GB2247966A - Apparatus for preventing the theft of fishing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus 2 comprises at least one sensor head 8 for receiving a fishing rod 6, a control device 10 having an on/off switch 12 and alarm means 14, and a cable 16, 20 connecting the sensor head 8 to the control device 10, and the apparatus 2 being such that the alarm means 14 is caused to operate consequent upon the fishing rod being moved off the sensor head 8. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE THEFT OF FISHING EQUIPMENT This invention relates to apparatus for preventing the theft of fishing equipment.

The theft of fishing equipment whilst it is being used by anglers has increased to considerable proportions.

Thieves are quite audacious and are prepared to steal items of fishing equipment whilst an angler is asleep, for example during night fishing. Alternatively, an angler may leave his or her fishing site, for example to have a chat with another angler in the vicinity, only to return and find items of fishing equipment stolen. The various items of fishing equipment are invariably expensive so that the theft of the fishing equipment is costly in addition to being extremely annoying.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting aspect of the present invention, there is provided apparatus for preventing the theft of fishing equipment, which apparatus comprises at least one sensor head for receiving a fishing rod, a control device having an on/off switch and alarm means, and a cable connecting the sensor head to the control device, and the apparatus being such that the alarm means is caused to operate consequent upon the fishing rod being moved off the sensor head.

If an angler is fishing with two rods, then the apparatus of the present invention may be one in which there are two of the sensor heads with each one of the sensor heads being connected by one of the cables to the control device.

The control device is preferably a control box.

The on/off switch may be an on/off button. Other types of switch may however be employed.

Preferably, the cable has an anti-tamper wire which causes the alarm means to operate if the anti-tamper wire is cut, or if a plug connection is pulled out, or if a wrong connection is made.

The alarm means may be an audio and/or visual alarm means.

The audio alarm means may be a buzzer or any other desired device. The visual alarm means may be a flashing light or any other desired device.

The control device preferably includes a reset switch.

The reset switch may be employed to cancel the alarm means and to reset the alarmmeans. The reset switch is preferably a reset button but other types of reset switches may be employed.

The reset switch may be used to operate a timer if it is desired to have: the alarm means operating for a fixed period of tinge in the event that the alarm means is activated.

The apparatus of the invention may include electrically conducting means for attaching to the fishing rod to enable the fishing rod to make electrical contact with the sensor head when the fishing rod is being received by the sensor head.

The electrically conducting means may be a strip of electrically conducting foil. Preferably, the electrically conducting foil is lead foil but other types of foil may be employed.

The electically conducting foil may be sufficiently large to wrap a strip around the or each fishing rod being used. Alternatively, the electrically conducting foil may just be provided underneath the rod at the place where the rod contacts the sensor head.

The electrically conducting means will usually be employed for fishing rods such as glass fibre rods which are not electrically conducting. If carbon fibre rods are used, then these will conduct electricity although they will usually be coated with a varnish which tends to stop the conduction of electricity. Thus, if a carbon fibre rod is used which is coated with a varnish, then the varnish can be scratched away or, alternatively, in order to avoid damaging the varnish, the electrically conducting means may be employed.

The apparatus of the invention may include trip means.

When activated, the trip means will cause the alarm means to operate. The trip means may be a magnet or a tilt switch. Where a tilt switch is employed, then the tilt switch will be a mercury tilt switch.

The apparatus of the invention may include a light meter for causing the alarm means to operate at daybreak as first light is appearing.

The apparatus of the present invention may also include a water sensor device for causing the alarm means to operate directly the water sensor device senses rain. This helps to ensure that if an angler is asleep, he does not get wet due to continuing to sleep when it is raining.

The apparatus of the invention may also include a wind direction indicator.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows apparatus of the invention in use; Figures 2, 3 and 4 show in more detail parts of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and Figure. 5 shows the circuit of a control device forming part:of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 - 4, there is shown apparatus 2 for preventing the theft of fishing equipment such for example as fishing rods 4 or Optonic fishing heads 6. As is well known, the Optonic fishing heads 6 operate by sensing fishing line movement when a fish is biting.

