GB2449295A

GB2449295A - Device for deploying a fishing hook

Info

Publication number: GB2449295A
Application number: GB0709536A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony William Caton; Mark Anthony Caton
Original assignee: GEMINI TACKLE CO Ltd
Current assignee: GEMINI TACKLE CO Ltd
Priority date: 2007-05-18
Filing date: 2007-05-18
Publication date: 2008-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2027-05-18
Also published as: GB0709536D0; GB2449295B

Abstract

A device for deploying a fishing hook comprises a body (1), a holder (8) fixed to the body, and a member (9) movable relative to the holder between a first position in which a fishing hook (27) is retained and a second position in which the hook is released from the body, the member movable from the first position to the second position in response to impact of the device with water. The member (9) has a hooked end (20) that slides within the holder and cooperates with a notch (10) in the holder to retain the hook during casting until impact with the water causes a base plate (11) to lift off the fluted body (1) and drive the member upwards to eject the hook (27) from out of the notch (10). Devices may be daisy-chained together to deploy a plurality of fishing hooks at the same time.

Description

DEVICE FOR DEPLOYING A FISHING HOOK

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for automatically deploying an angler's fishing hook.

Background to the Invention

The deployment of baited fishing hooks when angling is an art that comes with experience. For beach angling, where the angler seeks to cast a baited hook as far as possible into the sea, fishing hooks are generally tied to one end of a short length of fishing line whose other end is attached to a weight.

These weights may have spring-loaded arms that enable the weight to tempo-rarily "anchor" itself to the sea bed but which are designed to give way if the weight gets caught when the line is being reeled in.

One of the problems facing the angler when the line is cast is that the hook and bait can fly around uncontrollably until it hits the water. This may be merely inconvenient, in that it requires more skill to cast properly to the chosen area, or it may be positively dangerous. There is also a risk that the bait will be dislodged. More importantly, for maximum casting distance, it is desirable to keep the "package" of weight, hook(s) and bait as compact as possible until it hits the water.

Various devices have been proposed for temporarily attaching the hook to the weight during casting, but it has been difficult to achieve an arrangement which is simple to use and which will hold the hook(s) in place during handling of the assembly on the beach and during casting, but which will reliably release the hook(s) and attached bait when the weight reaches its desired location in the sea.

The present invention provides a solution by a mechanism, which may be incorporated into a weight or attached to an existing weight, so that the hook is held captive (and therefore under control) whilst being cast but is automati-cally deployed when the weight hits the water.

Summary of the Invention

The invention provides a device for deploying a fishing hook, comprising a body, a holder fixed to the body, and a member movable relative to the holder between a first position in which a fishing hook is retained and a second posi-tion in which the hook is released from the body, the member movable from the first position to the second position in response to impact of the device with wa-ter.

The device may further comprise additional preferred features as set out in the appended claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention: Figure 1 shows an angler's weight incorporating a device according to the invention; Figures 2A-D show diagrammatically how the device is operated; Figure 3 shows a first part of the device; Figure 4 shows a second part of the device; Figure 5 shows a base attached to the second part; and Figure 6 shows a second embodiment.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiment

Referring first to Figure 1, a design of angler's weight, with which the in-vention may be associated, consists of a fluted body 1, a nose 2 and a plurality of spring-loaded arms 3. Four arms are typically provided. In use, the weight is cast into the sea and will sink to the sea bed, where the hook is to be deployed.

The arms are designed to latch into recesses 5 in the nose when in normal use but, when the weight is pulled along the sea bed, e.g. by tides, current, or when the weight is being reeled in, the arms 3 can release from the notches if the weight should become caught or snagged on an obstacle. When this happens, one or more of the arms extend forwardly with respect to the nose such that the claw part 6 of the arm(s) is released from whatever was holding it captive.

In the present embodiment of the invention, a loop 4 of rigid wire or the like is embedded in the weight. In use, a fishing line (not shown) will be tied to the loop 4 at the end opposite the nose. The hook deployment device of the invention is built around the loop 4 and consists essentially of two operative parts, a holder 8 and a slider 9. As shown diagrammatically in Figure 1, the loop 4 carries the holder 8 in a fixed location near the upper end of the loop so as to leave a portion of loop exposed for attachment of the fishing line, for ex-ample through a clip connector. The holder 8 supports the slider 9 so that the slider can move up and down within the holder 8. The holder may be of plastics material. The slider 9 has a hook-shaped end designed to cooperate with a notch 10 in the holder 8 in order to hold/release the fishing hook (not shown).

The lower end of the slider terminates in a base plate or disc 11, which normally rests against the adjacent face of the weight body 1.

