Abstract:
An apparatus for holding a fish including fish grasping tongs having jaws at he distal end thereof for placement on the inside and outside of the mouth of a fish, and a hollow case for slidably receiving the fish grasping tongs, the case being adapted to force the tongs to close together as the distal end of the tongs is drawn toward the case.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to apparatus for grasping and holding fish. In particular the invention relates to apparatus for grasping fish by insertion of a portion of the fish holder into the mouth of the fish. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Sport fishermen encounter great difficulty in removing fish hooks from their catch. Fish are commonly picked up by the fisherman or an aid with a hand-held net as they approach the fisherman. After netting the fish, the fisherman or his aid must then remove the fish from the net and hold the fish in one hand while removing the hook from the mouth of the fish with the other hand. The body of the fish is slippery since it is coated with a protective slime coating, and the fish can easily slip out of the hand of the person removing a hook from the mouth of the fish. Fishermen frequently employ towels or rags to place over the body of the fish to prevent the fish from slipping from the hands of the fishermen. Gloves with rough outer surfaces are also employed by fishermen to hold the fish while removing the hook from the mouth of the fish. 
     When grasping the fish with the hand, utilizing a cloth or towel or a fish glove, removes the protective slime from the body of the fish. Such slime removal can cause the fish to die when placed back into the body of water from which it was caught. 
     Catching fish and releasing fish alive is a common practice in many areas of the United States. Such catch and release programs have proved valuable in maintaining fish populations. 
     Apparatus for holding fish are known in the art. Exemplary of the related art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,930,648; 3,208,786; 3,833,252; 3,978,605; 4,854,626; 5,577,785; and 5,832,651; and PCT WO84/03200. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention there is provided an apparatus for holding a fish including fish grasping tongs having jaws at the distal end thereof for placement on the inside and outside of the mouth of a fish, and a hollow case for slidably receiving the fish grasping tongs, the case being adapted to force the tongs to close together as the distal end of the tongs is drawn toward the case. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the fish holding tongs of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of a case for holding the tongs; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the fish holding tongs of FIG. 1 taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the case of FIG. 2 taken along lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  6 — 6  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 7 is a partly cut away, partly cross-sectional view of the fish holding tongs placed inside the case for holding the tongs; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view of the fish holder of the invention held by the user with the jaws of the fish holding tongs in the closed position; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fish holder of the invention held by the user while grasping a fish; 
     FIG. 10 is a plan view of a holster for holding the fish holder of the invention; 
     FIG. 11 a side view taken along lines  11 — 11  of FIG. 10; and 
     FIG. 12 is a partly cut-away view of the fish holder of the invention placed in the holster. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the fish grasping tongs of the invention are generally indicated by the numeral  15 , and in FIG. 2 is shown the case generally indicated by the numeral  18  for holding tongs  15 . In FIG. 7 is shown the fish holder of the invention generally indicated by the numeral  20 . Fish holder  20  includes fish tongs  15  slidably contained inside of case  18 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, fish grasping tongs  15  are made from a continuous piece of material such as metal or polymeric plastic material. Fish grasping tongs  15  include a horizontally disposed finger-grasping member  22  having two identical spaced-apart arms generally indicated by the numeral  17  and  19  extending downward therefrom and terminating in fish grasping jaws  40  and  42  at the distal end thereof 
     Arms  17  and  19  begin with legs  24  and  26  extending downward from finger-grasping member  22  preferably at right angles thereto. Legs  24  and  26  are preferably equal in length. 
     Extending downward from leg  24  is transverse member  28  and extending downward from leg  26  is transverse member  30 . Transverse member  28  is preferably identical to transverse member  30  in size and shape. Transverse member  30  forms an angle α with leg  26  of from about 145 to 155 degrees, or more preferably, about 149 degrees. Transverse member  28  forms the same angle α with leg  24 . 
