Abstract:
A live bait container for earthworms and the like includes a cylindrical housing with open ends, a cover for each end and aeration provisions in the central portion of the housing between the two ends. The configuration permits the bedding to fall to the bottom and the bait will generally seek the cool and moist bedding at the very bottom. To extract bait the container is inverted and the upper cover removed. The bedding has fallen to the bottom of the container and the earthworms are exposed at the top of the bedding in a very convenient and facile manner.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This patent application is based on and claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/303,130, filed on Jul. 5, 2001 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention pertains to storing and handling fishing bait and more particularly to bait containers that provide easy loading with bait and bedding and easy access to the live bait such as earthworms. The container provides a moist medium and favorable environment during storage, transport and use.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Fishing is an ancient endeavor providing both a healthy food source and entertainment. Fishing frequently involves the use of live bait and in particular earthworms or the like. It is generally recognized that earthworms survive best in a moist bedding or medium preferably soil (ground or earth) with the nutrients and moisture contained therein. By their very nature, earthworms seek darkness and a cool environment and thus frequently, when restrained in a container having an earth medium, seek the bottom of the container for darkness and cool temperatures.  
           [0004]    Those bedding conditions and one package for meeting those conditions for earthworms or other light sensitive worms are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,336. That patent discloses a relatively complex layered package construction fabricated from corrugated cardboard or the like. Such a package will provide containment for earthworms for shipping and/or storage but is not well adapted for use by the fishermen at a fishing location.  
           [0005]    One effort to store and nurture earthworms while making them readily available to the fishermen at a fishing site is the worm cradle bait box of U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,867. The worm cradle is a one-piece molded rectangular construction with one side cut away to provide access to the earthworms by the fisherman. It has no permanent lid. The patent teaches a simple 90° rotation of the box for the purposes of upsetting the contents of the box and hopefully having the earthworms exposed at the single open corner. Such an arrangement does not provide a repositioning that optimizes the exposure of earthworms on top of the soil or other medium and is quite inconvenient for handling, especially in an environment at a fishing site.  
           [0006]    Another approach to a live bait storage container is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,872. The container is an open-topped box designed to receive a live bait storage medium and bait such as earthworms. The box has a hinged cover. The cover holds a sponge to be soaked with water. The box can be stored upside down and the sponge keeps the storage medium moist. The patent points out that the worms usually travel to the cool, moist lowest point in a container and thus by storage on the sponge and inversion before opening the cover, the earthworms will be more readily accessible on top. The bait containers known in the prior art have been cumbersome and costly and have failed to provide an inexpensive, very portable storage device which provides easy access to earthworms and the like at the fishing site.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The bait container of this invention provides storage for earthworms or the like in a moist medium such as soil or bedding, provides aeration for the bait and medium, and makes the bait readily available near the top surface of the medium by simple manipulation and easy access to the contents of the container. The improved bait storage container includes a hollow cylindrical or tubular housing having a longitudinal axis and first and second edges defining openings at the respective ends. A cover is provided for each end having a central portion conforming to and closing the openings. In using the term “hollow cylindrical housing,” that term is intended to include any structure having two longitudinally spaced open ends and a smooth inner wall connecting those open ends which will permit soil or bedding medium to slide from one open end to the other when the housing is inverted. The cover provided at each opening forms a seal with the edge of the opening but is in releasable engagement with the edge of the housing surrounding the opening. Aeration apertures are provided generally in the central portion of the housing, the apertures being of a size that will permit the ingress and egress of moist air without passing any significant portion of the soil or other bedding contained within the housing when the bait storage container is in use. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional elevation view of one embodiment of the invention in a first operative position;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 inverted with the upper cover ajar and the bedding material and bait shifted to the lower end.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary illustration of an alternate embodiment of the bait container of this invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of another alternate embodiment of the housing and cover of the invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of an alternate housing configuration in accordance with the invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 shows an additional embodiment of the invention with a cover restraint feature;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 shows still an additional embodiment of the invention with an alternate cover restraint feature; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of the housing and cover of FIG. 7 illustrating the restraint feature and its operation. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings and more particular to FIG. 1, a bait container  10  is illustrated in an elevational cross section wherein the housing  12  has a cylindrical wall  14  having open ends  16  and  18 . The wall  14  in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is formed of thin metal such as tin plated steel and has a bead  20  adjacent the open end  16  and a similar bead  22  adjacent the open end  18 . The wall  14  is provided with a plurality of apertures  24  located in the central area between the open ends  16  and  18 . The size of the apertures  24  is selected to permit aeration of the contents of the bait container  10  while substantially preventing the egress of bedding material or bait from within the housing.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 shows a representative bedding material  26  disposed in the lower portion of the container  10  and below the level of the aeration apertures  24 . The housing has a longitudinal axis  11  and the surface configuration of housing  12  is such that sliding of the bedding  26  is facilitated. The bedding  26  may be of any appropriate material including soil or various bedding materials commercially available to fishermen. Earthworms  27  are schematically indicated in the bedding material  26 . The configuration of the mass including the bedding material  26  and earthworms  27  within the housing  12  is typical, that is, earthworms characteristically seek the coolest and most moist environment that is available and typically that environment is at the bottom of a bait container configured in the manner of FIG. 1.  
