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Patent 2020363 Summary

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2020363
(54) English Title: DOWNRIGGER WITH LEVERAGED LINE CLAMP AND FISH ATTRACTING MEANS
(54) French Title: LEST AUTOMATIQUE AVEC PINCE A LINGE A LEVIER ET APPAT
Status: Dead
Bibliographic Data
(52) Canadian Patent Classification (CPC):
  • 43/20
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • A01K 91/08 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • VITALE, ROGER H. (United States of America)
  • HOWARD, RONALD F. (United States of America)
  • VITALE, ROGER H. (United States of America)
  • HOWARD, RONALD F. (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • VITALE, ROGER H. (Not Available)
  • HOWARD, RONALD F. (Not Available)
  • VITALE, ROGER H. (United States of America)
  • HOWARD, RONALD F. (Not Available)
(71) Applicants :
(74) Agent: FETHERSTONHAUGH & CO.
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued:
(22) Filed Date: 1990-07-04
(41) Open to Public Inspection: 1992-01-05
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): No

(30) Application Priority Data: None

Abstracts

English Abstract



DOWNRIGGER WITH LEVERAGED LINE
CLAMP AND FISH ATTRACTING MEANS
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A weighted downrigger for troll fishing provides a
vertical stabilizing fin having a medial rotatable member to
aid in attracting fish and a jaw-type line clamp to releasably
fasten a fishing line inwardly adjacent a lure. The
stabilizing fin and rotating element both provide light
reflecting surfaces, which may additionally be colored, to
optically attract fish. The rotating element provides
additional acoustical-like attraction for fish. The line clamp
provides adjustable tensioning structure and an elongate lever
arm carried by one jaw to magnify the force of a fishing line
trailing from the lever arm to cause clamp release responsive
to less force on the trailing end of a fishing line than on the
inboard end of such line.


Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A troll fishing downrigger, having fish attracting
means and a leveraged line clamp that releasably attaches a
fishing line, comprising in combination:
an elongate body having a streamlined shape
for low drag motion in water, and means for attachment
of a downrigger line in its upper portion;
a vertical stabilizing fin carried by the body
and defining a medial propeller void and propeller
connecting means;
a propeller having means for rotatably
interconnecting with the propeller connecting means of the
stabilizing fin to mount the propeller for rotary motion
in the propeller void; and
a line clamp, carried by the upper portion of the
stabilizing fin, having
forward and rearward spaced clamp arms
extending a spaced distance upwardly from the
stabilizing fin to form clamping surfaces
therebetween in their upper portions,
means to adjustably bias the clamp arms toward
each other, and
an elongate line arm extending a spaced
distance upwardly from the rearward clamp arm with
means for releasably fastening a fishing line in
the upper end portion of the line arm.
2. The apparatus of Claim 1 further characterized by the
surface of the stabilizing fin having means to reflect light

19

impinging thereon.
3. The apparatus of Claim 1 further characterized by the
surfaces of the propeller having means to reflect light
impinging thereon.
4. The apparatus of Claim 1 further characterized by the
surface of the stabilizing fin and propeller being selectively
colored.

5. The apparatus of Claim 1 further characterized by the
line arm being releasably carried by the rearward clamp arm to
allow interchangeability of line arms.
6. The apparatus of Claim 1 further characterized by a
fishing line having a fishing lure in its end portion
carried between the adjacent clamping surfaces of the line
clamp spacedly inward of the lure, with the lure end of the
fishing line passing from the clamping surfaces and being
releasably carried in the line fastening means of the line arm.
7. In a downrigger for troll fishing, having a weighted
body with means for attachment of a downrigger line in its
upper portion, the improvement comprising:
a vertically oriented stabilizer fin releasably
carried by the downrigger body to extend therefrom to
stabilize motion of the downrigger body through water,
said stabilizing fin defining a medial propeller void
and having means for rotatably mounting a propeller in the
propeller void, and
a propeller carried in the propeller void
defined by the stabilizing fin for rotary motion



responsive to motion of the downrigger through water.
8. The apparatus of Claim 7 further characterized by:
the propeller comprising two propeller blades
each having paired opposed outer vein elements
interconnected by medial web structure to a
central shaft having bearing cups at each end, and
the fin defining spaced opposed journaling
shafts to engage the said bearing cups to mount
the propeller for rotary motion.

