US3034129A - Semi-automatic dispenser and applicator - Google Patents

Description

May 15, 1962 E. J. WASEK 3,034,129

SEMI-AUTOMATIC DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR Filed Nov. 2, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EDWARD J. WASEK May 15, 1962 E. J. WASEK SEMI-AUTOMATIC DISPENSER AND APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov 2, 1960 United States Patent 3,034,129 SEMI-AUTOMATlC DESPENSER AND APPLICATGR Edward J. Wasek, Box 18, Mount Marion, N.Y. Filed Nov. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 66,750 Claims. (Cl. 1-177) This invention relates to semi-automatic dispensing and applicating devices in general, and more specifically to a dispensing and applicating device having particular utility in the sport of fishing. v

In the highly popular sport of fishing, it is often necessary to attach lead weights to the line so that the latter may sink deeper into or remain quiet in the water wherein the hopeful fisherman casts his line. In many techniques for applying the lead weights to a line, it is necessary that the angler prop his rod to a secure hitching-post while he employs his two hands to attach lead wire or a lead clincher to his line. It would be highly desirable to be able to use one hand to perform the steps of applying as well as afiixing a lead weight to a fishing line. It would also be highly desirable to be able to apply and aflix lead weights of different sizes, yet do so without substantially increasing the cost of the lead weights.

The invention employs a tubular element or cylinder having longitudinal slots running along the periphery of the tube from one end of the tube to its other end, very similar to a holder for carrying poker chips, save that such slots house lead shot instead of poker chips. The slots may be of different diameters and/or of different cross-sections to house assorted lead shots, but such modifications are optional. Thus, once loaded, various sizes of shot are carried by the device to permit weighting down of the line for difl'erent conditions of stream current flow. The lead shot comes in the form of a chain and is inserted into the slots through the bottom end of the cylinder and a cap is either screwed on, snapped on, or otherwise secured to bottom end so as to retain the lead shots within the housing. At the top end of the tubular element that houses the lead shot is a blade and a plunger. The blade is shaped like a scythe so that a person may, using only one hand, hold the container, feed a strip of lead so that a single shot protrudes beyond the top end of the cylinder but beneath the plunger, turn the blade so as to grip such protruded shot and prevent its return to its slot, place the exposed shot about a fishing line, press down on the plunger so as to afin; the shot to the line, and then rotate the scythe blade to sever the shot from the main chain, strip or string of lead shot. If any more shot need be applied, the aforementioned procedure is repeated. The last shot of each chain has a key for riding in its associated channel so as to prevent the string of lead shot from rotating in its channel and thus keeping all the lead shot of the string oriented in a desired direction.

It is an object of this invention to provide a unitary device that can house and dispense single elements of a chain or string of elements, and affix such dispensed elements to a suitable receiving station, employing only one hand for carrying out such operations.

It is a further object to provide a semi-automatic dispenser and applicator that can house and dispense single elements of different sizes.

Another object is to provide a novel unit of shot particularly adapted for such semi-automatic dispenser and applicator.

Yet another object is to provide a semi-automatic dispenser and applicator that is particularly useful in the sport of fishing, and is simple in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the operation of the knifeblade and plunger cap shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4 showing the condition of the shot after pressure has been applied to it.

FIG. 6 is a showing of another type of plunger cap that can be used in the practice of the invention. 4

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a string of shot particularly showing keying means on the last shot.

Looking at the invention depicted in FIG. 1, from the bottom to the top, there is .shown a cover 2 that can be made of a light-weight rust proof substance such as plastic which is removably attached either by screwing it or snapping it onto the base portion of cylindrical member 4. Recessed into the body of cylinder 4 are channels 6, such channels being peripherally disposed about said cylinder to form slots that extend longitudinally along the entire length of the cylinder 4. Such channels 6 may vary in number and geometrical cross-section, but the embodiment used to represent the invention is shown to have a circular cross-section 8 because the lead shot 1i) that is housed in the body of cylinder 4 is ball-shaped. Each shot 19 is connected to its adjacent shot by a thin neck portion 12, also of lead, and the channel 6 is made long enough to house the required number of shot 10 that are joined together with neck portions 12.

At the top of cylinder 4 is a camv 14 which is rotatable about a rod 16, said rod 16 being rigidly attached to plunger 18, and the rod 16 and plunger 18 tend to fall into a pocket (not shown) that surrounds rod 16, except that spring 20 urges plunger 18 and rod 16 away from cam 14. Cam 14 has two features whose operation will be described hereinafter, namely, lug 22 and knife edge 24. i

