WO2006038127A2

WO2006038127A2 - Clamp acting as both a fish line holder and a clothes pin

Info

Publication number: WO2006038127A2
Application number: PCT/IB2005/003505
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Spinelli
Original assignee: Giovanni Spinelli
Priority date: 2004-10-08
Filing date: 2005-10-10
Publication date: 2006-04-13
Also published as: ITBA20040046A1; WO2006038127A3

Abstract

A clamp comprising operating arms (11, 12), a hinge (13), clamping jaws (18, 19) and a driving lever mechanism (20). Such driving mechanism comprises levers (20, 21) of an appropriate length which are arranged in such a way that their operation, both for the clamp opening and its closure occurs under the action of a force having an appropriate intensity and acting on the driving mechanism parallel to the longitudinal axis of the clamp.

Description

Clamp acting as both a fish line holder and a clothes pin

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a clamp especially intended to be used both as a device for holding a fish line at a given depth below the surface of the sea water environment, while trolling, i.e. while practicing the so called down rigger fishing (this clamping or holding device is also referred to as a down - or depth - fish line holder or simpIy fish line holder) and as a clothes pin.

As regards trolling, it uses a sinking device comprising a winch or reel mounted on a boat and a heavy body, normally consisting of a lead ball, connected to an end of a cable or control line activated by the winch and whose weight is sufficient to hold the cable approximately vertical during a trolling operation: actually it drops slightly back with respect to the forward movement of the boat at a slight rearward angle to the vertical, while the boat moves forward at a speed which is slow anyway. A fish line is connected to the cable, at a given depth below the water surface, or directly to the heavy body, by means of a fish line holder holding the fish line at a predetermined depth and consisting of a clamp clamping the fish line between its jaws. Thus the fish line portion between such a clamping device and the hook , to which a bait is fixed, remains at the depth defined by the attachment point of the holding device to the cable of the sinking device and extends rearwardly with respect to the forward movement of the boat under the trolling action of the heavy body and the rearwardly water current created by this heavy body. The distance to the bait of the depth holding device and thus to the cable of the sinking device, as well as the sinking depth of the fish line and bait, is function of the type of the fish to be caught; in particular, such a distance is to be relatively large if the fisher desires to avoid that the presence of the boat takes and dismisses the fish off the bait. When a fish swallows the bait, the fish line releases instantly from the jaws of the clamping device, while remaining in depth attached Io the sinking device until it is brought back to the surface together with the heavy body through the winch; the fish line moves under the control of the fisher, who can thus pull up the fish which has swallowed the bait through the reel of the fishing rod, around which the fish line is rolled up. As regards the clothes pins, those are well know in the art and do not require any particular description except for that which will be given hereinafter in relation with the invention.

Background art The clamping devices known in the background art are traditionally of the type intended to be driven by the application of a force which is transversal with respect to the longitudinal axis of the clamp, this effort being exerted both manually and through an auxiliary lever mechanism intended to activate the clamping device so as to maintain it in a closed position or to open it. US-4221 068 discloses a clamping device of the above mentioned type used as a down fish line holder, the fish line being intended to be clamped between the clamp jaws. The free end of the fish line holds the bait and can be at a variable distance from the sinking cable. Moreover, the clamping device is intended to be connected, through easily releasable means, both to the sinking cable and to the fish line. The opening of this clamping device, and thus the line release, is due to a fish baiting which just imposes on the activation lever mechanism a transversal force with respect to its longitudinal axis. The means for both fast blocking and fast releasing of the clamping device from the fish line are, anyway, such that this latter may be released from the clamping device before any fish has swallowed the bait, due to the very action of the water during trolling. Furthermore, because of the rigid - while easily releasable - connection to the cable of the fast block and release means of the clamping device, a fish baiting without swallowing of the bait by the fish, is not transmitted to the fish line at the boat level, thus preventing the fisher from providing the hook with another bait.

Brief description of the invention The present invention aims at improving the devices for holding a fish line at a given depth below the surface of the sea water while trolling and provides a device of this type, which is the object of the corresponding independent claim attached to this disclosure and is based on a clamping device which, in turn, is the object of another independent claim and which can be used in further applications, such as that object of a further independent claim related to a clothes pin and also attached to this disclosure. Other features of the clamping device according to the invention and its applications, particularly as a depth holding device and a clothes pin, are the object of the dependent claims attached to this disclosure as the independent ones.