9. The apparatus of Claim 7 further characterized by
surfaces of the stabilizing fin and propeller having means to
reflect light impinging thereon.
10. The apparatus of Claim 7 further characterized by the
upper portion of the stabilizing fin carrying a jaw type clamp
having
two spaced clamp arms structurally joined in their
lower portions to the stabilizing fin in forward and
rearward relationship and extending upwardly therefrom,
said clamp arms forming adjacent clamping surfaces in
their outer portions, and
a line arm extending a spaced distance upwardly
from the rearward clamp arm, said line arm having means
in its outer portion to releasably attach a fishing
line.
11. The apparatus of Claim 10 further characterized by
the clamp arms having means for adjustably regulating the
clamping force between the clamping surfaces of said clamp
arms.
21


12. The apparatus of Claim 10 further characterized by the
line arm being releasably carried by the rearward clamp arm to
allow selective interchangeability of line arms of different
lengths.


13. In a downrigger for troll fishing, having a weighted
body with a forward and a rearward portion and supported
beneath a boat by a down rigger line supported on the
associated boat, the improvement comprising, in combination, a
releasable fishing line clamp carried by the downrigger and
having
two spaced cooperating clamp arms extending
outwardly a spaced distance from support on
the downrigger, in a forward and rearward
relationship, to form adjacent clamping surfaces in
their outer end portions to releasably clamp a portion
of a fishing line therebetween, and
a line arm extending a spaced distance outwardly
from the rearward clamp arm, said line arm having
means in its outer portion to releasably attach a
fishing line to magnify forces on the fishing line
carried by the said releasable attachment means
required to release a fishing line portion clamped between
the clamping surfaces of the clamp arms.
14. The apparatus of Claim 13 further characterized by
the clamp arms having leans for adjustably regulating the
clamping force between the clamping surfaces of said clamp
arms.
15. The apparatus of Claim 13 further characterized by

22


the line arm being releasably carried by the rearward clamp arm
to allow selective interchangeability of line arms of different
lengths.

23

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


20203~3
:` ,.~,


Our invention relates generally to weighted downriggers
for troll fishing and more particularly to such a downrigger
that has a vertical stabilizing fin with means to attract fish
and a leveraged line holding clamp. -
In troll fishing it commonly is necessary to maintain
a fishing lure at substantial depths beneath the surface of a --~
body of water to effectively catch fish. Commonly with most
smaller game fish, it is not feasible to maintain sufficient
weight on a fishing line itself to establish a lure at
appropriate depths because of the substantial drag of both the
fishing line and weighting elements in moving through water,
especially when considered in comparison to the size of ;~
a fish to be caught and the forces that might be created on a
fishing line by a caught fish. Responsive to this problem so~
15 called "downriggers" have come into use to maintain fishing r::;~',~'"'l'~,";"` ''', ',,'
lines at appropriate fishing depths without disrupting other ,:.'r~
fishing processes. ` `i ~`
These downriggers are suspended by a downrigger line,
separate from a fishing llne and carried by a support structure
on~a boat. This independent downrigger suspension eliminates
the problem of downrigger drag on a fishing line, as that drag "
is carried by the downrigger line. Wlth downriggers an
associated fishing iine is fastened to the dowinrigger by~some
type of releasable clamp that holds the fishing line at a point
sp;acedly inwardly adjacent a lure. Such line clamps are
relea;sable upon appropriate force being exerted upon either end
;;of a fishing line passing away from the clamp. Our invention
provides an improved downrigger of this type.
Tr~aditional downriggers heretofore known generally have




~ 3

2020363 ~

not been concerned with features other than providing

sufficient weight to serve their purpose. Such downriggers are
, ~ ,- ,.
not of particularly streamlined shape and often do not provide
suspension lines that minimize water resistance, which cause
substantial drag forces when the downrigger moves through
water. Additionally such downriggers have not been stable in ;
maintaining a uniform course in moving through water, but ;~
rather have been erratic and often have moved in an irregular
course, particularly by undulating in a horizontal direction. i~