The operation of the invention willnow be described. The sportsman who is to spend the day fishing, selects the various size lead shot that he anticipates he will need for the day, removes cap 2 from the main body 4, and loads the respective channels 6 and then screws on, snaps on, or otherwise atiixes cap 2 onto the body 4 so that the cap 2 serves as a floor on which the shot it) rest. When the sportsman wishes to afiix a certain size shot 10 to his fishing line, he grips the entire device in his hand and uses a finger, preferably the thumb, to urge the entire line of shot until a single shot ltl protrudes above the top of the cylindrical body 4. The operator then uses another finger of the same hand to apply pressure on lug 22 so as to rotate cam 14 until the latters knife edge 24 slides around and under the protruded shot It), as is better seen in FIG. 4. The protruded shot 10 rides on the upper surface. of knife-blade edge 24 so that the shot 10 is retained by such edge 24, permitting the thumb of the operator to be released withoutcausing the chain of shot to fall back into its channel 6. At this point, he places the grooved or slotted portion of shot 10 over his line 28, and presses down on plunger 18 until the groove closes tightly about line 28, as shown in FIG. 5. Once the groove is closed about line 28, pressure is released from plunger 18 and pressure is applied to lug 22 with sufficient force so that the curved knife edge 24 severs shot 10 from its adjacent neck 12, the severed shot ltl is retained on line 28 and the remaining string of shot falls back to the floor of the cylinder unless a restraining finger prevents the string from so doing. To prevent a string of shot from rotating in its channel, the last shot 10 can be keyed so as to ride in channel 6, maintaining orientation of entire string of shot. FIG. 7 shows a key 11 which is similar on a selected portion of the line.

, 3 to a nipple or a widened protuberance that is supplied only to' the last shot of each chain. 'Such key 11 will conform to the size of the channel in which it will ride., The visible shot readily tells the fisherman when his supply is exhausted in a given channel.

FIG. 3 is a side view (as distinct from the end view of FIG. 4) of a portion ofthe fishing line 28 showing how the invention is employed to support a lead shot 19 prior to nesting the groove of such shot over line .28.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention wherein a minor detail of the invention is brought out. It was mentioned before that rod 16 rides Within a bore, such ashore 30, of body 4. To limit the travel of rod 16 after f such rodhas been inserted into bore 16, a locking pin 32 7 18. The plunger 18, when pressure is applied to its top olf center, can be made to urge its bottom surface against alead shot 10 so as to close said shot about a lineZS. The universal joint embodiment avoids the use of a spring '20, which may be desirable in that spring 20 may be subject to rust-if the invention is used near salt Water. Obviously materials will be employed, such as plastics and aluminum, to make the device light and rust-proof. --Other employed metals may be plated to render 'them rust-pro of. V t

It is understood that the body 4 need not be cylindrical =normust the shot 10 be all of the same size, nor need the channels 6 be circular in cross-section. The geometry 'of these features can be changed tosuit the needs of the fisherman. The lead shot 10 can be replaced with magnetic material that can be fed and clinched, just as the lead v shot is fed and clinched, onto paper, cloth, etc. so as to permit blue prints, documents, work sheets, etc. to adhere I .tojmetallicwalls. 328 bye-tangled, kinked, or otherwise snarled,.kjnife 24 can It is also noted that should the line be used to out said line 28 prior to using the invention While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment therebody portion, channels disposed circumferentially about said main body andrextending longitudinally of said body, each of said channels adapted to house an individual chain of such elements, a rotatable knife having a fingerengageablelug and disposed atop of said body and mayable into the path of any chain that may be urged in its respective channel to protrude beyond the top of said body so-as to be engaged by said knife, and pressure means disposed above said rotatable knife and adapted to be urgedagainst any element that is so engaged by said knife.

2. A unitary device for'feeding and dispensing with the fingers of one hand lead shot to a fishing line whereposed longitudinally of said main body, each channel housing a chain of lead shot, a rotatable knife having a finger-engageable lug and disposed atop of saidbody whereby one fingercanurge a single shot of a given chain in its respective'channel to protrude beyond the top of said body and another finger can engage said lug so as to move said rotatablefknife so that the latter can engage. the bottom of said protruded shot and prevent said shot'and its corresponding chain from falling back into its corresponding channel, and pressure means located on said device adjacent said knife Whereby'pressure can be applied to the engaged shot to close its groove about a fishing line.

3. A unitary device for feeding and dispensing with the fingers of one hand lead shot to a fishing line wherein said lead shot comes in a chain of individual elements and each element of shot has a groove adapted to fit over said line comprisinga main body portion, channels disposed longitudinally of said main body and adapted to house such chain of individual elements therein, a rotatable knife having a finger-engageable lug and disposed at the other end of saidbody and movable into the path of any single shot of a chain that may be urged in its respective channel to protrudebeyond the top of said body so as to-be engaged by said knife, and pressure means disposed above said rotatable knife and adapted to be urged against any shot so engaged by said knife so as to cause a closure of said groove.

4. A unitary device as defined in claim 3 wherein one of said shot in said chain of elements has keying means thereon tonavcid rotationxof a chain in its respective channel. e

5. A unitary device for feeding and dispensing with the V fingers of one hand lead shot toa'fishing line wherein said lead'shot comes in a chain of individual elements and each element of shot has a groove adapted to'fit over said line comprising a substantially cylindrical body, channels disposed longitudinally of said cylindrical body, each channel housing a chainof lead shot, means for sealing oi the bottom of said body was to maintainsaid chains within theirrespective channels, a rotatable knife having a finger-engageable lug and disposed atop of said body and movable into the path of any single lead shot that References Cited in the file of this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,023,676 Pa-ncoast Apr. 16, 1912 2,701,427 Vironda Feb. 8, 1955 2,736,026 I Belokin Feb. 28, 1956 2,867,809 Czelusniak Jan. 13,1959

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