         [0019]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 appropriate indicia indicating the nature of the product, a trademark, the manufacturer and other data can be printed on the external surface of housing  14  as well as the housings of the other embodiments. The legend “BAIT” shown in FIG. 1 is inverted when the container  10  is inverted in FIG. 2 to exemplify the inversion process and repositioning the bedding and bait. If desired, the aeration apertures  24  can be designed to convey information as, for example, a series of apertures spelling out the word “BAIT”.  
         [0020]    As shown in FIG. 1, the open ends  16  and  18  of the housing  12  are closed by covers  28  and  30 . In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the covers  28  and  30  are molded of an appropriate copolymer. They have relatively thin central portions  29  and  31  closing the end openings of housing  12  and integrally formed lips  32  and  34  respectively. The material of the covers  28  and  30  and the dimensions and configurations of the lips  32  and  34  are selected to provide resilience in the lips so that they can be urged over the beads  20  and  22  and retained in that position with a substantial margin of safe securement. On the other hand, the lips  32  and  34  are sufficiently flexible and the material of sufficient tensile strength to permit repeated application of the covers to the respective ends of the housing  12 , yieldable retention of the covers on the housing and removal therefrom for access to the cavity within the housing  12 . The lips  32  and  34  may include annular rings on the inner surfaces displaced from the central portions  29  and  31  to enhance retention against beads  20  and  22 .  
         [0021]    The cross sectional area defined by the wall  14  may vary in size and in specific configuration. The terms “cylinder” and “cylindrical” are used in this description to define a cavity in which the contents such as the bedding and earthworms shown in FIG. 1 can readily slide from adjacent the lower cover  30  as shown in FIG. 1 to the new lower position on cover  28  shown in FIG. 2 when the bait container  10  is inverted. In general, the wall  14  can be any surface traced by a straight line moving parallel to a fixed straight line such as line  11  about a closed path. The body or cavity defined by that surface and two planes transverse to the axis  11  may comprise a right circular cylinder as shown in the drawings. On the other hand, the bait container may have an oval or other smoothly curved cross section or may be square, octagonal or the like. Moreover, slight discontinuities such as strengthening rings may be included that do not interfere with bedding movement upon inversion. The right circular construction shown in the figures is the preferred embodiment. The capacity of the bait container  10  will obviously depend upon the size of the component parts and the particular market that the bait container is serving. For the casual fisherman or for a relatively brief fishing event, a housing several inches in height and several inches in diameter may well be adequate to provide a moist and cool environment for an adequate supply of earthworm bait. In one preferred embodiment the housing  12  has a four inch diameter. On the other hand, for a more extensive fishing occasion, larger size housings will be preferred.  
         [0022]    The configuration shown in FIG. 1 has been found to permit easy access to the contents of the container  10  including the ability to remove the lower cover  30  in a manner shown in FIG. 2 with the container in an inverted position. The cover  30  can be removed with one hand while the container is resting on an appropriate surface  36 .  
         [0023]    If a more tenacious attachment of the covers to the housing is desired, the embodiment of FIGS.  3 - 8  are appropriate. The embodiment of FIG. 3 includes a housing  112  and a pair of covers illustrated by cover  128 . In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the cover lip  132  is configured with an inwardly directed flange  138 . The lip  132  may extend axially a greater distance than the lip  32  of FIG. 1 so that the flange  138  can better engage a bead such as bead  20  shown in FIG. 1. If desired, the portion of the wall  114  adjacent the end  116  may have a peripheral recess  140  to more positively receive the flange  138 . In the embodiment of FIG. 3 with the enhanced retaining forces provided by flange  138  in recess  140 , the lip  132  has an extending flare  142  which facilitates removal of the cover  128  from the housing  112 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 illustrates a small fragment of a housing  212  having a wall  214  formed of a copolymer with the necessary rigidity to maintain its shape and outer configuration. The wall  214  has a curved edge bead  244  with a recess  246  formed in the outer surface of the wall  214  and displaced from the wall end  216 . The cover  228  is also of a molded copolymer and has a inward rib  248  which cooperates with the recess  246  to releasably retain the cover in place on the housing  212 . A tab or flare like flare  142  in FIG. 3, not shown in FIG. 4, can extend axially downward from the central portion of the cover to assist in removal of the cover from the housing  212 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 shows a fragment of another housing wall  314  formed of a rolled foil coated fiber sheet with a metal ring  350  crimped on the edge of the wall  314 . Wall  314  has a bead  320  formed outwardly for retention of a cover (not shown). The cover  28  described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 can be adapted for the housing of FIG. 5 or, in the alternative, a cover configuration like the cover  128  of FIG. 3 can be similarly adapted to the coated fiberboard housing  312  with the metal ring  350 .  
