GB2360686A

GB2360686A - Angling stand

Info

Publication number: GB2360686A
Application number: GB0005525A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Michael Fletcher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-09
Filing date: 2000-03-09
Publication date: 2001-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 2020-03-09
Also published as: GB0005525D0; GB2360686B

Abstract

The invention provides an angling stand 10 comprising a length adjustable central shaft 12 having a spindle section 14a/14b at each end thereof. Each spindle section 14a/b carries a pair of snag bar supports 16a-16d, a pair of length adjustable legs 18a-18d and a pair of adjustable indexing handles 20a-20d. The stand is adjustable between collapsed and erected configurations.

Description

1 2360686 Angling Stand This invention relates to an angling stand.

Angling stands are used to stabilise and support an angling set up which would typically comprise two horizontal snag bars arranged to grip a butt section of one or more fishing rods. Each snag bar is typically supported by a single central support called a bank stick, which is arranged to be driven into the ground.

Another existing angling stand comprises a support portion which is arranged to receive four bank sticks, one bank stick being placed in an opening at the end of one or four arms of the bank stick.

Disadvantages arise with this type of angling stand in that the bank sticks are separate pieces of the set up and can so easily be misplaced or forgotten by a user. If this is the case, then it may not be possible to use the angling stand correctly because it may not be possible to secure the angling stand set up to the ground. Consequently, any fishing rods supported by the set up may not be correctly supported.

It is an object of the present invention to address the abovementioned disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an angling stand comprises a shaft member, at first and second ends of which are end pieces, in which each end piece comprises two snag bar supports and two ground-engaging leg portions; wherein the angling stand is adjustable between collapsed and erected configurations, in the collapsed configuration the snag bar supports and the ground- engaging leg portions being pivoted to be approximately coplanar with the shaft member, and in the erected configuration the snag-bar supports being pivoted to be generally upright and the ground-engaging leg portions being pivoted to point generally downwards.

2 The snag bar supports and/or the ground-engaging leg portions may be operable to pivot about their respective end pieces. The snag bar supports and/or the groundengaging leg portions may comprise hub portions which hub portions are attached to the respective end pieces of the snag bar supports and/or the ground- engaging leg portions The snag bar support hubs may be adjacent to the corresponding leg portion hubs. The snag bar support hubs may abut their respective end pieces.

Abutting faces of the end piece, the snag bar support hub and/or the leg portions may have interengaging projections, which may allow a stepwise relative adjustment of adjacent pieces. The adjustment may be a relative rotational adjustment, to allow adjustment between the collapsed and erected configurations.

Tightening means may be provided to urge the snag bar support hubs and the leg portion hubs towards their corresponding end pieces. The tightening means may be operable to lock the snag bar support hubs and/or leg portion hubs into position. The tightening means may be adjustable to allow relative movement of the hubs and their respective end pieces.

Each set of two ground-engaging leg portions may point away from each other, to provide a strong base on which to support the remainder of the angling stand and fishing rods supported thereon. Each set of two groundengaging leg portions may form a trapezoid shape with their end piece and the ground, when in the erected configuration. Each set of two groundengaging leg portions may be arranged to point away from the other set of two ground-engaging leg portions when in the erected configuration.

The leg portions may be length adjustable.

3 The shaft portion may be length adjustable.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an angling stand comprises a shaft member at first and second ends of which are secured two ground-engaging leg portions and two snag bar supports, wherein the ground-engaging leg portions and the snag bar supports are pivotally adjustable about end pieces of the shaft member.

All of the features disclosed herein may be combined with any of the above aspects in any combination.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an angling stand; figure 2 is a schematic partial view showing the connections between leg and snag bar support portions of the angling stand; figure 3 is a schematic view from above of the angling stand in a collapsed 20 configuration; and figure 4 is a schematic exploded view showing the internal configuration of fitting points for a main shaft of the angling stand.

An angling stand 10 comprises a length adjustable central shaft 12 having a spindle section 14a114b at each end thereof. Each spindle section 14a/b carries a pair of snag bar supports 16a-16d, a pair of adjustable legs 18a-18d and a pair of adjustable indexing handles 20a-20d.

