WO1992012630A1

WO1992012630A1 - Fishing tackle

Info

Publication number: WO1992012630A1
Application number: PCT/GB1992/000126
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leonard Haigh
Original assignee: Entaco Ltd
Current assignee: Entaco Ltd
Priority date: 1991-01-23
Filing date: 1992-01-22
Publication date: 1992-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1993-07-23
Also published as: GB2266215B; AU1169592A; PT100048A; GB2266215A; GB9312860D0

Abstract

A fishing tackle comprising a hook (14) element, a snood (15) and a further element, the snood (15) having a first attachment means (21) for attaching the snood to the hook (14) element, a second attachment (22) means for attaching the snood to the further element, and a body part (20) intermediate the first (21) and second (22) attachment means, at least one of the hook element and the further element comprising a loop (L) having an opening (P), the opening (P) affording passage only to the body part (20) of the snood into a hollow (H) of the loop (L), the loop (L) being positioned adjacent one of said attachment means (21, 22) which comprises an enlarged or bulbous formation (B) of larger cross-sectional dimension than the hollow (H) of the loop (L) .

Description

Title: "Fishing Tackle"

This invention relates to fishing tackle.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a fishing tackle comprising a hook element, a snood and a further element, the snood having a first attachment means for attaching the snood to the hook element, a second attachment means for attaching the snood to the further element, and a body part intermediate the first and second attachment means, at least one of the hook element and the further element comprising a loop having an opening, the opening affording passage only to the body part of the snood into a hollow of the loop, the loop being positioned adjacent one of said attachment means which comprises an enlarged or bulbous formation of larger cross-sectional dimension than the hollow of the loop.

Preferably, the body part includes a portion of reduced cross-sectional dimension and the opening affords passage only to said reduced cross-sectional dimension portion.

The loop may be movable along the body part so as to be positioned adjacent said one attachment means.

The loop is preferably provided by a coiled end region of said at least one element, the opening for the reduced cross-sectional dimension portion of the snood being provided between a free end of the loop and an adjacent part of the coiled region.

Said one attachment means may be the first attachment means and the element may be a hook element.

The second attachment means may be a transversely extending portion of the snood having a free end adapted to be received within an opening of the further element. Alternatively, said one attachment means may be the second attachment means and the element may be the further element.

In this case the first attachment means may be a transversely extending portion of the snood having a free end adapted to be received within an opemng of the hook element.

Further alternatively, and preferably, each of said elements may comprise a said loop, having an opening, each loop being positioned adjacent a respective one of said attachment means each of which comprises a said enlarged or bulbous formation of larger cross-sectional dimension than the hollow of the respective loop.

The further element may comprise a component attached to a line. The further element may comprise a clip having a part to receive the line to attach the clip to the line.

Said part of the clip may comprise a hook part having a mouth through which the line can be introduced into the hook part.

The enlarged or bulbous formation of an attachment means may close the mouth of the hook part to thereby prevent the clip from becoming disengaged from the line.

The clip may comprise a shank with said hook part at one end and said loop at the opposite end.

The loop of the clip may lie in a plane which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shank part of the clip.

The loop of the clip may lie in a plane which is normal or substantially normal to said axis.

The line may be a long line.

The line may be provided with stop portions to restrain the further element from movement lengthwise of the line.

The first and second attachment means may be moulded integrally with the body part. For example, substantially as described in our previous British Patent Application published under No. 2214043.

Retaining means may be provided on the body part of the snood to retain the loop of the or each element in said position adjacent to the respective attachment means.

Preferably, the hook element comprises a shank having a hook part at one end and said loop at the other end and wherein the loop of the hook element lies in a plane which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shank part of the hook element.

The loop may lie in a plane which is normal or substantially normal to said axis.

The loop of the hook and the associated enlarged or bulbous formation may be configured so as to permit of disengagement of the hook and snood when a predetermined separating force is applied to the hook and the snood.

The snood may have a longitudinally extending axis and said force may be applied parallel to said longitudinal axis of the snood.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a hook for use in fishing tackle according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section, to an enlarged scale, on the line 2-2 of Figure

1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the hook of Figure 1 shown attached to a snood;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the hook of Figure 1 shown attached to the snood,

FIGURE 5 is a section, to an enlarged scale, on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 and of Figure 6, FIGURE 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 but of an alternative embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 7 is a section, to an enlarged scale, on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 1 - 5, a fishing tackle comprises a hook 14 and a snood 15. The snood 15 comprises an elongate generally circular in cross-section body part 20 having a longitudinally extending axis X-X and having a first, hook, attachment means 21 at one end 17 and a second, line, attachment means 22 at its other end 19 and comprising a one-piece unitary structure made by moulding an intermediate product in an injection moulding apparatus, the intermediate product having the attachment means 21, 22 hereinafter to be described in more detail, moulded in their final form, and having a part corresponding to the body part 20 but of greater diameter but shorter length than the finished dimensions illustrated in the Figures.

The part of the intermediate product corresponding to the body part 20 is heated and stretched by gripping the respective attachment means 21, 22 in relatively movable grippers and moving the grippers apart until the body part 20 is formed to the configuration shown in the drawings. The intermediate product has a stepped body part to provide the final dimensions illustrated, there being a portion C of reduced cross-sectional dimensions along the body part 20 compared with the cross-sectional dimension of the body part 20 in regions adjacent the attachment means 21, 22.

In this example the snood comprises a monofilament of nylon but it may be made from a monofilament of another suitable material such as polyethylene or polyester, in which case a snood blank can be moulded with the integral attachment means and then stretched to produce a snood of the desired final length to diameter ratio. Alternatively the snood may be made from multifϊlament material by moulding attachment means on the multifilament and then performing a stretching operation to produce an elongate body part of the desired length to diameter ratio. Details of the manufacturing process of the snood 15 can be appreciated from GB-A-2,214,043.

The hook attachment means 21 comprises an enlarged or bulbous formation B at one end of the body part 20. If desired the enlarged or bulbous formation may be of any other desired suitable configuration. The hook 14 comprises a shank 30 having a conventional barbed hook shape 31 at one end but at its other end, there is a coiled end region R which provides an open loop L, which lies in a plane P-P normal to the longitudinal axis Y-Y of the shank 30. If desired the loop may lie in a plane which is inclined to the axis Y-Y but at other than 90° or substantially 90°. An opening P is provided between a free end E of the loop L and an adjacent part of the coiled end region R. The loop defines a hollow H.

To attach the hook 14 and snood 15, the portion C of reduced cross- sectional dimension of the snood 15 is passed through the opening P of the loop into the hollow H. The loop L is then slid along the body part 20 of the snood 15 to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 adjacent the attachment means 21. The cross-sectional dimension of the body part 20 adjacent the attachment means 21 is slightly smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the hollow H of the loop L to permit this movement, but the cross-sectional dimension of the enlarged or bulbous formation B is greater than the cross-sectional dimension of the hollow H of the loop L and so the loop L cannot pass over the attachment means 21.

If desired, the body portion 20 may be un-stepped, and may be of constent cross-section between the attachment means 21, 22, and of a cross- sectional dimension so as to be capable of being passed through the mouth P into the hollow H but then being restrained from exit from the hollow through the mouth, for example, as a result of inherent resilience of the body portion and/or loop L.

If desired, however, the enlarged or bulbous formation B in the loop L may be configured so as to permit of movement of the formation through the loop to disengage the hook from the snood when a predetermined separating force is applied to the hook and the snood. For example, when a force parallel to the axis X-X of the snood in excess of the predetermined value is imposed on the snood and hook when the assembly is passed through a suitable apparatus to remove fish from the fishing tackle. There is thereby provided a facility whereby hooks may be automatically released from the fishing tackle simply by applying a suitable longitudinal force to the hooks, for example, by appropriately urging a fish impaled on a hook. The loop and enlarged or bulbous formation are configured so that the hook remains attached to the snood until the longitudinal load exceeds a predetermined value.