A basic advantage of the clamping means according to the present invention and its use as a depth fish line device consists in that, through this clamp, it is possible to distinguish between baiting without catching, i.e. the case in which a fish swallows the bait without getting caught in the hook, and baiting with catching, i.e, the case in which a fish is effectively caught in the hook: in fact, even in the case of baiting without catching, a movement perceptible by the fisher is transmitted to the fish line, while remaining clamped between the clamp jaws, thus allowing the fisher to promptly provide the hook with another bait; whereas, in the case of baiting with catching, the fish line always releases from the down, holding device and never accidentally, e.g. due to the action of water currents.

As regards the use of the clamping means as a clothes pin, the main advantage is that it allows a stronger clamping of the washing hooked on a suspension line than with the classic pins, thus withstanding to particularly heavy wind squalls.

Best mode of carrying out the invention

It is now disclosed, essentially by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the clamping means according to the invention and its targeted applications as down fish line holder and clothes pin, with reference to the figures attached to this description and summed up synthetically hereinafter;

-Fig.1 is a schematic lateral front representation of the clamping means according to the invention, equipped with the activation lever mechanism, shown in the open position (corresponding to Fig.1 a) and in the closed position (corresponding to Fig. Ib);

-Fig.2 differs from Fig.1 m that it further shows a transversal spring between the clamp hinge and its activation mechanism: such a spring has the function to apply to the operation arms of the clamping means a force which exerts a reduced pressure between the jaws and which is just sufficient to maintain the jaws juxtaposed when it is in its open position (corresponding to Fig,2a);

-Fig.3 shows the clannping means according to the invention used as a down fish line holder in trolling, while cooperating with a fish line sinking device; -Fig.4and Fig.5, as well as Fig.6 and Fig, 7, are representations in detail, from above, of the clamping device used in trolling, respectively without and with a spring (thus corresponding respectively to the couples of figures Fig.1a-Fig.1b and Fig.2a-Fig.2b), the above mentioned mechanism being shown in any case in its open and closed positions; -Fig.8 and Fig.9 are perspective views of the operation arms of the clamping device used in trolling which arc shown separated one from the other and without the mutual connection levers of the activation mechanism;

-Fig.10 and Fig.11 show in a lateral front view the clamping means according to the invention used as a clothes pin, itself represented in each figure, respectively without and with any spring.

Fig.1 shows schematically the clamping means according to the invention which is intended to be used in a way which will be disclosed in detail hereinafter, it is a clamp 10 comprising two opposing arras 11 and 12 allowing the operation of the clamp. The literal reference x refers to the longitudinal axis of the clamp, whereas the numerical reference 13 refers to a hinge placed in an intermediate position (in the following we shall refer to it as an intermediate hinge), whose center is the fulcrum of the clamp and corresponds to a point of the axis x. In both clamping ends 14 and 16 are arranged two opposing jaws 18 and 19, which are intended to exert a clamping pressure between themselves. The numerical references 15 and 17 refer to the operation ends of the clamp, whereas the numerical reference 20 refers to an activation lever mechanism intended to allow the opening and closure operation of the clamp.

According to the invention, such a clamp is remarkable in that the lever arrangement of the activation mechanism 20 - see the numerical references 21 and 22 in Fig.1 - allows the clamp activation, both in the opening and in the closure directions, in such a way that it occurs under the action of a force F which, while necessarily having an appropriate intensity, acts on the mechanism 20 parallel to, i.e. along, the longitudinal axis of the clamp, rather than perpendicularly, i.e. transversally, with respect to this axis, as it occurs with the traditional clamps. For this purpose, the transversal levers 21 and 22 of the activation mechanism 20 are connected to the operation ends 15 and 17 of the clamp 10 and are hinged at the level of such ends as well as of the point of mutual interconnection 23 between the levers, this interconnection hinge 23 being arranged on, i.e. aligned with, the longitudinal axis of the clamp: both levers are intended to switch the clamp, under the action of the above mentioned force, from an opening position, in which they are wide apart toward the outside of the clamp (see Fig.1a), to a closure position, in which they are wide apart toward the inside of the clamp (see Fig.1b), and vice versa,

The closure stroke (also referred to as inside stroke, in contraposition with the opening or outside stroke) is limited by two stops 24 and 25 arranged on both levers and intended to cooperate with the two operation arms 11 and 12 of the clamp, so as to effectively maintain the activation mechanism in its closure position: without such an inside stroke limitation, it would occur the opening of the clamp (rather than its desired closure), as the operation ends would be mutually brought nearer to each other rather than mutually pushed apart from each other.

