Fishing reel

A fishing reel whose rotary shaft with a rotary frame extends perpendicularly with respect to a handle shaft provided on a reel body which is mounted to a fishing rod through a mounting leg so that the rotating axis of the rotary frame may be at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fishing rod, whereby a fishing line to be drawn out from a spool approximately at a right angle toward the tip of the rod is drawn out in the relation of being bent substantially at a right angle with respect to the axis of the rotary frame; is adapted to control a fishing line guide lever on the rotary frame by means of a control plate provided thereat.

This invention relates to a fishing reel and more particularly to a fishing 
reel, a so-called closed-face reel, which is mounted on a fishing rod for 
winding a fishing line onto a spool by operating a handle bar. 
Conventionally, this kind of closed-face reel is provided with a spool for 
winding up the line thereon and a rotary frame of a bowl-like shape, 
having a line guide lever for guiding the line to be hooked therewith and 
wound onto the spool. The guide lever is movable radially of the rotary 
frame and capable of moving inwardly and outwardly of the side wall of the 
rotary frame so that the guide lever may hook the line therewith on an 
outward movement, thereby to wind up the line onto the spool through 
rotation of the rotary frame, while, drawing out the line desirably from 
the spool on an inward movement. 
The aforesaid guide lever's inward and outward movements are carried out by 
a control lever provided at the rear of reel body, the control lever being 
usually handled with the thumb of the angler's hand gripping the rod. 
From this, the aforesaid thumb leaves the rod while the angler handles the 
rod which leads to unstable rod-gripping. Thus, there have been problems 
in that the angler finds it hard to handle the rod for casting the rig at 
the line terminal accurately toward his desired place, and he cannot fully 
retard by thumbing the line drawn out from the spool through the rotary 
frame in free rotation, for casting the rig, or playing a hooked fish. 
It is desirable for the angler using the reel to be able to cast the rig to 
his desired place and also control the reel to play a hooked fish, thereby 
raising his fishing taste and angling a big fish even with a thin line. 
From this reason, thumbing should be able to be carried out easily and 
reliably for fishing. 
In other words, desirable and accurate casting depends upon being able to 
slow down the line from being withdrawn from the spool or from being wound 
onto the spool. The conventional closed-face reel, however is so 
constructed as not to retard the line readily, reliably and desirably 
while being drawn out from or wound up onto the spool. 
The invention has been designed to solve the aforesaid problems in the 
conventional reel. An object of the invention is to provide a fishing reel 
with which the angler can retard the line readily and reliably by thumbing 
as he desires while gripping the rod firmly, resulting in more fishing 
enjoyment, angling a big fish even with a thin line, and also in casting 
the rig accurately toward his desired place. 
The fishing reel in accordance with the invention is so constructed that; a 
reel body is provided with a handle shaft and rotary shaft driven thereby, 
disposed at a right angle to each other; a spool and a rotary frame are 
disposed around the rotary shaft; and a mounting leg for mounting the reel 
body to the fishing rod is provided so as to have the face of a mounting 
seat through which the leg is attached to the rod in relation of being 
extending lengthwise at a right angle with respect to the axis of the 
rotary shaft. The reel body is mounted to the rod through the mounting leg 
in a relation that the rotating axis of the rotary frame is approximately 
perpendicular lengthwise of the rod, so that the fishing line may be drawn 
out from the spool toward the tip of rod, while bending at a right angle 
with respect to the rotating axis; and a control plate provided at the 
rotary frame is controlled to enable the guide lever to move inwardly and 
outwardly of the rotary frame side wall so that the line can be desirably 
retarded when drawn out from the spool. 
Accordingly, the fishing reel of the invention enables the angler to 
control the guide lever by use of the forefinger of his hand gripping the 
rod, grip the rod firmly with other fingers including the thumb, and 
further use the thumb for retarding the line easily and reliably as he 
desires.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a reel body 1, a mounting 
leg 2 for mounting the reel body 1 to a fishing rod R and a cover 3 fixed 
to the reel body 1. 
