GB2179531A - Fishing rod rest and striker - Google Patents

Abstract

A fishing rod rest incorporates a mechanism for striking the rod from a remote location. The top part 12 of the rest is hinged to the bottom part which is fixed in the ground. A spring 38 is tensioned between the two parts, but pivoting of the top part relative to the bottom is normally prevented by a trigger pin. The trigger pin is attached to a length of line 54 and when a bite is detected, the line is pulled thus releasing the trigger pin and allowing the spring 38 to strike the rod. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Restforafishing rod This invention relaresto a restfora fishing rod.

Afishing rod rest is conventionally used to support a rod while the line is out. When a fish bites at the end of a liner it is important that the rod be struck quickly to hook the fish. However if thefisherman is not physically in a position to get to the rod with sufficient speed to strike it, then the fish may be lost. For example if a fisherman is sitting down, then he may be unable to reach the rod sufficiently quickly to strike before the fish has gone.

According to the present invention, there is provided a rest for a fishing rod, the rest comprising a first part, meansforfixing the first partto the ground, a second part hinged to the first part for holding the rod, a spring acting between the first and second parts to pivot the second part relative to the first part, means for holding the first and second parts in afirst position with the spring tensioned, and a trigger for releasing the holding means so thatthe spring can strike the rod.

A pull cord may be attached to the trigger, so that the trigger can be released at some distance from the rest.

In orderto enable the rest to be used by a fisherman fishing in different locations, eg from a beach, from a boat or from a pier, the fixing means maybe constructed in a variety of different ways. Preferably the rest is releasably connected to the fixing means so that a different fixing means, orfoot, can be attached to the rest depending on where it is to be used. It is also possible for one fixing means to be capable offixing two or more rods.

The spring can be a coiled tension spring which can be set between a point on the second part and an arm extending at right angles from the first part. The arm is preferable hingedtothefirst part so that it can be folded flat in line with the first part fortransport and storage.

The rest must be capable ofwithstanding both the loads imposed on the rod during fishing and also the load imposed at the timethatthe spring is set. These loads act in opposite directions. In order to enable the rest to withstand the spring setting load, a plate may be hinged to the front ofthe rest which will be on top of the ground surface and will counteract the spring setting loadsimposed. This plate may also be hinged and can befoldedflatagainstthefirstpartfor transport and storage.

Thefixing means may comprise a simple stake which can be used when fishing from a shingle beach.

To give added support, the stake may include a spade-type plate fixed to the stake at right angles to thedirection on which thefishing and springsetting loads will be imposed.The spade portion may be movable up and down the stake. When fishing from a boat or a pier, a G-clamp could be used as fixing means.

To control the depth of insertion, a cross bar can be mounted on the stake and this cross bar can be swung parallel with the stake, again for transport and storage.

The trigger preferably comprises a pivoted lever carrying a locking pin. The lever can be spring-loaded into a position where the locking pin locksthefirst part in line with the second part. The lever can also have a blocking facility whereby the trigger cannot be released. This can comprise a further lever pivoted to the main lever and which can move between ON and OFF positions.

There is preferably a stroke-limiting device which limitsthe distance through which the rod can be struck, in orderto avoid damage. Th is may take the form of a flexible cord or wire with a stopperfixed at one end, with the cord or wire passing through a hole and being stopped from going anyfurtherwhen the stoppercomes up against the hole.

The trigger mechanism can preferably be fitted at either side ofthe rest, to allow operation from whicheversideofthe rod is most convenient.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 show a fishing rod rest in accordance with the invention in itsfolded position for transport and storage; Figure 3 shows the same rest set ready for use; Figu re 4 sh ows the rest after havin 9 been struck; Figures 5 and 6 show detail of the trigger mechanism both in the locked and released positions; Figure7showsthe rest with afishing rod mounted in the rest and the rest fixed in a beach; Figure 8 illustrates adetachable spade foot; Figures 9 and 10 show an alternative form of detachable foot;; Figure 11 shows a footwhich can support two rests in accordance with the invention; and Figure 12 shows another alternative fixing foot.

