GB2420480A

GB2420480A - Bait pot

Info

Publication number: GB2420480A
Application number: GB0426085A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth W Tasker
Original assignee: Fox International Group Ltd
Current assignee: Fox International Group Ltd
Priority date: 2004-11-26
Filing date: 2004-11-26
Publication date: 2006-05-31
Also published as: GB0426085D0

Abstract

A bait pot for dropping bait from a fishing pole, having at least one groove (14) in its intended underside (12) for retaining the pot on a fishing pole. A plurality of apertures (46) are formed in an intended top of the pot to enable the contents of the pot when it is in use to be released over a period of time rather than in an instant. The pot may have two grooves arranged at right angles. The grooves may have different cross-sectional sizes and may taper in its longitudinal direction.

Description

A bait pot The present invention relates to a bait pot for dropping bait

from a fishing pole. One such device is disclosed in EP-A-0801895. This provides a clamp device on its base through which a fishing pole is passed to clamp the pot to the fishing pole.

It is a relatively complex product, and is only able to drop the whole of its contents altogether at one time.

The present invention seeks to provide a remedy.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a bait pot for dropping bait from a fishing pole, having at least one groove in its intended underside for retaining the pot on a fishing pole, and an intended top in which are formed a plurality of apertures to enable the contents of the pot when it is in use to be released over a period of time rather than in an instant.

Preferably, the top is in the form of a removable lid. This facilitates easy loading of the pot.

Advantageously, the lid snap-fits into the top of the rest of the pot.

This can be achieved by having an annular protuberance on one of the parts that snap-fits together fitting into an annular groove in the other.

The groove may have a greater cross-sectional width at interior portions thereof than it does where it opens on to the outside face of that base, to enable a length of the fishing pole close to the distal end thereof to be inserted into the groove with a movement which is transverse of the pole and the groove and a second relative movement between the pot and the pole in a longitudinal direction with regard to the pole and the groove to form a tight fit between the pole and the base of the pot, thereby to enable bait to be held in the pot when it is so attached to such a pole in an upright position until the pole is extended as desired, whereupon the pole can be rotated about its longitudinal axis so that the pot rotates with it into an upside-down position so that the bait is dropped from the pot and hence from the pole.

An especially good tight fit can be obtained between the base of the pot and the pole if the said at least one groove has a keyhole shape section.

Poles of different size, or different portions of the given pole can be accommodated if the bait pot is provided with more than one such groove in its base, the grooves having different respective sizes of cross- section.

A strong construction of such a pot can be obtained having two such grooves which are at right angles to one another.

Advantageously, the or each groove tapers in its longitudinal direction, to conform to the tapering of the distal end of the fishing pole.

An example of a bait pot made in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a pot embodying the present invention; Figure 2 shows a base of the pot shown in Figure 1 from directly underneath it; Figure 3 shows a top view of the pot shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the pot from above it and to one side of it, with a lid thereof in a raised position; and Figure 5 shows a side view of a lid part of the pot shown in Figures 1 to 4.

The pot shown in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a generally cylindrical container part 10 with a generally rounded base portion 12 in the underside of which are moulded two grooves 14 and 16 which are at right angles to one another making the underside of the bowl 10 look somewhat like a hot-cross bun.

The cross-sectional shape of the groove 14 is of a keyhole shape having a generally circular portion 18 inwardly of a straight sided neck portion 20 connecting the circular section portion 18 to regions outside the outer surface 22 of the base 12 where the groove is open.

As a result the cross-sectional width of the groove 14 is greater at interior portions thereof than it is where it meets the surface 22.

The cross-sectional interior width of the portion 18 of the groove 16 which is of circular shape is of a greater diameter than that of the groove 14, to enable the pot to be attached to a portion of the pole which is of greater diameter or alternatively to enable the pot to be attached to a bigger pole. The part of each groove 14 or 16 which is of circular cross-section tapers in a longitudinal direction, corresponding to the tapering of a fishing pole.

As shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, the bait pot has a removable lid 40 which is essentially disc-shaped, and is curved in a convex fashion as viewed from above, with a diameter slightly greater than the outer crosssectional diameter of the container pot 10 so that it may be easily gripped and removed therefrom. It has a downwardly depending annular skirt portion 42 having an outer cross-sectional diameter just less than the internal cross-sectional diameter of the cylindrical container part 10, so that the skirt 42 fits snugly in the top open end of the part 10.

An annular protuberance 44 projects very slightly from the outside of the skirt 42. A corresponding annular groove 45 extends around the inside of the container part 10 close to the top end thereof, so that when the lid is fitted into the top open end of the container part 10, just as the underside of the lid abuts the rim of the container part 10, the protuberance 42 snap-fits into the groove 45.

The lid 40 is formed with a multiplicity of circular apertures 46 (nineteen in this illustrated embodiment, although there may be fewer apertures, or there may be * -5-- more, in other embodiments) When the pot is used, the lid 40 is removed and bait (which may be live bait, such as maggots, or inert bait, such as hemp, small particles or small pellets) is inserted in the cylindrical container part 10. The lid is snapped shut on the top of the container part 10, and an end of a fishing pole or rod is inserted into the groove 14 (or 16), as appropriate, with the narrower end of the groove closer to the distal end of the rod, and the bait pot is slid rearwardly so that an increasingly thicker portion of the pole engages the base of the pot until the latter is held firmly on the pole. Once the pole is fully extended, rotation thereof causes the pot to be inverted, and bait therefrom is either sprinkled, or in the case of live bait, dropped from the multiplicity of holes or apertures 46. The gradual an d accurate release of the bait from the pot in this way gives more controlled release of the bait over a period of time, rather than a complete discharge of the bait in an instant, as has been the case with bait pots of previous constructions. Greater accuracy is achieved in that the bait is less likely to be flipped sideways when the pole is rotated, as with previous constructions of bait pot, and even if a sideways motion is imparted to some of the bait, subsequently bait will be dropped precisely on target because of the slower release of bait over a period of time.

Numerous variations and modifications to the illustrated pot may occur to the reader without taking the resulting construction outside the scope of the present invention. For example, the pot may be formed with only one groove 14. Alternatively, it may be formed with three or even four grooves, although it will be appreciated that whatever the number of grooves used, they should all ideally pass through the centre of the base of the pot for the sake of good balance. The lid may be formed with holes which are smaller than as illustrated, or larger, to suit bait of a different size.

Indeed, a number of different lids may be provided to fit the same container part with respective different sizes of the holes. Alternatively, a single lid may be provided with two overlapping parts having holes which are the same size in one of the parts as those in the other, but which can be rotated relative to one another to change the effective size of the holes. Instead, the overlapping parts may be made such that relative rotation between them changes the holes which are open from those of one size to those of another.

Claims

Claims: 1. A bait pot for dropping bait from a fishing pole, having at

least one groove in its intended underside for retaining the pot on a fishing pole, and an intended top in which are formed a plurality of apertures to enable the contents of the pot when it is in use to be released over a period of time rather than in an instant.
2. A bait pot according to claim 1, in which the top is in the form of a removable lid.
3. A bait pot according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the lid snap-fits into the top of the rest of the pot.
4. A bait pot according to claim 3, in which an annular protuberance is provided on one of the parts that snap- fits into an annular groove in the other.
5. A bait pot according to any preceding claim, in which the said at least one groove has a greater cross- sectional width at interior portions thereof than it does where it opens on to the outside face of that base.
6. A bait pot according to claim 5, in which the said at least one groove has a keyhole shape section.
7. A bait pot according to any preceding claim, in which the bait pot is provided with more than one such groove in its intended underside, the grooves having different respective sizes of cross-section.
8. A bait pot according to claim 7, in which the bait pot is provided with two such grooves in its intended underside which are at right angles to one another.
9. A bait pot according to any preceding claim, in which the or each groove in its intended underside tapers in its longitudinal direction.
10. A bait pot substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.