US3201890A

US3201890A - Trotline fishing reel

Info

Publication number: US3201890A
Application number: US333057A
Authority: US
Inventors: Flavil H Griggs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-12-24
Filing date: 1963-12-24
Publication date: 1965-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-24

Description

4, 1965 F. H. GRIGGS 3,201,890

TROTLINE FISHING REEL Filed Dec. 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 $8 FIG.

\\\\ a a I i mv/i INVENTOR. FLAVIL H. GRIGGS ATTORNEYS Aug. 24, 1965 F. H. GRIGGS TROTLINE FISHING REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24, 1963 lIIilIIl /Il/ FIG. 3

FLAVIL H. smses BY g M FVML A TTOR NE Y5,

United States Patent v O 3,201,890 TROTLHNE FHSHENG REEL Flavil H. Griggs, Friendship, Tenn. Filed Dec. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 3339357 8 Claims. Cl. lli-27.4)

This invention relates to a reel for use in trotline fishing, and more particularly to a reel for use in a boat for setting or taking up a trotline.

The conventional method of setting a trotline from a boat is to attach one end of the line to an anchor or support on the bank of the body of water and proceed from the bank in the boat, paying out the trotline as the boat progresses away from the bank and anchoring the bitter end of the trotline out in the body of water. As the trotline is payed out, hooks are attached to the line at spaced intervals by short leaders so that a single trotline, when set, will support a relatively large number of individual fish hooks spaced along the length of the line.

In taking up a trotline which has been previously set as above described, it is conventional to proceed in the boat to the end of the trotline farthest from the bank or anchor, lift the end into the boat and, by heaving in on the trotline, move the boat along the line toward the bank. As the line is heaved in, the individual leaders and hooks are removed from the trotline and stored in any convenient manner to prevent the hooks from becoming entangled with each other and with the leaders. This, obviously, is a slow and diflicult task which is accomplished only at appreciable risk to the fisherman.

Although numerous attempts have been made in the past to devise a reel mechanism which may be employed to set or take up a trotline with the hooks attached, these attempts have not been successful, insofar as I am aware, and the prevailing practice still remains as that outlined above. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved reeling device for use in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines with the hooks attached to the trotline. Another object of the invention is to provide such a reeling device for use in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines which will automatically release the hooks attached to the trotline as the trotline is unwound from the reel.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reeling device for use in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines and having means for preventing hooks attached to the trotlines from becoming fouled upon the gunwale 'of the boat upon paying out or reeling in the trotline.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reeling device for use in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines which is easy to operate and which requires only one man in the boat to set or take up the trotline.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a reeling device for use in a boat for setting and taking up trotlines which is easy and safe to operate and which may be employed to store trotlines when not in use.

In the attainment of the foregoing and other objects of the invention, an important feature of the invention resides in the employment of a reel mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having a bottom flange which includes a first substantially radial section and a second substantially conical section extending outwardly and downwardly. A plurality of pins are mounted on the outer surface of the conical section of the flange and project upwardly and outwardly therefrom in position to receive and support hooks mounted upon a trotline being wound up on the reel. A guide is provided to lift and guide a trotline and the attached hooks over the gunwale of the boat as the trotline is being wound upon or unwound from the reel. The guide includes an elongated arm having one end pivotally mounted beneath the reel for limited rotation in a horizontal plane and a chock mounted on the other end of the arm tosupport the trotlines and hooks.

The pegs mounted in the lower flange are of such size as to be loosely received in the U-shaped portion of the fish hooks, and are inclined outwardly so that, upon paying out of the trotline, the hook will readily slip off the end of the pegs and automatically be released and payed out with the trotline, with the guide serving to prevent the hook from becoming fouled upon the boat as the line is payed out.

