Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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_ckground of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for automatical-
ly baiting fishing hooks, and more particularly concerns apparatus
for use, for example, on commercial fishing trawlers to bait fish
hooks attached at spaced intervals by snoods to a main or long line.
In the past, where natural bait has been used, it
has been customary to bait the hooks attached to such line by hand.
Hand baiting of such hooks ensures that, where natural bait is
used, the hook goes through one side of the bait and out the other
thus twice piercing the skin of the bait, which is the toughest
part thereof. Such "double-hooking" is most desirable to ensure
that the bait will be securely fastened on the hook. Manual bait-
ing of individual hooks is a slow, labourious and potentially
hazardous operation, whether natural or artificial bait is used.
Heretofore, attempts have been made to design auto-
matic or mechanical baiting devices which would speed up the process
of placing natural or artificial bait on such hooks and at the
same time reduce human handling of the potentially ha~ardous hooks.
For instance, Canadian Patents Nos. 470,991 of Andrist and 470,
~0 993 of Hopkins et al., as well as United States Patents Nos. 3,841,
011 of Tison and 3,377,733 of Godo describe different apparatus
for baiting hooks wherein the long lines and hooks are dragged
through bait chambers where the bait is snagged. Unfortunately,
in view of the fact that the hooks are dragged through the chambers,
the necessary motion of the hook required to achieve double hooking
of the bait is not effected, so that the bait (especially where
the natural bait is used) is not as securely impaled upon the hook
as would be the case with manual baiting.
Canadian Patent No. 863,580 of Hanson et al., on
the other hand, describes a baiting machine designed to double
hook the bait. In that device, the moving hook snags the bait
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in a rotatable bait holder and the continuing motion of the hook
causes the bait holder and bait to rotate in such a manner that
the hook double hooks the bait. This mechanism, however, requires
that the hook and snood be; separated from the main line before
passing through the baiter, increasing the chances of loss of
bait by a "whiplash" action as the snood, baited hook and line
leave the baiter and go over the boat into the sea.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with the present invention, apparatus
is provided for baiting fish hooks attached at spaced intervals
by snoods to a long line, comprising guide means for receiving
and circumscribing the lines, snoods and eyes of the hooks to
channel them longitudinally and unobstructedly through said
apparatus and restrict them against lateral displacement out of
the guide means. Orienting and tensioning means, laterally off-
set from the guide means, momentarily engage each hook to pro-
gressively, rotatably laterally orient its shank and point while
increasing the tension on the hook and its associated snood.
As the hook then leaves the orienting and tensioning means,
it has been properly oriented and tensioned so that it flips
into a baiting chamber and securely impales bait supplied thereto.
In addition to the fact that the apparatus accord-
ing to the present invention permits mechanical impaling or double-
hooking of bait for long-lining operations, there will be less
chance of loss of bait from the hook as it leaves the machine,
; whether natural or artificial bait is used, by the aforementioned
whiplash action found with some previously known devices since
in the present invention, the main line, snood and eye of the hook
are maintained together in the guide means as they pass through
the apparatus.
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Brief Descri tion of the Drawings
p
Other objects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent upon reading the following detailed description
and upon referring to the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side perspective view of an example
embodiment of an automatic fish baiting device according to the
present invention;
Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the end
of apparatus according to Figure 1 from which line, snoods and
baited hooks leave the apparatus;
Figure 3 is a partial plan view of the lower portion
of the apparatus illustrated in Figure l;
Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view
showing the operation of the hook guide means located towards
; the entrance of the apparatus of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a schematic representation illustrating
the progressive motion of a hook as it passes through the orient-
ing and tensioning means and is baited.
In the drawings similar features have been given
similar reference numerals.
While the invention will be described in connection
with a preferred example embodiment, it will be understood that
it is not intended to limit the invention to that embodiment.
On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifi-
cations and equivalents as may be included within the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Detailed_Description of the Invention
In the drawings, main line 2 having snoods 4 and
hooks 6 (with eyes 7 and points 8) at spaced intervals is drawn
through automatic baiting machine 10. Funnel means ll,-beside
the entrance end of the machine, aligns the main line, snoods,
and hooks before they enter the machine. Machine 10 is made
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up of spaced plates 12 and 14 in which is a centrally, longit-
udinally disposed groove 16 of sufficient size to permit un-
obstructed passage therethrough of line 2, snoods 4 and eyes 7
of hooks 6. The space or clearance 15 between the plates is
sufficiently large to permit passage therethrough of the shank
and curved portion of the hook but not large enough to permit
simultaneous passage therethrough of the eye of the hook which
is therefore constrained within groove 16 during passage through
the machine. Entrance 18 to groove 16 is flared and smoothly
contoured (as can be seen in Figure 3, with respect to lower
plate 14) to channel the main line snoods and eyes of the hooks
into the groove and prevent the hooks from becoming caught on
any edges as they enter the machine.
Centrally and laterally spaced on each side of
plates 12 and 14 and groove 16 is an orienting and tensioning
wheel 20 from which spaced, aligned spokes 22 project radially.
Brake means 24 associated with each wheel 20 can be adjusted to
restrict the rotation of the wheel 20 to any predetermined degree
thereby causing tension on each hook and its associated snood
while the hook is engaged with a spoke 22. Spokes 22 have smooth
surfaces, slightly tapered free ends and are of sufficient size
and strength to rotate braked wheel 20 during engagement with
a hook 6 as the line is drawn through the machine.
The direction of rotation of spokes 22 is at a
slight angle to the longitudinal axis of groove 16. In the em-
bodiment shown, this angle is about eight degrees. As will be
explained subsequently, this angle is selected so that for a given
size of hooks, proper orientation and positioning of each hook,
for securing bait, as it leaves engagement with a spoke 22 is
achieved.
