Fishing rod holder attachable to a dock

• US 8,327,575 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tadeusz Zalewski
• Original Assignee: Tadeusz Zalewski
• Inventors: Zalewski, Tadeusz
• Primary Examiner(s): Ark, Darren W
• Application Number:
  US12/914,654
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 43/212, 248/511, 248/519, 248/520, 248/534, 248/538, 248/539, 248/222.11, 114/218, 114/230.1, 114/230.29
• US Class Current: 43/21.2
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/10 Supports for rods

Abstract

A fishing rod holder device for temporarily securing to a dock. The device features a mounting base, a pole holding tube extending upwardly at an angle from the mounting base, a channel aperture disposed in the mounting base; and a locking means for securing the mounting base to a dock in a tool-free and hardware-free manner. The locking means features a locking means base dispose don the mounting base, a sliding tube telescopically received in the locking means base, a shaft extending through both the sliding tube and locking means base, a first T-bar disposed on the shaft above the sliding tube and a second T-bar disposed on the shaft below the mounting base. The second T-bar can be moved upwardly toward the mounting base to compress planks of a dock to secure the device to the dock.

Claims

1. A fishing rod holder device comprising:

(a) a mounting base having a top surface and a bottom surface;

(b) a pole holding tube extending upwardly from the top surface of the mounting base, the pole holding tube is positioned at an angle with respect to the top surface of the mounting base;

(c) a drainage hole disposed in the mounting base below the pole holding tube and a channel aperture disposed in the mounting base, both the drainage hole and the channel aperture extend from the top surface of the mounting base to the bottom surface of the mounting base; and

(d) a locking means for securing the mounting base to a dock, said locking means comprising;

(i) a locking means base extending upwardly from the top surface of the mounting base, the locking means base has a first end and a second end, wherein a first center channel is disposed in the locking means base extending from the first end to the second end of the locking means base, the first center channel is aligned with the channel aperture disposed in the mounting base;

(ii) a sliding tube slidably and telescopically received in the first center channel of the locking means base, a first end of the sliding tube extends above the first end of the locking means base and a second end of the sliding tube is housed within the first center channel of the locking means base, wherein a second center channel is disposed in the sliding tube extending from the first end to the second end of the sliding tube;

(iii) a spring housed in the first center channel, the spring is sandwiched between the second end of the sliding tube and the top surface of the mounting base, the spring biases the sliding tube upwardly;

(iv) a shaft extending through the second center channel of the sliding tube, the first center channel of the locking means base, and the channel aperture in the mounting base, wherein threading is disposed on at least a portion of the shaft at or near a first end of the shaft, the shaft can be rotated in a first direction or a second direction;

(v) first T-bar disposed on the first end of the shaft and a second T-bar disposed on a second end of the shaft, the first T-bar is positioned above the first end of the sliding tube and the second T-bar is positioned below the bottom surface of the mounting base; and

(vi) a wing nut disposed on the threading on the shaft in between the first end of the sliding tube and the first T-bar, the wing nut can move in a first direction and a second direction on the threading wherein when the wing nut is moved in the first direction on the threading the wing nut moves toward the second T-bar effectively pushing down on the sliding tube, compressing the spring, and moving the shaft upwardly effectively raising the second T-bar toward the bottom surface of the mounting base, when the wing nut is moved in the second direction on the threading, the wing nut moves toward the first T-bar.

2. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 0 to 10 degrees.

3. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 10 to 20 degrees.

4. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 20 to 30 degrees.

5. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 30 to 40 degrees.

6. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 40 to 50 degrees.

7. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 50 to 60 degrees.

8. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 60 to 70 degrees.

9. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 70 to 80 degrees.

10. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the angle is between about 80 to 90 degrees.

11. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1, wherein the locking means base is generally cylindrical.

12. The fishing rod holder device of claim 1 further comprising a lock nut disposed on the threading on the shaft below the first T-bar.

13. A method of securing a fishing rod to a dock, said method comprising:

(a) providing a fishing rod holder device comprising a mounting base;

a pole holding tube extending upwardly from a top surface of the mounting base, the pole holding tube is positioned at an angle with respect to the top surface of the mounting base;

a drainage hole disposed in the mounting base below the pole holding tube and a channel aperture disposed in the mounting base, both the drainage hole and the channel aperture extend from the top surface of the mounting base to a bottom surface of the mounting base; and

a locking means for securing the mounting base to a dock, said locking means comprising;

(i) a locking means base extending upwardly from the top surface of the mounting base, the locking means base has a first end and a second end, wherein a first center channel is disposed in the locking means base extending from the first end to the second end of the locking means base, the first center channel is aligned with the channel aperture disposed in the mounting base;

(ii) a sliding tube slidably and telescopically received in the first center channel of the locking means base, a first end of the sliding tube extends above the first end of the locking means base and a second end of the sliding tube is housed within the first center channel of the locking means base, wherein a second center channel is disposed in the sliding tube extending from the first end to the second end of the sliding tube;

(iii) a spring housed in the first center channel, the spring is sandwiched between the second end of the sliding tube and the top surface of the mounting base, the spring biases the sliding tube upwardly;

(iv) a shaft extending through the second center channel of the sliding tube, the first center channel of the locking means base, and the channel aperture in the mounting base, wherein threading is disposed on at least a portion of the shaft at or near a first end of the shaft, the shaft can be rotated in a first direction or a second direction;

(v) first T-bar disposed on a first end of the shaft and a second T-bar disposed on a second end of the shaft, the first T-bar is positioned above the first end of the sliding tube and the second T-bar is positioned below the bottom surface of the mounting base; and

(vi) a wing nut disposed on the threading on the shaft in between the first end of the sliding tube and the first T-bar, the wing nut can move in a first direction and a second direction on the threading;

(b) sliding the second T-bar in between two parallel planks of a dock;

(c) rotating the first T-bar between about 10 to 170 degrees effectively rotating the second T-bar between about 10 to 170 degrees;

(d) rotating the wing nut in the first direction causing the wing nut to push downwardly onto the first end of the sliding tube, the sliding tube to compress the spring, and the shaft to move upwardly effectively raising the second T-bar toward the bottom surface of the mounting base, the wing nut is rotated until the second T-bar and mounting base squeeze the planks of the dock sufficiently to immobilize the mounting base; and

(e) inserting a fishing rod into the pole holding tube.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the angle is between about 0 to 20 degrees.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the angle is between about 20 to 40 degrees.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the angle is between about 40 to 60 degrees.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the angle is between about 60 to 90 degrees.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the locking means base is generally cylindrical.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the fishing rod holder device further comprises a lock nut disposed on the threading on the shaft below the first T-bar.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the first T-bar is rotated about 90 degrees effectively rotating the second T-bar about 90 degrees.