GB2178282A - Fishing rod support means - Google Patents

Abstract

A fishing-rod support clip (29) has a generally U-shaped cross section, in which the width of the mouth of the "U" is less than the greatest internal width of the "U" at a position between its mouth and its base (30) and in which the arms (32) of the "U" are resiliently yieldable away from one another. The clip may be attached to a strap threaded through a slot in its base or welded thereto. Two such clips may be attached to a single strap to provide support for two rods. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fishing rod support means The present invention relates to support means for a fishing rod.

Such support means have already been proposed which are in theform of'V' or'U'shaped rests attached to the upper end of a spiked pole. The pole is pushed into the ground and a rear part of the rod is seated in the rest.

One ofthe disadvantages of such support means is that the rod can easily be dislodged from the rest. This is particularly the casewith carp angling, the fish being strong enough to snatch the rod away.

Specialist anglers and particularly carp anglers have found that special techniques and methods are required to catch the largerfish. Also they often find that the fish tend to be attracted into snag-ridden areas, such as around underwater roots of trees or weedy or lily pad areas. These special techniques and methods are hampered by the looseness with which a rod is held in a conventional support.

An aim ofthe present invention isto overcome one or more oftheforegoing disadvantages or at least to provide a fishing rod support which is less subject to one or more ofthese disadvantages.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a fishing-rod support clip having a generally U-shaped cross section, in which thewidth ofthe mouth of the "U" is less than the greatest internal width ofthe "U" at a position between its mouth and its base and in which the arms ofthe "U" are resiliently yieldable away from one another.

The expression "U-shaped" here is to be interpreted in its broadest sense of having two arms extending upwardly from a base portion, and may actually more closely resemble a V shape, a partially circularshape, or even a partially hexagonal shape.

Preferably, the clip is longerthat it is broad to provide a positive grip ata rear section of a rod. The resilience in its arms andthe general size of the clip is such as to suit rod or rod diameters in the range from 5/8" to 1", although the clip may be dimensioned for diameters which are below th is range or above it. A preferred material for the clip is a polypropylene or high density polythene. Spring steel or other material could be used as an alternative. Advantageously, the upper ends ofthe arms ofthe "U" extend outwardly away from one anotherto provide flanges which guide the rod section into and through the mouth of the clip.

A positive grip is provided by such a clip having a length of at least 2", and further by being made of a synthetic plastics material which is at least3mm thick and preferably4mm thick.

Advantages of such a clip are that it is able to hold a number of different rods of different sizes and styles and furthermore, the rod is held firmly in position.

The clip itself may be formed with means by which it can be seated on a mount. For example, the clip may have a buckle construction in its base through which can be slid a flat metal plate or strip. An inwardly directed protuberence on the inside of the buckle may engage a hole in the plate orstripto secure the clip firmly.

Since the majority of anglers nowfish with more than one rod, using two orthree rods, a metal strip may have more than one hole spaced apart along its length with a clip attached to the strip at each hole. A spacing between the clips of 9" is desirable. Afurther hole may be provided in the metal stripthrough which a screwthreaded stem extends tofasten the strip to a spiked pole. Each clip is slid onto the strip until its protuberence is in register with a hole in the strip whereupon the protuberence snaps into the hole and secures the clip in position.

An example of a clip made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a front view of a synthetic plastics moulding from which the clip is made: Figure 2 shows a rearview of the moulding shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the moulding along the line Ill-Ill shown in Figure 1; Figure4shows a cross-sectional viewofthe moulding along the line lV-lV shown in Figure 1; Figure5 shows a perspective view of the clip made from the moulding shown in Figures 1 to 4; Figure 6 shows an assembly of two inch such clips mounted own a support strip;; Figure 7 shows further details ofthe strip shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a side view of the clip attached to a mounttherefor; Figure 9 is a perspective view oftwo electrical bite indicators; and Figure 10 shows a diagrammatic side elevational view of an assembly comprising rods, bite indicators, and a supportforthe rods having clips as shown in Figure 5.

The moulding shown in Figures 1 to 4comprises a generally flat rectangular injection moulded synthetic plastics moulding 10 madeof polypropylenefor example. A rearwardly projecting buckle 12 is provided centrally on the moulding 10. This is most easily made by having a square central aperture 14 in the main flat part of the moulding, and a rearwall 16 ofthe buckle having slightlysmallerdimensionsthan the aperture 14 and spaced apart rearwardlyfrom the main flat part of the moulding and held thereto by bridging portions 18. Viewing the moulding from the side, as in Figure 3, this leaves an elongate aperture 20 between the main flat part ofthe moulding and the rearwall 16 ofthe buckle 12.A hemispherical protuberence 22 is moulded on the innerface of the rearwall 16 ofthe buckle 12, and is positioned centrallythereon.Thefrontfaceofthemoulding is scored by two parallel V-sectioned grooves 24 im The drawing(s) originally filed was (were) informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

The claims were filed later than the filing date within the period prescribed by Rule 25(1) of the Patents Rules 1982.

mediately adjacentto the rectangular aperture 14. A further pair of V-sectioned grooves 26 are formed on the rearface ofthe moulding spaced a little inwardly from the shorter edges ofthe rectangular moulding.

The grooves 26 are also parallel to the grooves 24.

Each ofthese grooves may have flared ends 28.

The grooves 24and 26 enable the moulding 10to be more readily bent into the shape shown in Figure 5 by the application of heat on the front and rear sides of the plastics moulding alongthe grooves 24 and 26.

The bending is such as to bring the two sides of the "V" of each groove close together, to result in a generally "lot" sectioned clip 29 with aflat base portion 30 and two arms 32 which converge in a direction awayfromthe base 30 and which have out-turned ends 34.

It will be seen that the length ofthe clip so formed is greaterthan itswidth andthatthewidth ofthe mouth is tess than the inside width ofthe clip just above the base butgreaterthan halfthatinsidewidth.

The synthetic plastics of the clip is 4mm thick. The length ofthe clip isa little over2"andthe dimensions ofthe clip are such asto enable itto grip a rod section having an outer diameter in the region 5/8" to 1".

In Figure 5a clip is shown slid onto afloat metallic strip 36 by means of its buckle 12 (shown in Figure 3).

A circular hote 38 is boredthroughthe metallic strip 36, and has a diameter a pproxim ately that of the hemispherical protuberence 32. In Figure5the pro tuberence32 extends into the hole 3S.To To puttogether the assembly shown in Figure 5, the buckle i2isslid onto the strip 36, and the clip is pushed along the strip until the protuberence 22 snaps into the hole 36.

The strip 36 may be part ofthe assembly shown in Figure 6 which has one clip 29 on each end ofthe strip 36.Athreaded bolt 38 extends through a central hole in the strip 36 in a downward direction for attachment to the upper end of a spiked pole (not shown in Figure 6).

The strip 36 may be modified to have a number of holes spaced apart along its length such as shown in Figure7. This allows a number of different possible positionsforthe clips to be selected.

The strip 36 may be made of aluminium and may be 3t4" wide and 1/8" thick. The bolt 38 may have a 3/8 BSFthread. With reference to Figure 7, the outermost holes may be spaced apart by 10", the two middle holes by 9" and the innermost holes by 8" (disregarding the central hole for bolt 38).

Figure 8 shows a simple construction for a single clip mount. Instead of a straight strip 36 it has a U-shaped strip portion 40 which has one arm 42 extended through the buckle 12 of the clip 29 and its other arm 44 provided with a hole through which extends the bolt 38.