Other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent by reference to the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a reel constructed in accordance with this invention and shown mounted in the bow of a boat;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the device as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE/3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 showing the means for supporting the reel and guide; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 more clearly showing the guide arm and its support means.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a trotline reeling device according to the present invention, indicated generally by the numeral 10, includes a reel 12 mounted for rotation about a vertical shaft 14 mounted on a substantially flat base member 16. The reel 12 includes a cylindrical drum 18 suitably supported on hub 29 by integrally formed disc 22. An annular fiange24 extends radially from the top of drum 18, and a flange 26, having a first radially extending portion 28 and a second downwardly and outwardly, substantially conical shaped portion 39, extends outwardly from the bottom of drum 18. Hub 2% is provided with a first bore 52 to rotatably receive shaft 14, and a counterbore 34 to receive bearing 36 to minimize frictional resistance to rotation of the reel. A handle 40 is secured, as by screws 42, to disc 22 to facilitate manual rotation of the reel. A plurality of pins 4-4 are mounted on section 30 of flange 26, and project outwardly and upwardly from the outer surface thereof, with the pins terminating at a point below the upper surface of section 28 of flange 26.

A trotline guide member, indicated generally by numeral St), has an elongated arm 52 having one end pivotally mounted to base 16, as by bolt 54 and nut 56, at a point beneath reel 12 near shaft 14. Arm 52 projects outward from beneath reel 12 and supports a chock S3 mounted on its upper surface near the end thereof to support and guide a trotline 60 and the depending leaders 61 and hooks 52 over the gunwale of a boat as the trotline is reeled in or payed out as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2. Anti-friction means, such as wheels 64, are provided on arm 52 near the outer end thereof, to lend vertical support to the projecting end of the guide means and to facilitate pivotal movement about bolt 54. Wheels 64 engage and roll upon a track as formed on base 16.

As shown in FIGURE 3, chock 58 is formed with surface discontinuities having a relatively large radius, as at 68, 7%), to permit fish hooks to be drawn through the chock without becoming fouled. Also, the chock is preferably formed from a relatively light weight material, such as a synthetic resin material, having ahard, smooth outer surface to eliminate the possibility of fish hooks biting into the surface as they are moved through the chock.

To use the reel device described above, a trotline is made up with the fish hooks and leaders attached, and

leadersbeing carried toward in the directionrof rotation'.

of the reel and the hook placed over the appropriate peg 44. The device is then place/din a boat, and secured in position, as by hingernernbers 72, with the base and reel in a substantially horilontal position and with 'chock 58 projecting over'andoutb oard ofthegunwale of the boat. The outboard end of the trotline isthen passed through i portmeans includes a basemernber-andshaft means supthe chock and firmly secured to a suitable' aiichori'on the f bank, and the boat is moved away {from the bankiwith the reel permitted to run free to payout the trotline and hooks as the' boat proceeds. -As bestlse'en in FIGURE 3,

tially horizontal planei 9 as the trotline draws aleader out through the chock, the

hook attached'to the end of the leader will merely slide off the peg and be drawn through the chock with the trot: line'into the water. f To take up a trotline scribed, 'theend of thetrotline most remote from' the may be placed on said pegs I positioned to; permit fish hooks stored thereon to slide therefrom upon unwinding of thetrotline.

2. The invention according to claim 1 including sup-- for storage, said pins being porting meansmounting said reel-for rotation, and handle 1 means for manually rotating said, reel on said supporting means. .7: l a

I 3. The invention according to claim2 wherein said suported by and extending upwardly fronrsaid basefor 're movably supporting saidreel for rotation in a substan- 4. The inventionaccordin'g 1" means for directing a trotlinefin a substantialyhorizontal using the reel device hereindeline'onto said reeli V v a i 5. The inv'ention according to claim 4 wherein said guide means includes "an elongated'arm'pivoted atone {and of said base member at a poin t beneath'said reel when bankis passed over the chock'and attached to'the drum' 1 and the operator rotates the reel by'grasping and manually turning handle 40 with one'hand, As'the operator continues torotate the reel to wind the trotline on the, drum, chock SSliftsthe trotline and hooks clear. of the side of' the boat and directs the line substantially hori zontally onto thereel. As a hook passes throughchock 58, the operator picks up the'hooklwitli his'free, hand,

leads it forward, and places item the appropriate peg-:44

said reel is mounted 'on said vertically extending shaft for 7 limited rotation within ahorizontal plane, and chock mean's'on the other end of said arm and extending upwardly therefrom' to' support a trotline being wound upon a or unwound from said reel.

