HOOK-DISGORGING DEVICE

Abstract: A disgorging device for removing hooks from the mouth of a fish, comprising a stem portion (12) having a longitudinal axis, and a hook-disgorging head portion (13) having an elongated aperture (14) including a transverse slit (16) on one side for inserting a fishing line (11); the aperture (14) is deiimited by line guiding surfaces (15) extending into a groove (18) for the line (11) on at least one side and along a longitudinal portion of the Stem (12).

Description: This invention relates to fishing tackle and in particular to a disgorging device or a disgorger for releasing or removing a hook from the mouth or gullet of a fish. Hook-disgorging devices currently used to remove a hook from a fish's mouth mainly comprise a stem, for example in metal or in plastic material, having at one or both ends a shaped head that is inserted into the mouth of the fish and applied to the hook so as to counteract the traction of the fishing line in the area where the hook is embedded in the mouth or gullet of the fish. The disgorging head of the device is rested on the fishing line and is guided by it in the direction of the hook to be removed. With currently used disgorging devices, this operation necessitates a certain manual dexterity owing to the insecure position of the line in the guiding groove; when visibility is poor or when it is dark these devices provide unreliable guidance towards the hook, so that the latter is removed with considerable difficulty and after numerous attempts. Additionally, even if the the disgorging head portion of the device comes into contact with the hook, the opposing action and thrust on the hook can only be applied endways or axially, and therefore in an insecure manner. Accordingly, currently used disgorging devices are not very practical in serving their designated purpose. Disgorging devices for removing hooks from the mouth and gullet of a fish are also known from US-A-2.502.793 and DE-A-2.318.691; both the devices comprise an hook-disgorging head differently shaped and provided at one end of a stem, in which the disgorging head comprises an elongated aperture having a transverse slit and at least one groove at one end of said aperture for passing the fishing line. In particular the disgorging head according to US-A-2.502.793 comprises two outwardly diverging fingers the ends of which terminate in inverted U-shaped hooks outwardly protruding from the head Corrispondingly the disgorging device according to DE-A-2.318.691 comprises a flat shaped disgorging head angularly oriented in respect to the stem; the head is provided with an elongated aperture delimited by parallel flat surfaces ending into a chamfered edge. None of said disgorging devices assure a secure guidance and total protection of the fishing hook and disengagement of the same or the disgorging head from the gullet and the mouth of fish, during removal. An object of this invention is to provide a disgorging device for removing hooks from the mouth or gullet of a fish by means of which it is possible to securely insert the fishing line into the disgorging head portion of the device, in order to ensure reliable guidance towards the hook to be removed. A further object of this invention is to provide a disgorging device for removing hooks as described above, by means of which contact with the hook occurs laterally, in a way that is entirely guided by the line to which the hook is attached, preventing the re-engagement of the hook, without requiring any particular dexterity. These requisites can be obtained with a disgorging device according to the introductory portion and comprising the characterizing features of claim 1. The inner surfaces of the aperture for guiding the hook-removing head along the fishing line, take the form of parallely arranged flat surfaces, which extend into parallel arranged flat line-guiding surfaces grooves symmetrically arranged along a portion of a stem. The hook-disgorging head has an elongated ovoid shape to facilitate the introduction of the source head and the removal of the hook from the fish smouth. The hook-disgorging device according to the invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of example. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device; Fig. 2 is a lateral view of the device in figure 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the line 3-3 in figure 2. In the various figures reference number 10 indicates the overall hook-disgorging device for removing hooks from a fish's gullet. Additionally, 11 indicates a fishing line, which is attached at one of its ends to a hook, not shown The disgorging device 10 mainly comprises a stem 12 extending in the direction of its longitudinal axis, said stem 12 having at at least one of its ends a hook-disgorging head 13 designed to be guided by the line 11 towards the hook to be removed. Accordingly, the head 13 has a basically ovoid or elongated shape and is provided with a longitudinal aperture 14 delimited by opposing flat internal surfaces 15 which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the stem 12. The hook-disgorging head 13 also comprises on one side of the aperture 14 a transverse slit 16 through which the line 11 can be inserted, as shown diagramatically in figure 1, while holding the device 10 broadly perpendicular to the taut line: the width of the slit 16 is equal or slightly greater than the maximum allowable diameter of the appropriate fishing line and is preferably arranged in an intermediate position along the head 13 or the aperture 14, so as to provide reliable guidance along the line 11. The internal flat surfaces 15 of the aperture 14 in the hook-disgorging head serve to guide the head 13 along the line 11 while the same head is inserted into the mouth and/or gullet of the fish, for removing a hook; accordingly, the surfaces 15 join at the forward end of the head 13 with the lateral surfaces of two guide slots 17, each slot being aligned with a corresponding guide groove 18, symmetrically arranged and having parallel flat surfaces extending backwards from the surfaces of the central aperture 14 of the head and for a certain distance lengthways along the stem 12. The grooves 18 can have any shape or disposition but, as shown, the grooves 18 converge about the longitudinal axis and towards the aperture 14 of the head 13. In the case shown the hook-disgorging head 13 is provided at only one end of the stem 12; it is clear, however, that the latter could comprise a head 13 at each of its ends, in which case the heads 13 would have different dimensions so as to accomodate hooks of different size. A description of the use of the disgorging device, for removing a hook which has become lodged in the mouth or gullet of a fish, is as follows. The device 10 is held pointed as shown in figure 1, that is perpendicularly to the fishing line 11, and the line is inserted into the aperture 14 through the transverse slit 16 of the head 13. The device is then turned and brought parallel to the fishing line 11, which is held taut throughout, with the line positioned on opposing sides of the head 13, in the end shot 17 on one side and in the longitudinal groove 18 an the opposite side - as shown in figure 3. Under these conditions the disgorging device can be slid inside the fish's mouth or gullet, reliable guidance being provided by the fishing line 11. The head 13 is advanced until it encounters the hook to be removed, positioning itself sideways against the hook which consequently can be easily disengaged and removed after gently rotating the device in both directions, while keeping the line 11 taut throughout. It will be clear that the presence of an ovoid shaped head having an elongated guiding opening or aperture to slide along the fishing line, and the presence of a transverse slit for inserting the fishing line make the device work reliably without the user needing to have any particular manual dexterity; accordingly, complete reliability is ensured in operation even under insecure conditions or in poor visibility.