Furthermore, the lever length is chosen in such a way that, when the levers are wide apart toward the inside, thus in a position corresponding to the closure position, their ends - hinged at the level of said operation ends of the clamp - exert thereon (on these operation ends) an action aiming at maintaining the clamp jaws in the closure position, of course without switching the clamp into the opening position because of the above mentioned stroke limitation; moreover, in order to produce the same effect of limitation of the inside stroke of the activation mechanism levers, the stops 24 and 25 may be optionally arranged both on both arms 13 and 1.2 (rather than on both levers 21 and 22) - thus cooperating with both clamp levers - and only on one lever or one arm,

Anyway, it is easy to understand that when the force F acts parallel, i.e. along, the longitudinal axis of the clamp in the direction shown in Fig.1a, the clamp 10 opens, as both levers of the activation mechanism bring the ends 15 and 17 nearer to each other; whereas, when the force F acts, always along the longitudinal axis, but in the direction shown in Fig.1 b, the clamp closes, as both levers of the activation mechanism move the ends 15 and 17 away from each other, while cooperating with the stops 24 and 25 to limit the inside stroke.

Fig.2 differs from Fig.1 in that the clamp further comprises a transversal spring 30 arranged between the intermediary hinge 13 and the operation ends 15 and 17: such a spring is intended to maintain the jaws of the clamping ends 14 and 16 in mutual contact at a reduced pressure (with respect to the pressure exerted by the operating device 20 in its closure position), so as to be juxtaposed when the device is operated for opening the clamp, thus avoiding the problem which will be disclosed hereinafter (briefly, to allow the fisher to operate the clamp and the fish line - to be clamped between the jaws - with both hands, and not with only one hand, the other being used to clamp just manually the jaws while activating the device 20 in order to close the clamp). Such a condition is shown in Fig.1a, where the jaws arc just represented juxtaposed as, while being the levers 21 and 22 of the operating device 20 wide apart toward the outside, i.e. in the opening direction, the spring 30 exerts an elastic reaction on the arms 11 and 12 sufficient to maintain the jaws 18 and 19 clamped at a reduced pressure, which can be advantageous during the clamp operation. In fact, when operating the clamp, first of all, it is necessary to manually open the clamp, in order to insert between the jaws the object which is intended to be clamped between them and, only afterwards, to close it at the maximum clamping pressure allowed by the lever mechanism, so as to maintain the same in the closed position until the successive opening (thereof): now then, in order to allow the operator using both hands to operate easier the lever mechanism in the closing direction - instead of maintaining with one hand the jaws clamped between themselves, while operating the closure of this mechanism by means of the other hand - it is advantageous to maintain the jaws closed at a reduced pressure on the object inserted between them by means of a spring of the type previously disclosed, so as to handle the clamp more easily through both hands in order to bring the lever mechanism into the closed position, thus exerting between the jaws the desired maximum pressure.

A first application of the clamp according to the invention, previously described, lies in its use (see Fig.3) as a device 100 for holding a fish line 200 at a given depth below the surface 1 of the water while trolling. This device 100 is intended to cooperate with a device 300 for sinking the fish line, The device 300 comprises a winch (not shown in Fig.3) mounted on a boat 400 used in the trolling operation for driving a cable 310 having at an end thereof a heavy body 320 intended to be dipped into water at a given depth with respect to the surface 1 of the water. The clamp 100 is intended lo be connected, on the one hand, to the fish line 200 by clamping this latter between its jaws and, on the other hand, to the sinking device 300 to hold the fish line at the desired depth. Now then, during the reduction into practice of the invention, it emerged that - under the dragging action (trolling) of the fish line portion comprised between the clamp and the hook with its bait - the longitudinal axis of the clamp lines up approximately with such a fish line portion: in such conditions, a lever mechanism of the type intended to be driven by a force applied transversally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the clamp is totally ineffective both when the alignment between the clamp and the above mentioned fish line portion is perfect and when the alignment is only partial; in fact, in this case the transversal component transmitted to the lever mechanism - when a baiting with swallowing of a fish occurs - is not sufficient to open the clamp. On the contrary the use of a clamp equipped with a lever mechanism intended to be driven by a force acting along the longitudinal axis of the clamp is always effective and has none of the drawbacks that have the devices for holding a fish line at a given depth used previously and disclosed in the framework of the prior art.