6. {The invention accordingtoclaim 5 including means vertically supporting said elongated arm at a, point intermediate-the pivot point andjfsaid chock while permitting while continuing to'r'otate the drum with the other, hand." I

Thus, the fisherman, by rotating the reel, simultaneously 30.

winds the trotline on the drum and propells the boat toward the bank Where the trotline is anchored, leaving the other hand free to) place the hooks on the appropriate pegs as they .pass through the chock. No'problemisjprei sented in maneuvering the boat since the guide is pivotally mounted'beneath the reeland will'always assume the appropriate position, within reasonable limits, with respect Fish'vhooks which are. placed on the -pegs jkt t w ning 4 0 V 7 "l Comprising abase member, shaft means supported by flat against the conical rsurfaceportion 'oi thebottom flange. thereby eliminating the tendency offthe hooks to v tumble and become fouled as the other trotline is lunreeled. Also, the. outer portion of the: flange extends be apparent: to one skilled in the art andwhich come within the spirit and scope of my invention. x I claim: v

1. A deyice for usein setting and up trotlines comprising a reel having a drum portion upon which a rotation of said arm about said pivotal support.

7. A trotline reel comprising a base member, a shaft extending upward from the base, a reel removably mounted on said shaft for rotation in a substantially,horizontal planefsaid reel having top-and bottom radially extending flanges, handle meanson'said reel for manually rotating said reelvwithr'espect tosaidjshaft, a plurality ofcircumfere'ntially spaced pins on said botto'mfiange for re- V leadersand hooks'over the gunwale of-a boat when said 'reel is employed to set or take up a trotline.

e 8. Atrotline reel for setting,-taking up, or storing trotandextendingupwardly from said base, a reel removably beyond the pegs" to actias a guardvfor the hooks to permit handling of the reelz'wi thout danger lfrorn the books so 45 illustrated apreferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it understood that I 'do not intendto b'e restricted: solely thereto,Lbut-that I do intend to cover all embodimentsthereof which would trotline may be wound, a radially extending flange at one 7 end of said drum, a flange at the other end of said 7 having a first radially extending portion and a second substantially frustro-conical portion extending outwardly. and

downwardly from said first portion, and a plurality, ofpin members mounted on the other surface .of said second depending ffrorn a trotline being wound upon saidreel v and bottom-radiallyextendingflanges, means on the bottorn-flangeefor receiving and releasibly retaining fish hooks a attachedto leaders depending from a trotline being wound upon said reel in position to be released; as the trotline is unwound from said reel, and guide means for directing a trotline and-the dependent leaders and hooks, over the gunwale of a boat when said reel is employed: to. setor take up a tro tline, said guide means including a'laterally extending arm pivotally mounted at one end to'said base beneath said reel for limitedrotation'in a horizontal plane,

I and chockmeans mountedlonthe other endv of said arm a m m ae? 98,73,3 '10/61 Norway; 1

ABRAHAM o. TONE, Priniary nema; I RAY Exalfllifidr,

to claim 3 including guide UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,201,890 August 24, 196

Flavil H. Griggs It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 62, for "other" read outer Signed and sealed this 22nd day of February 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR USE IN SETTING AND TAKING UP TROTLINES COMPRISING A REEL HAVING A DRUM PORTION UPON WHICH A TROTLINE MAY BE WOUND, A RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE AT ONE END OF SAID DRUM, A FLANGE AT THE OTHER END OF SAID DRUM HAVING A FIRST RADIALLY EXTENDING PORTION AND A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST PORTION, AND A PLURALITY OF PIN MEMBERS MOUNTED ON THE OTHER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND PORTION AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY THEREFROM, WHEREBY FISH HOOKS ATTACHED TO THE ENDS OF LEADERS DEPENDING FROM A TROTLING BEING WOUND UPON SAID REEL MAY BE PLACED ON SAID PEGS FOR STORAGE, SAID PINS BEING POSITIONED TO PERMIT FISH HOOKS STORED THEREON TO SLIDE THEREFROM UPON UNWINDING OF THE TROTLINE.