     Extending downward from transverse member  28  is elongated member  34 , and extending downward from transverse member  30  is elongated member  32 . Elongated member  32  is preferably identical to elongated member  34  in size and shape. Elongated member  32  forms an angle β with transverse member  30  of about 140 to 150 degrees, or more preferably, about 146 degrees. Elongated member  34  forms the same angle β with transverse member  28 . 
     Elongated members  32  and  34  have jaw connecting members  36  and  38  connected thereto respectively. Jaw connecting member  36  forms an angle θ with elongated member  32  of about 145 to about 155 degrees, or more preferably about 150 degrees. Jaw connecting member  38  forms the same angle θ with elongated member  34 . 
     Connected to jaw connecting member  36  and  38  at the distal end of fish grasping tongs  15  and at the end of arms  17  and  19  are fish grasping jaws  40  and  42 . Fish grasping jaw  40  forms an angle λ with jaw connecting member  36  of from about 140 to 150 degrees, or more preferably, 145 degrees. Fish grasping jaw  42  forms the same angle λ with jaw connecting member  38 . Located on the distal end of fish grasping jaws  40  and  42  are a plurality of inwardly curved teeth  44  and  46  which are used for grasping the inside and outside of the mouth of the fish  45  shown in FIG.  9 . 
     As can be seen from the above description, fish grasping arm  17  of fish grasping tongs  15  includes leg  24 , transverse member  28 , elongated member  34 , jaw connecting member  38 , and fish grasping jaw  42 , and fish grasping arm  19  of fish grasping tongs  15  includes leg  26 , transverse member  30 , elongated member  32 , jaw connecting member  36 , and fish grasping jaw  40 . 
     As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 7, tong case  18  slidably contains fish grasping tongs  15  in the interior thereof and is shaped similarly to fish grasping tongs  15 . Tong case  18  has a horizontally disposed handle portion generally indicated by the numeral  50  which preferably has a soft cover  51  thereon as shown in FIG. 7, although cover  51  may be omitted if desired as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Cover  51  may be constructed of rubber or other soft material known in the art. 
     As can be seen in FIG. 4, handle portion  50  has a flat generally rectangular top wall  50   a , and two side walls  50   b  and  50   c  extending downward therefrom. Thus, handle portion  50  is generally U-shaped in cross-section and has an open bottom portion opposite top wall  50   a  between side wall  50   b  and  50   c.    
     Extending downward from handle portion  50  are leg case members generally indicated by the numeral  52  and  54 . Leg case members  52  and  54  are generally perpendicular to handle  50  and are spaced apart sufficiently to enable the fingers of an adult human hand  62  shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 to be inserted therebetween and to grasp finger-grasping member  22 . Leg case members  52  and  54  are identical in size and shape. As shown in FIG. 5, leg case member  52  has a flat generally rectangular outer side wall  52   a  and two sidewalls  52   b  and  52   c  extending horizontally perpendicularly therefrom. Thus, leg case member  52  is generally U-shaped and has an open interior side portion opposite outer wall  52   a  between side walls  52   b  and  52   c.    
     As can be seen in FIG. 7, finger-grasping member  22  and legs  26  and  24  are slidably contained in leg case members  52  and  54 . Extending downward from leg case members  52  and  54  are transverse case members  56  and  58 . Transverse case members  56  and  58  are U-shaped and contain transverse members  28  and  30  therein in the position shown in FIG.  7 . 
     Extending downward from transverse case members  56  and  58  is elongated case member  60 . As can be seen in FIG. 2, side walls  60   a  and  60   b  form an angle B with channel  56  and  58 . Angle β is the same size as angle β shown in FIG.  1 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6, elongated case member  60  has two parallel side walls  60   a  and  60   b  and two parallel side walls  60   c  and  60   d  connecting sidewalls  60   a  and  60   b . The side walls  60   a  through  60   d  thus define a rectangular shaped channel for receipt of elongated members  32  and  34  when the fish grasping tongs  15  are in the position shown in FIG.  7 . When fish holder  20  is in the rest position shown in FIG.  7  and is not in use grasping a fish, jaw connecting members  36  and  38  and extend out of the distal end  61  of elongated case member  60 . 
