GB2354146A

GB2354146A - Fishing Tackle

Info

Publication number: GB2354146A
Application number: GB9921665A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Robert Nash
Original assignee: Kevin Nash Tackle Ltd
Current assignee: Kevin Nash Tackle Ltd
Priority date: 1999-09-15
Filing date: 1999-09-15
Publication date: 2001-03-21
Anticipated expiration: 2019-09-15
Also published as: GB2354146B; GB9921665D0

Abstract

A safety bolt bead comprising an elongate tubular body 12 having a head (hook end) and a tail (rod end) and a through bore to enable a fishing line to be threaded through the body. A clip 14 is provided for attaching the body to a weight 16. The clip 14 is such that the body 12 will separate from the weight 16 if a pulling force is applied by the fishing line 26 to the head of the body. A recess is formed at the head of the tubular body 12 for receiving and retaining a swivel 18 connectable at its opposite ends to lengths of the fishing line 24 and 26 leading to a fishing rod and a hook, respectively. A tether 30, 32, 34 is also provided for securing the swivel 18 to the tubular body 12 in such a manner that the swivel 18 will only separate from the tubular body 12 upon application by the fishing line 26 of a pulling force that exceeds the force necessary to separate the weight 16 from the tubular body 12. The weight 16 is prevented from slipping off the clip 14 in normal use by means of tail rubber 28.

Description

2354146 Fishing Tackle

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to fishing tackle and is concerned in particular which is referred to herein as a " safety bolt bead". Such a bead is used to attach a weight to a fishing line in a manner that allows the weight to come away from the line if the weight should become entangled after a fish has been hooked.

Background of the invention is Safety bolt beads are already known that comprise an elongate tubular body with a central through bore through which the fishing line is threaded. The body has a head at one end, within which the diameter of the central bore is enlarged to receive and retain a small swivel. The length of the fishing line attached to the fishing rod passes through the length of the bead from its tail end and is attached to the end of the swivel located within the central bore. A shorter length of line attached to the hook and termed a hook link is attached to the other end of the swivel. The bead is also attached to a weight, normally made of lead, so that it rests on the ground and the purpose of the swivel is to ensure that the line can move freely about this anchor.

To prevent injury and distress to a fish that has been hooked as a result of the weight becoming entangled, the weight is secured to the bead in a manner that allows it to come away if the line is pulled hard by the f ish. At the same time, the weight must be sufficiently well retained on the line that it does not become detached from the bead during casting. To this end, the body has an ear-shaped projecting clip. The clip resembles a cup handle that is attached to the body of the clip only at one end to allow the weight to be slid onto the clip from the other end. A tail rubber is fitted over the tail of the bead and the unattached end of the clip to prevent the weight from 5 sliding off the clip under normal conditions.

It is possible while trying to land a fish that the fishing line may break at a point between the safety bolt bead and the fishing rod. This will leave the fish attached to the line and it will drag the safety bolt bead and the weight as it swims away. If the weight were permanently attached to the line, then some later stage could become entangled in an underwater obstruction and the fish would be permanently tethered by the line to the obstruction causing it unnecessary suffering. On the other hand, if a safety bolt bead as described above is used, then if the weight should become entangled in an obstruction, the struggling fish can pull the bead away from the weight or pull the swivel out of the bead enabling it to swim away dragging only a short length of line.

There is however a situation when the safety bolt bead as described may not work to the fish's advantage. In particular, if the weight should be caught in an obstruction 25. while the fishing line is still intact, then the pull of the fish on the hook link may cause the swivel to be pulled out of the bead before the bead separates from the weight. This would leave the angler playing a fish on a line anchored through the safety bolt bead. This is an undesirable situation that is likely to result in the angler losing the catch and that could ultimately cause unnecessary suffering to the fish.

Summary of the invention

With a view to mitigating the foregoing disadvantage, the present invention provides a safety bolt bead comprising an elongate tubular body having a head and a tail and a through bore to enable a fishing line to be threaded through the body, means for attaching the body to a weight in such manner that the body will separate from the weight if a pulling force is applied by the fishing line to the head of the body, a recess at the head of the tubular body for receiving and retaining a swivel connectable at its opposite ends to lengths of the fishing line leading to a fishing rod and a hook, respectively, and means for securing the swivel to the tubular body in such a manner that the swivel will only separate from the tubular body upon application by the fishing line of a pulling force that exceeds the force necessary to separate the weight from the tubular body.