         [0026]    The bait container embodiment of FIG. 6 is similar to the container already described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIG. 5. In the bait container of FIG. 6, a more positive system is provided for locking and releasing the cover  428 . The wall  414  may have an all-metal wall like the housing  12  of FIGS. 1 and 2 or it may be of a copolymer (FIG. 4). It may also have a coated fireboard construction such as wall  314  with a metallic ring  450  like the ring  350  of FIG. 5. The cover  428  has a lip  432  like the lip  32  of FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the shape of the lip is modified to include a configuration to hold the cover  428  on the housing  412  with less resistance to removal than that described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. The inner surface of lip  432  has been modified to provide locking by adding four small tabs  452  disposed in quadrature about the inside surface of lip  432  and extending radially inwardly but spaced axially from the central cover portion to form a part of the locking system. The ring  450  secured to the edge of wall  414  has been modified in a matching pattern with four notches  454 . Notches  454  are in quadrature and sized to permit the tabs  452  to pass to a position longitudinally beyond the ring  450  when the cover is applied and to pass through notches  454  when the cover is removed. By rotating the cover  428  when it is placed on the ring  450  so that the tabs  452  are out of alignment with the notches  454 , the cover is firmly locked on the housing  414  to prevent unintended or accidental removal of the cover from the housing. With the locking system of the embodiment of FIG. 6, the tenacity with which the lip  432  grips the bead  420  is reduced, making intentional removal of one cover much easier when it is the upper cover and the notches and tabs are aligned.  
         [0027]    The embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 is also configured to facilitate easier removal of the cover  528  from the housing  512  when desired for access to the chamber and the earthworm bait therein while precluding inadvertent disconnection. The locking system provided in the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 is similar to the system of FIG. 6 but especially adapted to a bait container including both a cover and housing formed of a copolymer or other moldable material. The cover retention system of the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 is similar to systems used in childproof medication packaging and the like. The molded plastic housing  512  has a wall  514  with a flange  556  and a wall portion  558  thereabove. A discontinuous bead  560  is integrally molded in the upper wall  558  and includes a discontinuity  562  conforming to the surface shape of the remainder of the upper wall  558 . An identifier  564  is molded under the flange  556  to identify the location of the discontinuity  562  when the cover  528  is in place concealing the upper wall  558  and the position of discontinuity  562 .  
         [0028]    The cover  528  includes a lip  532  and a central cover portion  529 . On the inside surface of lip  532  a slight circular recess  566  is formed and positioned to align with the discontinuous bead  560  when the cover is in place on the wall  514 . A tab  568  is formed on the inner surface of lip  532  between the annular recess  566  and the distal edge  570  of the lip  532 . Opposite the tab  568  and on the outer surface of lip  532  there is a gripping tab and indicator  572  to indicate the location of the locking tab and to facilitate removal of the cover  528  from the housing  512 . The locking tab  568  and the lift tab  572  are shown in the cutaway portion of the cover  528  in FIG. 8.  
         [0029]    The operative relationship of the bead  560  of wall  514  and the recess  566  in the cover lip  532  can be seen clearly in FIG. 8. When the discontinuity  562  of flange  560  is aligned with the locking tab  568  of lip  532 , only the engagement of flange  560  in the recess  566  resists the removal of the cover  528  from the wall  514 . The removal motion is indicated by arrow  574  and the position shown by broken lines  576 . The peeling action of the cover illustrated by arrow  574  and broken lines  576  is made possible by the manipulation of lifting tab  572  and the alignment of locking tab  568  with discontinuity  562 . By rotating the cover  528  about the housing  512  to place the locking tab  568  out of alignment with the discontinuity  562 , the peeling action described above is impossible. Thus the cover is securely maintained on the housing  512  when that cover is the bottom cover of the bait container, as in the position of rest on surface  36  shown in FIG. 2. When the container is in the position shown in FIG. 1 with the cover  528  uppermost, the bedding and bait will be in the bottom resting on the oppositely disposed cover. In that position, when the indicator tabs  564  and  572  are aligned, the cover  528  can be readily removed.  
         [0030]    It should be understood, of course, that only one cover and the relationship of that cover to the housing and its components is described in detail. In all cases, including the embodiments of FIGS.  3 - 8 , the details illustrated and described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 are applied at both ends and the same results are obtained.  
         [0031]    The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar references in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.  
         [0032]    Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best modes known to the inventor for carrying out the invention. Of course, variations of those preferred embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventor intends for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.