Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a fishing apparatus and in
particular to an ice fishing apparatus.
In ice fishing, it is common practice to utilize an
apparatus including a rod mounted on some form of stand beside a
hole in the ice, with the fishing line extending through the
hole in the ice. Devices of this type are disclosed, for example
in U.S. Patents Nos. 166,241, issued to H. Winslow on August 3,
1875; 2,664,661, issued to F. Kohn on January 5, 1954; 2,957,264,
issued to R. Ruff on October 25, 1960; 3,147,563, issued to
R.E. Molter on September 8, 1964 and 4,043,070, issued to
A. Lamothe on August 23, 1977.
Some of the devices disclosed by the above-mentioned
patents have elements in common with the apparatus of the
present invention. The Molter U.S. Patent No. 3,147,563 dis-
closes an ice fishing device including a relatively complicated
base, upright and tiltable arm. A conventional fishing rod is
mounted on one end of the arm. The Lamothe U.S. Patent No.
4,043,770 discloses an ice fishing rod mounted on a tripod,
with an ordinary reel. The reel can be locked in place by means
of a jam nut located on top of a handle.
It is readily apparent that a need exists for a simple
ice fishing device or a apparatus, which can be left standing in
a set position beside a hole in the ice and which is triggered
by a fish taking the bait, the device providing a visual indica-
tion that a fish has taken the bait.
The object of the present invention is to provide such
a relatively simple ice fishing apparatus, which includes means
for giving a visual indication that a fish has struck.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to an ice
fishing apparatus comprising a fishing rod; a stand for support-
ing said fishing rod at a fishing location; saidfishing rod including a body; pivot means located substantially
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at the longitudinal centre of said body and engaging the top of
said stand for pivotally supporting said body for rotation
around a horizontal axis between a set position and a release
position in which the body provides a visual signal that a fish
has struck; a reel for carrying fishing line rotatably mounted on
said body rearwardly of said pivot means, the weight of the reel
and rear portion of the body being sufficient to bias the body
to the set position in which the front end of the body is above
the rear end thereof; ratchet means on said reel; lever means
pivotally mounted on said pivot means; catch means connected to
said lever means, spring means connecting said body to said
catch means normally biasing said catch means into engagement
with said ratchet means whereby, in the set position, the catch
means prevents rotation of said reel and the feeding of fishing
line from the reel, said lever means being adapted to engage
said stand during rotation of said body from the set to the
release position in which the rear end of the body is above the
front end thereof, whereby the catch is moved against the bias
of said spring means to disengage the catch means from said
ratchet means, freeing the reel so that fishing line can freely
unwind therefrom; and release means on said body for manually
disengaging said catch means from said ratchet means to permit
the reeling or unreeling of line from said reel when the body is
not in the release position.
The invention will now be described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a
preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the
ice fishing apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 2 is an elevation view of the apparatus of
Figure l;
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Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the
apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 taken generally along line III-III
of Fig. l;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the same portion
of the apparatus as Fig. 3 taken generally along line IV-IV of
Fig. 2; and
Figures 5 and 6 are schematic elevation views of the
apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4, in the set and the triggered or
release positions, respectively.
With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, one embodiment of an
ice fishing apparatus in accordance with the present invention
includes a fishing rod generally indicated at 1 pivotally
mounted on the top end of a stand 2. The stand 2 includes a
flat base 3 for retaining the apparatus in the upright position
beside a hole 4 in the ice 5, and an upright 6. The upright 6
(Figs. 3 and 4) is provided with a bifurcated upper end defined
by a generally U-shaped groove 7 between a pair of arms 8 and 9.
A pin 10 projecting outwardly from each side of the fishing rod 1
is pivotally mounted in V-shaped notches 11 in the top ends of
the arms 8 and 9.
The pin 10 extends through body 12 of the fishing rod 1
approximately at the centre thereof, so that the pin 10 and
fishing rod 1 can rotate around the top end of the upright 6
between the set position (Fig. 5) and the triggered position
(Fig. 6). The centre of the body 12 of the fishing rod includes
a rectangular aperture 13 extending vertically therethrough.
