GB2241139A

GB2241139A - Fishing float - swim feeder

Info

Publication number: GB2241139A
Application number: GB9102648A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lewis Nightingale
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-02-23
Filing date: 1991-02-07
Publication date: 1991-08-28
Also published as: GB9102648D0; GB9004084D0

Abstract

A fishing float has body and head parts 14, 16, the body including a bait holding chamber which has apertured walls allowing the escape of bait therefrom when the float is in use. The parts are readily detachable one from the other. The head 16 may include an air-filled cavity for increasing buoyancy and is preferably a moulded plastics dome into which a closure disk 62 is inserted to form the cavity. A blind bore is provided extending inwardly of the head part, which bore is sized to receive the ends of ones of a number of different float tips enabling the attachment to the float of a float tip selected by a user. Slots 54 allow air trapped in the bait chamber to escape when the float is cast. <IMAGE>

Description

FISHING TACKLE DESCRIPTION The invention relates to fishing tackle, more particularly to a form of fishing float for use in angling.

The most commonly practised form of angling involves the use of a float attached to a fishing line, which floats at or just beneath the surface of waters being fished - above a hook attached to the end of the line or at a lower position on the line than the float.

A first function of the float is to provide an indication to an angler when a fish has taken the bait on the end of the line. When a fish bites and starts to run with the bait the tip of the float is moved - is pulled downwardly (perhaps at an angle) into the water.

A second function of a float, possibly, is to support the hook at a desired depth in waters being fished that is to say at a preferred height above the bottom of those waters - when the angler is fishing for fish which do not feed on the bottom. To this end the relative position at which a float may be attached to a fishing line may usually be varied - such that the length of line between the float and hook (and thus the depth at which the hook is maintained by the float) can be adjusted by an angler as desired.

To increase the opportunity of hooking a fish it is the practice to provide bait in the waters being fished adjacent the baited hook. This bait which may be live (for example maggots, worms etc.) or dead (for example bread) is passed to the area being fished by the angler in one of two ways.

The bait may be cast - either hand thrown or catapulted - to the swim being fished. Alternatively the bait may be placed in a "swim feeder" - an apertured enclosure from which the bait may gradually escape and/or percolate once it has been cast to the area being fished.

The use of swim feeders is particularly important when the area being fished is some distance from the position at which the angler is standing - perhaps 15 or more yards away - when the accurate casting of the bait to the area being fished becomes difficult.

Thus it will be seen that if the angler wishes to use a float and a swim feeder he must purchase two separate items to attach to his fishing line which necessarily increases his costs.

Again, the use of a float and a swim feeder increases the disturbance to the water as the angler casts them into waters being fished - with the danger of frightening away from the area being fished fish he is hoping to catch - and can be disadvantageous if the waters being fished are relatively shallow - in which there is little depth in which to locate a swim feeder on a fishing line between the float and a hook on that line.

Objects of the present invention include the provision of a fishing float which alleviates and/or overcomes the above disadvantages of the known arrangements.

In one aspect the invention provides a fishing float comprising a body part including a chamber in which bait may be placed, which chamber has walls apertured to permit the escape of bait therefrom when the fishing float is floating in waters being fished.

The float body is preferably readily detachable from the float head of the float to enable placement of bait in said chamber. To achieve this the body and head parts of the float may be provided with cooperating screw threads enabling their engagement one with the other.

Desirably, the float head is provided with means increasing the buoyancy of the float. The buoyancy increasing means may comprise an air filled cavity in the float head.

In a preferred form the float head comprises a hollow dome or cup shaped moulded plastics element into which a moulded plastics closure element is inserted to form the air filled cavity. With advantage the moulded plastics closure element comprises a disk.

The float head may be provided with means enabling the attachment thereto of ones of a number of different float tips. The float tip attachment means may comprise a blind bore extending inwardly of the float head, which bore is sized to receive the ends of ones of a number of different float tips. In one arrangement the blind bore is formed as a tubular extension carried on said disk closure element and passing to an aperture formed in the wall of the float head.

The float body may include means enabling attachment of the float to a fishing line. Advantageously, this attachment means comprises a swivel and eye member located on that end of the float body remote from the float head in use.

Desirably means are provided enabling air trapped in the chamber of the float body to escape therefrom. The air escape means may comprise one or more slots formed in the float head and communicating with the chamber when the float is in use.

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a fishing float embodying the present invention, schematically showing the float in use when fishing, Figure 2 is an exploded sectional side view of the fishing float of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a modified form of float embodying the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings show a float 10 attached to a fishing line 12, the float 10 comprising a body part 14, a head part 16 and a float tip 18.