Claims: 1. Disgorging device for removing hooks from the mouth and gullet of a fish, the device comprising a stem portion (12) having a longitudinal axis, and an axially aligned hook-disgorging head (13) at at least one end of said stem (12), said head (13) comprising an elongated aperture (14) delimited parallely flat line guiding surfaces (15) having a transverse slit (16) in one of said surfaces (15), and at least one groove (18), at one end of said aperture, characterized in that said head (13) of the disgorging device comprises an ovoidal shaped and elongated head portion (13), in that a pair of grooves (18) are symmetrically arranged from said aperture (14) along a portion of said stem (12), and in that said flat surfaces (15) of the aperture (14) extend in to parallel arranged flat line-guiding surfaces of said grooves (18). 2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that said transverse slit (16) for inserting the fishing line (11) is in an intermediate position along the elongated aperture (14) of the head (13). 3. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that said transverse slit (16) for inserting the fishing line (11) is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stem (12). 4. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that said internal surfaces (15) of the elongated aperture in said head portion (13) join with guiding slots (17) at the forward end of the hook-disgorging head (13). 5. Device as claimed in claims 1 and 4, characterised by the fact that each forward guiding slot (17) is aligned with a rear guiding groove (18). 6. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterised by the fact that the rear guiding grooves (18) are converging about the longitudinal axis of the stem (12) and towards the central aperture (14) of the hook-disgorging head (13).

Inventors: PAOLICCHI, MARINA
Applicants: BERUTTO, NEDO
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A01K97
IPC codes: A01K97