GB2274761A

GB2274761A - A bite indicating device for use in fishing

Info

Publication number: GB2274761A
Application number: GB9402021A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew James Stephens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-02-05
Filing date: 1994-02-01
Publication date: 1994-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 2014-02-01
Also published as: GB2274761B; GB9402021D0; GB9302254D0

Abstract

A weight for providing visual indication of movement of a fishing line comprises a translucent main body 24, a connector 25 for suspending the weight from the fishing line 11, and an electrically actuated light emitting device, such as an LED 28, mounted in the main body and connected to a switch controlled by a line movement detector 12. The switch is operated, and the weight illuminated, whenever any movement of the line 11 is detected, thus allowing the direction of movement of the weight 24, and hence of the line, to be determined in the dark. <IMAGE>

Description

"A Bite Indicating Device for use in Fishing" The invention relates to a bite indicating device for use in fishing with a rod and line. The device is particularly useful for use in carp fishing, but it will be apparent that the device is suitable, in principle, for use in any form of fishing with rod and line.

In some types of fishing, such as carp fishing, it is desirable to know not only whether a fish has taken the bait, and hence caused displacement of the fishing line, but also to know in which direction the line has become displaced so as to give the angler some indication of the direction in which the fish is moving. This information may be helpful to the angler when subsequently playing the fish. One common form of detector therefore includes a weight which is suspended from a stretch of line hanging below the fishing rod, so that the weight is displaced up or down should a fish take the bait and hence displace the line. If the fish, having taken the bait, starts to run away from the rod, the line will tighten and the weight will be displaced upwardly. On the other hand, if the fish moves in a direction to slacken the line, the weight will move downwardly.

Since the angler may not immediately notice up or down displacement of the weight, it is common to use such a weight in conjunction with an electronic bite indicator which gives an audible and/or visual alarm upon displacement of the line in any direction. Such an indicator is usually attached on to the rod, so as to be located beneath it, the line passing through a slot in the indicator. A detector in the device senses any movement in the line through the slot and then closes a switch to sound an electrical buzzer, or other audible alarm, on the device and in some cases also illuminating a small electric lamp or light emitting diode (LED) on the indicator.Such audible and/or visual alarms draw the angler's attention to the fact that there has been a bite, and then observation of the direction of movement of the suspended weight gives him information as to the direction in which the fish is moving.

In known electronic bite indicators of the kind referred to, the sensor in the indicator may sometimes be coupled by an electric cable to an auxiliary audible and/or visual alarm unit which may then be located at some distance from the rod to enable an angler to monitor the rod from a distance. The remote alarm unit may be connected to two or more bite indicators on different rods and may indicate when any of them registers a bite.

The electronic bite indicators of the kind described may be used at night since both the audible and visual alarm devices can be detected at night. In the dark, however, the angler may be unable to see the associated weight and the direction in which it is moving. Consequently, he may be aware that a bite has occurred but may not be able to determine how the fish is moving in relation to the rod.

In an attempt to overcome this problem, indicating weights are known in which there is mounted on the weight, and usually embedded in it, a radioactive isotope which glows in the dark without requiring an external source of power. However, such isotopes are comparatively costly and anglers may, in addition, be somewhat uneasy about constant handling of radioactive material even though the radioactivity may be extremely low. The present invention therefore sets out to provide a novel and improved form of weight, for use in bite detection, which may provide cheap, easy and convenient means for enabling the movement of the weight to be detected in the dark, without the disadvantages of radioactive isotopes.

According to the invention there is provided a weight for providing visual indication of movement of a fishing line, the weight comprising a main body, a connection device for suspending the main body of material from a fishing line, an electrically actuated light emitting device mounted on the main body, or a part movable therewith, and an electrical conductor connected to the light emitting device for coupling the light emitting device in circuit with a source of electrical power and switch means.

The light emitting device may be a solid state device such as a light emitting diode (LED), although the invention includes within its scope arrangements in which the light emitting device is a small conventional filament lamp.

Preferably the main body includes at least a part thereof which is formed from translucent material, the light emitting device being disposed within the translucent material so as to be protected thereby while shining through it. For example, the main body itself may formed, at least in part, from translucent material, the light emitting device being disposed within a cavity in a translucent part of the main body.

The connection device is preferably such that the weight may, in use, be freely suspended from a fishing line. Alternatively, guide means may be provided, in known manner, to constrain the up and down movement of the weight. For example, the main body may be provided with a longitudinal passage through which may extend a fixed guide rod on which the weight is then slidable. Alternatively, the weight may be mounted on an elongate element which is mounted for up and down swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis.