The present invention thus improves on the known safety bolt bead by taking steps to ensure that the swivel will not separate from the bead until the bead has been separated from the weight. Consequently, there is no possibility of a fish swimming away by pulling the swivel away from the bead while the bead itself remains entangled by its weight in any obstructions.

In the preferred embodiment, the head of the body is provided with a transverse bore through which may be threaded a line that is attached to the end of the swivel lying within the tubular body. In this way, the swivel may be tethered to the safety bolt bead by a line of known breaking strength that is chosen to be able to withstand the force necessary to pull the weight away from the bead.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which a schematic section through a safety bolt bead of the present invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

The single figure shows a safety bolt bead generally designated 10 comprising a tubular body 12 having a through bore. The body 12 is formed integrally with a clip 14 that resembles a cup handle that is attached to the body 12 only at its end nearer the head of the body 12. A weight 16 is secured to the body 12 by being slipped over the tail end of the clip 14 and is prevented from slipping off the clip 14 by means of a tail rubber 28 that fits over the tail of the body 12 and the tail end of the clip 14.

A swivel 18 is mounted within a region of the through bore at the head of the body 12 that has an enlarged diameter. The swivel has two rings 20 and 22 that can rotate freely relative to the central portion of the swivel 18 held within the body 12. The inner ring 22 is attached to the length 24 of the fishing line that leads back to the fishing rod, the latter being threaded through the tail rubber 28 and the tail end of the body 12 before being knotted around the ring 22. The outer ring 20 is attach to the hook link 26, which is a length of fishing line knotted around the ring 20 and connected at its other end to a hook.

As so far described, the safety bolt bead is conventional. Supposing that the length 24 of the fishing line has been severed and the weight 16 is caught on an obstacle. If a fish on the hook link 26 now pulls the body 12 to the left as viewed in the drawing, the weight will first slide down the clip 14 then push the tail rubber 28 off the clip 14 allowing the weight 16 to fall away. The fish can then swim away attached only to a short length of line. The above operation assumes that the swivel 18 remains attached to the body 12 during this time, but in the prior art this could not always be guaranteed. If the swivel 18 should come away from the body 12 with the weight 16 caught in an obstacle but the length of line 24 still intact, then the fish could be caused unnecessary suffering.

To avoid this possibility, in the present invention additional steps are taken to ensure that the swivel 18 cannot be pulled out of the body 12 until the weight 16 has been separated from the body 12. To this end, two transverse bores 30 and 32 are formed in the head of the body 12 level with the inner ring 22 of the swivel. A length of line 34 is first threaded through these bores 30 and 32 and the ring 22 then knotted to form a tether preventing the swivel 18 from separating from the body 12 until the line 34 breaks. As fishing lines have known breaking strength the strength of the tether can be selected to exceed the force required to pull the weight 16 off the clip 14.

If the line 34 is attached in the manner illustrated, a force corresponding to twice the breaking strain of the line will be required before the swivel can be pulled away from the body 12. Of course, by using a different configuration, with the line passing through only a single transverse bore, it would be possible to tether the swivel 18 using a single length of line.

While the disclosed method of anchoring the swivel using a line of known breaking strength is preferred, it will be appreciated that there are other ways of ensuring that the swivel does not separate from the body 12 until sufficient force has been applied to separate the weight 16 from the clip 14.

Claims

1. A safety bolt bead comprising an elongate tubular body having a head and a tail and a through bore to enable a fishing line to be threaded through the body, means for attaching the body to a weight in such manner that the body will separate from the weight if a pulling force is applied by the fishing line to the head of the body, a recess at the head of the tubular body for receiving and retaining a swivel connectable at its opposite ends to lengths of the fishing line leading to a fishing rod and a hook, respectively, and means for securing the swivel to the tubular body in such a manner that the swivel will only separate from the tubular body upon application by the fishing line of a pulling force that exceeds the force necessary to separate the weight from the tubular body.

2. A safety bolt bead as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head of the body is provided with a transverse bore through which may be threaded a line that is attached to the end of the swivel lying within the tubular body.

3. A safety bolt bead as claimed in claim 2, wherein the head of the body is provided with two aligned transverse bores through which a line may be threaded through the end of the swivel lying within the tubular body.

4. A safety bolt bead as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a clip is provided on the body for the weight, the clip being closed at the head of the body and open at its tail, and wherein a tail rubber is provided to fit around the tail of the clip and the tail of the body to prevent the weight from sliding off the clip.

5. A safety bolt bead constructed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.