A

GB2112611A - Fishing reel assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2112611A
Application number: GB08133376A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Bower
Original assignee: Shakespeare Co LLC
Current assignee: Shakespeare Co LLC
Priority date: 1981-11-05
Filing date: 1981-11-05
Publication date: 1983-07-27
Also published as: GB2112611B

Abstract

A fishing reel assembly comprises a reel foot and a fishing reel. The reel foot has a base portion for attachment to a fishing rod and a reel support member for attachment to a fishing reel. The fishing reel may be attached to the reel support member at any of a number of different positions along its length, and in either a left-handed orientation or a right-handed orientation. In a preferred embodiment, the change in orientation may be made without changing the position of the longitudinal axis of the reel relative to the rod. The reel support member is suitably a channel 10 (Fig. 4) where longitudinal extent is sufficient to allow the mating portion of the reel to be accommodated at a number of positions at differing distances from the base portion 7 of the reel foot. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fishing reel assembly This invention relates to fishing reels and to means for mounting fishing reels on fishing rods.

In our earlier British Patent Application No.

79.21173 we described a fishing reel assembly which permits a fishing reel to be mounted on a fishing rod in such a way that the distance between the reel and the rod can be adjusted to suit the individual user. This is particularly advantageous in the case of socalled push-bottom reels in which the line is automatically rewound into the reel casing upon pushing the button. If the position of a push-button reel relative to the rod cannot be adjusted, the rod and reel may have to be custom made to fit a particular angler's hand measurements so that the angler may comfortably press the button to rewind the line whilst retaining his grip upon the rod.

According to the present invention, we now provide a fishing reel assembly comprising: i) a reel foot having a base portion for attachment to a fishing rod, and a reel support member extending laterally from said base portion, and ii) a reel which has a winding handle extending from one side and which reel is securable to said reel foot in any of a number of positions, each of which positions is located at a different distance from the base portion of the reel foot, the reel being securable at any of said distances from the base portion in either of two orientations for use by, respectively, right-handed or left-handed users.

The assembly of the present invention, therefore, combines the advantages of our earlier proposal with a further particular advantage, namely that a single reel is suitable for use by both right-handed and left-handed anglers. The prior practice of manufacturing separate models for right-handed and lefthanded anglers is thereby avoided.

Preferably, a portion of the reel support member is in the form of a channel extending towards the base portion, and the rear of the reel has a portion which forms a mating fit with said channel. Alternatively, the rear of the reel may be provided with a channel into which fits a mating portion of the reel support member.

The mating portion may be secured in the channel by any convenient means, for example a fixing bolt passing through an elongate slot in the base of the channel into a threaded aperture in the mating portion. The elongate slot in the base of the channel allows the bolt, and hence the reel, to be secured at any of a number of positions in the channel, thus allowing the desired variation in the distance of the reel from the rod to which it is to be attached.

The internal surfaces of the channel, or the corresponding surfaces of the mating portion, or both, may be provided with ribs disposed approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the channel. Such ribs help to prevent accidental slippage of the reel along the length of the channel.

The mating surfaces of the channel and the mating portion preferably extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the reel when the reel is secured to the reel foot. This arrangement makes it possible to rotate the reel through 180 about its longitudinal axis and still obtain a mating fit between the same mating surfaces. Conversion of the reel from the right-handed orientation to the left-handed orientation is therefore achieved simply and independently of any change of the position of the longitudinal axis of the reel relative to the rod.

The reel body may contain a gearbox and a winding mechanism mounted not directly in the casing of the reel but in a separate frame which is itself mounted in the casing. This prevents the internal mechanism from wearing the reel casing, and therefore prolongs the life of the reel.

It will be understood that this latter feature is applicable not only to reels forming part of the reel assembly of the present invention but also to other types of reel.

A reel assembly according to the present invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of an exploded reel assembly, including a reel and a reel foot, Figure 2 is a side view of the reel assembly of Fig. 1 in the assembled state, Figure 3 is a front view of a part of the reel foot illustrated in Fig. 1, and Figure 4 is a section on line X-X of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a fishing reel comprises a body portion 1 and a winding handle 3 which protrudes from one side of the body portion.