The apparatus 2 comprises a pair of sensor heads 8, one for each fishing rod 4. Each sensor head 8 receives one of the fishing rods 4 as shown.

The apparatus 2 further comprises a control device in the form of a control box 10. The control box 10 has an on/off switch in the form of an on/off button 12. The control box 10 also has alarm means in the form of a piezo-electric sounder 14 which gives an audible alarm.

A cable 16 connects the control box 10 to a junction box 18. The junction box 18 is connected by cables 20 to the sensor heads 8. The sensor heads 8 are each provided at one end of a bracket 22. Each bracket 22 connects at its other end to a bank stick 24.

For simplicity of illustration, the fishing rods 4 have not been shown with fishing reels. The handle ends of the fishing rods 4 are supported at ends 26 of a bank stick 28.

A thief wishing to steal fishing equipment might try and steal one or both of the fishing rods 4, bank sticks 22,24 or the Optonic fishing heads 6. With the apparatus 2 of the present invention, the sounder 14 is caused to operate consequent upon either fishing rod 4 being moved off its sensor head 8.

The cable 16 and also the cables 20 have an anti-tamper wire which causes the sounder 14 to operate if the antitamper wire is cut or if a plug connection to the fishing heads 8 or to the junction box 18 is pulled out, or if a wrong connection is made somewhere.

The control box 10 includes a reset switch in the form of a reset button 30. The reset button 30 is for cancelling the operation of the sounder 14 and for resetting the apparatus 2.

As can be seen from the drawings, the sensor heads 8 are V-shaped and the rods 4 rest in the V-shapes. If the rods 4 are not electrically conducting, then the rods 4 are each provided with a strip of electrically conducting foil to cause the rods 4 to make electrical contact with the sensor heads 8. The electrically conducting foil need only extend over a short distance so that if the rods are slid backwards or forwards with respect to the sensor heads 8, the electrical contact with the sensor heads 8 isbroken and the sounder 14 is caused to operate. Similarly, the sounder 14 is caused to: operate: if the fishing rods 4 are actually lifted out of the sensor heads 8.

The cable 16 is a pushfit into the control box 10. The control box 10 is also provided with trip means in the form of a magnetic reed switch 32 and a magnet 34. As can best be seen from Figure 3, the magnetic reed switch 32 and the magnet 34 are housed in a box 36.

Figure 4 shows one of the sensor heads 8 in enlarged form and illustrates the use of a piece of electrically conducting foil in the form of lead foil 38 positioned on the underside of a rod 4 and contacting a contact 40 in the sensor head 8. Wires 42, 44 are shown extending from the cable 20 to the contact 40. Also shown in Figure 4 is the push in connection of the cable 20 to the sensor head 8 which is via a jack plug 46. The jack plugs 46 can be used for all of the connections of the various cables to the control box 10 and the junction box 18.

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown the electrical circuit for the control box 10. The on/off button 12 and the sounder 14 are shown in Figure 5. Also shown in Figure 5 is the reset button 30. The reset button 30 is a normally open push button.

The remainder of this circuit shown in Figure 5 comprises Cmos gates N1 and N2 which form a latch circuit. As long as pin 5 of gate N2 is low, a no alarm condition exists. If however the loop is broken, a resistor 48 provides a logic high to the latch input, allowing the latch to toggle and give a low output to inverter N4. The inverter N4 in turn switches on a transistor TI in order to activate the sounder 14.

The circuit remains energised until the loop is closed and the reset button 30 has been operated. This resets the latch circuit.

An additional trigger input is used as an anti-tamper input via the gate N3. The gate N3 is able to trigger the latch. The trigger input from N3 and the self latch are diode "anded" together to prevent false triggering.

Under normal conditions, the set alarm should only draw a few microamps of current, thus ensuring a long battery life.

The battery will usually be stored in the control box 10.

Thus the latch circuit is able to constantly survey the alarm loop wire using extremely low current to ensure long battery life.