The reel body 1 comprises, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a disc 1a, a casing 
1b extending perpendicularly from the flat surface of the disc 1a, and a 
lid 1c closing an opening of the casing 1b. The disc 1a is provided 
substantially at its center with a through hole to which a tubular shaft 5 
is fixed. The tubular shaft 5 supports thereon a rotary shaft 9 in the 
relation of being rotatable and axially movable. The casing 1b supports a 
handle shaft 24 positioned perpendicularly to the axis of the rotary shaft 
9, and houses a transmission for transmitting the rotation of the handle 
shaft to the rotary shaft 9. 
The mounting leg 2 is provided with a fixing face 2a, a trunk 2b, and a 
mounting seat face 2c, through which fixing face 2a the mounting leg 2 is 
detachably fixed by a screw 6 to the surface of the disc 1a at one side 
thereof adjacent to the side wall of casing 1b. The trunk 2b extends from 
the fixing face 2a parallel to the axis of rotary shaft 9 and has at a 
free end the mounting seat face 2c of a given length lengthwise of the 
fishing rod R. 
The mounting seat face 2c of the mounting leg 2 is positioned substantially 
at a right angle with respect to the axis of rotary shaft 9 so that the 
reel body 1 may be attached to the rod R through the mounting leg 2 in the 
relation that the rotating axis of rotary shaft 9 becomes perpendicular 
with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fishing rod R. 
To the disc 1a of the reel body 1, the cover 3 is mounted for covering a 
spool 4 and a rotary frame 8. The cover 3, which has a through hole 36 as 
well-known, is mounted to the disc 1a in such a manner that the center 
line of the through hole 36 is made parallel to the rotating axis of 
rotary shaft 9 and approximately at a right angle to the fishing rod R 
when the reel body 1 is mounted to the rod R through the mounting leg 2. 
Hence, the fishing line P is drawn out toward the tip of rod R through the 
through hole 36 with the fishing line bent substantially at a right angle 
with respect to the center line of the hole 36, that is, the rotating axis 
of rotary frame 8. 
The cover 3 is formed in a cup-like shape having a conical bottom and is 
detachably mounted upside down to the reel body 1. In the uppermost end of 
the conical bottom is provided the through hole 36 through which the 
fishing line passes and in the lateral side is provided a window through 
which the angler can insert his finger into the cover. 
The spool 4, rotary frame 8, and transmission from the handle shaft 24 to 
the rotary shaft 9, which are housed in the reel body 1 of the reel 
constructed as aforegoing, will be detailed as follows: 
First, the spool 4 is sleeved onto the tubular shaft 5 to be exchangeably 
fixed thereto by means of a snap ring 41 
Second, the rotary frame 8 serves to guide the fishing line to be wound 
onto the spool 4, which is formed of a one-end-closed cylindrical shape 
like an upside-down bowl. In the bottom wall of rotary frame 8 there is 
formed a through hole into which the portion of the rotary shaft 9 
projecting from the tubular shaft 5 is inserted. Rotary frame 8 is 
tightened to shaft 9 by means of a nut 42, thereby being rotatable with 
the rotary shaft 9. 
The rotary frame 8 also has a fishing line guide lever 10 for guiding the 
line to be wound onto the spool 4. The guide lever 10 comprises a rod 11 
and an L-like shaped plate 12. The rod 11 extends at its outer end from 
the side wall of rotary frame 8 through a hole 81 formed in the side wall. 
At the center of the bottom wall of rotary frame 8 there is provided a 
retaining portion 82 for retaining the inner end of guide lever 10, i.e., 
of the plate 12. The retaining portion 82 holds the inner end of plate 12 
so as to keep the guide lever 10 projecting at its outer end from the side 
wall of rotary frame 8 through the through hole 81. 
The guide lever 10 is movable radially of the rotary frame 8 along the 
bottom wall thereof through a pair of guide plates 13, and shiftable at 
the inner end axially of the rotary frame 8 in swinging motion around the 
cardinal point 0 of the insertion of the rod 11 into the through hole 81. 
Between the outer surface of the bent portion of plate 12 and the inner 
surface of the side wall of rotary frame 8 is inserted a first coil spring 
14 which urges the guide lever 10 normally radially of the rotary frame 8 
toward the center of rotary frame 8. On the bottom plate of rotary frame 8 
there is provided a leaf spring 15 which urges the inner end of guide 
lever 10 axially of the rotary frame 8 toward the inner surface of the 
bottom wall thereof. 
