GB2187922A - Weight for fishing tackle - Google Patents

Abstract

A weight for fishing tackle comprises a body (12) mounted on a shaft (18) one end (20) of which is enlarged to prevent the body moving axially off the shaft and the other end of which is adapted to enable its ready attachment to fishing tackle. The means enabling attachment of the weight to fishing tackle may comprise an eye (14) formed in the said other end of the shaft. Desirably the outer surface of the body is contoured to follow a regular shape and the enlarged end (20) of shaft (18) is formed to continue that contour; e.g. the body may be bomb shaped and the enlarged end of the shaft form the nose of the bomb. The body is preferably mounted for rotation on the shaft; the body having a central bore (16) through which the shaft passes or alternatively a central void through which said shaft extends. To enhance fixture of the body on the shaft interengaging means may be provided thereon which cooperate to restrain axial movement of the body part on the shaft. In one arrangement these means comprise necks (22,24) formed along the length of the shaft receiving collars (26,28) formed in the body when the body is mounted on the shaft. The shaft is described as a moulded resilient plastics material such as an acetal; and the body is described as being moulded from a zinc/tin compound. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fishing tackle The invention concerns fishing tackle, in particular weights for fishing tackle.

Conventional weights for weighting fishing tackle, e.g. a line, a hook or a float, and taking the tackle to a desired depth in waters being fished are well known.

One form of known weight for fishing lines comprises a lead bead or ball cut or slit par tiaily along its length so that it may be wrapped around and crimped onto the fishing line to weight the line.

Another known type of weight, useful if more weighting is required than can be provided with the above mentioned type of weight (and more secure fixing of the weight to the fishing tackle is desired) has the form of a lead body (usually "bomb" shaped) formed integrally with an "eyelet" through which a short length of line may be passed to enable the weight to be attached to a fishing line, a float or another piece of fishing tackle.

With such an arrangement the "eyelet" by which the weight is attached to the fishing tackle is usually of a harder material (e.g.

brass) than the more easily abraded lead forming the body of the weight and the two are crimped or swaged together. In some known weights the "eyelet" is attached to the body of the weight via the intermediary of a swivel member as such an arrangement allows the line and weight to move relative to one another more readily than otherwise might be the case and in particular permits the weight to rotate about the axis of the swivel member (due for example to the action of water passing the weight) without affecting the fishing line.

Traditionally lead has been the material used to form the bodies of the weights due to its ease of moulding, relatively low cost and high density and these features allows weights to be made which are compact and yet heavy enough to ensure the tackle to which they are attached sinks to the required depth.

Recently there has been an growing awareness of the environmental disadvantages (e.g.

toxicity) of using lead and increasingly lead is being replaced with other non- or lesstoxic materials such as zinc/tin compounds.

The materials now being used to replace lead in making weights for fishing tackle are generally less dense than lead and there is a need that weights made of them be larger and consequentially more streamlined than the traditional forms of weight.

Again, the materials now being used are more difficult to attach to swivel members than the more malleable lead they replace whilst their increased cost makes it even more desirable than has heretofore been the case that the weights remain firmly attached to the fishing tackle whilst they are in use.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a novel form of weight for fishing tackle which has the advantages of the known weights and furthermore may be firmly attached to a piece of fishing tackle.

In one aspect of the invention there is provided a weight for use with fishing tackle, which weight comprises a body mounted on a shaft passing therethrough, one end the shaft being enlarged to prevent the body moving axially off the shaft and the other end of which shaft being adapted to enable its ready attachment to fishing tackle.

Preferably the body is mounted for rotation on said shaft.

With advantage said other end of the shaft is formed with an eye member enabling it to be tied to a piece of fishing tackle.

The outer surface of said body is preferably contoured to follow a regular shape and the enlarged end of the shaft is formed to continue that contour. In one preferred form the outer surface of the body is bomb shaped and the enlarged end of the shaft continues the contour of that shape and forms the nose of the bomb.

The body may have a centrally located bore along the length thereof through which the shaft passes; or in the alternative include a central void through which said shaft extends.

Interengaging means may be provided on the shaft and body which cooperate to restrain axial movement of the body on the shaft and these means may take the form of necks formed along the length of the shaft which receive collars formed in the body when the body is mounted on the shaft.

Desirably the material of the shaft is resilient and preferably it is of a moulded plastics material; for example an acetal. The body of the shaft is said to be a moulded zinc/tin compound.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side view and an exploded sectional view of a first weight embodying the invention, and Figure 3, is a sectional view of a second weight embodying the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 show a weight embodying the invention to comprise a moulded body 12 of a zinc/tin compound of the general shape shown, i.e. an extended "bomb" shape having an eye 14 at the narrow end thereof. The body 12 is hollow and formed with a central bore 16 through which extends a moulded resilient plastics shaft 18. Shaft 18 passes out of either end of bore 16 and one end of it is enlarged to form a cone 20 continuing the contour of the shape of the body 12 to a point, forming the nose of the bomb, whilst the other end of the shaft 18 is apertured to form the eye 14 as shown.

