Dubbing assembly in fly hook production

• US 6,401,442 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bradford Stanley Root, Leonard Raymond Root
• Original Assignee: Bradford Stanley Root, Leonard Raymond Root
• Inventors: Root, Leonard Raymond, Root, Bradford Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hurley, Shaun R
• Application Number:
  US09/326,760
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 43/25, 43/422.5, 43/425.3, 57/3, 57/10, 57/11, 57/22, 57/24, 57/27, 57/28, 572/03
• US Class Current: 57/27
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/26 Fly tying devices

Abstract

A machine for dubbing assembly in fly hook production includes a base having a vertical dowel mounted to one end of the base, and a housing mounted to the other end. A work platform is pivotally mounted to one side of the base so that the platform may be elevated or lowered. A drive motor is mounted within the housing. The motor drives a drive shaft. The drive shaft terminates in a hook or eye. A second eye is mounted to the vertical dowel. The second eye projects toward, in opposed facing relation with, the drive shaft. The second eye supports a tensioning spring which has a barrel swivel attached to its opposite end. One or more filaments may be attached to a ring on the barrel swivel so as to extend across the work platform and be secured to the hook or eye on the drive shaft. Dubbing material is applied to a single filament or sandwiched between double strand filaments. Double strand filaments are twisted into a helix to flare the dubbing material.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making a single strand dubbed filament, comprising:

a base having first and second opposite ends,

a motor mounted on said first end of said base, a driveshaft coupled to said motor, said motor for rotating said driveshaft at a selectable constant rotation speed about an axis of rotation,

a rigid support mounted at said second end of said base, a resilient biasing means mounted to said rigid support, a swivel coupling mounted to said resilient biasing means in opposite relation to said rigid support and in opposed facing relation to said driveshaft,

said driveshaft and said swivel coupling lying on said axis of rotation,

wherein, when a flexible filament is secured at a first end of said filament to said driveshaft and secured at an opposite second end of said filament to said swivel coupling so as to lie along said axis of rotation,

actuation of said motor rotates said driveshaft and said filament about said axis of rotation,

whereby adhering dubbing material by adhesive to said filament driving said rotation of said filament forms a single strand dubbed filament.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said resilient biasing means is a tensioning spring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said swivel coupling is a frictional swivel coupling restricting rotation of said second end of said filament to a rotation rate that is less than a simultaneous rotation rate of said driveshaft and said first end of said filament.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frictional swivel coupling is a barrel swivel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a work platform selectively positionable into parallel relation to said axis or rotation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said work platform is pivotally mounted to said base so as to be pivotable between an elevated generally horizontal position, wherein an upper planar surface of said platform is adjacent said axis of rotation, and a lowered position lowered towards said base away from said axis of rotation wherein said upper planar surface remains parallel to said axis of rotation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said selectable constant rotation speed of said motor is selectively controlled by a linear potentiometer.

8. An apparatus for making a double stand dubbed filament, comprising:

a base having first and second opposite ends,

a motor mounted on said first end of said base, a driveshaft coupled to said motor, said motor for rotating said driveshaft at a selectable constant rotation speed about all axis of rotation,

a rigid support mounted at said second end of said base, a resilient biasing means mounted to said rigid support, a coupling mounted to said resilient biasing means in opposite relation to said rigid support and in opposed facing relation to said driveshaft,

said driveshaft and said coupling lying on said axis of rotation,

wherein, when a flexible filament is secured at a first end of said filament to said driveshaft and secured at an opposite second end of said filament to said coupling so as to lie along said axis of rotation,

actuation of said motor rotates said driveshaft and said filament about said axis of rotation,

and wherein said filament comprises a pair of filament strands which, when tensioned, are snugly adjacent and parallel,

said pair of filament strands of a flexible permanently deformable material wherein said rotation of said filament permanently twists said pair of filament strands around one another about said axis of rotation so as to permanently twist an array of dubbing material fibres spread along so as to be generally perpendicular to, and sandwiched between, said pair of filament strands into a hairy three dimensional body of revolution about said axis of rotation,

whereby a dubbing brush is produced.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said resilient biasing means is a tensioning spring.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said coupling is a frictional swivel coupling restricting rotation of said second end of said filament to a rotation rate that is less than a simultaneous rotation rate of said driveshaft and said first end of said filament.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said frictional swivel coupling is a barrel swivel.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a work platform selectively positionable into parallel relation to said axis of rotation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said work platform is pivotally mounted to said base so as to be pivotable between an elevated generally horizontal position, wherein an upper planar surface of said platform is adjacent said axis of rotation, and a lowered position lowered towards said base away from said axis of rotation wherein said upper planar surface remains parallel to said axis of rotation.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said selectable constant rotation speed of said motor is selectively controlled by a linear potentiometer.

