GB2441954A

GB2441954A - Bite indicator

Info

Publication number: GB2441954A
Application number: GB0618353A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Mcconnell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-09-19
Filing date: 2006-09-19
Publication date: 2008-03-26
Anticipated expiration: 2026-09-19
Also published as: GB2441954B; GB0618353D0

Abstract

The indicator comprises an elongate shaft 42 at one end of which is provided a line hook 56, and towards the other end of which is provided a pivot formation 46 so that the shaft can rotate freely when suitably mounted to a rod stand 14. The shaft is hollow to encase a number of ball bearings 44 which can roll freely therein. In use arcuate arm 54 rests on the line, beneath the pivot formation, and the effect of gravity on the ball bearings permit the line hook to apply tension to the line. On the instance of a bite, the tension in the line markedly increases, and the indicator rotates upwardly causing the ball bearings to move within the shaft. Once a critical mass of the ball bearings moves beyond the fulcrum of the pivot the indicator continues to rotate in the same direction releasing the line from the hook of said indicator.

Description

I

Bite Indicator This invention relates to a bite indicator for use in angling, and in particular for use in the angling style of legering in which a float is not used.

BACKGROUND

There are many types of angling, and many techniques associates with such types, but perhaps the two main techniques associated with inland or coarse fishing, are float fishing and legering. In the former, a float, typically of cork, balsa or other buoyant material is tied tO the fishing line a desired distance from the end of the line at were the hook is secured so that in use, the float bobs on the water surface above the region beneath the water surface where the hook and bait are disposed. The float provides an immediate indication to the angler of when a fish has taken the bait as the float moves significantly or disappears beneath the water surface.

In the technique of legering, a float is not used, and instead a variety of bite indicators may be used proximate the reel, and thus proximate the angler, to determine whether the line is being withdrawn from the reel as a result of a fish having taken the bait.

Conventionally, leger fishing for pike and other coarse fish involves securing the leger weight to the line a predetermined distance from the end of the line such that the hook at bait thereon, secured at the free end of the line and being more buoyant than the leger weight, floats thereabove in the water, whereas the leger rests on the river/lake bottom.

It should be understood that there are a variety of different mechanical and electronic apparatus to assist the anger in his pursuit. For instance, a line alarm consists of an electronic device through which the line is fed and which is mounted proximate the first or second ring of the fishing rod and will include one or more sensors which detect the movement of the line through the device. As will be appreciated, fishing, being an outdoor sport, is subject to the vagaries of the weather, and ambient conditions can often be far from benign. Also, anglers often shelter under umbrellas and tents during inclement weather, and therefore the bite indicators provide a means whereby the angler need not maintain permanent physical contact with his rod and line at all times -as angling is a sport wherein patience can be tested to extremes, such aids are widely accepted, except perhaps by purists. Accordingly, the sensitivity of such alarms can be adjusted to take account of wind and water conditions. Once triggered, such as by the line travel rate through the indicator exceeding the threshold value, or other suitable dynamic measurement, the indicator will generally include an electronic alarm which sounds to notify the angler that potentially he has a bite on his line, and again the shrillness and volume of this alarm may often be adjusted. Finally, one or more LEDs may be provided on the device to provide a visible indication to the angler when the indicator as been triggered.

On the other hand, bite indicators do not measure line speed or rate of feed, but are more concerned with providing an indication of tension in the line at any particular time.

For instance, ambient water conditions may be such that the line is being paid out at a generally variable rate, and this would not give any indication to the angler that there had actually been a bite. Accordingly, a variety of bite indicators exist to provide, with widely varying degrees of usefulness and success, bite indication.

Simple drop-off or drop arm indicators exist whereby the indication to the angler is provided by virtue of the rotational movement of the arm of the indicator, as opposed to any audible or visible electronic signal, although this additional feature is within the contemplation of this application, and the present invention could easily be coupled with such a feature. However, in general, such indicators are generally mechanical devices which principle of operation depends on the fact that as the line is withdrawn from the reel, its tension generally increases, or at least should do if a fish has taken the bait on the hook disposed at the alternate end of the line.