Now then, the device 100 for holding a fish line at a given depth according to the invention matches the effectiveness requirements disclosed above: in fact it consists of the clamp according to the invention which is just equipped with a driving lever mechanism intended to be operated by a force acting along the longitudinal axis of the clamp, which in shown in detail in Fig.4 to Fig.9. In these figures it is possible to see that the hinge 110 of the clamp consists of two coaxial portions 120 and 130 intended to cooperate by rotating one with respect to the other (see in particular, Fig.8 and Fig.9). The portion 120 is arranged on the arm 140 and comprises two lateral, transversal, convex projections 121, each one of which has a contour defined by an arc of a circumference covering an appropriate angle, which preferably is greater than 180°. The other portion 130 is arranged on the other arm 150 and comprises two lateral, transversal projections 131, in each one of which is arranged a concavity 132 which has a contour defined by an arc of circumference of same size and is intended to receive the corresponding convex portion 121. Each concavity 132 is delimited both longitudinally and transversally by two arcuate teeth 133 arranged in the corresponding projection 130 and intended to penetrate, during the rotation of the two coaxial portions 120 and 130 of the hinge 110, into two recesses 123, which are arranged in the arm 140 - from which the opposing convex projection 121 protrudes- and which delimit this latter longitudinally. These two portions 120 and 130 of the hinge 110 are maintained in an operative relation through a device for mutual connection 500. This device 500 for mutually connecting the two portions 120 and 130 of the hinge 110 consists of a bolt (which is represented in the figures by its axis 510 for the sake of simplification) passing through the centre of the hinge 110, through two transversal holes 530 and 540 (see Fig.8 and Fig9) arranged in the arms 140 and 150 and is maintained in position by means of a nut 520, Each one of these transversal holes has the shape of a transversally oriented, flattened, truncated, cone-shaped hole (in the direction from the clamp axis towards the outside), to allow the rotation of the arms 140 and 150 around the hinge 110, in spite of the rigid connection between these arms through the bolt 510.

Furthermore, the clamp 100 comprises a device for adjusting the intensity of the activation force of the clamp lever mechanism.

It is advantageous to make the device for adjusting the force intensity as a measurable (or controlled) device blocking the rotation of the hinge 110. A preferred embodiment of such a measurable device blacking the rotation of the hinge consists in the very device 500 for mutual connection between the two portions 120 and 130 of the hinge 110, because it justly gives the possibility to measure (or regulate) the blocking of the hinge against rotation by screwing the nut 520 on the bolt 510 according to a suitable direction: a counter-clockwise screwing decreases the rotation-blocking effect , whereas a clockwise screwing increases such a blocking effect.

In the jaw 152, is arranged a seat 153 (see Fig.8) in the clamping end 157 (see also Fig.4) of the clamp 100 which is intended to receive an elastic body 154, whereas on the opposing jaw 142, on the other clamping end 147 of the clamp, is arranged a pressure tooth 144 having a rounded end (or point) and intended to penetrate into the elastic body of the jaw 152 in a position, which is necessarily outside with respect to the position in which the fish line 200 is inserted, so as to avoid the accidental release of this latter from the two jaws 142 and 152. The jaw 142, which comprises the pressure tooth 144, comprises also a groove 143 intended to receive at least one tour of the fish line before clamping this latter between the jaws. The mechanism 600 for activation of the clamp 100 comprises two levers 610 and 620 hinged in the operating ends 145 and 155 of the arms 140 and 150 of the clamp and between themselves at the level of the hinge 630 and, according to the invention, is of the type intended to be activated by a force directed along the longitudinal axis of the clamp. The operating ends 145 and 155 of the arms 140 and 150 of the clamp 100 comprise a stop consisting of a step, respectively 146 and 156, which is arranged in the corresponding arm and which opposes to a further activation of the lever 610 and 620 in the direction corresponding to the closure of the clamp. Of course, to this effect it may be sufficient just a step to be chosen between the two steps 146 and 156. The lever 610 of the activation mechanism 600 of the clamp 100 comprises an arm 640 arranged in the plane of the clamp and intended to connect this latter to the sinking device 300: to this effect, the arm 640 comprises a transversal hole 650.

This arm 640 for connecting the clamp 100 to the sinking device 300 is connected to the heavy body 320 of this latter through a flexible cable 330 (see once more Fig.3), an end of which is intended to be inserted into the transversal hole 650 of the connection arm 640, whereas the other end is intended to be inserted into a perforated tongue 340 integral with the above mentioned heavy body 320. It is just the flexible character of the connection means between the clamp and the sinking device that allows the transmission to the fish line of the movement given to the clamp even in the case of a baiting without hooking and thus the prompt provision of the hook with another bait.