4 Each of the adjustable legs 18-18d is adjustable in length and is adjustable to pivot about the axis of the head of the spindle section 14a/b.

In more detail, the length adjustable central shaft 12 may comprise two sections, 22 and 24, one received within the other to allow for telescopic adjustment of the central shaft 12. At the join between the two sections 22, 24, there may be a collar 26 having a threaded projection (not shown) turned by a knob portion 28, adjustment of which causes the threaded projection to bear against one of the two sections 22, 24 and thus hold it in position.

The spindle sections 14a/b may be integrally formed with the central shaft 12. The spindle section or end section 14a/b may be welded, brazed or otherwise secured at the opposite ends of the central shaft 12.

The end face 30 of each end section 14a/b may be toothed (see figure 2) and arranged to engage a toothed end face 32 of a hub portion 34a-34d of the snag bar support 16a-16d. Each snag bar support 16a-16d is screwed into an interference fit (or wedge fitting) 20 opening 51a-51d in its corresponding hub 34a-34d. The opening 51a-51d is perpendicular to the head of the T-shaped section 14alb. The hubs 34a-34d are received on a spine 52 of each end piece 14alb. The hubs 34a34d may rotate freely on the spine 52 until tightened. 25 Each snag bar support 16a-16d may be arranged, in use, to extend approximately vertically upwards. The two snag bar supports 16a and 16b are arranged to receive one snag bar 36 in end sections 38a/b or respective snag bar supports 16a/b. The end sections comprise a horizontally aligned opening (40a, 40b) in which the snag bar 36 is received. Each of the end sections 38a/b has an adjustable screw which is arranged to be adjustable to bear down on the snag bar 36 held in the openings 40a/b and thus hold the snag bar 36 in position.

The snag bar 36 has fittings 42a-42d on which to receive and secure fishing rods (not shown). The snag bar supports 16c and 16d also support a snag bar 36. The snag bar supports 16c and 16d have end sections 38c and 38d with openings 40c and 40d the 10 same as those described in relation to the snag bar support 16a and 16b, with the same mode of operation. The snag bar 36 also has the same fittings 42a-42d as described in relation to the snag bar 36 supported on snag bar support 16a and 16b. As shown in figure 2, the hubs 34a-34d abut a hub 44a-44d of the adjustable legs 15 18a-18d. Each hub 44a-44d has a toothed end face 46a-46d to engage a corresponding toothed end face 48a-48d (see figure 2) of the snag bar support hub 34a-34d. The adjustable leg 18a-18d is received in its corresponding hub 44a-44d in an angled 20 interference fit (or wedge fitting) opening 50a-50d, as shown in figure 4. The angled. opening 50a-50d is offset from a central opening 54 which is arranged to receive the spine 52 of the end piece 14alb. The opening 50a-50d may be an interference fit to receive a slightly oversized end of 25 its corresponding adjustable leg 18a-18d. The opening 54 may be sufficiently wide to allow free rotation of the hub 44a-44d on the spine of 52 when the toothed end faces of adjacent pieces are not engaged.

6 The indexing handle 20a-20d is received on a threaded portion 56 of the spine 52. The handle 20a-20d can be turned on the spine 52 to hold the hubs 34a-34d and 44a44d in abutting engagement with each other and with the end piece 14a/b.

In use, the angling stand 10 is stored in the configuration shown in figure 3 in which the stand 10 forms a generally planar configuration. In this configuration the angling stand 10 is easily transported and stored whilst all of the pieces of the angling stand are retained as part of a single structure, without the necessity to bring separate bank sticks, snag bars and the like. 10 In order to erect the angling stand 10 to the configuration shown in figure 1, the indexing handles 20a-20d are loosened so that the snag bar supports hubs 34a-34d and the adjustable leg hubs 44a-44d can be rotated about their spine 52. The hubs 34a-34d and 44a-44d can be rotated in a step wise fashion as the toothed end faces 15 30, 32, 46 and 48 engage with each other. By use of the toothed end faces 30, 32, 46 and 48 accurate adjustment and also identical positioning of each of the adjustable legs 18a-18d and snag supports 16a- 16d can be achieved. The adjustable legs 18a-18d are splayed slightly as can be seen from the angle that 20 the opening 50a-50d (see figure 4) makes with the generally horizontal spines 52. The adjustable legs 18a- 18d are rotated so that they point downwards and away from the central shaft 12 to provide a firm base for the fishing rods to be supported on the angling stand 10. The snag bar supports 16a-16d are then rotated from a position shown in figure 3 to that position shown in figure 1. The snag bar supports 16a and 25 16b are aligned to receive the snag bar 36. Also, the snag bar supports 16c and 16d are aligned so that the snag bar support 36 is held generally perpendicular to the central shaft 12.