The reel may be mounted on a fishing rod by means of a reel foot shown generally at 5.

The reel foot comprises a base portion 7 from which extends laterally a reel support member 9. In use, the base portion 7 is fixed to the fishing rod by conventional means, and the reel is fixed to the free end of the reel support member.

The free end of the reel support member 9 is in the form of a channel 10 (Fig. 4), having a flat base 11 and diverging side walls 1 3.

The longitudinal extent of the channel is defined by diverging end walls 1 5. Two parallel, mitre-shaped support cheeks 1 7 extend from the side walls 1 3 perpendicular to the base 11 of the channel.

The base 11 is provided with closely spaced ribs which extend from one side wall 1 3 to the other. The base also has a slot 1 9 which extends over a major proportion of the length of the channel, at right angles to the ribs.

The rear of the reel body comprises a mating portion 21 which is generally wedgeshaped so as to form a mating fit between the diverging side walls 1 3 of the channel. The mating portion 21 is provided with a pair of spaced horizontal ribs 22 which engage with the ribbed base 11 of the channel.

The longitudinal extent of the channel is sufficient to allow the mating portion 21 to be accommodated in the channel 10 at a number of positions at differing distances from the base portion 7 of the reel foot. One of these positions is shown by the dotted line 23 in Fig. 2.

Furthermore, the reel can be accommodated in the channel either in the orientation shown in Fig. 1, or rotated through 180 about the axis A-A in Fig. 1. The effect of this rotation is that the handle 3 is then positioned on the other side of the reel body, relative to the rod, as shown by the broken line 25 in Fig. 2.

With the handle in this latter position, the reel becomes suitable for use by a left-handed angler.

Whichever position and orientation of the reel is required, the reel may be securely fixed to the reel foot by means of a fixing bolt 27 which passes from the rear of the channel, through the slot 19, into a threaded aperture 29 in the rear of the reel body 1. A washer 31 is preferably disposed between the fixing bolt 27 and the reel foot 9, the washer having a slot 33 corresponding to the slot 1 9.

Additional support for the reel, irrespective of its position and orientation in the channel, is afforded by the support cheeks 17, which form a snug fit against the sides of the reel body.

This cooperation between the reel and the reel foot assists in ensuring that the reel is exceptionally rigidly attached to the foot. At the same time, however, the position and/or orientation of the reel with respect to the rod may easily be adjusted to suit the user's needs.

It will be appreciated that the left-handed user of the reel assembly of the present invention will generally use a spool on which fishing line has been wound in the opposite sense to that used by a right-handed user. By this means, the left-handed angler can arrange that the direction in which the reel hand must be turned to wind in the line is the same as that of a conventional left-handed reel.

Claims

1. A fishing reel assembly comprising a reel foot having a base portion for attachment to a fishing rod, and a reel support member extending laterally from said base portion, and a reel laterally from said base portion, and a reel which has a winding handle extending from one side, which reel is securable to said reel foot in any of a number of positions each of which positions is located at a different distance from the base portion of the reel foot, the reel being securable at any of said distances from the base portion in either of two orientations for use by, respectively, righthanded or left-handed users.

2. A reel assembly according to claim 1 wherein a portion of the reel support member is in the form of a channel extending towards the base portion, and the rear of the reel includes a mating portion which forms a sliding fit within said channel.

3. A reel assembly according to claim 1 wherein the rear of the reel is provided with a channel, and the reel support member includes a mating portion which forms a sliding fit within said channel.

4. A reel assembly according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein there is provided a fixing bolt passing through an elongate slot in the base of the channel into a threaded aperture in the mating portion, whereby to secure the mating portion in the channel.

5. A reel assembly according to any of claims 2 to 4 wherein the internal surfaces of the channel, or the corresponding surfaces of the mating portion, or both, are provided with means to prevent accidental slippage of the reel along the length of the channel.

6. A reel assembly according to any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the mating surfaces of the channel and of the mating portion extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the reel when the reel is secured to the reel foot.

7. A fishing reel assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.