The rest shown in the drawings has a first base part 10 and a second, rod holding part 12. These two parts are connected by side pieces 1 4fixed to the base part 10 bythrough bolts 16. The rod holder part 12 is attached by means of a bolt 18 on which the part 12 is pivoted.The abutting ends ofthefirstand second parts 10 and 12 are partially cut away as can be seen in Figure 1 to allow a limited degree of pivoting movementofthe part 12 relative to the part 10.This pivoting movement is in fact limited in an anticlockwise direction by a strap 20 which extends between the two side pieces 14, and in a clockwise direction buy a strop 22 which is fixed at one end to the second part 12, passes through an eye on the strap 20 and has an abutment stop 24 at its other end which will not pass through the eye.

The base part 10 ends in a stake 26 which can be dug into the ground atthe place where the rod isto be used. Attached to the stake is a spade portion 28 which can be adjusted up and down by means of butterfly nuts 30. The spade 28 lies parallel tothe pivot access ofthe pivot bolt 18, so that it resists movement ofthe stake in the ground asthe upper part 12 moves backward and forwards.

Thefirstand second parts are held in their in-line position shown in Figures 1 and 2 by means of a pin and trigger mechanism 32 which will be described in more detail with referenceto Figures5 and 6.Also shown in Figures 1 and 2 in theirfolded, out of use positions, are an arm 34 and a plate 36. Atension spring 38 is attached to the rod holder part12.

Figure 3 shows the device set, ready for use. It will be seen thatthe arm 34 and the plate 36 have been swung out into theirin-use positions, and the spring 38 has been tensioned into one ofthe holes 40 atthe outer end ofthe arm 34. The spring tension can be adjusted by choosing a different one ofthe holes 40.

Also, the spade 38 has been lowered for additional penetration into the ground.

Figure4showswhathappenswhenthetrigger mechanism 32 is released. The upper part 12 is moved clockwise, until its movement is restricted by the strop 22.

To resetthe device, the rod holding part 12 is pulled to the left against the force ofthe spring 38 until the trigger pin drops back intothe hole 42 formed for this purpose in the part 12. The plate 36 prevents the bottom part 12 from being tipped forward at this stage, because the plate 36 will lie firmly against the surface of the ground into which the stake has been dug.

Figures 5and 6 show the trigger mechanism 32 in more detail. The trigger comprises a lever44 pivoted on a lug 46. Notethatthere is a lug 46a provided on the opposite side ofthe device so that the trigger can be positioned on either side, as required. A locking pin 48 is permanently attached to the lever44 and projects through a hole 50 in the side plate 14 and into the hole 42 in the rod holding part 12. A light spring 52 keeps the pin 48 normally in its locking position.

A line 54 is attached to the lever 44, and is arranged so that pulling the line withdraws the pin 48fromthe holes 42 and 50 and allows the device to strike the rod.

Atthe bottom end ofthe lever 44 is a mechanism made up of a loosely pivoted limb 56 which can be turned between a locking position where it lies generally horizontal as shown in Figure 6, and a free position where it lies generally vertically. In the horizontal position, the limb 56 prevents the lever 44 from being rotated when the line 54 is pulled.

The operation ofthe device will now be described with reference to Figure 7. With the arm 34 and the plate 36 extended, the foot ofthe lower part is dug into the ground until the plate 36 rests on the ground surface. Afishing rod 58 is placed in the rod holding part 12 ofthe device, and the device is set to the position shown in Figures 3 and 6. The fisherman can then relax, provided that he still has control of the free end ofthe line 54. When he sees the tip of his rod move to indicate a bite, all he needs do isto pull the line 54 which operates the trigger mechanism and strikes the rod which in this way is pulled into the position actually shown in Figure7 bythe spring 38.The rod can then be lifted out ofthe rest and the fish played and landed in the usual way.

it is importantthatthe lower part 10 ofthe rod should be firmly fixed in the ground. Because the surface where the fisherman will be working from may differ, for example it may be shingle or sand, different types offixing unit may be appropriate. Because one fisherman may wish to fish from one location at one time and another location at anothertime, it is desirable for the different types of fixing unit to be detachable and interchangeable. Figure 10 shows how the lower end ofthe base part 10can be hollow with the upper end ofthe stake 26 fitting inside the hollow end and with a pin 60 holding the two together.