The apparatus 2 can easily be transported with other fishing equipment to fishing sites since the apparatus 2 is small, compact and light. The apparatus 2 is easily set up simply by plugging one end of the cable 16 into the control box 10. The other end of the cable 16 is then plugged into the junction box 18. The cables 20 are plugged as necessary into the junction box 18 to connect the sensor heads 8 to the junction box 18 and thus to the control box 10 via the cable 16. The bank stick 24, 28 are easily set up as required and lead foil 38 is easily positioned on the rods 4 at the appropriate position to make electrical contact with the sensor heads 8. The magnet 34 may be placed on the main controllers and then a finger may be placed on the reset button 30. The finger of the other hand may then be placed on the on/off button 12.The apparatus 2 will then be armed. The apparatus 2 can be tested if desired by removing the magnet 34, whereupon the sounder 14 will operate. The circuit is such that the sounder 14 can then be turned off simply by pressing the on/off button 12 once. The magnet 34 can then be replaced and reset.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the apparatus 2 may additionally be provided with a tilt switch, a light meter for causing the sounder 14 to operate at first light, a water sensor for causing the sounder 14 to operate in the event of it starting to rain, and a wind direction indicator.

Further, a different circuit to that shown in Figure 5 may be employed. The sounder 14 may be replaced by or be used in conjunction with visual alarm means such as a flashing light. Any type of sounder 14 may be employed.

It will be appreciated that the sensor heads 8 are basically connected to the control box 10 by what is effectively one cable although the drawings show this cable being in two parts as a main cable 16 which goes to the junction box 18 and then an extension cable 20 which goes from the junction box 18 to the sensor heads 8.

The use of the extension cables 20 is just to facilitate setting up of the apparatus 2 via the junction box 18.

During use of the apparatus 2, the control box 10 or other appropriate control device will usually be near the fisherman. Thus the fisherman may safely relax in a bivouac or other hide in the knowledge that although his rods may be some distance away, any attempt to steal the rods, the Optonic sensor heads 6 or the bank sticks 24,28 will cause the sounder 14 to operate. Thus instead of worrying about the fishing equipment being stolen, a fisherman is able to sit in his bivouac or other hide or go for a walk as may be required and generally to relax.

Thus the fisherman is able to relax which is a prime part of fishing. The apparatus 2 of the present invention avoids the fisherman worrying so much about;his fishing equipment being stolen. The use of the first light meter may enable the fisherman to go stalking at first light which is often preferred by many fisherman. The wind direction indicator may be a set of contacts such for example a reed switches, or a magnetic device. Damping means may be employed. The damping means may be electrically operated damping means or hydraulic operated damping means for causing appropriate operation of the wind direction indicator.

Claims (19)

1. Apparatus for preventing the theft of fishing equipment, which apparatus comprises at least one sensor head for receiving a fishing rod, a control device having an on/off switch and alarm means, and a cable connecting the sensor head to the control device, and the apparatus being such that the alarm means is caused to operate consequent upon the fishing rod being moved off the sensor head.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which there are two of the sensor heads with each one of the sensor heads being connected by one of the cables to the control device.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the control device is a control box.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the on/off switch is an on/off button.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cable has an anti-tamper wire.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the alarm means is an audio and/or visual alarm means.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the control device includes a reset switch.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which the reset switch is a reset button.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including electrically conducting means for attaching to the fishing rod to enable the fishing rod to make electrical contact with the sensor head when the fishing rod is being received by the sensor head.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the electrically conducting means is a strip of electrically conducting foil.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the electrically conducting foil is lead foil.

12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including trip means.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the trip means is a magnet trip means.

14. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a tilt switch.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 in which the tilt switch is a mercury tilt switch.

16. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a light meter for causing operation of the alarm means at first light.

17. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims including a water sensor for causing operation of tne alarm means in the event that it should start to rain.

18. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a wind direction indicator.

19. Apparatus for preventing the theft of fishing equipment, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.