Such prior downriggers generally have had sufficient drag
in moving through water that they often are not maintained ;~
beneath a supporting boat during trolling activities, but
rather trail substantially rearwardly of a boat. This is not `;
desirable as many fishermen that use downriggers also use
display type depth-finding devices, and it is preferred that a
downrigger be observable by such devices. Excessive drag may
move a downrigger out of the cone of observation of depth ~ ",~
finders.
Our invention seeks to solve these problems by providing a
20 downrigger that has a high density body with a streamlined ;~
shape including an oblately hemispherical nose to aid passage ;`~
through water at the relevant speeds to reduce drag.
Additionally, we provide a rélatively low dens'ity verticai fin
of~substantial area extending from the body to aid
stabilization. We use a suspension line of small cross-section
for th~e strengths required. These features tend to provide a
downrigger that upon motion through water remains nearly
vertically beneath its point of suspension and maintains a
.... ..

relatively stable and uniform course of passage through water.

Known downriggers generally have not provided any means to
: ~



2020363 ~-

attract fish to increase the probability of fish finding a lure
associated with the downrigger. Our downrigger provides both `~
optical and audio-like fish attracting means. The stabilizing
fin has surfaces formed of highly light reflective materials,
such as are often used on fishing lures, so that the fin is
highly visible to fish. The substantial area of the
stabilizing fin and its motion through water both aid to
enhance this feature. Additionally, we provide a rotating
propeller in the medial portion of the stabilizing fin. This
propeller also has surfaces that are formed of highly light
reflective materials and it may be colored to provide further `~
potential optical attractiveness for the device. These -~
features are further enhanced by the rotary motion of the
propeller which tends to cyclically move the reflective
surfac~es at different angles to a light source to produce a
complex reflective pattern of continuously changing nature.
The propeller additionally provides an "acoustical"
attractant for fish by generating fish sensible pressure waves
n the water through which it passes by causing cavitation,
20 otlon or otherwise. Fish are more attracted to the vicinity ""~'i';"""`:''i'-'. '," ' ~'~'.:;
of~our downri~gger than they are to the vicinity of downriggers
not having these features, apparently by reason of the
curiositg of fish an'd their instinctual behavi;or associating ~
brlghe,~shiny surfaces and pressure disturbances with potential
~`~25~ sources of food.
; Our invention provides a line holding clamp that has lever ~ ?~
means to multiply the force on the lure end of a line to cause
release of the clamp, while the clamp yet requires a
substantially larger force on the supported or inboard end of
30 ~ the line to cause release. Line clamping devices of known

202~3~
.

downriggers traditionally have provided two clamping surfaces
biased in surface adjacency, but movable against their bias to
release a line carried therebetween. With such clamping
devices the same force on either end of a fishing line being
held by such clamp will release the line. If a relatively
small fish is caught by a lure carried by a fishing line
held in such a clamp, the force that fish might exert upon the ;~
line often is not sufficient to cause the clamp to release. ; -~
Many such prior clamps have allowed adjustment of the required
clamp release force, but the drag of a line extending between
fishing line support and a clamp was so large that that drag
necessarily determined the lowest amount of force that would be
required to release the clamp. Such line drag force often is
substantially greater than the force caused by a small fish
hooked on a lure, so if a small fish is caught it may not
release the clamp, but rather would be dragged behind the
downrigger with no knowledge of a fisherman that it had been ~~
caught.
Our invention provides a lever arm, extending from one jaw
20~ of an adjustable clamp, that carries a fishing line extending ~ ~` `
to a lure. The length of this lever arm allows the force ;~
exerted on a lure to be magnified in its action on the clamp
jaw CarryiNg it, so that a fishing line will be releasediby
small forces caused by a small fish that are less than the line
~;25 drag force. The lever arm of our clamp may be adjustable or
releasably positionable to allow the use of plural lever arms
of different lengths with the same clamp jaw to provide
different mechanical advantages. `~
~ Our invention resides not in any one of these features
30 per se, but rather in the synergistic combination of all of

~ ~ . . .: .: :: ,
~: ~ . .~; :.