     As shown in FIG. 8, to close jaws  40  and  42  together, the palm of the hand generally indicated by the numeral  62  of the user grasps handle portion  50  and the fingers of the hand  62  grasp finger-grasping member  22 . As the fingers of the hand  62  are tightened upwardly as indicated by the arrow FIG. 8, elongated members  32  and  34 , transverse members  28  and  30  withdraw into elongated case member  60 . When jaw holders  36  and  38  strike the walls  60   a  and  60   b , respectively, jaws  40  and  42  are forced together as shown in FIG.  8 . 
     When fish grasping tongs  15  are in the position shown in FIG. 7, the jaws  40  and  42  are spread apart and jaw  42  or  40  maybe inserted into the mouth of a fish  65  as shown in FIG.  9 . When finger-grasping member  22  is forced upwardly as shown in FIG. 9, the jaws  42  and  40  clamp on mouth of the fish  65  with one of the jaws being on the outside of the fish and one of the jaws being on the inside of the fish. The teeth  44  and  46  are forced together and tightly grip the side of mouth of fish  65 . 
     Thus, utilizing the fish holder of the invention, a fish can be lifted from the water after being reeled to the side of a boat by sportsman with a rod and reel. It is not necessary to grab the back of the fish, and therefore protective slime is not removed. The fish can be held by the mouth with the fish holder  20  of the invention as shown in FIG. 9 without having to grasp the body of the fish, and the other hand can be used to dislodge a hook from the mouth of the fish. If desired, the fish can then be released into the water with minimum injury to the fish. 
     Although the fish holder  20  of the invention may be used with most game fish, the present invention is especially useful in catching red drum, commonly known in certain parts in the United States as redfish. A redfish has a relatively small, tough mouth, and removing hooks from the mouth of a redfish is difficult. Utilizing the fish holder  20  of the invention, redfish may be easily grasped with one hand while the fisherman removes the hook from the mouth of the redfish with the other hand. The redfish then can be thrown into the ice chest or other fish storage compartment or return to the water unharmed. 
     In FIG. 10 is shown a holster for holding the fish holder of the invention which is generally indicated by the numeral  70 . Holster  70  has a generally rectangular front side  72  and a parallel rectangular rear side  74 , both of which are connected by two side walls  76  and  78 . Thus side walls  72 ,  74 ,  76  and  78  form a holster for the fish holder of the invention having a rectangular cross-section. At the bottom center of side wall  74  of holster  70  is an opening  70   a  for a screw  80 . Screw  80  is utilized to fasten the bottom of holster  70  to a solid member  81  such as the inside of boat. 
     Located at the top of holster  70  are two L-shaped brackets with arms  82  and  84  having holes  82   a  and  84   a  therein for receipt of screws  86 . Arm  82  is connected to shoulder  83  and arm  84  is connected to shoulder  85 . Shoulders  83  and  85  are connected to the side of holster  70 . Holster  70  may be attached to the side a boat or other object  81  by placing screws  86  in  82   a  and  84   a , and placing screw  80  in hole  70   a.    
     Preferably the components of the present invention are made from a metal or polymeric plastic material which are well known in the art. The material from which fish grasping tongs  15  are made should be sufficiently flexible or spring-like to enable arms  17  and  19  of fish grasping tongs  15  to be forced together as shown in FIG.  8  and to spring back to the position shown in FIGS. 1,  7 , and  12 . Exemplary of the metals that may be utilized are steel, aluminum and the like. Polymeric plastic material which may be utilized includes glass, fiber reinforced polymers which are well known in the art. 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that the invention is in no sense limited thereby, and its scope is to be determined by that of the following claims: