Fishing lure providing changeable effects

• US 4,676,020 A
• Filed: 08/29/1986
• Issued: 06/30/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T & M LURE Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: T & M LURE Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Taylor, Kenneth J., Taylor, Rollin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosby, Gene P.
• Application Number:
  US06/901,801
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 43/42.02, 43/42.06, 43/42.33, 43/42.35, 43/42.32, 43/42.48, 43/42
• US Class Current: 43/42.02
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 85/01 with light emission, sound emission, scent dispersal or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 85/16 with other than flat, or substantially flat, undulating bodies, e.g. plugs

Abstract

A fish lure providing changeable effects of coloration even during use, by an extendible sock-like colored body interiorly of the lure which gives a variation in the lure'"'"'s coloration-effect depending on its condition as relatively collapsed or relatively extended condition. An actuator or other devices, automatic upon pulling the line through the water, cause the change from collapsed to extended position, against the bias of other structure opposing the extension, thus giving a variation in the nature of color-change dependent upon how the user pulls the lure through the water. A piston associated with the colored body moves in correspondency to it, forcing water outwardly of the lure, giving further water-disturbing and lure-jiggling effects; and other embodiments provide color-change by fluid in the lure having a color-change responsiveness to changes in temperature and/or pressure. In another embodiment, a rotational propeller device inside the lure provides further fish-attracting motion and coloration-change as the lure is pulled through the water.

Claims

1. A fishing lure providing changeable effects, comprising, in combination:

a body member providing a generally tubularly shaped lure body having an exterior wall means and a generally hollow interior;

the body member exterior wall means being generally at least translucent;

and the body member having a head end and tail end, the head end and the tail end being substantially spaced along the lure body;

at least one of the head end and tail end of the lure body being provided interiorly of the lure body wall means with a coloration-effect body means having a relatively collapsed condition but being capable of extending from that end of the lure body to a relatively extended condition extending toward the other end of the lure body;

the coloration-effect body means and its said conditions providing a significant difference in the appearance of the lure, between the relatively collapsed condition of the coloration-effect body means, in which condition the general appearance of the lure body is substantially that of the exterior of the lure'"'"'s wall means, and the relatively extended position of the coloration-effect body means, in which condition the general appearance of the lure body is substantially that of the coloration-effect body means and whatever is the appearance of the exterior of the lure'"'"'s wall means;

there being condition-change means providing for achieving movement of the coloration-effect body means between and into its said relatively collapsed condition and its relatively extended condition as aforesaid.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the coloration-effect body means includes a piston means;

and the lure'"'"'s exterior wall means is provided with an opening means;

thus providing that movement of the coloration-effect body means causes the piston means to move and cause flow of water through the lure wall means'"'"' opening means.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2, in a combination in which the said opening means are substantially spaced from the end of the lure body in which the coloration-effect body means is in its said relatively collapsed condition.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the coloration-effect body means in its relatively collapsed condition is adjacent the tail end of the lure body;

the head end of the lure body wall means being provided with an opening;

there being an actuator member operatively connected to the coloration-effect body means, providing an actuator of the said condition-change means, and extending through the said head end opening, the portion of the actuator member extending outwardly of the lure body head end providing means for connection thereto of the associated fishing line for the user'"'"'s control of the movement and condition of the condition-change body means.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 4, in a combination in which tension means are operatively connected to the coloration-effect body means and the tail end of the lure body in which the coloration-effect body means is while in its relatively collapsed condition, the tension means biasing the coloration-effect body means to said relatively collapsed condition.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 5, in a combination in which the tension means comprises a length of rubber in the interior of the lure body.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 4, in a combination in which compression means are disposed between the coloration-effect body means and the head end of the lure body, biasing the coloration-effect body means to said relatively collapsed condition.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 7, in a combination in which the compression means comprises an open-coil spring disposed in the interior of the lure body.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 2, in a combination in which there is provided a stream-directing baffle means for the opening means of the wall means, causing any water emerging therefrom to be directed in the direction of the tail end of the lure body, thus providing that as water emerges from the interior of the lure body, through the opening means of the wall means, the rearward direction of the movement of such emerging water will give a forward propulsion effect to the lure body.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 2, in a combination in which the coloration-effect body means in its relatively collapsed condition is adjacent the tail end of the lure body;

the head end of the lure body wall means being provided with an opening;

there being an actuator member operatively connected to the coloration-effect body means, providing an actuator of the said condition-change means, and extending through the said head end opening, the portion of the actuator member extending outwardly of the lure body head end providing means for connection thereto of the associated fishing line for the user'"'"'s control of the movement and condition of the condition-change body means.

11. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which there is a coloration-effect body means provided for each end of the lure body, one thereof being in relatively collapsed condition adjacent the lure'"'"'s tail end, and one thereof being in relatively collapsed condition adjacent the lure'"'"'s head end, but each extendible toward the respective other end.

12. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the lure body is provided to have a hollow chamber provided to be in watertight separation from the interior of the lure body, the hollow chamber being along the upper portion of the lure body for providing a floatation effect to the lure.

13. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which there is provided an opening means in the head end of the lure body, and the coloration-effect body means is provided to include a piston means and be adjacent the head end of the lure body when the coloration-effect body means is in its said relatively collapsed condition,

the arrangement providing that as the lure body is pulled forwardly in water the said head end opening means will encounter and receive successive portions of water which will in effect push against the piston means and thereby cause the coloration-effect body means to extend to its generally extended condition, and there being means provided for urging the coloration-effect body means toward its said relatively collapsed condition,

thus providing the condition change means to be pulsating if the lure body is pulled in a pulsating motion, by the pulsating extension and collapse of the coloration-effect body means.

14. The invention as set forth in claim 13, in a combination in which there is provided a check valve means for the said head end opening means resisting outward movement of water but permitting inward movement of water therethrough, and there is provided an opening means in the wall means rearwardly of the said head end opening means but forwardly of the piston means when the piston means is in its position when the coloration-effect body means is in its said relatively collapsed condition, thus providing that movement of the piston means forwardly will force water outwardly of the opening means in the wall means rearwardly of the said head end opening means, as the piston means is caused to move forwardly by the said urging means during intervals when the lure body is not being pulled forwardly.

15. The invention as set forth in claim 14, in a combination in which there is provided a stream-directing baffle means for the opening means of the wall means, causing any water emerging therefrom to be directed in the direction of the tail end of the lure body, thus providing that as water emerges from the interior of the lure body, through the opening means of the wall means, the rearward direction of the movement of such emerging water will give a forward propulsion effect to the lure body.

16. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the body member is provided to be of at least two portions, with releasable interconnecting means for interconnecting them but providing for convenient access to service the coloration-effect body means and the condition-change means.