15. A method of making a dubbed filament, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a base having first and second opposite ends;

(b) providing a motor mounted on said first end of said base and a drive shaft coupled to said motor, said motor being intended for rotating said drive shaft at a selectable constant rotation speed about an axis of rotation;

(c) providing a rigid support mounted at said second end of said base, a resilient biasing means mounted to said rigid support, and a swivel coupling mounted to said resilient biasing means in opposite relation to said rigid support and in opposed facing relation to said drive shaft;

(d) providing said drive shaft and said swivel coupling on said axis of rotation;

(e) securing respective ends of a single strand filament to said drive shaft and said swivel coupling so that said filament lies along said axis of rotation;

(f) applying adhesive along said filament;

(g) actuating said motor so as to rotate said filament about said axis of rotation; and

(h) adhering dubbing material to said filament as said filament is rotating about said axis of rotation.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of restricting a rate of rotation of said swivel coupling about said axis of rotation relative to a rate of rotation of said driveshaft so as to restrict rotation of said end of said filament secured to said swivel coupling relative to rotation of said end of said filament secured to said driveshaft upon said actuation of said motor.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of positioning a work platform into parallel relation to said axis of rotation.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of selectively controlling said selectable constant rotation speed by means of a linear potentiometer.

19. A method of making a dubbing brush, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a base having first and second opposite ends;

(b) providing a motor mounted on said first end of said base and a driveshaft coupled to said motor, said motor being intended for rotating said driveshaft at a selectable constant rotation speed about an axis of rotation;

(c) providing a rigid support mounted at said second end of said base, a resilient biasing means mounted to said rigid support, and a coupling mounted to said resilient biasing means in opposite relation to said rigid support and in opposed facing relation to said driveshaft;

(d) providing said driveshaft and said coupling on said axis of rotation;

(e) securing respective ends of a double strand filament to said driveshaft and said coupling so as to tension said filament therebetween and so as to maintain strands of said double strand filament snugly adjacent and parallel, wherein said strands are of a permanently deformable material which remains flexible when twisted;

(f) spreading an array of hair-like dubbing material fibres generally evenly along, so as to be generally perpendicular to, and sandwiched between said strands;

(g) actuating said motor so as to twist said filament about said axis of rotation, thereby permanently twisting said strands around one another, whereby said dubbing material fibres are anchored between said strands and rotated about said axis of rotation to form a hairy three dimensional body of revolution about said axis of rotation;

(h) brushing-out said fibres as they twirl and flare as said filament is twisted; and

(i) removing said filament from said driveshaft and said coupling so as to allow said hairy three dimensional body of revolution to flex and bend along its length for use in fly tying.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of restricting a rate of rotation of said coupling about said axis of rotation relative to a rate of rotation of said driveshaft by means of a frictional swivel coupling so as to restrict rotation of said end of said filament secured to said frictional swivel coupling relative to rotation of said end of said filament secured to said driveshaft upon said actuation of said motor.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of positioning a work platform into parallel relation to said axis of rotation.

22. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of selectively controlling said selectable constant rotation speed by means of a linear potentiometer.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of elevating said work platform, wherein said work platform is pivotally mounted to said base, into a generally horizontal position adjacent said axis or rotation prior to said step of spreading said dubbing material fibres along said strands.

24. A method of making a dubbing brush, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a base having first and second opposite ends;

(b) providing a motor mounted on said first end of said base and a driveshaft coupled to said motor, said motor being intended for rotating said driveshaft at a selectable constant rotation speed about an axis of rotation;

(c) providing a rigid support mounted at said second end of said base, a resilient biasing means mounted to said rigid support, and a coupling mounted to said resilient biasing means in opposite relation to said rigid support and in opposed facing relation to said driveshaft;

(d) providing said driveshaft and said coupling on said axis of rotation;

(e) securing respective ends of a double strand filament to said driveshaft and said coupling so as to tension said filament therebetween and so as to maintain strands of said double strand filament snugly adjacent and parallel, wherein said strands are of a permanently deformable material which remains flexible when twisted;

(f) spreading an array of hair-like dubbing material fibres generally evenly along, so as to be generally perpendicular to, and sandwiched between said strands;

(g) actuating said motor so as to twist said filament about said axis of rotation, thereby permanently twisting said strands around one another, whereby said dubbing material fibres are anchored between said strands and rotated about said axis of rotation to form a hairy three dimensional body of revolution about said axis of rotation;

(h) raking said fibres as they twirl and flare as said filament is twisted; and

(i) removing said filament from said driveshaft and said coupling so as to allow said hairy three dimensional body of revolution to flex and bend along its length for use in fly tying.