GB2237963A

GB2237963A - A bait pot

Info

Publication number: GB2237963A
Application number: GB9012493A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis Perrin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-11-15
Filing date: 1990-06-05
Publication date: 1991-05-22
Also published as: GB8925808D0; GB9012493D0

Abstract

A bait comprising a container (10) adapted for attachment to a fishing rod or pole has a hinged lid (21) and a movable disc (32) including apertures (34) which may be controllably aligned with similar apertures (23) in the lid (21) thus to control the flow of contents from the container (18) when inverted. The lid is held closed by a latch peg 19. A short line having a weight at one end is attached to the lid and wound round the rod, the angler spinning the weight to unwind the line and inverting the rod to open the lid. Container 10 has legs 12 having recesses 14 to locate the rod. <IMAGE>

Description

A BAIT POT THIS INVENTION concerns a bait pot of the kind comprising a container which may be attached to the outer end region of a fishing rod or pole whereby an angler may dispense bait in a controlled manner precisely over an area where he is intending to fish.

It is known to provide a bait pot in the form of a container which clips onto the fishing rod close to its end and which consists simply of a tub containing bait or the like such that when the rod is rotated through 1800 the bait falls from the container into the water below. A disadvantage of this simple known form of bait pot is that when placed on the free end of a rod or pole which is being extended out over the water the flexibility in the rod or pole can cause the pot to be at least partially inverted prematurely so that the bait falls into an area where it is not required. Similarly, when the rod or pole is tilted upright, perhaps when the line must be temporarily withdrawn, any bait remaining in the container is likely to fall down close to the angler.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bait pot in which the aforementioned difficulties are substantially overcome.

According to the present invention there is provided a bait pot comprising a container having an open top, means for removably attaching the container at its base to an outer region of a fishing rod or pole, a closure member or lid for the container, and means whereby a user can determine the controlled flow of contents from the container whilst the latter is out of arms reach of the user.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section through a bait pot made in accordance with the invention showing a lid thereof in a partially closed condition; Fig. la is a view of the bottom region of the bait pot taken in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pot with the lid removed; Figs. 3 and 4 and Fig. 5 are two plans and a side elevation respectively of the component parts of the lid; Fig. 6 is an illustration of the bait pot ready for use attached to a fishing pole.

Fig. 7 is a front view of a modified form of the bait pot.

and Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 of the modified form.

Referring now to the drawings, the bait pot comprises a container 10 preferably moulded from a plastics material such as polypropylene and defining an internal chamber 11. Extending downwardly from the base of two diametrically opposed positions on the wall of the container 10 are a pair of legs 12 each of which is integrally formed with the container and defines a vertical slot 13 (Fig. la) which is enlarged at two vertically spaced positions to define two pairs of semi-circular recesses 14 to receive a fishing pole.

A strengthening rib 15 is provided on the inside of each leg 12.

A bracket 16 extending radially outwards from the top of the wall of container 10 extends transversely into a pair of hinge pins 17, and diametrically opposite extension 16 is a latch peg 18 having an upstanding part 19 and a latching protrusion 20.

A lid generally indicated at 21 is hingedly attached to the pins 17 by a pair of spaced hinge brackets 22. The lid 21 is generally disc-like and contains a plurality of apertures 23 arranged in a semi-circular row around half of the lid on the side adjacent the hinge brackets 22. Extending around the other half of the lid is a semi-circular channel 24 having position stops 25 on the inner wall thereof.

Diammetrically opposite the hinge brackets 22 is a latching bar 26 having a main rectangular aperture 27 which engages with the upstanding part 19 of the latchpeg 28 on the container, together with a smaller aperture 28 adjacent the free end of the bar 26, and a lug 29 outstanding from the end of the bar for a purpose to be described. The lid 21 also includes a central upstanding peg or boss 30 and the outer rim of the lid is undercut as indicated at 31 in Fig. 1.

The lid is completed by a further disc-like member 32 (see Figs. 4 and 5) having a central aperture 33 which locates over peg 30, the rim of the disc 32 being retained by and within the undercut rim 31 of the lid.

The disc 32 further contains a row of apertures 34 which match the apertures 23 in the main part of the lid. On the underside of disc 32 is a lug or pip 35 which when the disc is placed on the lid locates within channel 24. Finally, upstanding from the disc 32 are a pair of plates 36 which when the disc 32 is located on the lid 21, enable the disc to be rotated thereon.

It will be appreciated that the positioning stops 25 serve to engage the peg 35 during rotation of disc 32 on the lid thus to determine a number of locations for the disc in which the holes 23 in the lid are aligned with the holes 34 to a varying extent. The arcuate extent of channel 24 permits adjustment of the disc 32 so that either one of the apertures 23 in the lid is open, or they are opened selectively.

Referring now to Fig. 6 the device is shown attached to a fishing pole 37 which is inserted in the slots 13 and which also carries a line 38. A short piece of additional line 39 with a weight 40 on its free end is attached preferably through aperture 28 in the lid 21 and is wrapped by a few turns around the pole 37 as illustrated.

There are several modes in which the device may be used. First of all, when it is required to empty the entire contents of the bait pot at once the lid is closed to such an extent that it rests upon the top of container 10 with latching peg 19 located within aperture 27 of the lid. With line 39 wrapped around the pole 37 as illustrated in Fig. 6 the lid will remain closed even if the pole is inverted until such time as the angler spins the weight 40 to unwrap the line 39 from the pole whereupon the lid will open fully allowing the entire contents to empty. If required, the side faces of the latching peg 19 may include ridges or other frictional means to assist in holding the lid closed until the pot is fully inverted.