For example, the elongate element may be mounted on a generally horizontal pivot located intermediate the ends of the elongate element, the weight being mounted on the elongate element to one side of the pivot, and a counterweight being mounted on the elongate element on the opposite side of the pivot.

The switch means may be manually operable so that the light emitting device may be selectively maintained in an illuminated or unilluminated condition.

Preferably, however, the aforesaid switch means for operating the light emitting device is actuated by means responsive to movement of a fishing line, whereby the switch means are closed, and the light emitting device illuminated, only upon movement of the line occurring.

For example, the switch means may comprise the switch in a line movement detector, of the aforementioned known kind, in which the switch activates the electrical circuit of an audible and/or visual alarm associated with the detector. In the case where the line movement detector has an electrical coupling device, such as an electrical jack socket, for connection of an electrical conductor leading to a remote audible and/or visual alarm, the light emitting device of the weight according to the invention may be connected, through its aforesaid electrical conductor, to said coupling device.

The main body may comprise a solid block of material. Alternatively the main body may be substantially hollow. In the latter case the hollow main body may provide an enclosed internal chamber containing, or adapted to contain, a weight-providing material, such as lead shot or a liquid. There may be provided a closable access aperture through which weight-providing material may be introduced into, or removed from, the internal chamber.

The main body of the weight may be generally cylindrical in external contour and may be circular in cross-section.

The following is a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a fishing rod and line equipped with a known form of bite detection assembly; Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 showing a bite detection assembly incorporating an illuminated weight according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a sectional view through one form of illuminated weight in accordance with the invention, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side view of a further form of illuminated weight, according to the invention, in use with a different form of guide means, and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the arrangement of Figure 4.

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a conventional bite detection system of a kind which is often used when fishing with rod and line, and particularly in fishing for carp.

A section of the fishing rod is indicated at 10, the fishing line being indicated at 11. An electronic bite detector 12 is attached on to the rod so as to be located beneath it and the line 11 passes through a slot 13 in the bite detector. The detector 12 will normally be carried on a support bar (not shown) which supports the detector and rod above the ground.

The bite detector 12 has a sensor which responds to any displacement of the line 11, indicating that a fish has taken the bait, and operates a switch to energise the loudspeaker 14 of an audible alarm and/or to illuminate lamps or LEDs 15 mounted on the bite detector.

The bite detector may also include a socket to receive a jack plug 16 which connects the bite connector by an electric cable 17 to a remote warning device 18 which is also provided with a loudspeaker alarm 19 and lamps or LEDs 20. The arrangement is such that when the detector 12 senses movement of the line 11 the remote alarm 19 and one of the lamps or LEDs 20 is brought into circuit, by the cable 17, and is actuated.

The remote device 18 may be located some distance from the rod, if required, so that it may conveniently be observed or heard by the angler. The remote unit 18 may be arranged to be connected to a number of bite detectors on different rods, actuation of each bite detector being arranged to illuminate a different one of the lamps or LEDs 20 to indicate on which rod a bite has been detected.

As previously described, the bite detector can indicate displacement of the line, indicating that a fish has taken the bait, but will not indicate the direction of displacement of the line. For this purpose a weight or bobbin 21 is suspended from a slack portion of the line, indicated at 22. Often the bobbin 21 is cylindrical in shape and is formed with a central longitudinal passage which is slidable on a rigid needle 23 which extends vertically from the ground and therefore acts as a guide for up-and-down sliding movement of the bobbin 21. The bobbin 21 serves to indicate the direction in which the line 11 is being displaced once a bite has been detected. If the fish is moving away from the rod the line 11 becomes tensioned and the bobbin 21 moves upwardly. If the fish moves towards the rod the line 11 slackens and the weight -of the bobbin 21 pulls the line down.Slackening of the line is therefore indicated by downward movement of the bobbin.

The provision of an audible alarm and illuminated indicators on the bite indicator 12 or remote unit 18 enables the bite indicator to function at night. However, it may be then too dark for the angler to see in which direction the bobbin 21 is moving. The present invention therefore provides a convenient arrangement to enable the direction of movement of the bobbin to be seen in the dark.

One arrangement according to the invention is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

In this case the bobbin 24 is in the form of a right circular cylinder moulded from translucent plastics material, such as a translucent coloured resin. In conventional manner there is partly embedded in the bobbin 24 a wire loop 25 for suspending it from the fishing line 11 and a central axial passage 26 to enable the bobbin to slide up-and-down on the needle 23.

However, in accordance with the invention there is moulded in the body of the bobbin 24 a cavity which snugly receives a light emitting diode (LED) 28. The LED is connected by a flexible electric cable 29 to a jack plug 30 which plugs into the bite detector 12 which may be of the kind described in relation to Figure 1.

