GB2214392A - Connecting tackle elements to fishing lines - Google Patents

Abstract

A fishing line connector comprises two manually grippable bodies 20, 21 slidable in line along a fishing line 22 and shaped so that when urged together the connector bears against and locks to the line 22. A swivel or boom may be held on the exposed part of protrusion 23 when the bodies are connected. A bait hook may be provided on one of the bodies. The inner surface of protrusion 23 may have serrations, barbs or undulations. One or both bodies 20, 21 may be threaded. <IMAGE>

Description

FISHING LINES The invention relates to fishing lines.

The end of a fishing line must often divide into two or more parts to be attached to a sinker or float and to one or more bait hooks. Traditionally joining to form the two or more ends to the line is achieved by using stop knots, beads, rings and the like which have to be manually prepared by the angler. As adjustment must often be made quickly and/or in inclement weather, the manual dexterity required is often too slow and/or much impaired respectively.

According to the invention a fishing line connector comprises two manually grippable bodies slidable in line along a fishing line shaped so that when urged together the connector bears against and locks to the line.

The one body may have a hollow end protrusion over which the other body fits arranged so that when the bodies are urged together the protrusion is compressed and locks to the line.

The end protrusion may be tapered and/or threaded and the other body cooperatively arranged to fit over the taper and/or thread.

In one embodiment, where the protrusion is threaded, at least the inner surface of the other body is formed of relatively pliable material on which a thread is impressed by the threads of the protrusion when the second body is first presented to and twisted onto the protrusion.

The connector may comprise three or more manually grippable bodies which when urged together in pairs are cooperatively shaped to cause the fishing line to be locked against them at two or more places.

The inner surface of the hollow end protrusion is preferably formed with a tortuous path arranged to permit threading of the line when free of compressive forces but enhancing the grip on the line when under compression. The tortuous path may take the form of serrations or barbs but preferably comprises a wavy configuration. As such the line is laterally engaged in generally continuous fashion and not against internal sharp or relatively sharp edges; there is therefore little or much less tendency for the line in the connector to be set by the pressures exerted by the connector during use.

Connectors for terminal rigs according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic arrangement of a prior art terminal rig; Figure 2 shows a sectioned elevation of one connector; Figure 3 shows a side elevation of the connector of Figure 1 with a swivel fitted; Figure 4 shows a side elevation of another connector; Figure 5 shows a side elevation of yet another connector; Figure 6 shows a cross-section of part of one form of connector; and Figure 7 shows a cross-section of part of another form of connector.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 the prior art terminal rig is shown and consists of a line 10 knotted to a lead link 11. A connection to anchor a hook 12 consists of two beads 13 and 14 which slide along the line 10 and whose movement along the line is restrained by two stop knots 15 and 16. A swivel 17 fits over the line 10 and is connected to a hook line 18.

In Figure 2, the connector consists of two manually grippable bodies 20 and 21 which slide on a fishing line 22. The body 20 has a split hollow protrusion 23 and the body 21 fits over the protrusion such that when the bodies 20 and 21 are urged together they become axially locked by friction to each other and also locked to the line 22. A swivel (see Figure 3) is conveniently held by the exposed part of the protrusion 23 to which a hook line can be readily attached.

It will be noted that the swivel 24 can rotate relative to and completely around the bodies 20 and 21 to allow the line 22 to untwist in use for example. Also, the connector can be readily positioned, and moved afterwards where desired, anywhere along the line 22.

The parts of the connector, which can be made of any flexible material at least sufficiently flexible to permit the necessary flexing of the protrusion parts to lock against the line 22 as required, remain firmly together when pushed into the position shown in Figure 3. If necessary or preferred one or both the parts 20 and 21 can be threaded so that when the parts 20 and 21 are brought together the one part is twisted and pushed axially towards the other part and the parts thereafter held together by the threaded connection.

In a further modification of the connector of Figures 2 and 3, the body 20 is formed with two protrusions 23, one at either end.

The second of the protrusions cooperates in use with a second body part, like the part 21, facing towards and at the other end of the modified part 20. This provides a locking action at both ends of the modified body 20 to increase locking forces and enable the connector, when locked, to carry significantly heavier loads without slipping.

