Submersible fishing light

A submersible fishing light in which the electrical components are sealed within a water impervious plastic shell. Insulated electrical wires extend into the shell and connect with a socket which receives the base of an incandescent bulb. The base of the bulb is threaded through a lead weight which serves as ballast. The neck of the bulb is sealed to the shell by a compressible sponge ring. A metal wire has hook ends embedded in the lead weight and forms an eye through which the electrical wiring extends. In an alternative embodiment, a protective cage surrounds the bulb and is anchored in place by rods having hook ends embedded in the lead weight.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to lighting devices and more particularly 
to a light which is specially constructed for use underwater during 
fishing. 
Fisherman have long been aware that fish are attracted to underwater 
lights. Minnows and other small fish are especially attracted to a 
submerged light, and larger fish are in turn attracted by the small fish. 
As a result, underwater lights can be effective in enhancing night 
fishing. 
However, underwater light devices have not been widely used in the past, 
primarily because the types of lights that have been proposed are plagued 
by numerous problems. Floating lights such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,617,733 are not as successful in attracting fish as lights which are 
submerged well below the surface of the water. The device shown in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,510,978 is rather awkward and cumbersome to use because it 
incorporates a minnow bucket in combination with a light bulb, and the 
bucket and light must be lowered together into the water. The underwater 
lights shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,005,908 and 3,502,861 are somewhat more 
practical but are nevertheless subject to water leakage and other 
problems. 
The present invention is directed to an improved underwater fishing light 
and has, as its principal object, the provision of a light which is 
effectively sealed against water leakage. It is a particularly important 
feature of the invention that the electrical components are encased in a 
plastic shell which is impervious to water and has a cooperating sponge 
ring which seals against the neck of the light bulb. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a submersible fishing light 
which is constructed and arranged to be used more easily and to function 
more effectively than the lights that have been proposed in the past. In 
this respect, the shell has a unique configuration which allows it to 
conveniently house the electrical socket, the sponge ring, and a lead 
weight which serves as ballast to sink the light. At the same time, the 
shell configuration is compact and gives the light an attractive 
appearance. 
A still further object of the invention is to provide a submersible fishing 
light in which the electrical wiring is threaded through an elongated neck 
portion of the shell and through an eye which is formed in a stiff metal 
wire contained in the shell. This arrangement relieves the strain on the 
electrical wiring and allows the light to be suspended thereon in the 
water. Consequently, a separate rope or cable is not necessary for 
lowering the light into the water, and the simplicity of the device and 
its ease of use are increased accordingly. 
An additional object of the invention is to provide, in a fishing light of 
the character described, a protective cage for the light bulb which is 
securely anchored to the shell so that it remains in place for protection 
of the bulb. 
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a fishing light of the 
character described which is constructed in a simple and economical manner 
and which uses readily available components. 
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of 
novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following 
description.

Referring now to the drawing in more detail and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, 
numeral 10 generally designates a submersible fishing light constructed in 
accordance with the present invention. The electrical components of the 
fishing light 10 are housed within a plastic shell 12 which receives a 
conventional 12 volt incandescent light bulb 14. The shell 12 has a main 
body 16 and an elongated tubular neck 18 which extends from the body 16. 
As best shown in FIG. 2, the body 16 includes a central cup portion 20 
which contains a lead weight 22 serving as ballast to sink the light. The 
weight 22 is an annular member which fits closely within the cup portion 
20. The side wall of the cup portion 20 is frusto-conical. 
Located above the cup portion 20 of body 16 is a cylindrical head portion 
24 of the body which connects with the neck 18. A conventional electrical 
socket 26 is contained within the head portion 24. The light bulb 14 
includes the usual neck 28 which terminates in a metal base 30 that fits 
in the socket 26. The lead weight 22 is internally threaded at 32 to mate 
with the threads on the light bulb base 30. When the bulb is inserted into 
the socket, electrical connection between the socket and the bulb filament 
is established in the usual manner. 
Body 16 includes a base portion 34 through which the light bulb neck 28 
extends when the base 30 is inserted into socket 26. A compressible sponge 
ring 36 is contained within the base portion 34 and forms a water tight 
seal between the neck 28 and the shell 12 which houses the electrical 
components of the light. The neck 28 extends out of shell 12 through an 
opening 38 formed in the lower end of the base portion 34. 
Electrical power is supplied to the light by electrical wiring formed by a 
pair of insulated electrical wires 40 which extend closely through the top 
end of neck 18. The wires 40 extend through the entire length of neck 18, 
and each wire 40 includes a conductor 42 (see FIG. 2) which connects with 
socket 26 in order to supply electrical power thereto. As shown in FIG. 1, 
wires 40 connect at their opposite end with terminal connectors 44 which 
may be clamped to the terminals of a battery (not shown) located within a 
fishing boat. When the cable connectors 44 are connected to the battery 
terminals, an electrical circuit is completed from the battery to socket 
26 and the light bulb 14. The electrical conductors 42 are preferably 18 
gauge copper wire. 
A metal wire 46 extends within the neck 18 of shell 12 to stiffen the neck 
and help it to hold its shape. Wire 46 is bent to form a loop or eye 48 
near the top end of neck 18, and the electrical wires 40 are threaded 
closely through the eye 48. Wire 46 includes a pair of leg portions 50 
which extend downwardly from eye 48 within neck 18. The leg portions 50 
are bent outwardly around socket 28 and extend through the head portion 24 
of the shell and into the cup portion 20. Hooks 52 are formed on the free 
ends of the leg portions 50, and the hooks 52 are embedded in and hooked 
to the lead weight 22. The wire 46 is preferably a relatively stiff wire 
and may be a 14 gauge steel wire. 
The shell 12 may be applied in the form of a plastic air dry coating such 
as the type of coating commercially available under the trademark PLASTI 
DIP. This type of coating is impervious to water and can be easily applied 
to encase the components. The metal wire 46 facilitates formation of the 
neck 18 during application of the coating and provides stiffening for the 
neck. 
In use, the shell 12 and connected bulb 14 are lowered into the water to 
the desired depth on the electrical wires 40. When the bulb 14 is at the 
desired depth, the terminal connectors 44 are applied to the opposite 
battery terminals, and the bulb 14 is then illuminated. Minnows and other 
small fish are attracted to the energized bulb, and the small fish in turn 
attract larger fish which may be caught by the fisherman or fishermen 
using the light 10. 
FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention which differs 
from the previously described embodiment only in that the cup 20 and 
weight 22 are enlarged somewhat, and a protective cage 54 is provided to 
protect the bulb 14. The cage 54 includes a plurality of vertical bars 56 
and a pair of horizontal rings 58 which are connected with the bars 56. 
Each bar 56 is formed by a metal rod 60 which extends into cup portion 20 
and is provided on its top end with a hook 62 embedded in the lead weight 
22. The hooked ends 62 of rods 60 securely anchor the cage 54 to shell 12. 
Each ring 58 includes a wire hoop 64. The rods 60 and hoops 64 are covered 
by a plastic coating 66 which may be the same type of coating used to form 
the shell 12. 
The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 is used in substantially 
the same manner as the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. The protective cage 54 
surrounds bulb 14 and protects it against physical damage. 
From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted 
to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with 
other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the 
structure. 
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of 
utility and may be employed without reference to other features and 
subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the 
claims. 
Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without 
departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter 
herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be 
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.