As previously described, actuation of the bite detector 12 closes the circuit incorporating the cable leading from the jack socket on the bite detector.

Accordingly, with the arrangement in Figure 2, each time the bite detector 12 detects a bite, and the associated audible and visual alarms are sounded, the LED 28 on the bobbin 24 is also illuminated. This means that in the dark the angler can see in which direction the bobbin 24 is moving each time the fish takes the bait, and so can play the fish accordingly.

As in the arrangement of Figure 1, the bite detector 12 may be connected by an electric cable to a remote warning device, similar to the device 18, which is provided with a loudspeaker alarm and lamps or LEDs.

For this purpose the jack plug 30 may have connected to it a short length of cable 31 leading to a jack socket 32 to which the jack plug from the remote warning device may be coupled.

As previously mentioned, the bobbin 24 may simply comprise a solid body of transparent or translucent plastics material formed with a central axial passage to receive the needle 23 and a cavity to receive the LED. However, Figure 3 shows in section an alternative and preferred form for the bobbin.

Referring to Figure 3, the bobbin 24 is generally in the form of a hollow cylindrical container moulded from fluorescent transparent plastics material.

The container, which is of circular cross-section, comprises a main body part 33 and a cap part 34, the two parts being moulded separately and subsequently bonded together for example by a suitable adhesive or by thermal welding. The container has a central axial cylindrical shaft 35 formed with a central bore 36 to receive the needle 23 on which the bobbin is slidable.

The lower part of the main body part 33 is integrally moulded with a solid cylindrical block 36 of plastics material which extends between the central shaft 35 and peripheral wall of the container on one side of the shaft 35. The block 36 is formed with a cavity 37 in which the LED 28 is snugly received. A close wound helical spring 38 encircles the cable 29 where it is connected to the LED 28, part of the spring 38 lying within the cavity 37 and part lying outside the cavity 37 so as to absorb forces applied to the cable 29 and prevent breakage of the electrical connection between the cable 29 and the LED 28.

The lower ends of the wire loop 25 are embedded in the plastics material of the cap 34, one portion of the peripheral wall of the cap being thickened, as indicated at 39, to receive the ends of the loop 25.

The advantage of a bobbin in the form of a container is that it may be filled with varying quantities of a weight-providing material, such as lead shot, water or other liquid, to allow the weight of the bobbin to be varied. To enable the bobbin to be filled and emptied for this purpose, the cap 34 is provided with an aperture 40 which may be sealed by a removable stopper 41.

Figures 2 and 3 show only one arrangement in accordance with the invention and many other configurations are possible. For example, although it is preferred to provide an LED located in a cavity within the body of the bobbin 24, the LED may be mounted anywhere on the bobbin and might, for example, be mounted within a transparent cover at either end, or on the side of the bobbin. In this case the main body of the bobbin 24 does not require to be translucent and could be opaque. Although an LED is preferred, any other form of electrically actuated illuminating device might be used, such as a small electric filament lamp of conventional design.

The described arrangement is preferred where the illuminating device on the bobbin is coupled to a bite detector so as to be illuminated each time the bite detector senses movement of the line. However, the invention also includes within its scope arrangements in which the weight device is self-contained and does not require to be electrically coupled to an electronic bite detector.

In the simplest form of the invention the light emitting device may be permanently illuminated, being simply connected to a battery through a manual switch. The battery may be mounted on the bobbin 24 so as to move up-and-down with it, or a battery box may be stood on the ground near to the bobbin and connected to the light emitting device by a flexible cable.

Obviously, however, such arrangements provide a continuing drain on the battery, and arrangements are preferred where the light emitting device is only illuminated when the fishing line 11 moves, indicating that a bite has occurred. However, instead of an electronic bite detector being used as shown in Figure 2, means may be provided for detecting directly up-anddown movement of the bobbin 24 and causing the light emitting device to be illuminated whenever such movement is detected. For example, the circuit between the light emitting device and a battery may include sliding contacts on the bobbin 24 and an associated fixed part, such as the needle 23 or a part associated therewith, the sliding contacts only coming into engagement to complete the circuit when the bobbin 24 moves up or down from a central datum position.It will be apparent that other known forms of movement sensor may be incorporated in the bobbin 24 itself to cause the light emitting device to be illuminated whenever up or down movement of the bobbin 24 occurs.

It is not essential for the bobbin to be of the shape and configuration shown in Figures 2 and 3 and the bobbin may be of any convenient shape or formed from any convenient material of sufficient weight. Also, it is not essential for the bobbin to be guided in its upand-down movement on a fixed vertical needle of the kind indicated at 23. In the simplest form of construction the bobbin may simply be suspended from the fishing line 11 so as to hang freely and it will then still move upand-down without the necessity of any constraint.

