Fishing line spool holder

A line spool holder having a U-shaped frame which includes a suction cup for securement to a fixed support such as a boat gunwale so that a single individual may conveniently transfer fishing line from a spool to a fishing reel. A means for securing the fishing line to the holder when not being used is also provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The field of this invention is fishing line spool holders used by fishermen 
to transfer fishing line from the spool to the reel. 
2. Prior Art 
There has been provided heretofore a spool holder believed to have been 
marketed under the trademark "Reel Friend" consisting of a U-shaped rod 
and including at the bight end thereof a U-shaped integral clamp adapted 
to afford purchase on a rod. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is a spool holder device suitable for use in transferring 
fishing line from a spool to a fishing reel by a single individual. The 
spool holder is comprised of a U-shaped frame having a base and two 
upright arms, sufficiently resilient, non-parallel and inwardly biased to 
permit the spool of line to be held between said arms without substantial 
transverse movement. The U-shaped frame is attached to some fixed object, 
such as a gunwale or a seat of a boat, by means of a suction cup attached 
to the base of said U-shaped frame by means of a screw. Two trunnions, 
placed essentially opposite one another along the longitudinal axis, 
provide the means for supporting the spool of line between the two upright 
arms of said U-shaped frame. The trunnions permit the spool to be rotated 
about its center axis while line is being transferred from the spool to 
the fishing reel or vice versa. A transverse slit is placed across a 
protuberance located at the apex of one of the upright arms. The slit is 
of such a narrow width so as to provide a locking mechanism for the 
fishing line placed within it. The slit acts to prevent knots and tangles 
from forming in the fishing line when said line is not in use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
While the principles of the present invention find a particular utility in 
a fishing line spool holder, it will be understood that the spool holder 
arrangement of the present invention may be utilized in other 
combinations. By way of exemplary disclosure of the best mode of 
practicing the invention, and by way of enabling one of ordinary skill in 
the art to practice my invention, one embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1-4. 
In FIG. 1, a U-shaped frame 10 has a base or bight portion 11 of generally 
rectangular configuration and is joined along its long edges 12a, 12b to 
two inwardly biased, resiliently flexible upright arms 13a, 13b at 
substantially right angles to the base 11. Each of the upright arms 13a, 
13b has converging upwardly extending edges 13c and 13d prescribing an 
essentially triangular shape with a generally curved surface 13e forming 
an apex 14a, 14b. In FIG. 1, a fishing line spool holder 10 is shown as it 
would normally be used in the environment of a fishing boat. 
In order to attach the frame 10 in securement to a fixed object such as a 
gunwale 16 or the seat of a boat, it is contemplated by the present 
invention that there be provided a suction cup 17. The suction cup 17 is a 
cupshaped object of rubber or plastic and has a generally cylindrical body 
portion or shank 18 with outwardly flaring walls 19 terminating in a 
circular lip 20, thereby to circumscribe a cup-like cavity or recess 21. 
The suction cup 17 is adapted to form a partial vacuum when it is 
collapsed or pressed against a flat adherent surface, thus drawing the 
suction cup 17 into firm assembly with the adjoining surface. 
As further contemplated by this invention, the cylindrical shank or body 
protion 18 is interiorly recessed with a centrally disposed bore 22 which 
is counterbored as at 23, thereby to form a re-entrant type recess for 
conformably receiving a correspondingly shaped headed fastening means 
shown generally at 24. 
In this form of the invention, the headed fastening means takes the form of 
a screw threaded stud 26 having a cylindrical head 27 which conformably 
seats in the bore 22 and an enlarged flat cylindrical head 28 which 
conformably seats in the counterbore recess 23. The suction cup 17 is 
secured to the base 11 of the U-shaped frame 10 by means of a screw 
threaded opening 29 formed in the base 11 which is adapted to receive the 
stud 26. 
In order to secure a spool of fishing line between the arms 13a and 13b, 
flat inner surfaces 30 and 31 are provided, each of which is particularly 
characterized by the formation thereon of registering axles which are in 
the nature of trunnions or cantilever type bearing supports 32 and 33. 