202~363

them to provide the structures and the functions necessarily
flowing therefrom, as herein specified and claimed. In
providing such a device, it is~
An object of our invention to create an improved
downrigger for troll fishing that has a dense body of
streamline shape for regular motion through water with
minimal drag so that the downrigger is carried substantially `~
below a boat supporting it. -
A further object of our invention is to provide for such a
downrigger a relatively thin, vertically oriented stabilizing
fin of substantial area to aid regularity and stability
of motion of the downrigger through water. ;~
A further object of our invention is to provide such a
stabilizing fin that has a medial void wherein a propeller
is carried to rotate responsive motion of the downrigger
through water to aid in attracting fish.
A further object of our invention is to provide such a ~ - "
~; stabilizing fin with light reflective surfaces on both the fin
and propeller to provide optical attraction for fish.
A still further object of our invention is to provide a ~ `
a llne clamp in a position from which a released fishing line
will not be entangled with the downrigger structure. 'I''')~'','~''':r'','~,~`,''','',- ''' '~
A still further object of our invention is to provide such `~
a line clamp that has opposed adjustably biased jaws to clamp a
fishing line therebetween, with the rearward jaw having a lever
arm to releas?bly support the lure end of a fishing line and
magnify the force on that end of the fishing line required to ~ ;~-
cause release of the line from the clamp.
A~still further object of our invention is to provide such
3~0~ a downrigger and accessories that are of new and novel design,

2020363 ~ ~ -

~ .... . ~ ,, .
of rugged and durable nature, of simple and economic `~
manufacture and otherwise well adapted to the uses and purposes
for which they are intended. Other and further objects of our
invention will appear from the following specification and
accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying
out the objects of our invention, however, it is to be
remembered that its accidental features are susceptible of ~r`~
change in design and structural arrangement with only a
practical and preferred embodiment being set forth, as is
required.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof
and wherein like numbers of reference refer to similar parts
throughout~

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing a i~
~ ` ~- :
10ating boat carrying a downrigger of our invention suspended `~
therebeneath with a fishing line releasably attached to the ,~
downrigger.
Figure 2 is an orthographic side view of our downrigger
showing its parts, their configuration and relationship.
Figure 3 is a partial isometric view showing the line
engaging portion of the lever arm of the line clamp structure.
Figure 4 is a~!medijal!vlertical cross-sectional view through
the downrigger of Figure 2, taken on the line 2-2 thereon in
the direction indicated by the arrows.
Figure 5 is an orthographlc top view of the downrigger
illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 6 is an orthographic side view of the stabilizer ` -~
fin of our downrigger isolated from its associated structures.
Figure 7 is a somewhat enlarged partial cross-sectional

,
- ~ . .:
8 ;~

2 0 2 0 3 6 3

view showing the releasable fastening structure of the
propeller parts. -`~
Figure 8 is a partial isometric view of the line clamp
showing various parts and their relationship. ;~
Figure 9 is a partial orthographic side view of the line
clamp in place on the stabilizing fin.
Our invention generally provides a downrigger having body
, ,~ ~ -. ... .
10 supporting stabilizing fin ll which in turn carries medial
propeller 12 and rearward line clamp 13. .
Body 10 provides medial cylindrical portion 14 joining ;~
forward nose portion 15 and rearwardly tapering tail portion '~
16. Nose portion 15 is substantially of the hemispherical ;"~
shape illustrated to allow streamline flow over the nose as it ,~
is moved at relatively slow trolling speeds through water.
Rearward body portion 16 tapers to hemispherical end 17
approxlmately half of the diameter of the nose portion. ~ ~ Ai'l~
This body~ shape should be chosen according to known technology
to minimize turbulence as the body moves through water. The
body is~formed substantially as a surface of revolution with a ~ ,
flat~bottom portion 18 to maintain the body in an upright
- position with some positional stability when it is supported on ~i~ ;
a flat surface. The length of the body is approximately three
and one-half times its diameter, and the rearward tapering
portlon~constitutes not more than approximately the rearward
~25~ thlrd of the structure, to provide stability with streamlined
pa~ssage through water. ~ ~
The upper rearward portion of body lO provides surface l9 ,~`,~ '"'`7
to~ln~terfit with fastening rim 27 of the adjacent stabilizing ~ . . `
fin. The portion of the downrigger body adjacent the fin ~ -~


