GB2135161A - Fishing reels - Google Patents

Abstract

The fishing reel has a spool (10) freely rotatable on a spindle (11). The spool is located between two discs (14, 15), one of which (15) is keyed for limited movement along the spindle. A clutch assembly is provided to press the keyed disc (15) against the spool and the spool against the other disc (14) so that the discs grip the spool between them. The gripping force is variable. When the spindle is rotated the discs will rotate with it and so will the gripped spool to wind in the line. When the line pays out the discs, if in gripping contact with the spool act as a brake. The clutch assembly consists of a lever (30), provided at one side of the fishing reel to actuate a cam (28) which, via a cam follower (291 moves a bearing sleeve (26) against the disc (15). The spindle (11) is driven at one of two speeds determined by the clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation of handle 43. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to fishing reels This invention relates to fishing reels.

In accordance with the present invention a spool for a fishing line is mounted for free rotation about a unidirectional spindle and is flanked by two brake/ drive discs of which one is keyed to the spindle for limited sliding movement therealong and the other is fast with the spindle, the keyed disc being adapted to engage the spool and urge same against the other disc to squeeze the spool between the discs, whereby manual rotation of the spindle via a handle on the spool rotates the discs in one direction and consequently also the spool when held between discs, and, when the spool rotates in the opposite direction as fishing line runs out, the discs when squeezing against the spool act as a brake.

The degree by which the discs squeeze the spool between them is variable.

Preferably, a cam is provided about the spindle alongside the keyed disc and is adapted to extend and engage with the keyed disc.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the acompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 represents a fishing reel according to the invention partly in elevation and partly in axial section; and Figure 2 is a sectional view in the line II - II of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, a spool 10 is mounted on a spindle 11 for free rotation therearound, and the cheeks 12, 13 of the spool 10 are flanked by braking/driving discs 14, 15. The disc 14 is fast on the spindle 11 and the disc 15 is rotationaily fast on but keyed to be slidable to a limited extent along the spindle 11 in a keyway 16.

A pair of inner rings 17, are located between the spool 10 and spindle 11 adjacent to the discs 14, 15 and spaced apart by a spring 18.

Externally of the discs 14, 15 are main plates 19,20 which carry a bracket assembly 21 for attaching the reel to a fishing rod.

The discs 14, 15 carry annular brake pads 22, facing the cheeks 12, 13 but normally spaced therefrom by the spring laoded spaced inner rings 17 and the spool carries brake liners for engagement with the brake pads. A clutch assembly is provided adjacent the slidably moveable disc 15 for the purpose of pressing the disc 15 against the spool 10 so that the spool is held between the discs 14, for the purpose hereinafter described of driving the spool to wind in the line or braking rotation of the spool as the line pays out. Forthe purpose of description, the line pays out when the spool rotates clockwise relative to Figure 2 and winds in when the spool rotates anti-clockwise.

The disc brake/drive actuating clutch assembly includes a bearing sleeve 26 mounted over a reduced diameter stub end 25 of the spindle externally of the disc 15. Around the sleeve 26 is a cam housing 27 around which is the main plate 20. Within the housing 27 is a cam 28 and cam follower 29 located adjacent to the bearing sleeve 26 to act on the sleeve to press it against the disc 15. A lever 30 is mounted on the cam housing and when rotated acts against the cam 28 via an inner ring 31. A cam driver 32 is located axially within the hub of the handle to bear against the bearing sleeve and is adjustable longitu finally to alter the position of the sleeve relative to the cam as the brake linings wear down with use.

The lever 30 has a limited rotational movement of 45". From 0 to 221/2 the cam gradually increases the pressure on disc 15 until at 220 the cam 28 is fully operational and thus the spool 10 is most firmly held between the discs 14, 15. After the 221/20 position, the cam is immediately ineffective thus freeing the spool from the discs. A strike pin 33 is provided at the 221/2 position and a stop pin 34 at the end of the 45" movement; these are engaged by a stop pin 35 on the knob 36 of the lever 30 but this stop pin 35 can over-ride the strike pin 33 to enable the operatorto remove the braking force from the spool.

The strike pin 33 and stop pin 34 are shown in Figure 2 to be on the anti-clockwise side of the handle knob 36 but they may be on the clockwise side.

The disc 15 has a ratchet shaped periphery as seen in Figure 2 which is engaged by at least one pawl 36 on the main plate 20, this prevents the disc 15 and consequently the spindle 11 from rotating in a clockwise direction as tends to happen when the discs 14, 15 are engaging the spool 10 and the spool is rotating clockwise as the line is paying out.