Referring to Figure 1, typically, a legering rod 2 will have a reel 4 at a rod butt 6 from which line 8 can be unwound without resistance, i.e. the reel will be in its free running condition. Said line passes through a number of rings, two of which are shown at 10, 12, on the rod before extending some distance from the free end (not shown) of the rod and then into the water, remote from the angler. The butt 6 of the rod is supported by rod support 14 (pod or rest) and an indicator 16 is attached to the rod support 14 in pivotable manner so that by virtue of its own weight, it applies a certain amount of tension to the line 8 beneath the reel, and between the reel and the first ring 10. Usually, the line is fed through a bite alarm 18 disposed immediately after or before the first ring 10, such alarm being of the type described above. The indicator 16 is usually one of the type shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Each of the indicators shown in these figures is of generally elongate form having a brightly coloured bulb 20, a counterweight 22 slidably disposed along a shaft 24, at one end of which is a means, indicated generally at 26 by which the indicator can be pivotally connected to the rod support so as to be capable of rotatating freely and without significant resistance (as would reduce the sensitivity of the device) up and down about a generally horizontal pivoting axis. At the alternate, line contacting, end there is provided a pair of nibs 28 which are springingly biased towards one another so as to be capable of gnpping the line therebetween. The spring bias on these nibs can be adjusted to compensate for different conditions, and to ensure that the line held therebetween is not easily released.

In use, a fish taking the bait will necessarily alter the tension on the line causing the indicator to lift. As the fish moves off with the bait the indicator will lift further and the tension on the line will increase until the point where the line is pulled from the between the gripping nibs, whereupon the indicator will then fall freely downwardly. As the fish bites, ideally the motion of the brightly coloured bulb 20 is sufficient, to alert the angler.

Such indicators are well known but suffer from the disadvantage that, when a fish bites, the increase in the tension on the line is too great, and the grip thereon maintained by the nibs 28 is broken. Thus in some cases, there may have been a bite on the line, but the bite was simply fierce enough to pull the line from the indicator without any significant or noticeable motion thereof. Also, with this type of indicator there is a tendency to over-tighten the nibs to compensate for -gusts of wind blowing on the line (especially with flexible designs); -water currents and debris washing on the line; -small fish nibbling the bait; or even -the sun rising on a frosty morning causing the materials to expand, all of which can cause the line to be pulled from the nibs causing the indicator to drop off prematurely. Additionally, if the nib grip is too tight the fish will feel too much tension and may reject the bait. Conversely, if the grip is too loose, the line is too easily detached from the indicator by means other than a biting fish. A further disadvantage of such indicators is that, when an angler attaches an indicator to the line, they need to stoop and insert the line into the nibs; this can be difficult on steep banks and become tiresome, especially for the elderly.

The present invention seeks to find a remedy to these problems.

According to the invention there is provided a angling bite indicator of the pivoting type which, through contact with an angling line, provides an indication to an angler of a bite on said line, said indicator comprising an elongate shaft at one end of which is provided line contact means Means allowing for pivotal connection of said indicator to a rod support or other suitable generally stationary structure allowing for free rotation of said indication about a generally horizontal axis, And characterised in that the fulcrum of the pivot about which the shaft of the indicator rotates is disposed between the line contact means and the alternate end of the shaft, said shaft being provided with at least one movable mass capable of freely translating along the shaft and being caused to do so, formerly by the rotational motion of the shaft when the shaft end provided with line contact means is caused to rotate upwardly by virtue of a fish bite on the line, and then latterly under gravity as the translating mass moves past the fulcrum towards the alternate end of the shaft.

Most preferably the shaft is hollow, and the translating mass is preferably disposed inside the elongate cavity within said shaft.

Most preferably, the translating mass is of a rolling type, such being much less frictionally retarded as compared to a sliding mass.

More preferably, the translating mass comprises one or more ball bearings which move substantially in unison inside the hollow shaft as it rotates.

Preferably the ball bearings are steel, and 5 are used.

Most preferably the line contact means comprises an arcuate limb portion which ideally rests on the line in use, and hook portion which together with the arcuate limb portion, defines a C-shape in which the line is disposed, said hook portion preventing the line from slipping along the shaft.

Most preferably, the pivot is provided by means of a hollow cylindrical formation provided on the shaft and whose longitudinal axis is transverse to that of the shaft.

In one embodiment, the pivot formation is provided on the shaft between 1/4 and 1/2 way along the length of the shaft, being more proximate to the free end thereof when less than 1/2 way along, and preferably the pivot is provided on the underside of said shaft such that the body of the indicator rests thereon in use.

In an alternate configuration, the pivot formation is provided on the upper surface of the shaft such that the body of the indicator is suspended from said pivot.

Most preferably, the pivot formation is brazed or welded onto the shaft of the indicator, or alternatively it may be integrally formed therewith.

Preferably, the shaft of the indicator is fabricate from lightweight strong material, such as titanium, glass-fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) or the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the shaft is provided with an additional, user-adjustable counterbalance weight disposed between the pivot and the free end of the shaft. This allows the user to easily and quickly alter the amount of tension applied to the line by virtue of the increase or reduction in force-moment which is effected by the movement of the counterbalance.

Ideally the method of securing the shaft indicator to the rod support is by any conventional means, such as by simple clasp or clamp, said clamp having a pin extending substantially horizontally therefrom which is received by the pivot formation on the indicator.