In Fig.6 and Fig.7 the clamp 100 is equipped with a transversal spring 900 acting as the spring 30 shown in Fig.2 and previously disclosed A preferred embodiment of the clamp according to the invention consists in that it is made in one piece of a plastic material, except the spring 900 and the above mentioned bolt, which are preferably made of stainless steel, even if they may be made of a plastic material too. Another application of the clamp according to the invention consists in that it is intended to be used as a clothes pin to hook the washing on a suspension cable: the advantage with respect to traditional clothes pins is that it ensures in a simple and effective way a clamping pressure which is increased because of the presence of the lever mechanism according to the invention disclosed before. Such a clothes pin is shown in detail in Fig.10 and Fig.11, where it is referred to with the numerical reference 700. In these figures it is possible to see the two pin arms 710 and 720, comprising the clamping ends 711 and 712 and two couples of jaws - a first couple 713,714 and a second couple 715,716 as it is typical for the traditional clothes pins - as well as the operation ends 810 and 820. The hinge (or fulcrum) between the two arms 710 and 720 of the clothes pin 700 typically consists of an elastic transversal connection bridge 730 between said two arms justly acting as the above disclosed intermediary hinge. The hinges 810, 820 and 830 of the activation mechanism 800 are obtained by matter removal from the material the pin is made of. Both levers 840 and 850 (or at least one lever) of the activation mechanism 800 comρrise(s), respectively, a projection 860 and 870 acting as a stop against a further activation of the levers 840 and 850, so as to avoid an undesired opening of the clamp, while closing the same. In Fig.11 the clothes pin 700 is equipped with a transversal spring 1000, whose function is identical to that disclosed in relation to the spring 30 shown in Fig.2. According to a preferred embodiment of the clothes pin according to the invention, it is made from a plastic material, except (preferably) the spring 1000, and in one piece.

Claims

1.- A clamp having an opening position and a closure position, which clamp comprises: -two oblong opposing arms; -a longitudinal axis; -two operation ends;

-a lever mechanism intended to transfer a force of appropriate intensity to said operation ends, said force being in turn intended to act according a first direction, aiming at causing said clamp to pass from said opening position to said closure position, and according to a second direction aiming at causing said clamp to pass from said closure position to said opening position;

-a hinge constituting a fulcrum for said two arms and having a center of rotation, around which said aims revolve under the action of said force, acting on said mechanism and transferred through this latter to said operation ends, and which coincides with a point of said axis; -two clamping ends, on which at least two opposing jaws are arranged, these jaws being intended to exert a clamping pressure between themselves - and thus on an item inserted between them - when said force is transferred to said operation ends, wherein said mechanism comprises levers of appropriate length arranged in such a way that their activation - aiming at causing said clamp to pass from said opening position to said closure position, and vice versa, according to the effective direction of said force - takes place under the action of said force acting on said lever mechanism parallel to said longitudinal axis.

2.- The clamp according to claim 1, wherein said activation mechanism comprises at least two substantially transversal levers connecting said operation ends and hinged at level of these latter as well as of a point of mutual interconnection between said levers, this mutual interconnection hinge being aligned with said longitudinal axis and being intended to cover, along said axis, a stroke of appropriate length, under the action of said force applied thereto and acting according to an appropriate direction, namely a closure stroke from a position corresponding to said clamp opening position - with said levers protruding towards the outside of said clamp - to a position corresponding to said clamp closure position, with said levers protruding towards the inside of said clamp, and an opening stroke from a position corresponding to said clamp closure position, with said levers protruding towards the inside of said clamp, to a position corresponding to said clamp opening position, with said levers protruding towards the outside of said clamp, said closure stroke being limited by at least one stop.

3.- The clamp according to claim 2, wherein said stop is arranged on at least one of said two levers and is intended to cooperate with the corresponding arm of said clamp in order to limit said closure stroke.

4.- The clamp according to claim 2, wherein said stop is arranged on at least one of said two arms and is intended to cooperate with the corresponding lever of said clamp in order to limit said closure stroke,

5.- The clamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein it further comprises a transversal spring, which is arranged in a position between said fulcrum and said operation ends and which is intended to act on both operation ends, so as to maintain said jaws juxtaposed by applying thereto a reduced pressure, with respect to said clamping pressure, when said lever mechanism is intended to be activated in such a way to cause said clamp to pass from said opening position to said closure position.