~30 structure provides appropriate fastener holes (not shown) to ~ ``-



~ 9

2020363

accept mechanical fasteners extending between the fin structure
and the body to releasably position and mechanically '`~
interconnect these elements relative to each other.
The upper medial portion of body lO defines internally ,`~
threaded hole 21 to carry line fastening eye 22 of traditional
closed loop configuration. In the instance illustrated, line
fastening eye 22 extends through the forward portion of the
fastening rim of the stabilizing fin to serve the dual purpose ;~
of providing a fastening device for a s`uspension line and also
10 of releasably fastening the forward portion of the stabilizing ~ ~ ~i
fin to the body. For most effective operation the fastening
eye should be substantially vertically above the center of ,^
- gravity of the assembled downrigger structure, as otherwise a
downrigger may not be stable in its motion through water and
15 may tend to yaw. `~
Stabilizing fin 11 provides relatively thin, planar body
-~ 23 of the illustrated somewhat rectilinear shape with rounded
co~rner6 24. Forward portion 26 of the fin is configured to ~ f'
fit~conformably on the upper rearward portion of body 10. The `;``;`
20 lower part of forward fin portion 26 defines fastening rim 27
extending somewhat horizontally a spaced distance on each side
of the fin body to conformably fit against the adjacent portion
of the downrigger body to aid fastening of the two elements and ,'
also~to~provide additional strength for forward portion 26 of
25 the fin. Plural headed bolts 28 extend through holes defined -r~
in rlm 27 and into threaded engagement with cooperating holes
defined in body 10 to releasably interconnect the fin
structure with the body. It should be noted that the fin and
~ bottom rim 27 might be so configured as to fit upon downrigger
;~ 30 bodies of different shape than that illustrated, and


~ 1 0 ' ''` ' ' ' ' ~ ' '

2Q2Q363 ``- ; ~

particularly might be configured to fit upon existing

downrigger body structures such as the ordinary spherical ball.
: i .
This allows use of our fin as an additive structure on existing `~
downriggers with only slight and obvious modification.
The upper rearward portion of fin body 23 defines clamp ;-
notch 29, with lower edge 30 substantia11y parallel to the axis
of downrigger body 10 and forward edge 31 angulated with an
upward and rearward slope, as illustrated especially in Figure

6. The size of the clamp notch is not critical, but should not

10 be so large as to compromise the physical integrity of the fin .
structure and preferably is somewhat of the proportion
illustrated in the drawings.
i,: . .. .. . .
The medial portion of fin body 23 defines propeller

orifice 32 of a shape and size to allow rotation of a propeller

15 carried therein. The forward and rearward edges of the '''';!~'''~`'"''~ "" ' ~ ''"'

propeller orifice have inwardly projecting pillar portions 33
each defining in their inwardmost projections cylindrical ~ r:
journaling shafts 34 at a spaced distance from each other. The ~ '~
axes of shafts 34 are coincident and substantially parallel to
~20 the~axis of downrigger body 10 to provide a journaling means `~
for a propeller to be carried thereby.
The stabilizing fin is formed of reasonably rigid,
durable material, preferably one of the more rigid and dense
~; ~ polymeric or resinous plastics, metal or wood. The exterior

~25 aurface of fin body 23 is provided with light reflective ~ ` ;~
material that preferably is also light refractive, so that
ght impinging upon the surface will be reflected and
scattered to provide an optical attractant for fish within a
visual range of the structure. The fin surfaces also `~
30~ optionally may be colored to provide additional optical
,,; . ~:-

.~;. ~ .-. :