The float body 14 is in the form of a hollow, circular in section, cylindrical member 20 which is open at one end only. The closed end 22 of float body 14 has mounted thereon a swivel/eye member 24 of conventional form by means of which the float may be attached to a fishing line.

To attach float 10 to fishing line 12 the line is passed through the eye of the swivel/eye member 24 and then positioned on the line making use of split shot or ledger stops 26 substantially as shown. The wall of float body 14 is apertured as indicated at 28 and its upper end (as viewed in Figures 1 and 2) is outwardly flared and screw threaded as shown at 30.

The float body 14 is preferably made of a moulded plastics material, such as for example polypropelene.

The float head 16 is a dome or cup shaped moulded plastics (for example, polypropelene) closure for the end of float body 14. The wall 32 of float head 16 terminates at its bottom end (as viewed) 34 in a skirt wall the inner surface of which is formed with a screw thread 36 adapted to threadably engage with the screw threaded part 30 of the float body 14.

Generally centrally of the float head 16 there is provided a blind bore formed as an inwardly extending circular in section tube 38 closed at its innermost end by a wall 40.

The air filled volume 42 of float head 16 which surrounds tube 38 is closed by a disk wall 44 fixed in position, after the main part of the float head has been moulded. Wall 44 is fixed in position in any suitable way for example by gluing, solvent welding or by simple threaded engagement.

The inner surface of tube 38 is threaded as shown at 46 to receive the threaded end 48 of the float tip 18.

In use - after float body 14 has been attached to the fishing line 12 and a tip 18 screwed into tube 38 - the float body 14 is filled with the bait being used by the angler and the float head 16 screwed onto the float body 14.

Thereafter the angler simply casts the line in the usual way - float 10 being carried with the line to the area being fished. After float 10 has entered the water it adopts the position shown in Figure 1 with the baited fishing hook 50 on the end of the line 12 beneath the float body 14. Thereafter bait placed in the float body 14 prior to casting escapes, via the apertures 28, to fall downwardly in the water and pass around the baited hook - attracting fish to the area of that hook.

If desired an angler may have a number of different float tips 18 - for example of different lengths and or colours - and select between them for insertion in the tube 38 in the head part 16 of the float.

Thus, if an angler should be fishing relatively deep waters and want the float to lie low in the water (for example, by adding weights to the line beneath the float) he may use a float tip 18 which is significantly longer than that shown.

Figure 3 illustrates a float embodying the invention which is in substance the same as that already described but which includes modifications incorporated for ease of manufacture and increased utility of the float when being used for fishing. Parts of the float of Figure 3 common to that already described are given the same reference numerals.

The float of Figure 3 comprises body and head parts 14 and 16 which may be joined by threadably engaging male and female screw threads 30 and 36 as described with reference to the float of Figure 1.

The body 14 of the float of Figure 3 is generally similar to that already described save that the majority of the apertures 28 in the wall thereof are provided at its lowermost, in use, end. As a result of this some of the bait in the float will be retained within the body of the float - enabling the float to be re-cast when connected to the fishing line at the swivel end only.

The float head 16 is again a dome or cup shaped moulded plastics closure for the open end of the float body 14 the wall 50 of which terminates at its bottom end (as viewed in the Figure) in a skirt 52 the inner surface of which carries the screw threading 36 adapted to engage the screw threading 30 of the float body 14.

Immediately above the screw threading 36 skirt wall 52 is provided with four slotted apertures 54 as shown.

The central (uppermost as viewed) part of wall 50 is provided with an aperture 56.

The head part is completed by a moulded plastics insert 60 which comprises a disk portion 62 sized to engage the inner surface of wall 50 of the float head immediately above the slots 54. Depending from disk part 60 is a bell shaped portion 64 as shown, and upstanding from disk part 62 is a generally circular in section stub member 66 the upper surface of which supports a tubular extension 68 the outer diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the hole 56 in wall 50. The inner surface of tubular extension 58 is threaded at 70 for engagement with a float tip 18.

It will be appreciated when the insert 60 is placed in the float head part the edge of disk part 62 will engage the inner surface of wall 50 and the upper end of tubular extension 68 will engage the edge of the aperture 56. In this way an air filled cavity 72 is formed in the float head.

Insert 60 may be fixed in position in any suitable way making use of adhesives or solvent welding - or by threadably engaging with the skirt wall 52 and aperture 56.