Reference is now directed to Figures 3 and 4 for a more detailed descrip-tion of the holder 8 and slider 9. In Figure 3, the holder 8 is shown in three side views and a plan view. It is generally T-shaped when viewed from the end and is hollow, thereby defining a hollow leg portion 12 and a hollow cross-bar por-tion 13. The leg portion 12 receives the slider 9 and the cross-bar portion 13 receives the loop 14. The rear face of the cross-bar portion 13 is slit 15, 16 to provide a flexible, springy flap 17. The flap 17 is perforated to provide a slot 18.

Alternatively, the flap may consist of a separate spring plate fixed to the holder.

The leg portion 12 contains the notch 10 previously mentioned.

Turning now to Figure 4, the slider is generally flat and is provided with a hook-shaped retainer 20 at one end and a notch 21 at the other end defining a fixing tang 21a as hereinafter described. Near the centre of the slider is a de-tent 22 that co-operates with the notch in the flap 15, as will be described later.

Figure 5 shows the base plate or disc 11 of Figure 1 in more detail. It consists of a circular first plate 23 and a raised second plate 24. The raised second plate 24 contains a slot or groove 25 along a part of the diameter thereof. A transverse slot 26 extends through the thickness of the base plate 11. The slot/groove 25 is open to one side of the transverse slot 26 and en-closed, defining a bore 25a, on the other side thereof. The tang 21a on the slider 9 is inserted into the slot/groove 25 and slid across into the bore 25a to locate and fix the base plate 11 to the lower end of the slider 9. The slot 26 is large enough that the base plate 11, complete with slider, can slide on the loop 4, in use.

The operation of the device will now be described with reference to Fig-ures 2A-D, in which the nose 2 and arms 3 have been removed for simplicity.

Alternatively, the device of the present invention may simply be embedded in a weight having no such nose and arms.

Figure 2A, shows the "set" position, in which the hook portion 20 of the slider is positioned in the notch 10 of the holder 8. A baited fishing hook, repre-sented in cross-section by the solid circle 27 and attached to a line (not shown), is held by inter-engagement with the hook portion 20 of the slider. The detent 22 on the slider 9 is located below the flap 17 and out of engagement in the slot 18 in the holder 8. The natural resilience of the flap 17 is sufficient to keep the slider in position at this stage.

In Figure 2B, the weight has been cast into the water. On impact with the water, there is a forced flow of water along the flutes 28 in the body 1, as depicted by the arrows 29. The upward flow (relative to the weight) engages the underside of the base plate 11 and lifts the base plate off the weight. It therefore slides upwards, along the loop 4, taking the slider 9 with it. This forces the detent 22 out of engagement with the lowermost edge of the slot 18 in the flap 17 and causes the flap to move outwards. This allows the detent 22 to run in the slot 18 as the slider moves relative to the holder.

Figure 2C shows the device when the base plate and slider have moved to their full extent along the ioop 4. The hook portion 20 of the slider is now completely contained within the holder 8. A ramp surface 30 forming part of the hook portion 20 will have engaged the baited fishing hook and driven it out of the notch 10 in the holder, as indicated by the arrow 31. Upward movement of the slider 9 is limited by contact of the base plate 11 with the lower end of the holder 8.

Figure 2D shows the device when it is ready to accept a new baited hook. In this position, the hooked portion 20 of the slider 9 is aligned with the notch 10 in the holder 9 and the detent 22 rests on the bottom edge of the slot 18. The baited hook 27 is inserted into the notch 10 to engage with the hooked portion 20 and the slider and base plate assembly 9 and 11 is pressed down until the detent 22 "clicks" past the spring flap into the "set" position of Figure 2A, where the base plate 11 engages the weight body 1.

The device has so far only been described in a context in which it is em-bedded in a weight and will therefore be supplied in that form, as illustrated in Figures 1-5. However, the device could alternatively be provided for releasable attachment to an existing weight. Such an example is illustrated diagrammati-cally in Figure 6. In this case, the lower end 32 of the loop 4, instead of being embedded in the body 1, simply terminates in a loop that enables it to be at-tached to an existing weight (not shown). The line is attached to the upper end 33 of the loop 4.

The device operates in the same way as in the first embodiment, where the deployment device is provided with its own weight. When the device im-pacts with the water into which it is cast, the upward thrust of the water, as rep-resented by the arrows 34, causes the base plate or disc to move away from the weight and thereby to operate the hook-release mechanism as previously described.

Alternatively, such a device could be attached to the upper end of the loop 4 of a device such as described with reference to Figures 1-5, i.e. one sup-plied embedded in its own weight, thereby creating a "daisy chain" consisting of two devices according to the invention. In this way, two or possibly more, fish-ing hooks could be deployed at the same time with a single casting of the line.

The invention therefore provides a convenient and safe device for de-ploying a baited fishing hook when it has entered the water and not beforehand.