The advantages of this invention are many, but they primarily stem from the following facts: -the line is not gripped by any part of the device, which merely rests thereon, -the amount of tension applied to the line is determined by the number of ball bearings inside the shaft, as it is these which, prior to any bite on the line, are held in the line-contacting end of the shaft in its downwardly orientated condition under gravity, and -after a bite, the balls move steadily along the shaft until a critical mass has moved along past the fulcrum provided by the pivot, whereupon the effects of gravity on that critical mass of ball bearings causes the further and complete rotation of the shaft, in which condition the shaft will lie substantially vertically with all the ball bearings in the free end thereof, and the line-contacting end far removed from and rotated out of the way of reel and line; indeed this motion can be viewed as the release of the line by the indicator when the fish swims away with the bait.

Thus the invention provides an indicator which permits a smooth diminution of tension applied to the line as a fish bite is received. It is also to be noted that this indicator rests on top of the line, from which position it cannot easily drop of or be wrenched off by virtue of a fish bite.

Also, the indicator described permits easy access and set up.

A preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURES 1, 2, and 3 show prior art configurations of rod and indicator set-up, and two different types of current bite indicator respectively, FIGURE 4 shows a side elevation of the indicator according to the present invention, Figure 5 shows an example clasp mechanism for pivotally mounting the indicator to a rod support, and Figures 6-8 show progressive stages of operation of the indicator.

Referring firstly to Figure 4, there is shown a bite indicator 40 consisting of an elongate hollow shaft 42 in which five steel ball bearings 44 are free to roll. A pivot formation 46 is provided through which a pin 48, mounted on the rod support as hereinafter described, passes to allow for the rotation of the indicator. A counterweight 50, being in the form a collar having a weight suspended therefrom, is slidably mounted around the outer P115181GB surface of the shaft 42 on the short side thereof to one side of the pivot formation, and at the alternate end of the shaft 42 there is provided a hook formation indicated generally at 52 and having an arcuate arm 54 and a hook 56 to prevent the line held therein from sliding along the shaft towards the pivot formation. The ball bearings are prevent from escaping from inside the shaft by means of the hook formation 50 at one end, and by means of a cap 58 at the other, free end.

In Figure, 5, there is shown a plan view of the attachment means by which the indicator might be pivotally secured to a rod support (not shown). A simple clamp 60 may be used which clamps and may be tightened around the rod support (see Figure 1, ref. 14), and a simple pin 48, (removably) capped at both ends, is mounted in the clasp so as to be capable of being fed through the pivot formation 46 provided on the indicator.

In terms of the utility of the counterweight, 50, moving the counterweight closer to the pivot formation 46 allows more weight to bear down on the line 8, so the weight of the ball bearings is given greater effect, and moving the counterweight away from the pivot formation and towards the end of the indicator shaft will decrease the weight bearing down on the line 8, thus reducing the effect of the ball bearings. The movable counterweight is the preferred method of balance adjustment although alternative constructions are possible in which balance adjustments are provided by moving the pivot formation 46 or by adding more than one pivot formation.

Referring to Figures 6-8, the operation of the indicator is shown. In its first use position shown in Figure 6, the indicator 40 is shown secured to a rod support 14 and angled downwardly such that the ball bearings 44 collect in the hook 52 end of the shaft 42. The resting position shown arises from the balance between the moment, being the product of the gravitational force acting on the ball bearings and the distance of the ball bearings from the pivot formation, and whatever residual tension T exists in the line 8. As can be seen from the figure, line 8 is fed into the C-shape formed between the hook 56 and the arm 54 under normal conditions.

When a bite is received on the line, 8, the tension therein increases significantly and the indicator is caused to rotate, in this figure in a clockwise direction. As it does so, an angular momentum will be imparted to the ball bearings which will cause them to begin to translate along the shaft 42 of the indicator. Depending on the intensity of the bite, and the extent to which the sensitivity counterweight has an effect, the indicator may reach the position shown in Figure 7 with a relatively light bite, or only when there is a fierce bite on the line, but in any event, at some time, the motion of the ball bearings over the pivot formation 46 will eventually cause the indicator (which has a negligible angular moment of inertia on account of its light weight) to continue rotating in the same direction. The ball bearings will ultimately reach a critical mass on the short side of the shaft over the pivot formation so that, regardless of conditions on the line, the effects of gravity on those ball bearings on this particular side of the pivot formation will cause continued rotation of the shaft until shown in Fig. 8 is reached, or possibly even a more vertical position than this.

As can be seen in this figure, all the ball bearings have rotated beyond the pivot formation 46 into the shorter capped 58 end of the shaft, but most importantly, the line 8 is released from the hook formation 52, whose arcuate arm 54 is sufficiently open so that the tangent with its tip is effectively horizontal, or even upwardly inclined, as shown by the dotted lines 80, 82. This facilitates release of the line 8.