2 0 2 0 3 6 ~
..
attraction for fish. The material of preference for such
purpose is reflective sheet plastic material 35 which contains
metal flakes or powders to provide a plurality of variously

orientated and efficiently reflective surfaces. Such ,
~ s~
reflective material may be formed as an integral part of the
fin structure or may comprise a coating or relatively thin
covering of material adhered or otherwise mechanically attached ,~
to the supporting surfaces, all according to manufacturing ` ;~
methods heretofore known in the fishing lure arts. Various
1 0
known paint-like coating materials may also provide surfaces of
similar nature that are optically attractive to fish.
Propeller 12 provides a rotatably mounted member, carried
within propeller void 32 defined by the fin, to rotate .~
responsive to motion of the propeller through water. In the ; ~ -
instance illustrated, the propeller comprises two
perpendicularly oriented blades having radially outer planar
vein~s 36~whlch communicate by medial webs 37 to central shaft
38. As shown in Figure 5, central shaft 38 is angled, '~
symmet~rically at forty-five degrees in the illustrated
2~ 0
instance, to each propelIer blade 36, 37. The central shaft at ~ ~ ni.Y,;
eac~h~o~f~its~;ends defines cup bearings 39 configured and arrayed ~ ,~
to fit upon journaling shafts 34 defined by the stabilizing
f1n. l, ~ "
The~entire propeller member must have a peripheral ~ - -
configuration to allow it to rotate within propeller void 32
when;carried within that void on shafts 34. Preferably, the
p~rope1~1er~1s formed as two similar halves that are releasably
interconnected to allow easy placement and replacement or

chan~ge~. This can be accomplished, if the propeller structure
be~formed of somewhat resilient material, especially such as




12 `~

2020363 ,`~
" , . . ~ ,

plastic, by the traditional method shown in Figure 7.
Protuberances 40 having a bulbous shape fit with slightly more ` ~
than half of their volume in indentations 41 defined in ~ ~ ;
the opposing member, so that the protruding members may be
inserted, with sufficient force to cause resilient deformation,
into the indentations which then will capture them and tend to
positionally maintain them in fastened condition, until an
opposite force unfastens the elements.
Preferably at least veins 36 of the propeller have '~
surfaces of some light reflecting material similar to that of
the fin body which is optically attractive to fish. This
material optionally may be colored and if so, may be the same
or a different color than the stabilizing fin.
The propeller described is not essential and other
15 rotatable propeller structures may serve the purposes of our ~ ~ ~-
invention. Preferably the propeller will not have a completely ~ ~ ~ ,
efficient or completely streamlined rotation, so that rotation
causes sore "noise" or disturbance in water it moves through as
lt rotates. This dlsturbance apparently creates pressure
20~ vari~ations or similar phenomenon that are perceptable by ~ ~ i
b~y~flsh~a~t a dlstance and serve as a type of fish
attractant.
i~ P.refer'ably body 10 of our downrigger is formed of some
r;sasonably dense material~that can provide necessary weight
`25~ without too great a volume. The material of preference is
iron~, though lead and other slmilarly dense materials may be
used. Lead is not preferred because of its potential for ;~
pollution and its presently perceived adverse environmental and ;~
:."~ , " ~
health~effects. If iron is used for the body, it is preferably -,',?'`~' ~",'-','''`` ,~ ', `


~;30~ covgred on exposed surfaces with some protect1ve coating, such ;

1 3 `i - .
... .... .. . ..

~ ~. :

