Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~129~
- 1 -
- ~his invention is concerned with fishing rods. ~he
conventional design of a fishing rod comprises a shaft havin~
a series of line feed eyes whipped on at positions down the
length of the shaft, the final eye being situated at the very
tip of the rod. Certain problems are met with rods of this
type. Thus the sections of the rod have to be acç~tely
located so that the eyes are precisely aligned and then the
line has to be fed through each e~e independentlya In use
it is ver~ easy for the line to become tangled around tha
line feed eyes and the guided line and even experienced
fishermen sometimes suffer from this difficulty.
~urthermore, in cold weather the eyes can become iced up and
all these factors of course cause delays and disruptions.
It is an object of this invention to pro~ide a
fishing rod which is relatively easy to use and in particular
which provides good casting and Line retrie~al characteristics.
Accordingl~ this invention provides a fishing rod
- with a hollow shaft and having a line entr~ opening to the
interior of the shaft at the handle end of the rod and a line
exit opening from the interior of the rod at the tip end of
the shaft, and wherein a series of line guides are positioned
within the sha~t so that an internal passageway through each
line guide is aligned with the rod axis~ and the eyes being
positioned along a major proportion of the length of the rod
at such spacings that, when the rod is subjected to a test
load, being the maximum expected working load when the rod
~Z9649
-- 2 --
is used for fishing, so as to take up a curved form~ the
straight line drawn between the points of minimum internal
radius of -the passageways defined b~ the wall sections of an
adaacent pair of line guides will not contact the curved
inner wall of the hollow shaft.
With such an arrangment external eyes are
eliminated so that it is no longer possible for the line
to become tangled around projections on the rod. ~urthermore
since the line is now fed through the centre of the rod shaft
various advantages are immediatel~ obtained; thus alignment
of eyes is no longer a problem when connecting together the
sections of the rod and, because the line is fed along the
maximum line of force (i.e. the rod centre) during a casting
operation~ improved casting distances and better line
retrieval characteristics can be achieved than with
conventional rods using external eyes. The line passage
is insulated by the rod shaft 50 that icing is unlikely
except in ~trem~ conditions when fishing would probably be
impossible anyway~ In tial ~eeding of the line through the
rod is easily achieved by attaching a needle-like line-
threader to the end of the line, inserting the line~threader
înto the line entr~ opening and making one or two casting
movements which will force the line-threader down to the end
of the shaft. Another important advantage is that a rod
co~structed in this manner is relatively easy to manufacture
and provides an elegant and streamlined appearancer
':
.
1~2969L9
-- 3 --
It will be appreciated that the external
diameters of the eyes become smaller throughout the rod
length (to correspond to narrowing of the internal diameter
of the rod) at the predetermined points, thus to ensure
correct longitudinal fixing of the eyes. If the eyes are
to be removable, then ideally the eye length is approximately
1~ times the external diameter, so that the eye will not turn
over if it becomes loose within the rod.
The invention may be performed in various ways and
a preferred embodiment thereof, with possible modifications,
will now be described, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 illustrates the handle portion of a
fishing rod constructed in accordance with this invention;
Figures 2 to 4 illustrate the line entry opening
member ~or the rod in perspective, cross-sectional and
underneath plan views respectively;
Fi~gure 5 illustrates sections through parts of.the : -
rod;
~igure 6 is a cross-section through a short portion
of the rod when under load;
Figure 7 is an enlarged side view of one type of
eye illustrated.in Figure 5;
- Figure 8 is a cross-section through an alternative
form of eye to that illustrated in Figure 6;
Figures 9 and 10 are side and end views respectively
.
~LZ~6~9
of a further form of eye;
~ igure 11 is a side view of the other type of eye
illustrated in ~igure 5;
~ igure 12 is a partial cross-section through the
terminal portion of the end section of the rod, showing an
end cap;
~ igure 13 is an enlarged, exploded view of an end
cap of the rod and an adaptor;
Figure 14 shows a quiver tip device attached to
the rod;
Figure 15 shows a swing tip device which may be
attached to the rod; and
Figure 16 shows a line-threader used for feeding a
line through the rod.
~he rod. shown partly in Figures 1, 5 and 12 o~ the
accompanying drawings comprises a handle section 1, a middle
section 2 and an end section 3, t;he sections being provided
with mutual ~ cooperating sleeves enabling the three sections
to be connected together. ~he handle section 1 has a cork
handle 4 which provides a mounting at 5 for a fishing reel 6.
~he handle at the mounting position 5 ma~ be sloped so that
the reel axis will lie on a line which is directed down to
the axial centre of the rod shaft where a stainless steel eye
7 (~igures 2 and 3) is provided within a line entry opening
member 8 which recei~es a line 9 ~rom the reel 6. ~he
opening 10 in the member 8 is of curved cross-section and
''
f~9~ 9
thus provides a bearing surface for the line 9 as it spirals
off the reel 6, to define a conical shape. ~he member 8 i8
formed as a moulded cartridge of thermoplastic material (as
shown in Figure 2), which is slotted into a corresponding
recess in the rod.