Furthermore, retaining means comprising a pair of slightly raised formations M (the size of which is exaggerated in Figure 3 for clarity) on either side of the body part 20 between the enlarged or bulbous formation B and the portion C of reduced cross-dimension, are provided, which, whilst permitting the loop L to be slid to a position adjacent the enlarged or bulbous formation B, prevents the loop L sliding back towards the portion C of reduced cross-sectional dimension.

The retaining formations M are provided as circular formations in the intermediate product during the manufacturing process, but as the body part 20 is stretched to the configuration shown, the circular formations become elongated to the configuration shown. Conveniently, the circular formations which become the retaining formations M in the finished product, comprise points along the part of the intermediate product which will become the body part 20 after stretching, which are engaged by an ejection mechanism to remove the intermediate product from the mould after moulding.

Similar formations N may be provided along the body part 20 adjacent to attachment means 22, to facilitate ejection of the intermediate product from the mould, although the formations N provide no function in the finished snood 15 shown in the drawings.

The line attachment means 22 is substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of GB-A-2,214,043 and comprise a transversely extending part 40 of generally cylindrical configuration, and projecting from one side of a central axis of the snood 15. At its free end, the transversely extending part 40 has an outwardly extending flange 41 of a diameter such that it cannot pass through an eye of a swivel of a line to which the snood 15, in use, may be attached. The transversely extending part 40 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed secondary retaining pips 42 of a length so that they can just be passed through an eye of the swivel but serve to retain the eye between the pips 42 and the flange 41 unless considerable force is applied to the eye to move it past the pips 42.

Alternatively, the line attachment means 22 may be of another configuration such as is shown in Figures 3, 4 or 5 or 6 of GB-A-2,214,043.

In another embodiment, shown in Figures 6 and 7, the hook, hook attachment means and the snood, except for the line attachment means, are identical to those described hereinbefore in connection with Figures 1 - 5 and the same reference numerals are used in Figures 6 and 7 as were used in Figures 1 - 5 to refer to corresponding parts. In this embodiment the line attachment means is shown at 22a. and comprises an enlarged or bulbous formation B¹ similar to the formation B of the hook attachment means 21. In this case a long line 10 is provided with an attachment element 11 which comprises a clip having a shank 12 with a generally U-shaped hook part 13 at one end in which the line 10 is received and a coiled end region R¹ at the opposite end which provides an open loop L¹ similar to the loop L of the hook 14 and which co-operates with the attachment means 22a, in the same way as does the loop L and attachment means 21 except that the parts are dimensioned and arranged so as not to be releasable as a result of application of said pre-determined axial force on the snood, hook and line. In addition, the enlarged or bulbous formation B¹ of the attachment means 22a. closes the mouth of the U-shaped hook part 13 thereby preventing the clip from becoming disengaged from the long line 10 and also, most importantly, preventing the entry, in use, of either another portion of the long line 10 or a snood 15 or any other item in the water thereby preventing snagging during deployment, i.e. shooting, whilst fishing, or hauling.

The enlarged or bulbous part B¹ of the snood is able to rotate, about the axis X-X of the snood 15, relative to the clip 11 and therefore a swivel action is provided. In practice the effect of wear of swivels, which has been encountered in previously known systems utilising conventional swivels, is avoided since the bulbous end of the snood is effectively renewed each time that the snood is changed.

The snood can be as easily removed from the clip 11 as it can from the hook.