Any suitable type of connection mechanism can be used, and the invention is not limited to that type of connection shown in these figures. In Figure 10, the spade part 28 extends practically the full height ofthe stake 26, but still has some adjustment th rough butterfly nuts 30 which pass through elongated slots 62.

In Figure 11, a smaller spade portion 28 is shown which lies at the lower end ofthe stake 26, but in addition there is a transverse bar 64 atthe top end of the stake. The bar 64 is again secured by means of a butterfly nut running in a slot, and can be turned so that it lies along the length ofthe stake 26, to take up minimum spaceforstorage purposes. Figure 12 also shows the top end of the stake 26 with a hole 66 forthe pin 60.

Figure 8 shows aG-clamp footwhich could be used for clamping the foot ofthe device to, for example, a boat or a post or walkway on a pier. Two connecting stubs 68 are shown, at different positions, so that the position of the G-clamp relative to the lime ofthe device can be selected according to the most conve- nientsolidpointtowhich it can be fixed.

Finally, Figure 9 shows a fixing uni which has two stubs 68, so that two rods can be mounted on a single fixing unit.

The device described enabled a fisherman to tend his rod or rods efficiently, even whilst he is notactually standing directly beside him,as they can be properly struck even though the fisherman is perhaps sitting down at some distance from the rod. This may be of particular benefitto older people whose reactions are perhaps somewhat slower and who mayfind it difficultto get up and gettotheir rod in time to strike it in the usual way.

The device as described can be used as a conven tional rod rest, by simply omitting to connect the spring 38.

Claims (20)

1. A restfor a fishing rod, the rest comprising a first part, meansforfixingthefirst parttothe ground, a second parthingedtothefirst partfor holding the rod, a spring acting between the first and second parts to pivot the second part relative to the first part, means for holding the first and second parts in a first position with the spring tensioned, and a trigger for releasing the holding means so thatthespring can strike the rod.

2. A rest as claimed in Claim 1,wherein a pull cord is attached to the trigger, so that the trigger can be released at some distance from the rest.

3. A rest as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the trigger comprises a pivoted lever carrying a locking pin.

4. A rest as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the lever is spring-loaded into a position where the locking pin Iocksthefirst part in line with the second part.

5. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the trigger has a blocking facility which can be setto preventthetriggerbeing released.

6. A rest as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the blocking facility is provided by an auxiliary limb pivoted to the lever, which limb can be set so as to prevent movement of the lever.

7. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, including a stroke-limiting device which limits the distance through which the rod can be struck.

8. A rest as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the stroke-limiting device comprises a flexible cord or wire with a stopper fixed at one end, with the cord or wire passing through a hole and being stopped from going anyfurtherwhen the stoppercomes up against the hole.

9. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the trigger mechanism can be fitted at either side of the rest, to allow operation from whichever side ofthe rod is most convenient.

10. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for fixing the first partto the ground is detachably connected to the first part.

11. A rest as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the fixing means is able to fix the first parts of two rod rests.

12. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, whereinthefixing means comprises a simple stake.

13. A rest as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the stake includes a spade-type plate fixed to the stake at right angles to the plane in which the second part pivots relative to the first part.

14. ArestasclaimedinClaim 13,whereinthe spade type plate is movable up and down the stake.

15. A rest as claimed in any one of Claims 1 toll, wherein the fixing means comprises a G-clamp.

16. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the spring is a coiled tension spring which can be set between a point on the second part and an arm extending at right angles from the first part.

17. A rest as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the arm can be folded flat in line with the first part for transport and storage.

18. A rest as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a plate is attached to thefront of the rest so as to lie on the ground surface when the rest is in position.

19. A rest as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the plate is hinged and can befoldedflat againstthefirst partfor transport and storage.

20. A restfor a fishing rod substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.