Abstract:
The invention concerns a device designed to form a twisted length of yarn incorporating dubbing that can be mounted directly on the shank of the hook. The manipulations are simpler. In particular, the risk of the twist coming undone after forming is avoided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The invention generally concerns the field of fly fishing. It refers to the manufacturing of artificial flies or bait, in particular, the part forming the body thereof.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     An artificial fly is an imitation of a fly or any other prey of river fish in particular, moving over the surface, between two levels of water or at the bottom of the river like nymphs (larvae). Fishing is carried out in different ways depending on the type of fish the fisherman is attempting to catch. There is dry fly fishing, nymph fishing, wet fly fishing and, finally, streamers. All of these artificial flies consist of different components including the body, assembled directly on the fish hook.  
         [0005]     More often than not, the body of the fly is manufactured separately using material referred to as dubbing. Generally, the material consists of fiber, hair or hair or yarn of synthetic or natural material. This material is not applied directly to the hook. It is first mounted through a double twist of yarn. Fishing enthusiasts can obtain preformed dubbing from a supplier and use the prepared material to construct the body of the bait by winding it around the hook.  
         [0006]     The twisted dubbing can also be twisted around itself. However, this operation requires some skill and equipment has been designed to allow the operation to be carried out under good conditions and obtain a satisfactory result.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,797 describes a dubbing winder consisting of a crank handle with a hook on its shaft, mounted in parallel to a flat base. The length of yarn, bent in two, is attached to one end of the base forming an extension of the hook. The loop it forms at the other end is held under slight tension by the hook. The dubbing is arranged cross-wise between the two lengths of the hook. By turning the handle, the hook is made to rotate about its axis causing the two lengths of yarn to twist. The dubbing fibers are then gripped between the lengths of yarn. When the twist is complete, it is detached from the base and wound around the hook to form the body of the fly.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,870 describes a dubbing twister device having a tread twisting means removably attached thereto. After a dubbed thread is formed, the tread twisting means is removed from the base and used as a tool for wrapping the dubbed thread on the body of the fly being tied.  
         [0009]     In practice, these devices require the use of metal wire to prevent the twist from coming undone as it is removed from the device and wound on the shank of the hook. Manipulations between the device and the hook are impractical, especially for smaller sizes of flies. Sometimes, a tacky material is required when the dubbing is light, for instance, in the case of ducktail feather fibers or rabbit ear hairs. Clearly, there is a continuing need in the art for a better device in manufacturing artificial flies or bait, especially the part forming the body thereof. The present invention addresses this need.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present invention concerns a device that enables easy control of the operation of twisting the dubbing between two lengths of yarn. It includes a trough, a trough support, and a means of attaching the trough support to a fixed point, allowing the trough support to be moved with respect to this fixed point. In some embodiments, the trough has a telescopic section allowing a twist to be made to a desired length.  
         [0011]     With this device, it is easy to move the trough immediately next to the vise in which the hook is mounted to form the twist while maintaining direct contact with it. This avoids the need to handle it and advantageously eliminates the risk of the twist coming undone. This way, instead of a metal wire that is relatively more rigid, any yarn, preferably textile, can be used, for example, an assembly silk yarn. This device has the desirable advantage of multiplying the possibilities of producing artificial flies. For instance, with the inventive device, it would be possible to manufacture finer flies that are lighter and float more easily on the water or between two levels of water. It would also make the construction of small size flies easier.  
         [0012]     In an embodiment, one end of the trough is open and, according to a particular method of realization, includes a guide for the yarn opposite said open end.  
         [0013]     In another embodiment, the trough support has a means of adjusting the position of the trough with respect to the means of attachment, by horizontal, vertical or rotational translation movement.  
         [0014]     In one particular embodiment, the means of attachment is arranged to be placed on a flat support. In another embodiment, the means of attachment is arranged for mounting on a cylindrical support, in particular, with the means of attachment arranged for mounting on the support of a hook vise.  
         [0015]     Another aspect of the invention concerns the twisted dubbing manufacturing process, between two lengths of yarn. This process includes the following: the assembly of a hook in a vise, the attachment of one end of the yarn to the hook, the installation of a trough in a horizontal plane the axis of which is directed towards the hook, the installation of the wire in the hook along its shaft, the deposition of dubbing on the yarn, crosswise in the desired quantity, looping the attaching yarn on the second end of the hook, twisting the yarn by the free end of the loop, and winding the twist formed in this way on the hook to form the bait. The existing means may advantageously consist of a hook.  