As illustrated in Figure 4, co-operating with wheels
20, towards the entrance of the machine are hook guide means
:
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consisting of rudder-like levers 26 and 27 rigidly associated
with spring loaded pins 28 and 29 respectively. Pins 28 and 29
slide vertically in holes in upper plate 12 and the springs serve
to return the pin and associated lever to the fully "down" position
after a hook has passed underneath. Contact of either lever 26
or 27 by the curved portion of a hook will push the lever up
against its associated spring loaded pin into any suitable co-
operating space in plate 12 and permit passage of the curved
portion of the hook under the lever in question into the space be-
tween plates 12 and 14. The forward surface of both levers iscut at an angle of forty-five degrees so that a hook with the
proper orientation will lift it and slide underneath. It will be
noted from Figure 5 that the back ends of these levers are
slightly inwardly oriented, increasingly obstructing groove 16
in the direction of motion of the main line. As levers 26 and 27
normally are positioned in the space between plates 12 and 14,
the lever which is not lifted by the passage of the curved por-
tion of the hook bears against the shank portion of that hook
as it passes by, urging the hook towards engagement with a spoke
22 on the opposite side of the groove thereto. This ensures that
the hook does not move laterally out of the space between
plates 12 and 14 and thus fail to engage the spoked wheel.
As the hook, thus engaged about spoke 22, moves
through the apparatus, the shank or curved portion of the hook
`passes along this space while the eye of the hook, associated
snood and line remains restricted against la~eral movement in
; groove 16. Meanwhile the point shank and curved portion of the
hook are progressively laterally outwardly displaced through the
action of spoke 22 as it rotates about the axis of wheel 20 while
engaging the hook.
Towards the exit end of the groove 16 and laterally
spaced therefrom are baiting chambers 30 and 31 (Figure 2 and 3)
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into which bait is fed from bait hoppers 32. Spring-yieldable
gates 34 and 35 respectively releasably close the exits from these
chambers, each gate comprising a series of laterally disposed
spaced fingers 36 hinged at their base. Suitable tension springs
37 each urge a gate closed to offer resistance against the momen-
tum of a hook as it impales a piece of bait in a chamber, but
permits the opening of the gate against its bias to enable hooked
bait to be drawn from that chamber by the continuing drag of the
line.
Spaced plates 12 and 14 provide sufficient clearance
for the curved portion of the hook, as well as its shank and
point, to enter the appropriate chamber.
In operation, as main line 2 is drawn through the
apparatus (for example as a result of the forward movement of
a fishing boat upon which the machine is mounted, when a portion
of the main line is in the water), this main line, snoods 4 and
eyes 7 of hooks 6 are drawn together through the progressively
narrowing entrance 18 and are constrained within groove 16.
The contours of the surfaces of the entrance are such that, when
the hook reaches either of levers 26 or 27, most of its shank
portion and curved portion will be lying between the facing inner
surface of plates 12 and 14, its point turned either to the left
or right. Contact with the lever 26 or 27 pushes the le~er up
against spring loaded pin 28 or 29 so that the hook passes under
the lever. The other lever and spring loaded pin are not activated
by the hook, and this lever prevents movement of the hook away
from the spoked wheel 20 which it is engaging, so that the hook
is now properly aligned to engage one of spokes 22 of this wheel.
As the hook continues to be drawn through the
machine, its shank and curved portion remain in the plane of the
space between the inner surface of plates 12 and 14, and its
eye, being perpendicular thereto, is consequently restricted in
,
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groove 16 against lateral movement. As the hook then becomes
temporarily engaged about a spoke 22 of wheel 20, causing rotation
of the wheel, the point and curved portion of the hook are pro-
gressively drawn away from groove 16 because of the direction of
rotation of the wheel. At the same time, brake means 24 restricts
and controls the wheel's rotation, increasing the tension on the
hook and the corresponding snood. As the wheel continues to
rotate, spoke 22 reaches a position at which hook 6 is free to
slide out of engagement therewith. The point of the hook will
have begun to enter the bait at the instant the hook leaves the
spoke. The offset distance d (seen in Figures 3 and 5) from spoke
22, as the hook slides off this spoke to enter the baiting chamber,
to the slide of groove 16 opposite thereto, as well as the braking
force of adjustable brake means 24 restricting the forward motion ~ :
of each hook, are predetermined to orient and tension each hook
so that it will flip off spoke 22 to securely impale or to bait
in the baiting chamber. Distance d depends upon the length of
the hook shanks and other physical dimensions of the hooks.
The hook, as it enters the baiting chamber is
positioned and has sufficient thrust to impale the bait securely
or to pierce the skin of natural bait twice. Gate 34 or 35,
with spaced fingers 36 provides resistance to hold the bait with-
in the corresponding baiting chamber during baiting so that the
barb of the hook which has already pierced the bait on one side
will pierce it on the other as well, before the baited hook
leaves the chamber. The spaced fingers also ensure that the point
of the hook does not come into contact with anything which might
dull its point, and, if necessary, allows the point of the
hook to exit through the fingers 36 of the spring loaded gates
as the bait is being impaled
It is an important feature of the present inven-
tion that the baited hook leaves the apparatus in proximity with
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the snood and main line, thus reducing the chance of loss of bait
by a whiplash action, as found in some prior art devices in which
the hook and snood have to be separated from the main line before
passing through the baiter. In addition, it is important accord-
ing to the present invention that the hook orientation is care-
fully controlled from the moment the hook enters the apparatus
to the moment its point enters the bait, thereby ensuring effective
baiting.
Thus it is apparent that here has been provided in
accordance with the invention an automatic baiting machine that
fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with the
embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modi-
fications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in
the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it
is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications
and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of
the appended claims. -- -
