US2226402A - Fish stringer - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 24, 1940.

F. J. HIRSCHMANN FISH STHINGER Filed March 15, 1958 v ww/////////// Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FISH STRINGER Frederick J. Hirschmann, San Leandro, Calif. Application March 15, 1938, Serial No. 196,050

1 Claim. (01124-7) pension chain 1 by means of a bolt or similar L This invention relates to fish stringers and has for its object to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character adapted to be suspended from the gunnel of a boat or other suitable support and by means of which thefish, as they are caught, may be successively positioned on the stringer without the necessity of untying the stringer or lifting the fish already strung thereon into a boat when it is desired to place an additional fish on said stringer.

A further object of the invention is to provide the device with a flexible stringer member having a plurality of individual snap hooks slidably mounted thereon adapted to receive the fish as they are caught and successively guide said fish along the stringer memberto a position beneath the surface of the water.

A further object is to provide one end of the flexible stringer member with a fixed sleeve having a lateral fin for attachment to a suspension element and to provide the snap hooks with guide sleeves having longitudinal slots therein adapted to receive the fin when positioning a hook on or removing said hook from the stringer.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fish stringer embodying the present invention showing the same suspended from the gunnel of a boat,

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the upper portion of the stringer element showing the guide sleeve of one of the snap hooks in position to be slid onto said stringer element,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the snap hooks detached,

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view of the stopcollar and its associated parts, and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating another form of snap hook.

The improved fish stringer forming the subjectmatter of the present invention comprises a flexible stringer element 5 of any desired length fastening device 10. The lower end of the flexible element 5 is provided with a removable stop collar H and extending through an opening in said stop collar and also through an opening in a stationary sleeve l I (see Figure 4) on the cord 5 is a cotter pin I2 whichserves to preventaccidental displacement of the stop collar. Slidably mounted on the stringer element is a plurality of removable snap hooks [3 each preferably formed of a single length of wire having one end thereof bent to form an eye l4 and its other end, extended downwardly and thence laterally and upwardly to form a bill [5. The strands of wire on opposite sides of the eye M are secured in position by means of a substantially S-shaped plate [Gone end of which is coiled around one of the metal strands, as indicatedat l1, while the other end thereof is bent to form a keeper l8 for the reception of the bill of the E book. Pivotally connected with each snap hook I3 is an elongated guide sleeve l9 having its lower end provided with a lateral ear on which is pivotally mounted an eye bolt 2| which latter engages the eye 14 of the adjacent snap hook and retains the parts in assembled position. The eye bolt 2! forms, in effect, a swiveled connection between the sleeve l9 and the adjacent snap hook so as to permit rotation of the snap hook relative to the ear 2!] and thus allow a fish placed upside down on the hook to right itself and swim freely around the stringer element when the latter is lowered into the water. The guide sleeve H is provided on one side thereof with a longitudinal slot 22 to permit the sleeve to pass over the fin 9 when positioning the snap hooks or removing said snap hooks from the stringer element. The stop collar H is also preferably provided with a lateral ear 23 on which is pivotally mounted by a swivel connection 24 one of the snap hooks. If desired, however, the lower snap hook may be omitted and likewise the ear 23, and

it is to be understood that the stop collar may be constructed either with or without the lowermost snap hook.

In operation, the suspension chain 1 is attached to a nail on the gunnel of a boat 6 or other suitable support and the stringer element the slot 22 in alinement with the fin 9 and in which position the snap hook with the fish thereon will slide downwardly by gravity until the sleeve strikes the stop collar II, as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. As the fish are caught, they are successively placed on the individual snap hooks and the operation previously described repeated. By forming the fish stringer in the manner described the fish, as they are caught, may be successively positioned on the stringer without the necessity of untying the suspension chain 1 or lifting the fish already strung thereon into a boat every time it is desired to place an additional fish on said stringer. After the days catch is completed, the stringer with the fish thereon is elevated within the boat and the cotter pin l2 and stop collar ll removed, thereby permitting the snap hooks to slide oil the lower end of the stringer. The fish are then removed from the individual snap hooks and the latter cleaned and placed in a bait box for further use. i

In Figure 5 of the drawing, there is illustrated another form of theinvention in which the connecting plate 25 instead of being of S-shape formation extends straight across the adjacent strands comprising the hook, the construction and operation of this form of the device being otherwise similar to the snap hook shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

It will, of course, be understood that, when the stop collar II is formed with the attaching ear 23 for suspending a hook therefrom, the first fish caught will be placed on the lowermost hook and the fish subsequently caught successively placed on the other hooks and lowered to a position beneath the water. Owing to the fact that the guide sleeves l9 are slidably and rotatably mounted on the flexible cord or stringer element and further due to the swivel connections between the snap hooks and the lateral ears on said guide sleeves, fish strung on the element 5 may swim freely in all directions regardless of their positions on the hooks without danger of entangling the cord or interfering with one another so that the fish will keep alive for an indefinite period.

It will, of course, be understood that the stringers may be -made in different sizes and shapes and provided with any desired number of snap hooks without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A fish stringer comprising a smooth continuous stringer member, a sleeve permanently secured to the lower end of the stringer member andhaving an opening therein, a stop collar fitting over the sleeve and provided with an opening registering with the opening of said sleeve, a fastening device extending through said openings to detachably hold the stop collar in place, a stationary sleeve secured to the upper end of the stringer member and provided with a lateral fin, said sleeve constituting a socket within which the adjacent end of the stringer member is secured, a flexible suspension element secured to the fin, longitudinally slotted guide members slidably and rotatably mounted on the stringer member and each provided at its lower end with a lateral finger, a plurality of snap hooks, and a swivel connection between each snap hook a1 id the finger of the adjacent guide sleeve.

FREDERICK J. HIRSCHMANN.

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