Abstract:
A new use for a cranked reel employing a clutch bearing and a drag, which drag is controllably released by reverse rotation of the crank. The new use is to raise or lower an anchor using a cranked reel employing a clutch bearing and a drag, which drag is controllably released by reverse rotation of the crank.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/062,617 filed Jan. 28, 2008. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The instant invention relates to reeling systems and more specifically to a new use for a cranked reel employing a clutch bearing and a drag, which drag is controllably released by reverse rotation of the crank. 
         [0003]    Hand cranked reeling systems employing a clutch bearing and a drag, which drag is controllably released by reverse rotation of the crank are known. For example, the CAPTAIN&#39;S PAK ONE-HAND-CRANK MANUAL SIDERIGGER brand reel from Big Jon Sports, Inc. of Interlochen Mich. allows the retrieval of a cannonball for downrigger fishing by clockwise rotation of its hand crank. The clockwise rotation of its hand crank automatically tightens the drag so that the rotational motion of the hand crank is transferred to the reel through the drag. The cannonball is attached to wire rope which is wound-up on the reel. If the hand crank is released, counter-clockwise rotation of the reel is prevented by the clutch bearing. If the hand crank is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction, the drag is progressively released allowing controlled decent of the cannonball. When the cannonball reaches the desired depth, the hand crank is rotated in the clockwise direction to increase the drag and stop the decent of the cannonball. Surprisingly, anchors have not been raised or lowered using a cranked anchor line reel employing a clutch bearing and a drag, which drag is controllably released by reverse rotation of the crank. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The instant invention is a new use for a cranked reel employing a clutch bearing and a drag, which drag is controllably released by reverse rotation of the crank. The new use is to raise or lower an anchor using a cranked anchor line reel employing a clutch bearing and a drag, which drag is controllably released by reverse rotation of the crank. More specifically, the instant invention is a new use for apparatus comprising a reel, a shaft, a crank, a clutch bearing, and a drag washer, the reel mounted on a first portion of the shaft, a second portion of the shaft mounted in the clutch bearing so that the shaft will rotate only in one rotational direction, the crank threadably attached to a threaded third portion of the shaft so that when the crank is rotated in the rotational direction permitted by the clutch bearing, the crank threads onto the threaded portion of the shaft thereby compressing a drag washer mounted on the shaft directly or indirectly in contact with the reel and the shaft so that the reel rotates in the rotational direction permitted by the clutch bearing and so that when the crank is rotated in the rotational direction opposite the direction permitted by the clutch bearing, the crank unthreads from the threaded portion of the shaft thereby decompressing the drag washer mounted on the shaft directly or indirectly in contact with the reel and the shaft so that the reel can rotate in the rotational direction opposite that permitted by the clutch bearing, the new use being the raising or lowering of a boat anchor by attaching the boat anchor to one end of an anchor line and winding the other end of the anchor line on the reel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a preferred apparatus for use in the instant invention having a hand cranked reel upon which an anchor line can be wound; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a back view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a portion of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    The instant invention is a new use for apparatus comprising a reel, a shaft, a crank, a clutch bearing, and a drag washer, the reel mounted on a first portion of the shaft, a second portion of the shaft mounted in the clutch bearing so that the shaft will rotate only in one rotational direction, the crank threadably attached to a threaded third portion of the shaft so that when the crank is rotated in the rotational direction permitted by the clutch bearing, the crank threads onto the threaded portion of the shaft thereby compressing a drag washer mounted on the shaft directly or indirectly in contact with the reel and the shaft so that the reel rotates in the rotational direction permitted by the clutch bearing and so that when the crank is rotated in the rotational direction opposite the direction permitted by the clutch bearing, the crank unthreads from the threaded portion of the shaft thereby decompressing the drag washer mounted on the shaft directly or indirectly in contact with the reel and the shaft so that the reel can rotate in the rotational direction opposite that permitted by the clutch bearing, the new use being the raising or lowering of a boat anchor by attaching the boat anchor to one end of an anchor line and winding the other end of the anchor line on the reel. 