2020363 i ~-

as a paint or plastic, to prevent or retard oxidation caused by ~ ~3, . - ~,
water, air or the combination of both. The coating may be
colored, light reflecti~e or both to provide additional fish -
attractants. `~
The stabilizing fin and propeller are formed of some '`~
~. . ~ .: , .
less dense material of appropriate strength and rigidity
preferably, such as a resinous or polymeric plastic. These
preferred fin materials may be readily shaped and manufactured,
are of relative economy, and are readily ornamented to provide
coloration and reflective surfaces.
Clamp 13 is carried in clamp notch 29 defined in the upper
rearward portion of stabilizing fin 11. As seen especially in
Figure 8, the clamp comprises forward jaw body 42 and spacedly .
adjacent rearward jaw body 43 interconnected by adjustment stud
I5 44 extending from structural communication with the rearward ;~
jaw body through an appropriate hole in the forward jaw body
and a spaced distance therebeyond. The lower portion of each
jaw~bo~dy 42, 43 defines a medial slot 45 to allow the jaw body
to~fit over lower edge 30 of clamp notch 29, as illustrated in
ZO Figure 9. The jaw bodies are fastened to the fin by adhesion
or~;~s1mi1ar~mechanical joinder. Adjustment stud 44 carries ~ '
cylindrical compression spring 46 about its shank between
rearward clamp body arm 43 and adjustment nut 47 which is ;~
threadedly engaged on the end portion of adjustment stud 44.
25~ Sim1lar clamp pads 48 are carried by the end parts of the
forward and rearward clamp bodies on their adjacent upper ~
surfaces in such positions that the clamp pads meet in surface ''r,~'` "S.. ' . .'}~''
adjacency when adjustment nut 47 is in a relaxed outward
position on the adjustment stud.
The clamp body elements are formed of semi-rigid,




14

202~363
, ~
. .. ~. ~
. .
resiliently deformable materials, such as resinous or polymeric `~
plastics or metal, and clamp pads 48 are formed of material
that has a higher frictional surface, such as elastomeric
plastics or rubber. With this constituency and the structure ;~
' . ' !: , i ~ ~
described, the clamp pads may be adjustably positioned relative
to each other with varying biasing force therebetween
responsive to positioning of adjustment nut 47 on adjustment
stud 44, to allow the pads to hold a portion of a fishing line
therebetween with varying amounts of force required to cause
lO its release, as herein described. ~ !~
Elongate line arm 49 is carried by frictional engagement
in a hole (not shown) défined in the upper portion of rearward ~ ~ r
clamp body 43 and extends a spaced distance upwardly therefrom. ~,~,'r~, ~,,'~,''''~','~',`'1~,,,
Preferably the line arm, the rearward clamp body 43, or both ~;t.:'.'~.j:,',,;,',,,''", '~ ~;
are angled slightly rearwardly in their upper portions to
provide easier release of a line carried by the line arm, but ~ ;~
this is not necessary to our invention. The outer end portion
af the line arm carries line fastener 50, which in the form
illustrated is a piece of hollow resiliently deformable tubing
2~0~def1n1ng in its outer end opposed cooperating line carrying
slot~s~ 5-I with orientation substantially parallel to the axis of
the downrigger body and the fin. The length of the line arm
may vary to1provide Idififerént amounts of leverage to act upon
the clamp. ;
25~ Having described the structure of our invention, its use -`
and function may be understood.
:, i :
~ A downrigger is formed according to the foregoing `` - ~ ~
::: ~ ~:: : . ,
specification. As illustrated particularly in Figure l,


outboard end of downrigger line 53 is fastened to fastening eye
.: - :
~;~ 30 ~22. ;The inboard end of the downrigger line is carried by ~ -


...' . ~ ...

`15

2020363 ~
. . .
; . . .
~ .
downrigger suspending structure 54 supported on boat 55.
Fishing line 56 carried on traditional rod and reel structure
57 in boat 55 supports lure 58 in its outboard end part. The ;~
fishing line spacedly inwardly of lure 58 is folded upon itself
to form a somewhat "U" shaped configuration, and that "U"
shaped portion is positioned between clamp pads 48 with both
line ends extending somewhat upwardly therefrom. The lure end
56a of the fishing line is then brought upwardly along line arm
49 and positioned in line slits 50 defined in line fastener 50.
The lure end 56a of the fishing line is allowed to trail from
the line fastener. In this condition, the outrigger structure
is ready for placement in a body of water for operation.
In its operative mode, the downrigger and attached fishing
line are placed in the water adjacent boat 55 supporting them. ~r~
The fishing line is maintained so that it can feed freely from
rod and reel structure 57. Downrigger line 53 is then payed
;~ out to lower the downrigger to the desired depth below boat 55. ~ i`
As this occurs, fishing line 56 will move downwardly with the
downrigger by reason of its interconnection therewith. The ~ ~
20 downrigger line is fastened relative its support structure to ~ -j-
maintain downrlgger posltion and boat 55 is moved on the
surface of water course 59 supporting it in a traditional troll
fishing fashion. As this occurs, lure end 56a of the fishing
line will trail behind the outrigger to move lure 58 carried by ; `
it to act in substantially the same fashion as the lure would
act were it used in a troll fishing operation without the