The clip 11 can be attached to or removed from the long line 10 easily simply by snapping it on and off through the open mouth of the U-shaped part 13 which is slightly flared, as shown, to facilitate entry. The long line 10 is preferably provided with pairs of enlarged stop portions 10a_ to restrain the clips 11 from movement lengthwise of the long line 10. The enlarged portions 10a. of each pair are positioned on opposite sides of the hook part 13 and are preferably moulded onto the pre-formed long line 10 using a suitable moulding apparatus. Whilst in this embodiment the first attachment means 21 is as shown in Figures 1 - 5, if desired, an alternative hook attachment means of any desired kind may be provided, such as one according to GB-A-2,214,043.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A fishing tackle comprising a hook element, a snood and a further element, the snood having a first attachment means for attaching the snood to the hook element, a second attachment means for attaching the snood to the further element, and a body part intermediate the first and second attachment means, at least one of the hook element and the further element comprising a loop having an opening, the opening affording passage only to the body part of the snood into a hollow of the loop, the loop being positioned adjacent one of said attachment means which comprises an enlarged or bulbous formation of larger cross-sectional dimension than the hollow of the loop.

2. A fishing tackle according to Claim 1 wherein the body part includes a portion of reduced cross-sectional dimension and the opening affords passage only to said reduced cross-sectional dimension portion.

3. A fishing tackle according to Claim 2 wherein the loop is movable along the body part so as to be positioned adjacent said one attachment means.

4. A fishing tackle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the loop is provided by a coiled end region of said at least one element, the opening being provided between a free end of the loop and an adjacent part of the coiled region.

5. A fishing tackle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said one attachment means is the first attachment means and the element is a hook element.

6. A fishing tackle according to Claim 5 wherein the second attachment means comprises a transversely extending portion of the snood having a free end adapted to be received within an opening of the further element.

7. A fishing tackle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein said one attachment means is the second attachment means and the element is the further element.

8. A fishing tackle according to Claim 7 wherein the first attachment means comprises a transversely extending portion of the snood having a free end adapted to be received within an opening of the hook element.

9. A fishing tackle according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein each of said elements comprises a said loop, each loop being positioned adjacent a respective one of said attachment means each of which comprises a said enlarged or bulbous formation of larger cross-sectional dimension than the hollow of the respective loop.

10. A fishing tackle according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the further element comprises a component attached to a line.

11. A fishing tackle according to Claim 10 wherein the further element comprises a clip having a part to receive the line to attach the clip to the line.

12. A fishing tackle according to Claim 11 wherein said part of the clip comprises a hook part having a mouth through which the line can be introduced into the hook part.

13. A fishing tackle according to Claim 12 wherein the enlarged or bulbous formation of an attachment means closes the mouth of the hook part to thereby prevent the clip from becoming disengaged from the line.

14. A fishing tackle according to Claim 12 or Claim 13 wherein the clip comprises a shank with said hook part at one end and said coiled end region at the opposite end.

15. A fishing tackle according to Claim 14 wherein the loop of the clip lies in a plane which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shank part of the clip.

16. A fishing tackle according to Claim 15 wherein the loop of the clip lies in a plane which is normal or substantially normal to said axis.

17. A fishing tackle according to any one of Claims 10 to 16 wherein the line is a long line.

18. A fishing tackle according to any one of Claims 10 to 17 wherein the line is provided with stop portions to restrain the further element from movement lengthwise of the line.

19. A fishing tackle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first and second attachment means are moulded integrally with the body part.

20. A fishing tackle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein retaining means are provided along the body part of the snood to retain the loop of the or each element in said position adjacent to the respective attachment means.

21. A fishing tackle according to Claim 20 wherein said retaining means permits of movement of the loop, past the retaining means, along the body part to said position.

22. A fishing tackle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the hook element comprises a shank having a hook part at one end and said loop at the other end and wherein the loop of the hook element lies in a plane which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shank part of the hook element.

23. A fishing tackle according to Claim 22 wherein the loop is in a plane which is normal or substantially normal to said axis.

24. A fishing tackle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the loop of the hook and the associated enlarged or bulbous formation is configured so as to permit of disengagement of the hook and snood when a predetermined separating force is applied to the hook and the snood.

25. A fishing tackle according to Claim 24 wherein the snood has a longitudinally extending axis and said force is applied parallel to said longitudinal axis of the snood.

26. A fishing tackle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

27. Any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.