         [0010]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , therein is shown a side view of a preferred apparatus  10  for use in the instant invention having a hand cranked reel  11  upon which an anchor line can be wound.  FIG. 2  is a front view of the apparatus  10  shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a back view of the apparatus  10  shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of a portion of the apparatus  10  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0011]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , apparatus  10  comprises reel  11 , shaft  12 , hand crank  23 , clutch bearing  27 , and drag washers  13  and  14 . Clutch bearings are also known as one way bearings or one way clutch bearings. The reel  11  is mounted on a central portion of the shaft  12 . Another central portion of the shaft  12  is mounted in the clutch bearing  27  so that the shaft will rotate only in one rotational direction. The hand crank  23  is threadably attached to a threaded third portion of the shaft  12  so that when the hand crank  23  is rotated in the rotational direction permitted by the clutch bearing  27 , the hand crank  23  threads onto the threaded portion of the shaft  12  thereby compressing the drag washers  13  and  14  mounted on the shaft directly or indirectly in contact with the reel  11  and the shaft  12  so that the reel  11  rotates in the rotational direction permitted by the clutch bearing  27  and so that when the hand crank  23  is rotated in the rotational direction opposite the direction permitted by the clutch bearing  27 , the hand crank  23  unthreads from the threaded portion of the shaft  12  thereby decompressing the drag washers  13  and  14  mounted on the shaft directly or indirectly in contact with the reel  11  and the shaft  12  so that the reel  11  can rotate in the rotational direction opposite that permitted by the clutch bearing  27  thereby facilitating the raising or lowering of a boat anchor by attaching the boat anchor to one end of an anchor line and winding the other end of the anchor line on the reel  11 . 
         [0012]    Referring still to  FIG. 4 , other details of the apparatus  10  will be described. Steel washers  15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  20  and  21  are mounted on shaft  12  as shown. A Belleville washer  19  is mounted on shaft  12  as shown. When the crank  23  is rotated in the direction permitted by the clutch bearing  27 , the crank  23  presses against the thrust bearing assembly  21 ,  22 ,  20 , compressing Belleville washer  19 , pulling the other end of shaft  12  to compress drag washer  13 , drag washer  14 , washer  18  and thrust bearing assembly  16 ,  18  and  17 . Thrust bearing  27  is mounted in stanchion  30 . An outer sleeve  26  is attached to stanchion  30  by cap screws  27 . An inner sleeve  28  is attached to stanchion  30  by cap screws  29 . Retaining bolt  25  prevents inadvertent separation of the crank  23  from the shaft  12 . 
         [0013]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , one end of the stanchion  30  is attached to base side  43  by pivot bolt  35 . The base side  34  is attached to base bottom  33 . The base bottom  33  is configured to be attached to a boat hull. Stanchion  30  can be pivoted to a stowed position by loosening stanchion locking bolt  36  and pivoting the locking bolt  36  in the curved slot  38  in base side  34 . Stanchion locking bolt washer  37  is positioned as shown. A crank handle  31  is mounted to one end of crank  23  by crank handle retaining screw  32 . 
         [0014]    Referring still to  FIG. 1 , most preferably, the reel  11  is made of cast aluminum, has an outer diameter of about twelve inches, an drum diameter of about seven and one half inches and a width of about three and one half inches. Such a reel can hold over 300 feet of one quarter inch diameter anchor rope. The drag washers are preferably fiber washers. Preferably the remainder of the apparatus  10  is preferably made of steel, stainless steel or aluminum. It should be understood that the combination of a ratchet and a journal bearing is equivalent to a clutch bearing in the instant invention. It should be understood that the term “clutch bearing” in the claim of this application is intended to encompass the combination of a ratchet and a journal bearing. It should be understood that a cone drag as used in better quality fly fishing reels is equivalent to the “drag washer” drag in the instant invention. It should be understood that the term “drag washer” in the claim of this application is intended to encompass the use of such a cone drag. The crank of the instant invention can be a hand crank or a motor driven crank. A preferred motor driven crank comprises a gear motor employing a reversible direct current electric motor. Any suitable anchor line can be used in this invention, including rope made of natural or synthetic fibers and rope or chain made of a metal or a metal alloy. Most preferably, the anchor line is made of a synthetic fiber such as NYLON brand polyester fiber from DuPont. 
         [0015]    In use (assuming the anchor is suspended above the water over the side of a boat via its anchor line wound on the reel  11 ) the crank  23  is rotated counterclockwise to let out the anchor to the bottom of, for example, a lake or a river. When the desired amount of anchor line has been let out the crank  23  is rotated clockwise to lock the rotation of the reel  11 . If the boat is in a lake, an extra amount of line can be let out to permit the boat to drift downwind over a desired fishing location and then the crank  23  can be rotated to stop rotation of the reel  11  and maintain the position of the boat over the desired fishing location. If the boat is in a river, an extra amount of line can be let out to permit the boat to drift downriver over a desired fishing location and then the crank  23  can be rotated to stop rotation of the reel  11  and maintain the position of the boat over the desired fishing location. The position of the boat can then easily be further adjusted nearer or farther from the anchor by taking in or letting out the anchor line using the disclosed invention. 
       CONCLUSION 
       [0016]    While the instant invention has been described above according to its preferred embodiments, it can be modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the instant invention using the general principles disclosed herein. Further, the instant application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the following claims.