Figure 9 shows bite detectors 50 mounted on a horizontal support bar 52 which in turn is secured to the upper end of a spiked pole 54. The bite indicators 50areknown,and are not of themselves inventive features. Nonetheless, they may form part of an assembly shown in Figure 10 which comprises the bite indicators mounted as shown in Figure 9, a double unit shown in Figure 6 mounted on a further spiked pole 56 spaced well apartfrom the spiked hole 54 ofthe bit indicators, and two fishing rods 58 supported by the clips 29 and also resting on the bite indicators 50. In the arrangementshown in Figure 10, only one rod 58, bite indicator 50 and clip 29 can be seen.The rod 58 has been inserted at a position which is above its handle 60 into the clip 29.The outwardly turned ends 34 of the two arms 32 ofthe clip 29 guide the rod section into the clip as it is pressed downward lytherein, until the diameter ofthe rod section passes the mouth oftheclipwhereupon the resilience ofthe arms 32 ofthe clip 29 snap the rod into the clip and thereafter maintain a grip thereon.

Numerous modifications and variations to the structures illustratedwill occur to a reader familiar with the art withouttaking them clear ofthe present invention.

Forexample, although the clip has been shown with a buckle 12, it may instead simply have a round aperture in its base 30 by means or of which the may be riveted onto a strip 36 or 40. Whilst the manufacture ofthe clip shown in Figure 5 is by bending a generally flat moulding into shape, the clip could be injection moulded directly into the form shown in Figure 5, although this would naturally involve much more expensive tooling.

The positive advantages of a clip shown in Figure 5 orFigure8areasfollows: 1. Because a rod is positively held in position by such a clip it cannot easily be snatched away by atake from a large fish. Otherwise, the rod mighteasily by pulled into the water.

2. Fishing can take place very close to snags such as weed beds. This is becausethe clutch on the fishing reel of a rod can be set tight, the rod being held in position against the pull of the line because it is held positively by the clip. As a result, it is not possiblefor a fish to pull down much ofthe linewhere it might get deep into the snaggy area.

3. An angler can leave his rod or rods without worrying about losing them into the water.

4. The rod or rods is less likely to be blown out of the support by strongwinds.

5. The rings are less likely to be damaged because a fish is less likelyto be able to pull the rod forward and smash the ring of the rod againstthe front rod rest or buzzer such as is shown in Figure 10.

6. In the arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7, the clip can be adjusted in position and positively locked without the use of screws or rivets.

7. The polypropylene of the clip shown in Figure 5 willflexwithout snapping substantially irrespective of temperature, 8. The clips can beusedsinglyorin multiples.

9. If a two rod assembly such as is shown in Figure 10 infact has only one rod, a take on that rod is unlikely to pivot the bit indicators because the rod does not easily slideforwardwhen held by a clip such as is shown in Figure 5.

10. Withthe assembly shown in Figure 5, the clip is positively located on the flat strip bar using digit location with no fixings such as rivets or screws.

Claims (11)

1. Afishing-rodsupportcliphaving agenerally U-shaped cross section, in which the width ofthe mouth of the "U" is less than the greatest internal width of the "U" at a position between its mouth and its base and in which the arms ofthe "U" are resiliently yieldable away from one another;

2. A clip according to claim 1, in which the clip is longerthan it is broad to provide a positive grip at a rear section of a rod.

3. A clip according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the resilience in its arms and the general size of the clip is such as to suit rod or rod diameters in the range from 5/8"to 1".

4. A clip according to any preceding claim, comprising spring steel.

5. A clip according to any preceding claim, comprising synthetic plastics material.

6. Aciip according to any preceding claim, in which the upper ends ofthe arms of the "U" extend outwardly away from one anotherto provide flanges which guide the rod section into and through the mouth oftheclip.

7. A clip according to any preceding claim, having a length of at least 2 inches.

8. A clip according to any preceding claim, provided with means by which it can be seated on a mount.

9. Afishing-rod supportclip substantially as de- scribed herein with reference to Figure 5 ofthe accompanyng drawings.

10. Afishing-rod support clip assemblycompris ingastripwith at leasttwo clips as claimed in any preceding claim mounted on the strip and spaced apart along its length.

11. Afishing-rod support clip assembly, substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 6 and 7, orto Figure 8 ofthe accompanying drawings.