However, some constraint is preferred since it provides a more stable arrangement and reduces the risk of sideways movement of the bobbin, due for example to the wind or small animals, causing displacement of the line 11 and a false bite alarm being given.

Figures 4 and 5 show another form of system for constraining an illuminated bobbin, according to the invention, to move up and down. In this case the bobbin 42, carrying the LED 43, is mounted at one end of a rod 44 which is pivotally mounted, at a point intermediate its ends, on a pivot device 45 having a horizontal pivot axis. The end of the rod 44 remote from the bobbin 42 carries a counterbalance weight 46 clamped onto the rod by means of a screw 47. A further adjustable weight 48 is similarly clamped to the rod 44, by a clamping screw 49, on a part of the rod 45 between the bobbin 42 and the pivot device 45.

The pivot device 45 connects the rod 44 to a downwardly inclined arm 50 which is integrally moulded at its upper end with a C-shaped clip 51 whereby the device may be clipped to an upright member of the aforementioned bar system which supports the bite indicator and rod.

The slack portion of the fishing line 52 extends along and above the rod 44 and the bobbin 42 is hooked to it by a clip device 53 on the bobbin. The arrangement is such that as the fishing line 52 is tensioned, so that the slack in it is taken up, the bobbin 42 and rod 44 are swung upwardly, whereas if the line 52 slackens the bobbin and rod swing downwardly.

The effective downward bias of the system may be adjusted by adjusting the position of the weight 48 on the rod 44. It will be appreciated that, in view of this, it is not necessary to adjust the weight of the bobbin 42 itself and the bobbin may therefore comprise essentially a solid block of material, such as fluorescent transparent plastics material, formed with a cavity in which the LED 43 and the end of the rod 44 are received. As in the previously described arrangements the LED 43 is connected by a cable 29 to a jack plug 30 for connection to the bite indicator. The rod 44 may be hollow so that the cable 29 may pass along the centre of the rod.

It will be appreciated by those familiar with conventional bobbins that other systems for guiding and constraining movement of the bobbin may be employed, without departing from the scope of the invention.

In any of the above arrangements the LED, or other illuminating device, may be arranged to flash intermittently when energised, instead of being continuously lit.

Claims

1. A weight for providing visual indication of movement of a fishing line, the weight comprising a main body, a connection device for suspending the main body of material from a fishing line, an electrically actuated light emitting device mounted on the main body, or a part movable therewith, and an electrical conductor connected to the light emitting device for coupling the light emitting device in circuit with a source of electrical power and switch means.

2. A weight according to Claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is a light emitting diode.

3. A weight according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the main body includes at least a part thereof which is formed from translucent material, the light emitting device being disposed behind the translucent material so as to be protected thereby while shining through it.

4. A weight according to Claim 3, wherein the main body is formed, at least in part, from translucent material, the light emitting device being disposed within a cavity in a translucent part of the main body.

5. A weight according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the main body includes guide means for use in constraining up and down movement of the weight.

6. A weight according to Claim 5, wherein the main body is provided with a longitudinal passage through which may extend, in use, a fixed guide rod on which the weight is then slidable.

7. An assembly incorporating a weight according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the weight is mounted on an elongate element which is mounted for up and down swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis.

8. An assembly according to Claim 7, wherein the elongate element is mounted on a generally horizontal pivot located intermediate the ends of the elongate element, the weight being mounted on the elongate element to one side of the pivot, and a counterweight being mounted on the elongate element on the opposite side of the pivot.

9. A weight or assembly according to any of the preceding claims in combination with switch means actuated by means responsive to movement of a fishing line, whereby the switch means are closed, and the light emitting device illuminated, only upon movement of the line occurring.

10. A weight or assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the main body of the weight comprises a solid block of material.

11. A weight or assembly according to any of the preceding Claims 1 to 9, wherein the main body of the weight is substantially hollow.

12. A weight or assembly according to Claim 11, wherein the hollow main body provides an enclosed internal chamber containing, or adapted to contain, a weight-providing material.

13. A weight or assembly according to Claim 12, wherein the hollow main body is provided with a closable access aperture through which weight-providing material may be introduced into, or removed from, the internal chamber.

14. A weight or assembly according to any of the preceding claims wherein the main body of the weight is generally cylindrical in external contour and circular in cross-section.

15. A weight for providing visual indication of movement of a fishing line substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

16. An assembly for providing visual indication of movement of a fishing line substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.