7 When the snag bar supports 16a-16d and adjustable legs 18a-18d have been moved to their correct positions, the indexing handles 20a-20d can be tightened to lock the snag bar supports and adjustable legs into position.

After this, the length of the adjustable central shaft 12 can be adjusted by using the collar 26 and its knob portion 28.

Finally, fishing rods can be supported on the fittings 42 in the usual way.

The angling stand described herein has significant advantages over existing angling stands because of the provision of a stand which includes all the necessary parts to support a number of fishing rods in a stable configuration. No extra parts need to be inserted or carried with a user of the stand.

In addition, the use of toothed end and faces on the snag bar support hubs and adjustable leg hubs allows for precise relative locations of the legs and snag bar supports and also prevents a slipping between these parts which may result from flat adjacent faces.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

8 Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic 5 series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

9 CLAMS:

1. An angling stand comprises a shaft member, at first and second ends of which are end pieces, in which each end piece comprises two snag bar supports and two s ground-engaging leg portions; wherein the angling stand is adjustable between collapsed and erected configurations, in the collapsed configuration the snag bar supports and the ground-engaging leg portions being pivoted to be approximately coplanar with the shaft member, and in the erected configuration the snag-bar supports being pivoted to be generally upright and the ground-engaging leg portions lo being pivoted to point generally downwards.

2. An angling stand according to claim 1, wherein the snag bar supports andlor the ground-engaging leg portions are operable to pivot about their respective end pieces.

3. An angling stand according to either clahn 1 or claim 2, wherein the snag bar supports andlor the ground-engaging leg portions comprise hubs which hubs are attached to the respective end pieces of the snag bar supports andlor the groundengaging leg portions.

4. An angling stand according to claim 3, wherein the snag bar support hubs are adjacent to the corresponding leg portion hubs.

1 5. An angling stand according to either of claims 3 or 4, wherein the snag bar 25 support hubs may abut their respective end pieces.

6. An angling stand according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein abutting faces of the end piece, the snag bar support hubs andlor the leg portion hubs have interengaging projections which allow a stepwise relative adjustment of adjacent 30 pieces.

7. An angling stand according to claim 6, wherein the adjustment is a relative rotational adjustment, to allow adjustment between the collapsed and erected configurations.

s 8. An angling stand according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein tightening means are provided to urge the snag bar support hubs and the leg portion hubs towards their corresponding end pieces.

9. An angling stand according to claim 8, wherein the tightening means is lo operable to lock the snag bar support hubs andlor leg portion hubs into position.

10. An angling stand according to either claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the tightening means is adjustable to allow relative movement of the hubs and their respective end pieces.

is 11. An angling stand according to any preceding claim, wherein each set of two ground-engaging leg portions point away from each other, to provide a strong base on which to support the remamder of the angling stand and fishing rods supported thereon.

12. An angling stand according to any preceding claim, wherein each set of two ground-engaging leg portions form a trapezoid shape with their end piece and the ground, when in the erected configuration.

13. An angling stand according to any preceding claim, wherein each set of two ground-engaging leg portions are arranged to point away from the other set of two ground-engaging leg portions when in the erected configuration.

14. An angling stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the leg portions 3o are length adjustable.

11 15. An angling stand according to any preceding claim, wherein the shaft portion is length adjustable.

s 16. An angling stand comprises a shaft member at first and second ends of which are secured two ground-engaging leg portions and two snag bar supports, wherein the ground-engaging leg portions and the snag bar supports are pivotally adjustable about end pieces of the shaft member.

lo 17. An angling stand substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the drawings.

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