Although it is possible to have a connector specifically dimensioned for each line size, a same connector of Figures 2 and 3 can be suitably formed to slidingly fit into and to lock on lines over sizes in the range of 201bs to 601bs for example. The parts of the connector can of course be permanently fixed together in the locked position by gluing, where there is no requirement for any post locking adjustments, to improve security of the connector in its locked position.

In Figure 4, the connector is provided with a 3600 swivable boom 40 formed of rigid plastics material. A hook line (not shown) is fixed in practice to a line anchored in an eyelet 41 formed in the remote end of the boom. The near end anchor ring of the boom may be slotted to allow the anchor ring to fit past the line 22.

This allows the boom 40 to be offered up to the line laterally and the anchor ring to pass over the line before being threaded onto the protrusion of the connector before the parts are brought and pressed axially together.

In Figure 5, one part of the connector is provided with a bait clip 50. The clip is conveniently and readily formed as part of a unitary plastics structure with one of the body parts 52.

Naturally, the connector is normally provided in Figure 5 with a swivel 24 (Figure 3) or a boom 40 (Figure 4) but the connector could where desired simply be positioned to provide the bait hook, fixing the hook in a chosen relative position by bringing the parts 51 and 52 axially together to lock to the line 22 at the chosen position.

The inner surface of the hollow protrusion 23 is formed with a tortuous path for the line 22 as shown at 60 and 70 in Figures 6 or 7 respectively. The path in Figure 6 is formed by a wavy or sinusoidal shaped inner channel in the protrusion 23 and the path in Figure 7 is a similar shape but in a stepped form. The edges of the steps in Figure 7 may be, and preferably are, chamfered so as to present smooth transisional edges to the outer surface of the line 22. In both cases, when the connector is axially locked to the line 22 and the line is held against the wavy or stepped surfaces at 60 or 70 the outer surface of the line is not damaged and normally no extreme stress points are formed which would strain, or thus set, the line into a different shape.Although this is true of the arrangement shown in Figure 2 where the inner surface of the protrusion 23 is regular and uniform, in practice rather less force ts required for a good locking to the line using the arrangements of Figures 6 and 7 and/or more secure locking is readily achieved. In any event, where the connector is provided for a range of lines, the tortuous paths provided by the connectors shown in Figures 6 and 7 tend to be more satisfactory in use.

The inner surfaces of the protrusion 23 may also be serrated or somewhat barbed for some applications.

It will be noted that the connectors described are normally provided, and for the main parts expected to be used, as anchors or connectors for hook lines, the connectors being locked at a chosen position along a fishing line from its remote end.

However, the described connectors can be used virtually anyway along a fishing line to provide an anchor for such ancilliaries as may be desired.

Further, the anchor points provided by the connectors can be readily adjusted from time to time by simply unlocking the connectors and sliding them along the line.

Claims (9)

1. A fishing line connector comprising two manually grippable bodies slidable in line along a fishing line shaped so that when urged together the connector bears against and locks to the line.

2. A fishing line connector according to claim 1, in which one body has a hollow end protrusion over which the other body fits arranged so that when the bodies are urged together the protrusion is compressed and locks to the line.

3. A fishing line connector according to claim 1 or 2, in which the end protrusion is tapered and/or threaded and the other body cooperatively arranged to fit over the taper and/or thread.

4. A fishing line connector, according to claim 3, when the protrusion is threaded, at least the inner surface of the other body is formed of relatively pliable material on which a thread is impressed by the threads of the protrusion when the second body is first presented to and twisted onto the protrusion.

5. A fishing line connector, according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which the connector commprises three or more manually grippable bodies which when urged together in pairs are cooperatively shaped to cause the fishing line to be locked against them at two or more places.

6. A fishing line according to any previous claim, in which the inner surface of the hollow end protrusion is formed with a tortuous path arranged to permit threading of the line when free of compressive forces but enhancing the grip on the line when under compression.

7. A fishing line connector according to claim 6, in which the tortuous path takes the form of serrations or barbs.

8. A fishing line connector according to claim 6, in which the tortuous path comprises a wavy configuration.

9. A fishing line connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of figures 2 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.