In an alternative mode the lid may be locked down by pressing the latching bar 26 down far enough to locate beneath the protrusion 20. In this case, the angler will pre-set the required discharge rate by turning the disc 32 on the lid so that a certain number of the apertures 23 are open and not occluded by the disc. As described above this can be varied between a fully open and fully closed condition. The position of apertures 23 when viewed in Fig. 3 ensures that they remain in what will be the upper half of the tub when the pole 37 is tilted vertically. Therefore, any bait remaining in the tub with the apertures 23 open will not be discharged over the angler's head or into the water in a place where they are not required. When operating in the fully latched mode as just described, the line 39 and weight 40 may be omitted if required.

However, when used with the lid not fully latched and in the absence of line 39 and weight 40, lug 29 which projects outwardly from latching bar 26 on the lid may be used to attach a weight for ensuring that the lid opens fully when inverted.

Preferably all the components of the device apart from the applied weights are manufactured by injection moulding from a plastics material.

It is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations being possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the hinge pins 17 may be attached to the lid 21 whilst brackets 22 may be provided on the container itself. The disc 32 may be located beneath the lid 21, and the apertures therein may be differently positioned or of different shape according to the ease of discharge of the particular bait intended for use with the device.

Additional members may be provided beneath the pot to provide a more secure grip on the pole.

These may take a form similar to a cable grip where two pairs of plates converge on the pole one pair on each side of the pot, or of additional members similar to legs 12 spaced across the bottom of the pot.

In an alternative arrangement slot 13 as defined by legs 12, may be replaced by an internal slot 41 as shown in Fig. 7, with recesses 42 for engagement with a rod. In the moulding of the device an internal leg 43 provides for the slot 41. This permits the bait pot to be positioned with a lower centre of gravity as can be seen from Fig. 8, which avoids any tendency for it to become inverted prematurely when fully loaded.

There are indeed many other variations which might be incorporated according to the particular requirements but what the invention seeks to provide is a bait pot in which discharge of the contents may be controlled by the user and wherein less care is needed when assembling and extending a fishing pole out over the water. The free end of a pole or rod is of a flexible nature and the control afforded enables the device to be used in difficult conditions with greater assurance that the bait will not be discharged prematurely or in the wrong location.

Claims

CLAMS

1. A bait pot comprising a container having an open top, means at the base of the container for removably attaching it to an outer end region of a fishing rod or pole, a lid for the top of the container, and means whereby the user can determine the controlled flow of contents from the container whilst the latter is out of reach.

2. A bait pot according to Claim 1, wherein said means for attaching the container to the fishing rod or pole comprises at least one leg defining an internal slot with recesses for engaging the rod.

3. A bait pot according to Claim 2, wherein said leg is disposed internally of the container and said slot has an open end at the base of the container, whereby the centre of gravity of the pot when mounted on a rod may be substantially at the same level as the rod.

4. A bait pot according to Claim 1, wherein said lid is hingedly attached to the top of the pot and defines an adjustable opening which controls the flow of contents from the container when the pot is inverted.

5. A bait pot according to Claim 4, wherein the adjustable opening is provided by a series of spaced apertures in the lid, and a movable plate attached to the latter and having a similar series of spaced apertures such that the apertures in the plate may be controllably aligned with the apertures in the lid to determine the size of the opening.

6. A bait pot according to Claim 5, wherein permitted movement of the plate relative to the lid-is determined by a protrusion on the plate slidable within a channel in the lid.

7. A bait pot according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein the movable plate is a push fit on the lid and is retained peripherally by and within an undercut rim on the lid.

8. A bait pot according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the plate is rotatable relative to a plurality of positioning stops to determine a number of available positions of adjustment of the plate relative to the lid.

9. A bait pot according to any preceding claim, including latching means on the pot for maintaining the lid closed, and including a part which engages a corresponding part on the lid thus to retain the latter selectively in a closed but non-latched position sufficient to prevent the lid from opening prematurely.

10. A bait pot according to any preceding claim, including a weighted line attached to the lid and capable of becoming wrapped by a few turns around the rod or pole thus to retain the lid in the closed position until the weighted line is spun around the pole to become released therefrom thus to cause the lid to open.

11. A bait pot comprising a container having an open top, means at the base of the container for removably attaching it to an outer region of a fishing rod or pole, said attachment means being disposed such that when applied to a rod or pole with the pot in an upright condition, the base thereof is located substantially at or below the level of the rod or pole at the point of attachment thereto.

12. A bait pot according to Claim 11, wherein said attachment means is provided in the form of a leg disposed internally of the container and defining a rod-engaging slot which opens downwardly towards the base of the container whereby the pot may be positioned with its centre of gravity substantially at the level of the rod.

13. A bait pot according to Claim 12, wherein the slot includes a number of recesses thus to determine the position of the rod within the slot.

14. A bait pot according to any preceding claim, wherein the container and the means for attachment thereof to the fishing rod of pole, are integrally moulded from plastics.

15. A bait pot according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the lid and the plate are separately moulded from the same plastics material as that from which the container is formed.

16. A bait pot according to Claim 2, wherein said means for attaching the container to the fishing rod comprises a pair of spaced external legs projecting downwardly from the base of the container and defining aligned slots with recesses for engaging the rod such that the entire container is adapted to be attached above the rod.

17. A bait pot substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 or Fig. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.