Each trunnion or bearing support 32,33 comprises a cylindrical embossment 
projecting inwardly from the respective flat surfaces 30 and 31 in axial 
registration with one another and having circular outer bearing surfaces 
34 and 36 and flat inner surfaces 37 and 38. The bearing supports 32 and 
33 are received in correspondingly shaped openings found at the center 
axis of fishing line spools and will therefore rotatably support a spool 
40 when inserted between the arms 13a and 13b. 
The spacing dimension between the arms 13a and 13b is selected to be 
compatable with the width of commercially available fishing spools 40. The 
inwardly biased, resiliently flexible upright arms 13a,13b provide 
sufficient tensile strength so as to supply a suspending means for said 
fishing line spool 40. The disposition of the arms 13a,13b enables the 
spool to be rotated while maintaining its position between said arms 
13a,13b. The fact that the arms 13a,13b are inwardly biased provides a 
frictional braking effect against the rotational motion of said spool 40. 
This prevents more line being pulled off said spool 40 than is desired. 
In order to lock the line against inadvertent pay out, the spool holder 10 
is provided with a line locking means which in this form of the invention 
takes the form of an upwardly projecting embossment or protuberance 41 
found on the upper edge 13d of one of the arms 13a and which protuberance 
41 is slit to form a pair of fingers 46,47 at the end of the arm for 
gripping the fishing line. More specifically, a transverse slit 13 is 
located to extend across the protuberance 41 and is of sufficiently narrow 
width so as to lock a fishing line 48 with a finger gripping purchase 
thereby preventing the fishing line from developing tangles when not in 
use. 
As shown in FIG. 2, arms 13a,13b are both flexibly resilient and inwardly 
biased by an amount illustrated by the vertical lines shown in shadow 
lining. Because the arms 13a,13b are flexibly resilient, a spool is placed 
between the two arms by moving the arms 13a, 13b away from each other with 
reference to the base 10 and inserting the spool between them. The arms 
13a,13b are then released and permitted to resume their normal inwardly 
biased disposition. The spool is placed between the two upright arms 
13a,13b in such a manner so that the center axis of the spool is between 
the two trunnions 32, 33 on the interior walls of the upright arms 
13a,13b. By placing the spool in that position, the spool is secured 
between the two inwardly biased upright arms 13a,13b which prevents 
substantially any transverse movement by the spool. By placing the central 
axis of the spool between the two trunnions 32,33 the spool is secured by 
said trunnions and can be rotated around its center axis while maintaining 
the spool in an essentially stationary position between the two upright 
arms 13a,13b. 
By virtue of having the suction cup 17, a convenient means is provided for 
one person to change the fishing line on his reel when it is not possible 
to have the assistance of another person. By placing the center axis of 
the spool 40 between the trunnions 32,33 the spool is able to be rotated 
around its center axis while the trunnions, 32,33, positioned essentially 
along the longitudinal center line of the interior wall of the upright 
arms 13a,13b, are able to maintain the spool in a substantially stationary 
position. The transverse slit 13 placed across the protuberance 41 
positioned at the apex of one of the upright arms 13a projects into a 
highly accessible location through which the fishing line may be locked in 
place with great facility and ease after use. 
FIG. 4 represents an enlarged view of the protuberance 41 located at the 
apex of one of the upright arms 13a. The transverse slit 13 placed across 
the protuberance 41 separates the protuberance into two separate fingers 
46 and 47, and the width of the transverse slit 13 is small enough so as 
to lock in any commercially available fishing line placed within it. This 
is especially helpful with monofilament line, which has a great tendency 
to develop tangles when being stored on a spool. In addition, it provides 
an efficient means for the user to locate the fishing line 48 the next 
time he desires to transfer fishing line to a reel. 
Because of its location at the apex of one of the upright arms 13a, the 
protuberance 41 also minimizes the chance that the fishing line 48 will 
somehow become dislodged from the transverse slit 13. 
Although various modifications might be suggested by those skilled in the 
art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the 
patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly 
come within the scope of my contribution to the art.