On the end portion of tubular shaft 5, corresponding to the inner end of 
guide lever 10, there are provided a recess 51 receiving therein the inner 
end of guide lever 10 and a cam 52 in contact with the inner end to bias 
the guide lever 10 from the recess 51 toward the retaining portion 82 
following the rotation of rotary frame 8. The inner end of guide lever 10 
enters recess 51 through the force of spring 14 when the inner end of 
guide lever 10 is shifted axially of the rotary frame 8 as shown in the 
dot-dash line in FIG. 3, by means of a control plate to be hereinafter 
described. At this moment the outer end of guide lever 10, i.e., the rod 
11, withdraws into the side wall of rotary frame 8. While, under this 
condition the rotary frame 8 is rotated to allow the inner end of guide 
lever 10 to contact the cam 52 through the spring 15, thereby to be guided 
to the retaining portion 82, as shown by the solid line. 
The guide lever 10 constituted as aforesaid is controlled by a control 
plate 16 supported to the rotary frame 8 in the relation of being movable 
axially thereof. 
The control plate 16 is formed of a disc and provided with a pusher 17 for 
transmitting the movement of the control plate to the guide lever 10 in 
such a manner that the pusher contacts at its tip thereof the plate 12 of 
the guide lever 10 through a hole in the bottom wall of rotary frame 8 so 
that the control plate is operated to shift the guide lever 10 in a 
swinging motion through the pusher 17 as shown by the dot-dash line in 
FIG. 3. The control plate 16 also has a support pin 18 of a resilient 
material positioned about 180.degree. from the pusher. The pin 18 supports 
the control plate in the relation of being swingable with respect to the 
rotary frame 8. Also, a coil spring 19 is mounted around the pusher 17 to 
support the control plate 16 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, in 
which a frame 20 serves as the stopper for the control plate 16. 
Third, the transmission for transmitting the rotation of handle shaft 24 to 
the rotary frame 8 comprises a master gear 25 and a pinion 9a in mesh 
therewith. The master gear 25 is secured to the inner end of handle shaft 
24 and the pinion 9a, to the lower end of rotary shaft 9. The handle shaft 
24 has its outer end a handle bar 23 which is operated to rotate the 
handle shaft 24 and thereby transmit the rotation thereof to the rotary 
shaft 9 through the transmission, thus rotating the rotary frame 8 fixed 
to the rotary shaft 9. 
To the handle shaft 24 is also insertably fixed an anti-reverse gear 26 for 
preventing reverse rotation of the line winding direction. The gear 26, as 
shown in FIG. 5, is meshable with each of a pair of pawls 27a and 27b of a 
pawl holder 27, the pawl holder being pivoted within the casing 1b. Thus, 
the reverse rotation of handle shaft 24 is prevented by the meshing of one 
of the pawls with the anti-reverse gear 26, where each pawl is selected by 
a control lever 30 at the casing 1b. 
Also, in FIG. 5, contacts 21 are formed on the pawl holder 27 to be in 
contact with the anti-reverse gear 26 and a pin 22 is fixed to the pawl 
holder to be engageable with the control lever 30. 
The fishing reel of the invention constituted as aforesaid, as shown in 
FIG. 9, is mounted to the fishing rod at one of four positions through the 
mounting leg. The four positions are selective by the angler as follows: a 
first position where the reel body 1 is above and the handle bar 23 at the 
right hand to the rod R when gripped by the angler for fishing; a second, 
the reel body above and the handle bar at the left hand; a third, the reel 
body below and the handle bar at the right hand; and a fourth the reel 
body below and the handle bar at the left hand. 
Thus, when the angler tries to cast the rig, he inserts the forefinger of 
his hand gripping the fishing rod into the cover 3 through the window 35, 
to push the control plate 16 against the spring 19 force, thereby to move 
the pusher 17 toward plate 12 through the rotary frame 8. Hence, the end 
of pusher 17 is in contact with the guide lever 10 to be shifted in a 
swinging motion downwardly as shown by the dot-dash line in FIG. 3, and 
the inner end of guide lever 10 slides into the recess 51 by the spring 14 
force to allow the outer end to withdraw into the rotary frame side wall. 