Indeed, while the hook formation may have a simple arcuate arm portion 54, in a preferred embodiment, the arm portion has a discrete elbow 55 which is optimally angled at 60 to the axis of the shaft, although this may be adjusted for different indicators, conditions and set-up configurations.

Other enhancements to the indicator may include a slot to accommodate a chemical starlight or a betalight to assist night fishing, a tilt activated LED light or buzzer and/or a sounder box to which tilt activation is relayed so that an alarm can be sounded. The transmission of tilt activation may be through wired or wireless technologies such as Bluetooth. Indeed, in a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an indicator as described above and further having a tilt switch secured thereto by which electrical signals can be caused to control a variety of different features, just described.

In summary therefore, An angling bite indicator is described of the pivoting type which, through contact with an angling line, provides an indication to an angler of a bite on said line. The indicator comprises an elongate shaft at one end of which is provided a line hook, and towards the other end of which is provided a pivot formation, brazed, welded or otherwise attached to the shaft so that it can rotate freely when suitably mounted to a rod stand. In accordance with the invention, the pivot formation is provided about 1/2 to way along the shaft's length, and the shaft is hollow to encase a number of ball bearings which can roll freely therein. In use, the hook end rests on the line, beneath the pivot formation, and the effect of gravity on the ball bearings permit the line hook to apply tension to the line. On the instance of a bite, the tension in the line markedly increases, and the indicator rotates upwardly, thus imparting momentum and ultimately velocity to the ball bearings, whereupon they move within the shaft towards the fulcrum of the pivot.

Once a critical mass of the bafi bearings moves beyond the fulcrum, the effect of gravity on those ball bearings already passed the fulcrum is too great for those, and the other ball bearings to return to their former condition, and the indicator thus continues to rotate in the same direction, releasing the line from the hook of said indicator, and rotating freely out of the way of both line and rod reel.

Claims

1. An angling bite indicator of the pivoting type which, through contact with an angling line, provides an indication to an angler of a bite on said line, said indicator comprising an elongate shaft at one end of which is provided line contact means means allowing for pivotal connection of said indicator to a rod support or other suitable generally stationary structure allowing for free rotation of said indication about a generally horizontal axis, and characterised in that the fulcrum of the pivot about which the shaft of the indicator rotates is disposed between the line contact means and the alternate end of the shaft, said shaft being provided with at least one movable mass capable of freely translating along the shaft and being caused to do so, formerly by the rotational motion of the shaft when the shaft end provided with line contact means is caused to rotate upwardly by virtue of a fish bite on the line, and then latterly under gravity as the translating mass moves past the fulcrum towards the alternate end of the shaft.

2. An indicator according to claim 1 wherein the shaft is hollow, and the translating mass is disposed inside the elongate cavity within said shaft.

3. An indicator according to claim 2 wherein the translating mass is of a rolling type.

4. An indicator according to claim 3 wherein the translating mass comprises at teast one ball bearing which move substantially in unison inside the hollow shaft as it rotates.

5. An indicator according to claim 4 wherein the ball bearings are of steel.

6. An indicator according to either claim 4 or 5, wherein there are 5 ball bearings.

7. An indicator according to any preceding claim characterised in that the line contact means comprises an arcuate limb portion which ideally rests on the line in use, and hook portion which together with the arcuate limb portion, defines a C-shape in which the line is disposed, said hook portion preventing the line from slipping along the shaft.

8. An indicator according to any preceding claim wherein the pivot is provided by means of a hollow cylindrical formation provided on the shaft and whose longitudinal axis is transverse to that of the shaft.

9. An indicator according to claim 8 wherein the pivot formation is provided on the shaft between 1/4 and 1/2 way along the length of the shaft, being more proximate to the free end thereof when less than 1/2 way along.

10. An indicator according to claim 9 wherein the pivot formation is provided on the underside of said shaft such that the body of the indicator rests thereon in use.

11. An indicator according to claim 9 wherein the pivot formation is provided on the top side of said shaft such that the body of the indicator is suspended therefrom in use.

12. An indicator according to any of claims 8-11 wherein there is more than one pivot formation to allow for a plurality of shaft pivot points and adjustments.

13. An indicator according to any of claims 8-12 wherein the pivot formation is provided on the shaft using one of the following means: brazing, welding, integral moulding.

14. An indicator according to any preceding claim wherein the shaft of the indicator is fabricate from lightweight strong material, being one of titanium, glass-fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP), polycarbonates, plastics materials in general.

15. An indicator according to any preceding claim wherein the shaft is provided with an additional, user-adjustable counterbalance weight disposed between the pivot and the free end of the shaft.

16. An indicator as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying

description and drawings.