The base of cone 20 has a diameter greater than that of the aperture at the end of the body and in this portion of enlarged diameter acts to retain the body 12 on the shaft 18.

As can be seen the shaft 18 is necked- provided with portions of reduced diameter at 22 and 24, along its length at positions adjacent the cone 20 and the eye 14 respectively. When the weight is assembled these necks receive collars 26 and 28 formed in the body at either end of the bore 16, as shown, to prevent extended axial movement of the body 12 on the shaft 18.

To assemble the weight, the eye 14 of the shaft 18 is passed into bore 16 at the "front" end of body 12 and the shaft then pushed-in the direction of the arrow A-un- til the eye 14 passes out of the bore 14 at the "back" of body 12 and the base of cone 20 is in abutment with the "front" end of the body 12. The resilient material of the shaft permits this movement of the shaft through bore 16 past the collars 26 and 28 until the they are received in the necks 22 and 24.

The weight shown in Figure 3 comprises a body 30 which is generally of the form of a cylinder the ends of which have been beveled to form conical sections 32 running between the top and bottom, and the radially outermost surface 34 of the body as shown. The bottom of the body is recessed as shown at 36. The body 30 includes a central void 38 which extends over the major part of its length and is in communication with the top surface 40 of the body 30 via an aperture 42 and and with the recess 36 via an aperture 44 as shown.

The body is mounted for rotation on a moulded plastics shaft 50 the bottom end of which is in the form of a flat plate or disc 52 received in the recess 36 as shown. The shaft extends up from the plate 52 through the aperture 44, the void 38 and the aperture 42 and, as shown, extends above the top surface 40. The uppermost end of the shaft 50 is formed with an eye 54 through which a piece of line may be passed to tie the weight to fishing tackle.

The shaft 50 is formed with a neck 56 which receives a collar portion 58 extending inwardly of the aperture 42 immediately beneath the top surface 40 of the body.

As can be seen the shaft and body are dimensioned such that when the plate 52 is fully received in the recess 36 the collar 98 lies in the neck 56 and the thickness of the plate 52 is substantially the same as the depth of the recess 36 so that the lower surface 60 of plate 52 completes the contour of the body 30-providing a surface equivalent to the top surface 40 of the body.

The weight shown in Figure 3 differs from that shown in the earlier Figures in, inter alia three respects: first, its outer contour or shape is substantially different; second, it is provided with a central void of substantial size rather than a bore only slightly wider than the shaft passing therethrough and third a single collar element received in a single neck on the shaft is provided to restrict extended axial movement of the body on the shaft.

An arrangement such as that shown in Figure 3 illustrates a particular advantage of embodiments of this invention, showing that it is possible to enlarge (or reduce) the size of the body-perhaps providing it with a hollow interior-so that weights of desired sizes and masses can be simply and readily produced.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the described arrangements without departing from the scope of the invention. Other materials than those described may be used for the body and the shaft and the shape of the body and shaft may be different from that shown. The body may be any desired shape (round, cubical etc.). The configuration of the shaft and body may be altered-the neck portion or portions and the collars may be omitted if desired; and if retained it will be appreciated that the collars need not be continuous but can take the form of spigots or noses extending radially inwardly of the shaft to be received in an associated the neck portion.

Claims (15)

1. A weight for use with fishing tackle, which weight comprises a body mounted on a shaft passing therethrough, one end the shaft being enlarged to prevent the body moving axially off the shaft and the other end of which shaft being adapted to enable its ready attachment to fishing tackle.

2. A weight according to Claim 1, wherein the body is mounted for rotation on said shaft.

3. A weight according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said other end of the shaft is formed with an eye member.

4. A weight according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer surface of said body is contoured to follow a regular shape and the enlarged end of the shaft is formed to continue that contour.

5. A weight according to Claim 4, wherein the outer surface of the body is bomb shaped and the enlarged end of the shaft continues the contour of that shape and forms the nose of the bomb.

6. A weight according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the body has a centrally located bore along the length thereof through which the shaft passes.

7. A weight according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the body includes a central void through which said shaft extends.

8. A weight according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the material of said shaft is resilient.

9. A weight according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein interengaging means are provided on the shaft and body which cooperate to restrain axial movement of the body on the shaft.

10. A weight according to Claim 9, wherein said interengaging means comprises at least on neck formed on the the shaft which receives a collar formed in the body when the body is mounted on the shaft.

11. A weight according to Claim 10, wherein there are provided two necks spaced along the length of the shaft which receive respective collars formed at opposite ends of the body when the body os mounted on the shaft.

12. A weight according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the shaft is of a moulded plastics material.

13. A weight according to Claim 12 wherein the shaft is of an acetal.

14. A weight according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the body is a moulded zinc/tin compound.

15. A weight according to Claim 1 and substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.