The pin 10 extends through the centre of the aperture 13. A
trigger in the form of a lever 14 is wrapped around the centre
of the pin 10 in the aperture 13. Bottom arm 15 of the lever 14
extends downwardly and forwardly, so that it engages the front
of the upright 6 when the body 12 of the fishing rod 1 is tilted
forwardly (Fig. 6). The lower end of the bottom arm 15 of the
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lever engages the upright 6 at the bottom of the groove 7 in
such tilted position. Top arm 16 of the lever 14 extends
uprightly and slightly forwardly out of the top of the aperture
13 and is connected to leading end 17 of an L-shaped catch 18,
i.e. the top end of the arm 16 is wrapped around the bent leading
end 17 of the catch 18.
The lever 14 and the catch 18 are biased to the set
position (Figs. 1 to 5) by a helical spring 19, which is
connected to the body 12 of the fishing rod in front of the
aperture 13 by a screw 20, and to the top arm 16 of the lever 14
and the leading end 17 of the catch 18. The catch 18 extends
rearwardly through a guide 21, and then downwardly through a
longitudinally extending aperture 22 in the body 12 to a ratchet
wheel 23, which forms the one side of the casing of a reel 24
holding fishing line 25. Except for the ratchet wheel 23, the
reel 24 is a conventional fishing reel, including a handle 26
for winding the line onto the reel. The reel 24 rotatably
mounted on the body 12 of the fishing rod in front of the aperture
22 by means of a bolt 27 and a nut 28. The free end of the
fishing line 25 extends forwardly through guide loops 29 to
front end 30 of the fishing rod, and is provided with a hook 31
at its outer end.
In the set position, the vertical rear end 32 of the
catch 18 is biased into engagement with one of the teeth 33 of
the ratchet wheel 23 by the spring 19. The catch 18 can be
moved manually out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 23 by
means of a release slide 34 mounted on the top and one side of
the body 12 of the fishing rod. The release side is L-shaped
in cross-section, with a side plate 35 extending downwardly
along one side of the body 12 of the fishing rod, and a top
plate 36 extending along the top of the body 12 above the
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aperture 22. A notch 37 in the free side edge of the top plate
36 receives the top of the vertical rear end of the catch 18.
A handle in the form of an outwardly extending lug 38 is provided
on the rear edge of the side plate 35 for engagement by the thumb
of a user to move the slide 34 and consequently the catch 18
rearwardly out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 23.
The rear end of the body 12 of the fishing rod 1 is
thicker than the front end, providing a handle 39 for manual
manipulation of the rod.
In operation, the hook 31 is baited, and the apparatus
is placed in position beside a hole 4 in the ice 5 so that the
hook 31 and line 25 can be lowered into the watér. The rod 1
is held manually by the handle 39, and the slide 34 is moved
rearwardly by pulling the lug 38 with the thumb of the user to
disengage the rear end 32 of the catch 18 from the ratchet wheel
23. Thus, the reel 24 is released, and fishing line 25 can be
fed out to the desired depth. When the desired length of line 25
has been fed out, the slide 34 is released so that the vertical
rear end 32 of the catch 18 engages one of the teeth of the
ratchet wheel 23. No additional line can be fed out without
releasing the catch 18.
Since the rear end of the rod 1 bearing the reel 24 is
heavier than the front or leading end thereof, the rod 1 in the
set position is inclined rearwardly (Fig. 5). The apparatus can
be left unattended in the set position. As soon as a fish
strikes, the rod 1 pivots around the pin 10 to the release
position (Fig. 6). As the rod 1 approaches the release position,
the bottom arm 15 of the lever 14 presses against the bottom of
the groove 7 in the upright 6. Continued downward movement of
the front end of the rod 1 to the release position, in effect,
causes the top arm 16 of the lever 14 to move rearwardly against
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the tension of the spring 19. Actually, the lever 14 remains
stationary while the front end of the rod tilts forwardly. In
any event, the vertical rear end 32 of the catch 18 is caused to
disengage the ratchet wheel 23 permitting the fish to take more
line until the fisherman takes the rod to play the fish or the
fish tires. In the release position, the handle 39 of the rod
is elevated, providing a visual signal that a fish has struck.
While playing or reeling in a fish, the fisherman removes the
fishing rod 1 from the stand 2 and uses his thumb to hold the
slide 34 in the retracted position, so that the reel 24 can be
rotated to reel or unreel fishing line 25.
It will be appreciated that various modifications can be
made to the invention. For example, the lever 14 and the catch
18 could be formed as a single unit, using a single length of
metal rod.
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