Unitary bulk fishline and carrier and line measuring device

• US 5,794,883 A
• Filed: 04/10/1997
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donna L. Brand
• Original Assignee: Donna L. Brand
• Inventors: MacEwen, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jillions, John M.
• Application Number:
  US08/838,806
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 242/397, 242/404.2, 242/396.9, 242/423.1, 242/423.2, 242/563.2, 242/566, 242/597.4, 242/902, 242/129.8
• US Class Current: 242/423.2
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 89/003 Devices for transferring line to a reel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 49/26 Axial shafts or spigots
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 61/00 Applications of devices for metering predetermined lengths of running material of general application G01B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 242/902 Line loader for fishing reel

Abstract

A device for supplying fishing line to a fish reeling device from a spool of bulk fishing line and measuring the length of line pulled from the spool by the reeling device. The bulk spool is supported for rotation about a horizontal axis at one end of a T-shaped supporting structure. The other crossed end of the structure carries a flat thin and relatively large diameter circumferentially grooved pulley supported for rotation about a horizontal axis parallel to the spool'"'"'s axis of rotation. The crossed end also carries a mounting bracket for securing the location of the measuring device along and just off the edge of a flat table, convenient relative to the reeling device. The pulley is manually accessible around its entire periphery and has a shallow groove of semicircular cross section and an inner circumference of predetermined length at the bottom of the groove. A guide member having a line-encirclable manually line-threadable guide portion extends from the T-shaped structure between the spool and the pulley at the plane of the pulley for guiding line from the spool to tangentially enter the pulley groove which is manually accessible to enable line extending from the guide member to be manually wrapped once around the pulley in frictional contact in said groove with the line extending further to the reeling device to drive the pulley when the line is pulled during reeling. Line length is indicated by a counter registering pulley revolutions each of which equals one foot.

Claims

1. A device for supplying fishing line to a fish reeling device from a bulk fishing line spool and measuring the length of line pulled from the spool by the reeling device comprising:

a T-shaped support having a stem portion and a crossed portion at one end of the stem portion,

a spindle member at the other end of said stem portion extending horizontally during normal use on one side of the stem parallel to said crossed portion,

manually releasable retaining means on said spindle member for rotatably retaining a spool of bulk fishing line on the spindle member for unwinding line from the spool and including friction means for applying friction to the spool to provide a preselected drag to the spool during unwinding of line to prevent spool overrun and keep the line in tension,

said crossed portion of the T-shaped support having a first end extending from said stem on said one side and parallel to said spindle,

a circumferentially grooved round pulley rotatably supported on said first end of the crossed portion with its axis of rotation being parallel to said spindle,

said pulley having a shallow groove of semicircular cross section and an inner circumference of predetermined length at the bottom of the groove,

guiding means extending from said support and having a line-encirclable manually line-threadable guide portion between said spindle and said pulley at the plane of the pulley for guiding line from the spool to tangentially enter said groove,

said pulley groove being manually accessible to enable line extending from said guide portion to be manually wrapped once around the pulley in frictional contact in said groove with the line extending further to the reeling device to drive the pulley when the line is pulled during reeling,

line length indicating means coupled to said pulley for counting revolutions of the pulley as line is pulled from the spool for computing and indicating reeled line length based on said the predetermined length of said inner circumference of the groove.

2. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 1 including a further guiding means extending from said support and having a line encirclable manually line-threadable guide portion through which the line passes at the plane of the pulley after rolling around the pulley to assure retention of the line in the pulley groove when pulled by the reeling device.

3. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 1 wherein said groove is about one quarter inch wide.

4. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 3 wherein said predetermined length of the groove inner circumference is one foot.

5. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 1 wherein said line length indicating means comprises an actuatable element and said pulley has an actuating element rotatable therewith for actuating the actuatable element once for each pulley revolution to provide an indication of reeled line length.

6. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 5 wherein said actuating element contacts said actuatable element to count revolutions of the pulley.

7. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 6 wherein said elements actuate a resettable mechanical digital counting device included in said line length indicating means.

8. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 5 wherein said line length indicating means produces sequential audible sounds each of which indicates progress of a predetermined length of measured reeled line.

9. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 1 wherein said crossed portion of the T-shaped support has a second end extending from said stem for securing said T-shaped support to a stationary supporting structure.

10. A device for supplying fishing line to a fish reeling device from a spool of bulk fishing line and measuring the length of line pulled from the spool by the reeling device comprising:

a support having a stem portion and a transverse arm portion at one end of and at one side of the stem portion,

a spindle member at the other end of said stem portion extending horizontally during normal use on said one side of the stem and parallel to said transverse arm portion,

manually releasable retaining means on said spindle member for rotatably retaining a spool of bulk fishing line on the spindle member for unwinding line from the spool and including friction means for applying friction to the spool to provide a preselected drag to the spool during unwinding of line to prevent spool overrun and keep the line in tension,

a circumferentially grooved round pulley rotatably supported on said transverse arm portion with its axis of rotation being parallel to said spindle,

said pulley having a shallow groove of semicircular cross section and an inner circumference of predetermined length at the bottom of the groove,

guiding means extending from said support and having a line-encirclable manually line-threadable guide portion between said spindle and said pulley at the plane of the pulley for guiding line from the spool to tangentially enter said groove,

said pulley groove being manually accessible to enable line extending from said guide portion to be manually wrapped once around the pulley in frictional contact in said groove with the line extending further to the reeling device to drive the pulley when the line is pulled during reeling,

line length indicating means coupled to said pulley for counting revolutions of the pulley as line is pulled from the spool for computing and indicating reeled line length based on said the predetermined length of said groove inner circumference.

11. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 10 including a further guiding means extending from said support and having a line encirclable manually line-threadable guide portion through which the line passes after rolling around the pulley to assure retention of the line in the pulley groove when pulled by the reeling device.

12. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 10 wherein said groove is about one quarter inch wide.

13. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 12 wherein said predetermined length is one foot.

14. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 10 wherein said line length indicating means comprises an actuatable element and said pulley has an actuating element rotatable therewith for actuating the actuatable element once for each pulley revolution to provide an indication of reeled line.

15. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 14 wherein said elements actuate a resettable mechanical digital counting device.

16. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 10 wherein said support includes mounting means for securing said device to a supporting surface with the spindle and pulley accessibly located horizontally outwardly beyond the supporting surface.

17. A device for supplying fishing line to a fish reeling device from a spool of bulk fishing line and measuring the length of line pulled from the spool by the reeling device comprising:

a support having a stem portion and a transverse arm portion at one end of and at one side of the stem portion,

a spindle member at the other end of said stem portion extending horizontally during normal use on said one side of the stem and parallel to said transverse arm portion,

manually releasable retaining means on said spindle member for rotatably retaining a spool of bulk fishing line on the spindle member for unwinding line from the spool and including friction means for applying friction to the spool to provide a predetermined drag to the spool during unwinding of line to prevent spool overrun and keep the line in tension,

a circumferentially grooved round pulley rotatably supported on said transverse arm portion with its axis of rotation being parallel to said spindle,

said pulley having a shallow one quarter inch wide groove of semicircular cross section and an inner circumference of one foot at the bottom of the groove,

guiding means extending from said support and having a line encirclable manually line-threadable guide portion between said spindle and said pulley at the plane of the pulley for guiding line from the spool to tangentially enter said groove,

said pulley groove being manually accessible to enable line extending from said guide portion to be manually wrapped once around the pulley in frictional contact in said groove with the line extending further to the reeling device to drive the pulley when the line is pulled during reeling,

line length indicating means coupled to said pulley for counting revolutions of the pulley as line is pulled from the spool for computing and indicating reeled line length based on the length of said groove inner circumference.

18. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 17 wherein said line length indicating means comprises an actuatable element and said pulley has an actuating element rotatable therewith for actuating the actuatable element once for each pulley revolution to provide an indication of reeled line.

19. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 18 wherein said elements actuate a resettable mechanical digital counting device.

20. A fishing line reeling and measuring device according to claim 17 wherein said support includes mounting means for securing said device to a supporting surface with the spindle and pulley accessibly located horizontally outwardly beyond the supporting surface.