GB2205471A - Swim feeders - Google Patents

Abstract

A swim feeder (10) comprises a feed chamber (12) and an impact tube (14) which are axially movable with respect to one another by means of projections (28) on the feed chamber engaging in slots (32) on the impact tube. The impact tube closes off openings in the feed chamber when the feed chamber is in the position shown in Fig. 3 but the openings are exposed when the feed chamber is in a position shown in Fig. 4. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SWIM FEEDERS The present invention relates to swim feeders which are commonly used for offering bait in fresh water angling.

Swim feeders are known which consist generally of cylindrical or frusto-conical shaped cylinders having openings in the walls and which are closed off at each end, and are weighted. In some cases the feeders have a removable plug and the feeders are attached to the fishing line adjacent the hook. In general feeders of this type operate reasonably satisfactorily though they are difficult to cast over long distances and the bait takes a long time to swim out from the feeders when the bait has settled on the bed of the waters being fished.

The present invention seeks to provide a swim feeder which can be cast over long distances, say up to 150 yards from the waters bank and in which the bait is released very rapidly after impact of the feeder with the waters bed.

Accordingly the present invention provides a swim feeder comprising a body including two relatively movable portions, one of said portions defining a feed chamber, and the other of said portions defining an impact tube, the feed chamber having at least one opening, the opening being closable when the impact tube is in a first position relative to the feed chamber and being opened to release bait contained within the feed chamber when the impact tube is in a second position relative to the feed chamber.

The swim feeder can include retaining means provided on the body to prevent separation of the two portions of the body.

The retaining means can incorporate guide means to allow axial movement between the two body portions and the guide means can comprise one or more projections engaging with slots on respective portions of the body.

In particular the feed chamber can have two projections which engage with corresponding slots in the impact tube.

The body can also include catch means to retain the chamber and tube against relative axial movement when the tube is in the second position.

Both the feed chamber and impact tube can be provided with weights which are retained by releasable securing means so that different weights can be used in both the feed chamber and the impact tube.

The feed chamber can have a removable pierced cap to enable the feed chamber to be loaded with bait and the body can also have means for attaching a fishing line.

The present invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of one form of swim feeder according to the present invention, Fig. 2 shows the front elevation of the swim feeder shown in Fig.

1, Fig. 3 shows the feed chamber and impact tube in an assembled condition in a first position and Fig. 4 shows the assembled swim feeder with the portions of the body in a second position.

Referring to the drawings, a swim feeder 10 comprises a body including a feed chamber 12 and an impact tube 14.

The feed chamber has a top opening which is closed off by a cap 16 having holes 18 and to which is attached a fishing line 20. The feed chamber is generally cylindrical in section and has two portions of the cylinder removed to create two outlets 22. The bottom of the chamber is closed off by a weight 24 which is releasably secured in position. The upper part of the feed chamber has a projecting catch 26 and the lower part of the chamber has two oppositely arranged projections 28.

The impact tube 14 is also generally cylindrical in section and the feed chamber 12 is a sliding fit within the interior of the impact tube 14. The upper end of the impact tube 14 is open to receive the feed chamber and the lower end is generally conical and contains a releasable weight 30 held in place by a bolt or a nut engaging a screw attached to the weight 30. The lower end of the impact tube has two slots 32 which are engaged by the respective pegs 28 on the feed chamber. The impact tube 14 also has an opening 34 in which the catch projection 26 engages.

The feed chamber and impact tube are assembled by inserting the lower end of the feed chamber into the opening of the impact tube and the chamber and tube are pushed together until the catch 26 engages with the opening 34. In this position the pegs 28 are at the upper end of the respective slots 32 as shown by the illustration in Fig. 3.

In this first position of the swim feeder the impact tube closes off the two openings 22 in the feed chamber. The cap 16 is removed and the feed chamber is loaded with bait of any of the usual varieties of baits available including boilees.

The line 20 is then attached to the normal fishing line adjacent the hook and a cast is then made. When the swim feeder hits the bed of the waters being fished, because of the weights 24 and 30 the lower end of the impact tube will hit the bed first, the impact tube and feed chamber will move axially relative to one another so that the two portions adopt the second position as shown in Fig. 3. In this second position the openings 22 in the feed chamber are then opened so that the bait can swim out freely through the openings at the lower end of the impact tube as indicated by arrows A in Fig. 3. In this second position the catch 26 engages in the opening 34 to retain the swim feeder in this second open position.

It will be appreciated that a swim feeder according to the present invention allows the bait to be released very rapidly from the feeder which will prove a greater attraction to fish rather than bait which is released slowly.

The swim feeder, because of its relatively large length as compared to its diameter, and because of the pointed end of the impact tube, allows casts of considerable distances to be made.

Claims (1)

1. (1) A swim feeder comprising a body including two relatively movable portions, one of said portions defining a feed chamber and the other of said portions defining an impact tube, the feed chamber having at least one opening, the opening being closable when the impact tube is in a first position and being opened to release bait when the impact tube is in a second position.

   (2) A swim feeder as claimed in claim 1 in which retaining means are provided on the body to prevent separation of the two portions.

   (3) A swim feeder as claimed in claim 2 in which the retaining means incorporate guide means to allow axial movement between the two body portions.

   (4) A swim feeder as claimed in claim 3 in which the guide means comprises at least one projection on one of said body portions arranged to engage a slot in the other one of said body portions.

   (5) A swim feeder as claimed in claim 4 in which the guide means comprise two projections on the feed chamber engaging corresponding slots in the impact tube.

   (6) A swim feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which catch means are provided to retain the chamber and the tube against axial movement in the second position.

   (7) A swim feeder as claimed in claim 6 in which the catch means comprise a projection on the feed chamber engaging an opening in the impact tube.

   (8) A swim feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the or each of the feed chamber and impact tube are provided with a weight.

   (9) A swim feeder as claimed in claim 8 in which the or each weight is held in position by releasable securing means.

   (10) A swim feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the feed chamber has a removable pierced cap.

   (11) A swim feeder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the body has means for attaching a fishing line.

   (12) A swim feeder constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.