         [0016]     Other characteristics and advantages will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the following drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of the device, ready for the making up of a twist.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of two troughs that can be adapted to the support.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a hook. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  depicts a vise  1  in the jaws  3  of which a hook  4  is secured firmly. The vise is mounted on a vertical stem  6  itself made integral with a bench or table by virtue of a clamp or another device not shown.  
         [0021]     Device  10  of the invention includes a trough  12  mounted horizontally on a support  14 - 16 - 18 , in this case forming a bracket. The support vertical section includes two stems sliding  14  in the other  16 . A knob  161  with a screw provides the means of tightening the stem  14  and immobilizing it at the desired height with respect to the stem  16 . The lower part of the stem  16  has a sleeve  162  able to slide on a horizontal beam  18  having a square section. A knob with a screw  163  passing through the sleeve makes it possible to lock it onto the beam  18 . The latter has a sleeve  182  mounted to slide on the stem  6  supporting the vise  1 . A knob  183  with a screw is used for immobilizing the beam  18  in rotation and in vertical movement. A stopping sleeve  19 , adjustable for height, is used as a downward stop for sleeve  182 .  
         [0022]     Trough  12  is mounted at the end of stem  14  which is in two parts  141  and  142 . The upper part  142  can swivel about a horizontal axis formed by the knob  143  which is tightened to retain the two elements  141  and  142  together. In this way, it is possible to immobilize the trough in any position around the axis  143 .  
         [0023]     The trough is open at the forward end  121 , i.e., near hook  4 . It will be seen that this end is pointed. The other end has a guide  122  designed to accommodate yarn F. This yarn is attached at one end to hook  4  and is wound into coil B at the other. The wound coil is placed in a known type of coil-holder.  FIG. 3  shows a hook  30  with which the loop formed by the yarn can be grasped.  
         [0024]     The manufacturing of the twist section includes the following steps:  
         [0025]     A hook is placed in vise  1  and device  10  is arranged as shown in  FIG. 1 , by adjusting the various adjustable elements/resources  19 ,  182 ,  162 ,  161 ,  141 . The trough is more or less at the same level as hook  4 , against the shank. Length F is attached at one end to the shank of the hook then placed inside the trough, along its axis, and slid into guide  122 . The coil is allowed to hang with the coil-holder the weight of which tensions the yarn along the trough. The dubbing is placed on the yarn, across the trough, to the desired thickness and distribution.  
         [0026]     The yarn is grasped using hook  30  between the trough and the coil. The hook is left in readiness and the coil is brought towards the hook while placing the wire of the dubbing in the trough. The yarn is attached to the shank of the hook, by turning it around two or three times.  
         [0027]     Slight tension is placed on the double yarn between the branches on which the dubbing is held. The hook is then turned about itself in order to twist the double yarn. When it is estimated that the number of revolutions is sufficient and the dubbing is pressed sufficiently against the yarn, the hook is released from the trough, towards the left, by acting on the mobile parts of the support so that the twisted yarn can be wound around the shank of the hook until the desired fly body is obtained. Then the construction of the fly continues.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  represents a trough  12 ′ of another shape, ready to be put in place as a replacement for trough  12 . This trough has a deeper hollow and is used for short dubbing. A wide trough  12  is useful for long dubbing. Trough  12 ′ is in two parts  12 ′ a  and  12 ′ b  mounted in a telescopic manner so that the length of the yarn to be twisted can be adjusted. Appropriate attaching facilities are provided to facilitate the change of troughs. The trough  12 ′ shown is in a short position for the manufacturing of a short twisted length and in an elongated position for a long twisted length.  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary embodiment of hook  30  which includes a stem, in particular smooth and cylindrical, forming a loop in a given plane and turning through more than 360°. Successively, a straight section  31  near the handle, followed by a semicircular section  32  then by a straight section  33  can be seen. The latter section returns towards the handle. The last section  34  changes direction again and runs parallel to semicircular section  32 . The yarn is attached by sliding it between the two parallel parts  32  and  34 . This tensions the yarn sufficiently. The hook can be manipulated without any risk of losing the yarn.  
         [0030]     Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to or defined by what is shown or described herein. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made or otherwise implemented without departing from the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents.