Abstract:
A multipurpose fishing tool for tying knots comprises an improvement in a known fishing forceps by adding an annular groove around the nose of the forceps. The grove is of sufficient depth to retain a loop of fishing line, which is twisted as the forceps jaws are moved in a rotary or nutating motion. The forceps jaws are also utilized to hold the fishing line during the knot typing process.

Description:
This invention relates generally to fishing accessories, especially knot tying devices, and more particularly to a multi-purpose fishing tool especially adapted to assist in tying knots for fly fishing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In fly fishing, in order to be successful, the fisherman must be able to change different flies depending on the conditions and depending upon what the fish are feeding on. During the course of time on the water, the fisherman may change flies half a dozen to a dozen times, until he hits the correct fly pattern for the conditions in order to catch fish. So, fly fishermen need a simple, convenient way to change flies. Secondly, every time the fisherman changes a fly he has to cut the old fly off the line and tie on a new fly. And every time he changes a fly he shortens the length of the fly line. Depending on the type of leader and tippet situation that he is using, he may have only about a foot or two feet of line available to be trimmed every time he changes a fly. So, the object is to use or waste as little of the fly line as possible each time he ties the fly, and he wants to be able to tie the fly conveniently. 
     A number of special devices have been suggested for assisting fishermen and others in the knot tying process. Descriptions of some of prior art knot tying devices are contained in the following list of patents, which list is not all inclusive but merely representative. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                  Patent No. 
                 Inventor 
                 Issue Date 
                 Title 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 2,758,858 
                 Smith 
                 Aug. 15, 1956 
                 Knot-Tying Implement 
               
               
                 2,926,036 
                 Wimberley 
                 Feb. 23, 1960 
                 Fisherman&#39;s Knot Tying Tool 
               
               
                 4,101,152 
                 Gardipee 
                 Jul. 18, 1978 
                 Fisherman&#39;s Knot Tying Jig 
               
               
                 4,864,762 
                 Cox 
                 Sept. 12, 1989 
                 Line Tying Device 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Many fly fishermen carry a hemostat or fishing forceps in their fishing vests. Fly fishermen generally will use the hemostat first of all for removing a hook from mouth of a fish which they&#39;ve caught. The hemostat is also used as a pair of pliers for crimping a split shot; it is also used as a pair of pliers to crimp the barb on fishing hooks or fly hooks. Occasionally, the fisherman requires barbless hooks, so he can use the hemostat to crimp over the barb on the hook. They are also used as a pair of “tweezers” to pluck small flies out of storage boxes. Some flies are very tiny and the fisherman uses the hemostat to reach down into the fly box and actually pluck out a fly, because it is too difficult to get them directly with the fingers. 
     The knot tying tools mentioned above necessitate a fisherman carrying an extra piece of equipment in the pocket or on a lanyard. It has occurred to others to modify a hemostat or fishing forceps to act as a multi-purpose device, so as to avoid adding an extra tool to be carried. Following is a list of prior art in which modified hemostats or fishing forceps have been disclosed, the list not being all inclusive but merely representative. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Patent No. 
                 Inventor 
                 Issue Date 
                 Title 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 2,895,478 
                 Post 
                 Jul. 21, 1959 
                 Suture-Tying Instrument 
               
               
                 4,899,482 
                 Gerdes 
                 Feb. 13, 1990 
                 Multi-Utility Fishing 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Tool 
               
               
                 5,557,874 
                 Pietrandrea et al. 
                 Sept. 24, 1996 
                 Multi-Purpose Fishing 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Tool 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The modifications shown in the above patents involve substantial change and costly adaptations of standard hemostats. 
     It would be desirable to provide a simple modification of a forceps or hemostat of the type carried by fishermen, so as to assist the fisherman in the knot tying process. 
     It would also be desirable to reduce the cost of modifying a standard hemostat and to adapt it so as to serve as a simplified knot tying tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly stated, the invention comprises the improvement in a known forceps of the type having a pair of pivotable members each comprising a slender jaw at one end, the jaw defining a smooth, gently tapered, outer surface and a roughened closure surface, and a handle at the other end terminating in a finger loop, a pivot pin connecting the pair of pivotable members so as to enable the jaws to open and close when actuated by the finger loops, and means for clamping the jaws in a fixed position to hold an object between said closure surfaces without actuating the finger loops, the improvement comprising an annular groove defined in the outer surface of the jaws when they are substantially closed along a longitudinal axis, the groove being of sufficient depth to hold a loop of fishing line as the forceps jaws are nutated within said loop of fishing line, and being of a shape to prevent the loop from slipping off the tapered outer surface as the forceps jaws are nutated. 
     Preferably the annular groove is defined by a first annular wall which is substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and a second tapered annular wall which extends from the first annular wall to said outer tapered surfaces in the direction of the forceps pivot pin, and wherein the annular groove is on the order of 0.015 to 0.020 inches deep. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a forceps or hemostat of a known type, in which the jaws have been modified in accordance with the present invention, 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the forceps jaws in a closed position, 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the forceps jaws of FIG. 2, and 
     FIGS. 4 through 7 are successive schematic diagrams illustrating a knot tying process utilizing the modified forceps of the present invention as used to tie a clinch knot. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a conventional hemostat or forceps (either device known hereinafter as forceps) is shown, which has been modified in accordance with the present invention. The forceps shown generally at  10  comprise a pair of pivotal members  12 ,  14 , pivotally connected by a pivot pin  16 . Member  12  includes a slender jaw  18  with a smooth gently tapered outer surface  20  and a roughened closure surface  22  at one end. At the other end, member  12  includes a handle  24  terminating in a finger loop  26 . Similarly, member  14  comprises a slender jaw  28 , with a smooth gently tapered outer surface  30 , and a roughened closure surface  32  at one end. At the other end, a handle  34  terminates in a finger loop  36 . 
     A well-known means for locking the handles  12 ,  14  of the forceps in a fixed position comprises a pair of protruding clamping members  38 ,  40  with opposed interlocking surfaces as indicated at  42 . In a known manner, the clamping members  38 ,  40  permit locking the forceps handles so that jaws  18 ,  28  may range from a fully-closed position with closure surfaces  22 ,  32  contacting one another to a partially opened position for holding an object between the closure surfaces without actuating the finger loops  26 ,  36 . 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate an enlarged view of jaws  18 ,  28  in a closed position, so that the closure surfaces  22 ,  32 , which may be roughened or serrated so as to hold an object. When the jaws are in the closed position, about a longitudinal axis A—A the smooth outer surfaces  20 ,  30  cooperate to define a smooth surface generally tapering toward the tip  44  of the forceps. 
     In accordance with the present invention, an annular groove  46  is defined in the outer surface of jaws  18 ,  28  when the jaws are closed as shown in FIG. 2, spaced a short distance from tip  44 . Groove  46  is formed by an annular wall  48  which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A—A of the closed forceps and a tapered wall  50  extending between the base of wall  48  and the outer surfaces  20 ,  30  of the forceps. The tapered wall  50  is more sharply tapered, i.e., at a greater angle to axis A—A than the angle formed by the outer surface of the jaws, and preferably forms an angle of around 45° with axis A—A. The depth of the groove is exaggerated in the drawing and is preferably on the order of 0.015 and 0.025 inches, or perhaps deeper in some cases. This is a very small groove, but is designed to be of sufficient depth to accommodate a loop or turn of fishing line and to retain it from coming off the tip  44  with wall  48  as the tool is manipulated in a manner to be described. 
     OPERATION 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4 through 7 of the drawing, the operation of the invention will be described. FIGS. 4-7 show the successive steps in tying a clinch knot on a piece of fishing line using the improved forceps of the present invention. The fishing line is comprised of a standing part  52  terminating in a free end  54 . The eyelet of a hook or fly  56  is inserted over the free end  54  and held in a loop  58  by the operator. Loop  54  is passed over the tip  44  of closed forceps jaws  18 ,  28 . Loop  58  is positioned so that it is caught in the annular groove  36 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5 of the drawing, the free end  54  is held pinched by the operator&#39;s fingers against standing part  52  while the tool is manipulated as shown in a circular motion with the loop  58  riding in groove  36 . The type of motion is sometimes called nutation, which is a wobbling of the axis of the forceps, whereby with each rotation, a twist is formed in loop  58  as indicated in the drawing. 
     Referring to FIG. 6 of the drawing, the untwisted portion of loop  58  is slid over the tapered surface  50  out of the groove  36  toward the pivot pin of the forceps. This allows the forceps jaws to be opened. The free end  54  is now clamped between the closure surfaces  22 ,  32  of the jaws  18  and  28 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, the loop  58  is slipped over the clamped free end  54  of the line. The free end  54  is then pulled through the loop  58  by the forceps jaws and tightened to complete the knot. 
     While a preferred form of the annular groove modifying the forceps comprises a annular wall perpendicular to the forceps axis connected by a tapered wall as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dimensions can vary depending upon the type of fishing line. The groove should merely be of sufficient depth to hold a loop of fishing line as the forceps jaws are nutated within the loop, and of a shape such as to prevent the loop from slipping off the tapered outer surface as the forceps jaws are nutated. It is desired to secure in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.