~ he cartridge 8 (as illustrated in ~igures 2 to 4
has a nose 11 which locates under the forward edge of the
recess in the rod, as shown in Figure 3, and a locking member
12, fixed by a screw 13, locates under the rearward edge of
the recess. ~he sides of the recess are chamfered to form
a seat for correspondingly shaped edges o~ the cartridge 8~
so as to hold the cartridge securely in place, when the screw
13 is tightened~ so that it lies flush with the rod surface
(see Figure;3). ~o remove the cartridge for replacement,
the screw is loosened so that the cartridge may be moved
rearwardly (with the member 12 s:Liding inside the rod and the
lip 14 sliding outside) until the nose 11 is released. ~hen
the cartridge is slid in the opposite direction to release the
member 12.
A sleeve 15 (~igure 3) of reinforcing material,
ideally that of the rod blank sections, is secured within the
rod where the opening to receive the member 8 is formed to
compensate for the weakening of the rod at that position due
to the formation of the opening.
From the eye 7 the line 9 is led through the
sections 1, 2 and 3 ~y a series of eyes 16, 17 (Figure 5) of
~L~Z9649
-- 6 --
progressively smaller diameter owing to the taper of the rod
shaft. ~he eyes may be formed from any convenient material
having a low coefficient of friction, such as nylon, thermo-
plastics material (e.g. acetal resin) and stainless steel.
The eye 16 (~igure 7) is outwardly tapered to a waist 18,
followed by a collar 19, for weight reduction, and to allow
the eye to flex to conform to bending of the rod.
~ ach of the eyes illustrated in Figures 5 to 10 has
an internal passageway 20 of frusto-conical shape and the
smallest diameter is towards the tip end as indicated by the
direction arrow 21 in ~igure 5. Ideally the ends of the
passageway are feathered, as illustrated for example at 22 in
~igure 8, to assist in guiding a line threader (Figure 16).
The eye of Figure 8 is similar to that of Figure 7 except that
the collar 19 is omitted and the non-tapered part 23 is longer.
Also a number of drain grooves 24 lead from the outer to inner
sùrface of the eye to allow any accumulating water to drain
back into the handle section 1 to be removed through an outlet
hole (not shown) which may be provided there.
The eye of ~igures 9 and 10 is of a shape which
again is preferred for use near to the butt end of the rod~
This has ribs 25 leadin~ in the direction towards the outer
opening 26 50 that in effect a large amount of material
between the ribs 25 is eliminated, so reducing the weight of
the e~e and thus of the rod.
~he eyes 17 (Figure 11) positioned towards the tip
- .
lJ~Z96~9
-- 7 --
end of the rod cannot reaaily be reduced in thickness at any
point, but since they are small anywa~ their weight is not
too significant.
Generally it is not strictly necessary to shape
the eyes, on the outside diameter9 to suit the internal
taper of the shaft sections 1, 2 and ~, and in fact drainage
grooves (such as 24 in ~igure 8) tend to be superfluous as a
casting action of the rod will tend to throw any water inside
the rod out through the tip.
~he eyes 16, 17 provide minimal resistance to the
passage oE the line therethrough and will be located at pre-
determined positions along the length of the shaft to ensure
that the line, during casting (i.e. whilst it is under some
tension), will not touch the int;ernal surface of the shaft
which has a relatively high coefficient of frictionO ~he
spiralling effect created on the line as it leaves the reel,
will tend to be transmitted along the line only to the first
eye immediatel~ beyond the line entry member 8. The end
section 3 is quite flexible and will bend significantly
both during casting and when a fish is pulling on the line
and for this reason the eyes situated in this flexible
portion should be spaced much more closely together so that
they will tend to maintain the line, under tension, out of
contact with the inner wall of the shaft which will become
curved when the shaft is bent. However it should be
realised that allowing the line to touch at one or two
-- 7 --
,
:
~Z96~9
-- 8 --
points along the length of the rod inner surface, particularly
in the terminal portion of the rod leading to the tip 9 will
not seriously impair the operation of the rod.
~he desired positioning of the eyes lS indicated in
Figure 6, where the rod has been bent to the maximu~ extent
expected under working conditions. ~he points of minimum
internal radius of the passageways of two eyes ~7, that is
the lead out passageway portions 17A determine the maximum
distance which may be allowed between the two e~es at this
region of the rod shaft to ensure that the line 9 does not
touch the interior of the shaft (as shown). As an example,
in a 4 metre course fishin~ rod having a hollow shaft length
of 355cm tapering from about 2.4cm to about 0.25cm, 33 eyes
will be used. The first eye i~nediately beyond the entry
member 8, and the next seven eyes will be of the t~pe
illustrated in ~igure 7 and will have an internal diameter of
about 0.32cm, for portion 17A. ~he next eight eyes will
have an internal diameter for portion 17A of about 0.25cm~
whilst the last fifteen eyes will have an internal diameter
for portion 17A of about 0.20cm. The last twentythree eyes~
and two positioned within joining spigots of the three-
section rod will be of the type shown in ~igure 11.
