Abstract:
A spool for a fishing reel comprising at least two side-by-side arbors of different diameters separated by a dividing wall having a diameter larger than the diameter of the larger of the arbors.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to fishing reels. More specifically, this invention relates to reels used in fly fishing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Some fly fishing reels of recent manufacture have featured spools with arbors of large diameter to facilitate retrieval of line and fast reeling of the fish. The reels have accommodated, aside from the usual casting line, an underlying ample supply of backing line to be used if the fish should run out beyond the length of regular fly line. The backing line is finer than the regular line and is not normally involved in casting. With all this line, the outer diameter of the large arbor reel has made it unwieldy and awkward to handle. There has been a need for a reel having a more compact size with faster backing line retrieval. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on the idea that rapid reeling in of backing line is called for, because a big fish is often fighting at a greater distance where the fly line is all the way out and the reel is working on the backing line. The invention is a spool for a fishing reel comprising at least two side-by-side arbors of different diameters separated by a dividing wall having a diameter large than the diameter of the larger of the arbors. The wall may be notched to facilitate the shifting of the fly line from the larger arbor to the smaller arbor. 
     This invention is a compromise to the large arbor reel. It provides a faster retrieval of the backing and most of the fly line and a reel similar in dimension to that of a standard fly reel. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further objects and features of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art from a review of the following specification and drawings, all of which present a non-limiting form of the invention. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fishing reel assembly incorporating my new design; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of a spool embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the assembly showing the line in section; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation partly broken away to show the transfer notch; 
     FIG. 5 is a simplified sectional view taken on the line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4 showing casting line and backing line in place; 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but rotated and showing the fly line being shifted by the transfer notch after the backing has filled the smaller arbor. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A fly casting reel embodying the invention is designated  10  in FIG.  1 . It comprises a frame  12  and a spool  14 . The frame includes a foot  16  and a side disc  18  extending up from a side of the foot. 
     As best shown in FIG. 3, a spindle  20  extends rightward from the center of the side disc  18  over the foot and spaced thereabove. The spindle  20  is tapered at its distal end  22  and formed with a conventional locking groove  24 . A line guard  25  extends out from the disc  18  above the spindle  20 . 
     The spool  14  includes the outer side disc  26  and the inner side disc  28  held in spaced relation by a pair of side-by-side arbors  30 ,  32 . The side discs  26 ,  28  are centrally apertured and connected by a mounting bushing  34 . The two arbors are separated by a centrally apertured dividing wall  36  which has a diameter larger than the larger arbor  32 . The spool also comprises the usual quick-release cover  38  and quick-release lever  40  and the reeling knob  42 , all conventional. 
     The arbors  30 ,  32  are of different diameters as shown (FIG. 2) and the dividing wall  36  has a diameter larger than the diameter of the larger arbor  32 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the dividing wall  36  is formed with a deflecting cut-out or notch  44  which extends part way down to the level of the larger arbor  32 . The notch is slanted in a direction opposing the reeling-in direction of rotation. The notch may also be in the form of a protrusion. 
     In use, the spool  14  is inserted on the spindle  20  and locked in position by the lever or catch  40  in the customary fashion. The end of the backing line BL (FIG. 5) is tied to the larger arbor  32  and the spool is reeled to fill up the space between the side disc  26  and the dividing wall  36 . As the backing line partly fills the larger arbor  32 , at some point near the bottom of the notch  44  the fly line FL, secured to the end of the backing line BL, begins to accumulate. After a few rotations of the spool, the notch  44  picks up the fly line FL and the fly line shifts to the smaller arbor  30 . The fly line quickly fills the annular pocket surrounding the smaller arbor  30 . Thereafter the fly line fills evenly on both sides of wall  36  up to its final capacity. 
     During casting, the casting line CL is worked off the top layers of the spool and extends outward off the rod. When a strike occurs, the fish will run, stripping the fly line FL from the spool, the line FL easily moving through the notch  44  to the backing line on larger arbor  32 . If the fish continues away, the backing line BL may be drawn off the spool as necessary. The fisherman can rapidly reel in the backing line using the larger diameter of the larger arbor  32 . 
     Variations in the invention are possible. Thus, while the invention has been shown in only one embodiment, it is not so limited but is of a scope defined by the following claim language which may be broadened by an extension of the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention as is appropriate under the doctrine of equivalents.