Claims

1. A device for deploying a fishing hook, comprising a holder adapted to be attached to a body, and a member movable relative to the holder between a first position in which a fishing hook is retained by the device and a second position in which the hook is released from the device, the member movable from the first position to the second position in response to impact of the device with water.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a hollow body defining a channel in which the movable member is slidable.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the movable member has a hooked portion adapted to engage a fishing hook when retained by the de-vice.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the holder has a notch adapted to cooperate with the hooked portion to form an opening into which a fishing hook may be placed so as to be retained by the device.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the movable member is attached to a base plate, and the base plate is adapted to move rela- tive to the holder in response to impact with water whereby to move the mov-able member.

6. A device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the device is attached to said body, the body comprising a weight, the weight being fluted, whereby to channel water towards the base plate to cause said movement of the movable member.

7. A device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said hooked portion in-cludes a ramp portion engageable with a fishing hook, whereby movement of the movable member causes the ramp portion to eject a fishing hook from its retained position.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the holder has a resilient portion and the movable member includes a detent engageable with the resilient portion to releasably latch the movable member in said first position.

9. A device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said resilient portion is formed integrally with the holder.

10. A device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said resilient portion is formed by a spring plate attached to the holder.

11. A device as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 10, wherein the resilient portion is further provided with a slot into which the detent is located when the movable member moves from the first position to the second position.

12. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a loop, the ioop passing through the holder and being fixed thereto, the loop ter-minating in an exposed portion adapted for attachment to a fishing line.

13. A device as claimed in Claim 12 when dependent from Claim 5, wherein the base plate is apertured to accommodate the loop, whereby the base plate slides along the loop in response to impact with water and thereby moves the movable member from the first position to the second position.

14. A device as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13, wherein an end of the loop remote from said exposed portion is adapted to be releasably attached to said body.

15. A device as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13, wherein an end of the loop remote from said exposed portion is adapted to be rigidly attached to said body.

16. A device for deploying a fishing hook, substantially as described *:*. with reference to, or as shown in, the drawings. S..

S ** . * S. * *S * . * S. *.

16. A device as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13, wherein an end of the loop remote from said exposed portion is adapted to be releasably attached to another device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, whereby more than one fishing hook can be deployed at the same time.

17. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the body fur-ther comprising a nose portion provided with spring-loaded arms adapted to an-chor the device when the device is deployed, the spring arms being releasable in the event the device becomes caught on an obstacle.

18. A device for deploying a fishing hook, substantially as described with reference to, or as shown in, the drawings.

Amendments to the cLaims have been filed as foLLows 1. A device for deploying a fishing hook, comprising a holder adapted to be attached to a fishing weight, the holder comprising a hollow body defining a channel in which a movable member is slidable and has a hooked portion adapted to engage a fishing hook, the movable member is slidable be-tween a first position in which a fishing hook is retained by the device and a second position in which the hook is released from the device, the member be-ing adapted to move from the first position to the second position in response to impact of the device with water.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the holder has a notch adapted to cooperate with the hooked portion to form an opening into which a fishing hook may be placed so as to be retained by the device.

3. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the movable member is attached to a base plate, and the base plate is adapted to move rela- live to the holder in response to impact with water whereby to move the mov-able member.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the device is attached to said body, the body comprising a weight, the weight being fluted, whereby to channel water towards the base plate to cause said movement of the movable member.

5. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said hooked portion in-cludes a ramp portion engageable with a fishing hook, whereby movement of the movable member causes the ramp portion to eject a fishing hook from its *:*::* retained position.

6; A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the holder has a resilient portion and the movable member includes a detent engageable with the resilient portion to releasably latch the movable member in said first * position.

*:*. 7. A device as daimed in Claim 6, wherein said resilient portion is formed integrally with the holder.

8. A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said resilient portion is formed by a spring plate attached to the holder.

9. A device as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein the resilient portion is further provided with a slot into which the detent is located when the movable member moves from the first position to the second position.

10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a loop, the loop passing through the holder and being fixed thereto, the loop ter-minating in an exposed portion adapted for attachment to a fishing line.

II. A device as daimed in Claim 10 when dependent from Claim 3, wherein the base plate is apertured to accommodate the loop, whereby the base plate slides along the loop in response to impact with water and thereby moves the movable member from the first position to the second position.

12. A device as daimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein an end of the loop remote from said exposed portion is adapted to be releasably attached to said body.

13. A device as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein an end of the loop remote from said exposed portion is adapted to be rigidly attached to said body.

14. A device as daimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein an end of the loop remote from said exposed portion is adapted to be releasably attached to another device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, whereby more than one fishing hook can be deployed at the same time.

15. A device as claimed in any preceding daim, wherein the body fur-ther comprising a nose portion provided with spring-loaded arms adapted to an-chor the device when the device is deployed, the spring arms being releasable in the event the device becomes caught on an obstacle.