The modifications which have been described with reference to Figure 3 have been incorporated in the design in order that the float may be more readily made, be of improved utility and at the same time be of improved strength.

The provision of the slots 54 immediately beneath the disc part 62 of the insert 60 allow any air trapped in the body part 14 of the float to escape when the float is in use.

It will seen that various modifications other than those described with reference to the float of Figure 3 may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In particular the shape of the float body 14 may be varied from that shown - all that is required is that the float body comprise a hollow chamber the walls of which are apertured to allow bait placed therein to escape after the float has been cast to the desired location.

The shape, number and disposition of the apertures in the wall of the float body may differ from what has been shown - the holes may be relatively larger or smaller than shown - depending upon the proclivity of the bait to escape from the bait feeder.

The float head may also be varied. As described the float head is provided with a captive air filled volume 42 or 72 which acts to increase the buoyancy of the float.

It is envisaged that in certain circumstances the disk wall 44 may be omitted from the arrangement of Figure 1 - the void 42 acts to trap air which is then retained within the float head 16 whilst the float remains relatively upright in the water. It is possible for the head part 16 to be moulded solid - from a significantly less dense plastics material than that used for the float body 14.

The float head 16 may be formed integrally with the float tip 18 - a plurality of different float heads being provided for attachment to the float body 14 to enable variation of the float in the ways described above.

The tube member 38 or 66 provided in the float head may be omitted - the float head being provided with a simple threaded aperture for engagement with one of a number of different threaded float tips as desired - insertion of a float tip in the threaded aperture of the float head acting to close the aperture and provide an airtight seal for the cavity 42.

The method of connection of the float body to the float head may be varied from that shown and any suitable ways of connecting these two parts one to the other may be used - the float body (or head) may be a simple friction fit in the float head (or body), or the two may be joined making use of any suitable clipping or interlocking (e.g. bayonet type) means of engagement one with the other.

In one particular arrangement envisaged the float body and head are formed as a single moulding - with a flexible hinged connection provided therebetween - a clip formation being provided opposite the hinged connection enabling securement of the two one to the other after the float body has been filled with bait.

Other variations which may be made to the arrangement described without departing from the scope of the present invention are that the float body may be provided with means enabling the attachment thereto of one or a number of different weights so that it is possible to alter the height at which the float rides in the water; and again, the float body may be provided with means other than that shown enabling the attaching of a fishing line thereto - for example the fishing line may run along or through the float body and be attached to clips or other means on the inner (or outer) surface thereof. The float may be attached to the line at both ends - for example by the swivel and eye member described at the lower end and by means of a rubber band, ring or any suitable clip or clamp at the upper end such that the float lies alongside and is firmly attached to the line. Such an arrangement is of particular utility if the float is being used in pole fishing.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides a fishing float which acts as a swim feeder operable to ensure that fishing bait is carried accurately to the waters being fished adjacent the hook on the end of the line, reducing the cost to the fishermen and increasing the likelihood of them catching fish.

Claims

1. A fishing float comprising a body part including a chamber in which bait may be placed, which chamber has walls apertured to permit the escape of bait therefrom when the fishing float is floating in waters being fished.

2. A float as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the float body is readily detachable from the float head to enable placement of bait in said chamber.

3. A float as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the body and head parts of the float are provided with cooperating screw threads enabling their engagement one with the other.

4. A float as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the float head is provided with means increasing the buoyancy of the float.

5. A float as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said buoyancy increasing means comprises an air filled cavity in the float head.

6. A float as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said float head comprises a hollow dome or cup shaped moulded plastics element into which a moulded plastics closure element is inserted to form the air filled cavity.

7. A float as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said moulded plastics closure element comprises a disc.

8. float as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the float head is provided with means enabling the attachment thereto of ones of a number of different float tips.

9. A float as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said attachment means comprises a blind bore extending inwardly of the float head, which bore is sized to receive the ends of ones of a number of different float tips.

10. A float as claimed in Claim 7 and Claim 9, wherein said blind bore is formed as a tubular extension carried on said disc closure element and passing to an aperture formed in the wall of the float head.

11. A float as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further including means enabling its attachment to a fishing line.

12. A float as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said attachment means comprises a swivel and eye member located on that end of the float body remote in use from the float head.

13. A float as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein means - are provided enabling air trapped in said chamber to escape therefrom.

14. A float as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said air escape means comprises one or more slots formed in the float head and communicating with the chamber when the float is in use.

15. A fishing float as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A fishing float as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.