6.- A device for holding a fish line at a given depth below a water environment surface, while trolling, which is intended to cooperate with a device for sinking said fish line down to said depth, said sinking device comprising: -a reel intended to be mounted on a boat intended in turn to be used in down rigger fishing, and

-a cable having a first end and a second end and intended to be activated by said reel from said first end, which cable comprises at said second end a heavy body intended to be sunk into said water environment at a given depth below said water surface,

the fish line holder consisting of a clamp, having two jaws and a hinge acting as a fulcrum and defining a center of rotation for said two jaws, and intended to be connected, on the one hand, to said fish line by clamping this latter between said jaws and, on the other hand, to said sinking device, in order to hold said fish line at said depth, whereas said jaws are released by a fish baiting, wherein the clamp consists of a clamp according to claims 1 to 5.

7.- The fish line holder according to claim 6, wherein said hinge comprises a first and a second coaxial portions intended to cooperate by rotating one around the other, said first portion being arranged on an arm and comprising two transversal, lateral, convex projections having each a contour defined by a first circumference are covering a first angle substantially bigger than 180°, whereas said second portion is arranged on the other arm and comprises two transversal, lateral projections, in each one of which it is in turn arranged a concavity having a contour defined by a second circumference arc having the same amplitude of said first arc and intended to receive the corresponding convex projection, each concavity being delimited longitudinally and transversally by two arcuate teeth, each arcuate tooth being arranged in the corresponding projection and intended to penetrate into said two recesses - which are arranged in the arm from which project said opposed convex projections and which delimit this latter longitudinally- during the rotation of said two coaxial hinge portions, these latter being held in a mutual working relation through a connection means.

8.- Device according to claim 7, wherein said means for mutual connection between said two coaxial hinge portions comprises a bolt substantially perpendicular to said clamp axis and intended to pass through said hinge center and two transversally oriented, flattened, truncated, cone-shaped holes arranged in said opposing arms and in a mutual basis-sharing relation the shared truncated-cone basis being aligned with said longitudinal axis, so as to allow the rotation of said arms around said hinge center in spite of a rigid connection between said arms, said bolt being maintained in position by means of a nut

9.- The fish line holder according to claim 8, wherein it further comprises a device for adjusting said activation force intensity of said lever mechanism,

10.- The fish line holder according to claim 9, wherein said device for adjusting said activation force intensity is a device for adjustably locking said fulcrum against rotation,

11.- The fish line holder according to claims 8 and 10, wherein said device for adjustably locking the hinge rotation consists of said device for mutual connection between said two hinge portions, the adjustment of the hinge rotation locking being obtained by screwing said nut on said bolt according to an appropriate rotation direction aiming at creating a required locking effect.

12.- The fish line holder according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein a seat is arranged in one of the clamp jaws, said seat being intended to receive an elastic body, whereas in the other jaw a pressure tooth is arranged, said pressure tooth having a rounded off tip and being intended to penetrate into said elastic body in a position which is exterior with respect to a position in which said fish line is inserted, so as to avoid an accidental releasing of this latter from said two jaws.

13.- The fish line holder according to claim 12, wherein the jaw comprising said pressure tooth further comprises a groove intended to receive at least one tour of said fish line before clamping this latter between said jaws.

14.- The fish line holder according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said operating ends of the clamp arms comprises a stop consisting of a step arranged on the corresponding arm which counters a further activation of the levers in a direction which corresponds to said closure position of the clamp.

15.- The fish line holder according to any one of the claims 6 to 14, wherein one of the levers

Of said activation mechanism comprises a connection arm arranged in a plane substantially containing said clamp, said connection arm being intended to connect said clamp to said sinking device and comprising to that effect a transversal hole.

16.- The fish line holder according to claim 15, wherein said connection arm between said clamp and said sinking device is attached to this latter through a flexible cable, an end of which is inserted into said transversal hole of said connection arm, whereas another end is inserted into a perforated tongue integral with said heavy body.

17.- A clothes pin intended to hook washed clothes on a suspension line, wherein it consists of a clamp according to claims 1 to 5,

18.- The clothes pin according to claim 17, wherein said hinges of said activation mechanism consist of matter removal from said pin.

19.- The clothes pin according to claim 18, wherein at least one lever of said activation mechanism comprises a projection acting as a stop against a further activation of said mechanism, thus locking this latter against closure,

20.- The clothes pin according to any one of claims 17 and 18, of the type made of a plastic material and comprising an elastic transversal connection bridge between said two arms acting as said hinge, wherein it is made in one piece.