In the preferred embodiment, two pawls 36 are provided substantially diametrically spaced so that any clockwise movement of the spool is limited to half the length of a ratchet tooth.

Rotation of the spool in the anti-clockwise direction takes place only when the discs 14, 15 grip the spool sufficiently tightly that they carry the spool with them when they rotate with the spindle, and a drive assembly to rotate the spindle will now be described.

The spindle drive assembly includes the main plate 19 which carries a bearing housing 40. A clutch housing 41 is rotatably mounted within the bearing housing and an outer cheek or side plate 42 of the reel is attached to the clutch housing. The side plate 42 carries a handle 43.

Within the side plate 42 is an internal ring gear 45 which meshes with an idler gear 46 carried on a shaft on the bearing housing 40. The idler gear 46 in turn meshes with a fast gear 47 on a bush 48 splined at 49 to a reduced diameter end portion 50 of the spindle 11. A ratchet 51 is provided between the gear 47 and bush 48 so that the bush is rotated by the gear in only one direction, namely anti-clockwise. To achieve this the handle 43 and side plate 42 are rotated clockwise, thus rotating the inner ring gear 45 and idler 46 also clockwise to transfer the rotation anti-clockwise to the fast gear to drive the bush 48 via the ratchet 51.

Also around the bush 48 is a second ratchet 52 which, when the side plate 42 is rotated anticlockwise rotates the bush 48 to drive the spindle 11.

Thus when the plate 42 is rotated in the clockwise direction, the ratchet 52 does not engage the bush and the drive to the spindle is via the gears 45,46 and 47 and ratchet 51 which rotate the bush and thus the spindle at a higher speed than the direct drive which occurs when the plate 42 is rotated anticlockwise to rotate the bush via ratchet 52.

In use therefore, the reel can rotate freely as the line pays out or it can be braked by exerting a pressure on reel by the discs 14, 15, and the fisherman can constantly vary the gripping effect of the discs on the spool to allow a certain amount of 'slip' so that the line will not be subjected to pulls from a fish likely to exceed the breaking strain of the line. The line can be wound in at one of two speeds depending on whether the handle is rotated clockwise for normal speed with a direct driven from the handle to the bush or anti-clockwise for a higher speed with the drive through gears.

The pressure of the discs on the spool can be finely adjusted by means of an adjustment screw 60 on the main plate 20, acting on a worm wheel 61 attached to the cam housing 27. The slight rotation of the wheel 61 alters the axial positon of the bearing sleeve so that its effect on the disc 15 is increased or decreased when the cam operates.

In the preferred embodiment the spindle drive assembly is at the left hand side of the spool and the brake/drive clutch assembly is at the right hand side, but in an alternative model, these may be reversed together with the discs 14, 15 to suit left handed fishermen.

The fishing reel hereinbefore described is especially, but not exclusively of the kind for use in deep sea fishing for large fish such as marlin and shark.

Claims (9)

1. A fishing reel in which the spool forthe fishing line is mounted for free rotation about a unidirectional spindle and is flanked by two brake/drive discs of which one is keyed to the spindle for limited sliding movement therealong and the other is fast with the spindle, the keyed disc being adapted to engage the spool and urge same against the other disc to squeeze the spool between the discs, whereby manual rotation of the spindle via a handle on the spool rotates the discs in one direction and consequently also the spool when held between discs and, when the spool rotates in the opposite direction as fishing line runs out, the discs when squeezing against the spool act as a brake.

2. Afishing reel as claimed in claim 1 in which the degree by which the discs squeeze the spool between them is variable.

3. A fishing reel as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a cam is provided about the spindle alongside the keyed disc and is adapted to extend and engage with the keyed disc.

4. Afishing reel as claimed in claim 3, in which the cam acts upon a cam follower which engages a bearing sleeve abutting the keyed disc, said cam follower and bearing sleeve being co-axiai with the spindle.

5. A fishing reel as claimed in claim 4 in which the discs are normally spaced from the spool by spring means located around the spindle between the discs, the resistance of the spring means being overcome on actuation of the cam.

6. Afishing reel as claimed in claim 4, in which position adjustment means is provided to alter the relative positions of the bearing sleeve and cam.

7. A fishing reel as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, in which the cam is actuated by a lever mounted on the body of the fishing reel and co-axial with the spindle for limited rotation about the axis.

8. Afishing reel as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the spindle is rotatable at two speeds via a pair of ratchets, each of which is unidirectional in the opposite direction to the other, one of said ratchets rotating the spindle when a handle on the body of the reel is rotated on one direction for a direct drive to the spindle and the other ratchet rotating the spindle when the handle is rotated in the opposite direction to transmit a faster drive to the spindle through gearing.

9. Afishing reel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.