~, - ~ .,., ;., ~,:
downrigger.
As the downrigger is moved through water, stabilizing ~ -~

fin ll will provide a light reflective surface and propeller
: .: ~
30 structure 12 will provide a plurality of moving light ``




16

202~363 : ~

reflecting surfaces, all to cause an optical attraction for
fish in a visually perceptive range of the device. The motion
of the downrigger through water will cause rotation of
propeller 12 and that rotation will cause variations in
pressure in water surrounding the propeller, somewhat in the
nature of sound waves in a gaseous medium, that are perceptable
to fish. These pressure variations serve as an additional
attractant to fish within their perceptable range.
As the dowr.rigger structure is pulled through water, ~ ~
10 downrigger line 53 and fishing line 56 will have some ~ ~i -
resistance to motion through the water and because of their
resilient nature will generally tend tô form rearwardly concave .
curvilinear configurations, such as illustrated in Figure 1.
The exact nature of these curves depends upon various
parameters, such as line width perpendicular to the course of
motion, line resilience, weight of the downrigger, speed of
motion and the like. This resistance is substantial and with ,'~
an ordinary fishing line of average submerged length at normal
~; troll fishing speeds will cause a force of several ounces and ~^~' . ,.',~ ,~ '
often more than a pound. The force exerted upon fishing line
56 by clamp pads 48 must be sufficient to counteract this
resistance or drag force of the line to maintain the line
fastened within the clamp.
If a relatively small fish is caught on lure 58, the ~ ~ ;
~25 forces caused by that fish on lure end 56a of the fishing line
may not be so great as the force required to maintain the ,~
fishing line in the clip. In the past with fishing line clamps --~
not having the leveraged line arm of our invention, such a
small f1sh would be undetected and would be dragged behind a




17

2020363 ;~

downrigger until the downrigger was taken from the water and `;~
the fish then discovered. -~
With our invention, lure end 56a of a fishing line is
carried by line fastener 50 at the outer end part of ]ine arm ` ;~
49. This line arm creates a lever to magnify forces on the
lure end 56a of a fishing line that causes release of the line
from the clamp structure. The force created on the lure acts `,
through a lever arm extending from line fastener 50 to the
point of mounting of that clamp arm on fin 11, whereas the ;~
lever arm for the other clamp arm is from its fastening pad to
the point of mounting on fin 11, which is less substantially by
the length of the line arm. Since line arm 49 is releasably
positionable, various line arms of differing lengths may be r~
interchanged to regulate mechanical advantage of this
leverage. For normal fishing, the advantage preferably is
maintained in a range of about two to five to one.
With our invention then, even a small fish caught on a
lure releases the clamping structure and the event is thereby
annunciated to a fisherman who can separately reel in both the
downrigger structure and fishing line and reassociate both for
future operation to avoid the frustrations and time loss of
trolling with a small fish caught on a lure without knowing of ~ ~-
its presence.
The foregoing description of our invention is necessarily
25 of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might .
be set forth as required, but it is to be understood that
:: : ~ .- .~ : -;. .
various modifications of detail, rearrangement and
multiplication of p2rts might be resorted to without departing
from its spirit, essence or scope.

. .
~30
,, :~
: ~' `:
18

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date Unavailable
(22) Filed 1990-07-04
(41) Open to Public Inspection 1992-01-05
Dead Application 1993-01-05

Abandonment History

There is no abandonment history.

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Application Fee $0.00 1990-07-04
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
VITALE, ROGER H.
HOWARD, RONALD F.
VITALE, ROGER H.
HOWARD, RONALD F.
Past Owners on Record
None
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Description 1992-01-05 16 1,954
Cover Page 1992-01-05 1 105
Abstract 1992-01-05 1 98
Claims 1992-01-05 5 416
Drawings 1992-01-05 2 139
Representative Drawing 1999-04-08 1 19