~ he eyes are readily mounted within the shaft by
threadin~ them in sequence into the larger end of the
respective shaft sections where they will find their own
positions due to the internal taper of the shaft. Dimen-
,
~ : .. , . . ~ - . . .
~ . . , ~ ,
. . ..
~, 1 , ,' '
~lZ9649
_ 9 _
sional tolerances of the external diameter of the eyes is
accurately maintained (to say 0.00125cm) to ensure:consistant
location of the e~es within the rod blank~ Casting action
applied to the rod will tend to fix them into the desired
positions but if required a contact adhesive could be applied
to the outer cylindrical surface of each eye prior to
insertion. It is greatly preferred however that the eyes
should not be positively fixed, so that they can be pushed
out from the opposite end and replaced if they have become
significantly worn. ~he overall length of each eye is 1~
times its external diameter. Then if an eye becomes loose
and falls back to the next largest eye, it will not turn
over and will be returned to the correct position when a
casting action is applied to the rod.
Because of the internal reinforcement sleeve 15 in
the region of the line entry opening member 8 it would not be
possible to recover any eye between the reinforcement and the
tip of the rod section 1. One or more eyes will therefore be
fixed in the formation of the rod section1. Blternatively
a special spacer tube could be fixed in section 1, to receive
an e~e of smaller cross-section which will be able to pass
through the reinforced region 15.
If the terminal length of the end section 3 of the
shaft has an internal diameter which is too small to accommodate
the feed eyes, this sec-tion can be lined with an anti-friction
material such as polytetrafluorethylene (ptfe) and this is
_ 9 _
.; . . ..
..
..
. :
.
, . . . - . .
. . ,-
~L2~69L9
- 10 -
most easily done by winding a ptfe tape onto the shaft-
forming mandrel prior to moulding the section 3.
At the tip of the shaft portion 3 (Figure 12) there
is provided an end cap 26 formed by a fixed sleeve 27 (which .
is a force fit on the tip of portion 3) and a replaceable
line exit portion 28 (provided with a hard centre at 29)
which is screw-threadedly engaged on the sleeve 27. ~he
portion 28 may be removed, to receive an adaptor piece 30
(Figure ~3), and then replaced to hold the adaptor piece 30
firmly in place, as illustrated in ~igure 14. ~his piece
30 carries a pin 31 provided with an internal thread in which
may be mounted special adaptations for the end o.f the rod.
One such adAptation, as illustrated in Figure 147 is a
conventional quiver tip device in the form of a flexible
shaft 32 having a standard threaded connector piece 33 to
screw into the pin 3'l, and carrying conventional eyes 34 to
receive the line 9.
Another adaptation is shown in ~igure 15 and
comprises a swing tip device in the form of a hollow tube 35
which is attached to a mounting piece 36 by flexible sleeves
37. In this instance, the mounting piece 36 is screwed onto
sleeve 27 so as to receive the line 9. A stainless steel
ring 38 at the far end of the tube 35 provides an outlet
opening for the line fed through the tube. A conventional
: 25 swing tip may of course be fitted to the adaptor 30. The
-- '10 --
.:
~12~649 ``l
swing tip device will move in a swinging motion when a fish
bites so as to provide a warning to the angler.
The rod shaft is ideally formed from glass re- -
inforced plastics material and may be stoved to any preferred
colourO Rings, such as of aluminium can be provided at
junctions of the sections both for added strength and to
provide an attractive appearance and the ends of the cork
handle may also be provided with end caps 39.
As an aid to feeding the line through the rod
shaft a line-threader, such as that illustrated in ~igure 16
may be supplied. ~his line-threader is in the form of a
stainless steel needle 40 formed with an eye 41 to receive
the line. The eye 41 is broken and bent at 42 so that the
loop 43 in the line 9 can be inserted and snapped homeO ~he
line-threader is fed through the ring 7 at the end of the member
8, with the line 9 attached, and acasting action applied to
the rod will cause the line-threader to travel to the tip of
the rod t~s carrying the line through.
The construction of the rod may be modified in
various ways within the scope of the invention and in
particular the eyes and lining used can be formed from any of
a variety of materials demonstrating anti-friction properties
other than those specifically defined~ The rod shaft can be
formed from any other conventional material, such as carbon
fibre and other materials may be used for the line-threader~
. .. ..
.