Thus the line is free from the guide lever hooking and guiding it and 
simultaneously is retained by the angler's forefinger pushing the control 
plate 16. While casting under these conditions, the angler removes his 
forefinger from the control plate 16 to allow the rig to reach the desired 
casting area. At this time, the line is drawn out from the spool 4 through 
hole 36 between the forefinger and control plate 16, and is retarded 
therebetween by the so-called thumbing in which the retardation is 
desirably adjustable with various gap widths between the finger and 
control plate. 
On the other hand, the handle bar 23, when a fish is hooked, is manipulated 
to rotate the rotary frame 8 through which the fishing line is wound onto 
the spool 4, in which the rotary frame rotates to allow the guide lever 10 
to go out from the side wall of rotary frame. In detail, the guide lever 
10, whose outer end has withdrawn into the rotary frame 8 for casting as 
aforesaid, is urged at the inner end toward the cam 52 by the second 
spring 15 force due to the released control plate 16. Hence, when the 
handle bar 23 is operated to rotate the rotary frame 8, the guide lever 10 
rotatable together therewith is guided at the inner end onto the cam 52 so 
as to move outwardly against the spring 14, so that the inner end again 
rides on the retaining tongue 82 to keep the guide lever projecting at its 
outer end beyond the side wall of rotary frame 8. Thereafter, the line is 
guided by the guide lever following rotation of the rotary frame 8, 
thereby being wound onto the spool 4, and thereby allowing the angler to 
play the fish as desired. If the hooked fish pulls the line heavily while 
winding, the control plate 16 is immediately pushed to release the line 
from the guide lever 10 so that the line may run out through hole 36 
between the control plate 16 and angler's finger while being braked for 
playing the hooked fish. This thereby prevents the line from being cut. 
As seen from the aforementioned description, the fishing reel of the 
closed-face type in accordance with the invention, has the control plate 
provided axially of the rotary frame for controlling the guide lever 
rotatable in cooperation with the rotary frame so as to move inwardly and 
outwardly thereto. The control plate is manipulatable with the forefinger 
of the angler's hand gripping the fishing rod. 
Hence, a firm rod gripped with the angler's fingers except for the 
forefinger controls the guide lever and makes the casting reliable, 
thereby enabling the angler to cast the rig accurately toward his desired 
place. Also, the aforesaid construction, i.e., the guide lever is 
controllable by the control plate provided ahead of the rotary frame, 
enables the angler to brake the wound-up or drawn-out line desirably by 
thumbing. 
In the embodiment as aforesaid, the outer end of guide lever 10 is in 
advance of the inner end thereof axially of the rotary frame 8, but 
preferably toward the control plate 16. 
In this instance, if the reference l.sub.1, as shown in FIG. 8, represents 
the length between the outer end of the retaining portion 82 and the 
rotating axis Y--Y of rotary frame 8 and l.sub.2, the length between the 
maximum projecting outer end of the cam 52 and the same axis, l.sub.2 is 
made larger than l.sub.1 so as to form a stepped portion, whereby the 
guide lever 10 is sure to ride on the retaining portion to be engaged 
therewith after being guided by the cam 52. In addition, the outer end of 
the guide lever is displaced ahead of the inner end toward the control 
plate to the extent that the cardinal point 0 in its swinging motion of 
the inner end is located ahead of the retaining portion 82 toward the 
control plate 16, whereby the guide lever 10, which is shifted in its 
swinging motion by the control plate, can be free from contact at the 
inner end with the cam 52. 
The retaining portion 82, which is provided directly adjacent the rotary 
frame 8 in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, may be formed at the 
nut 42 fixed to the rotary frame 8 as shown in the embodiments in FIGS. 6 
through 8, where the formation is not defined particularly. In brief, it 
is preferable that the retaining portion 82 is provided in the center of 
the rotary frame 8. In addition, in the construction shown in FIGS. 6 
through 8, a lock nut 43 serves to fix the rotary frame 8 to the nut 42. 
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using 
specific terms, such description is for illustrative purpose only, and it 
is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without 
departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.