Abstract:
Single and double keeper fishing trot line drop hook organizers are characterized in a first preferred embodiment by an elongated shaft having a hook keeper slidably mounted on or near the top end thereof under spring tension provided by a coiled spring also mounted on the shaft, beneath and contacting the hook keeper. A clip mount is slipped on the bottom end of the shaft and is spaced-apart from the hook keeper and includes multiple clip mount openings for receiving clips attached to one end of multiple drop hook lines, each having a hook attached to the opposite end. Each hook is designed to engage the rim of the hook keeper or embed in a resilient hook medium provided in the hook keeper when the clips are connected to the clip mount, responsive to tension applied to the respective drop hook lines by operation of the coiled spring. In another embodiment a pair of hook keepers are spring-loaded on the elongated shaft in tandem and a pair of corresponding clip mounts are provided on the opposite end of the shaft in spaced-apart relationship with respect to each other and the two hook keepers. Multiple drop hook lines are extended between the respective hook keepers and the corresponding clip mounts to maintain the drop lines in an organized and tensioned configuration.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference prior filed copending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/635,075, Filed Dec. 10, 2004. 
     
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to storage devices for organizing and storing drop hook lines for application to fishing trot lines and more particularly, to a single and double keeper trot line drop hook organizer for organizing multiple trot line drop hooks. In a preferred embodiment the single keeper drop line hook organizer is characterized by an elongated shaft fitted at or near the top end with a slidably-mounted, typically cylindrical hook keeper, which typically receives a quantity of hook medium such as an expanded foam or the like. The hook keeper is seated against a coiled spring fixed to the keeper shaft and engaging the bottom of the hook keeper. A retainer and pin combination is typically fixed to the shaft beneath the coiled spring to maintain the coiled spring in fixed position on the shaft, such that the hook keeper is seated on the top of the coiled spring and spring-loaded with respect to the shaft and the top spring retainer. A clip mount is similarly applied to the shaft in spaced-apart relationship with respect to the top hook keeper and includes multiple clip mount openings for removably receiving clips attached to one end of multiple drop hook lines. The opposite ends of the drop hook lines are each fitted with a hook designed to engage the hook keeper cup lip or rim or hook medium provided in the top hook keeper cup of the drop hook keeper, such that tension is applied to the drop hook lines by the spring located on the keeper shaft and engaging the bottom of the keeper cup element of the top hook keeper.  
         [0003]     In another preferred embodiment of the invention a double keeper drop hook organizer is provided, wherein a pair of the hook keepers are slidably mounted on a common keeper shaft in a tandem arrangement and are each spring-loaded by coiled springs attached or fixed to the keeper shaft. A pair of corresponding clip mounts are spaced-apart on the keeper shaft with respect to each other and with respect to the hook keepers, respectively, and are fitted with multiple clip mount openings for receiving the clip ends of multiple drop hook lines. The opposite ends of the drop hook lines are each fitted with a hook which is inserted over the respective lip or rim of the keeper cups or in one of the two hook medium wafers or “donuts” provided in the respective keeper cups of the tandem-mounted hook keepers, such that tension is applied to the respective drop hook lines by operation of the coiled springs engaging the respective keeper cups.  
         [0004]     In both of the embodiments described above, the hooks on each of the drop hook lines are quickly and easily removed from contact with the respective lip or rim or the hook medium wafers in the keeper cup or cups, by forcing the hook keeper or keepers downwardly on the keeper shaft against the tension in the coiled spring or springs, to create slack in the drop hook lines and then removing the respective hooks from the keeper cup(s) or the hook medium, as desired. Replacement of the drop hook lines is effected in reverse order. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]     The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first single keeper drop hook organizer embodiment for organizing the drop hook lines of a trot line;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation of the single keeper drop hook organizer illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the single keeper drop hook organizer illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a double keeper drop hook organizer embodiment, more particularly illustrating the maintaining of two sets of multiple drop hook lines in mounted and organized configuration thereon;  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the double keeper drop hook organizer illustrated in  FIG. 4 , with a pair of drop hook lines detached from the double keeper drop hook organizer, more particularly illustrating a typical application of the double keeper drop hook organizer; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the double keeper drop hook organizer illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5  of the drawings. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]     Referring initially to  FIGS. 1-3  of the drawings in a first preferred embodiment of the invention, a single keeper drop hook organizer is generally illustrated by reference numeral  1  and is characterized by an elongated keeper shaft  5 , receiving a typically cylindrically-shaped top hook keeper  2  which is slidably fitted to the top shaft end  6  of the keeper shaft  5 . A top coiled spring  9  is also mounted on the keeper shaft  5  and the top spring end  10  of the top coiled spring  9  extends, along with the keeper shaft  5 , through a bottom opening  3   b  in the cup bottom  3   a  of the keeper cup  3 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. A top spring mount pin  12 , such as a cotter pin, is extended through a transversely-oriented top spring mount pin opening  12   a  located in the top shaft end  6  of the keeper shaft  5  and seats against the top spring end  10  of the top coiled spring  9  and the cup bottom  3   a , as further illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Accordingly, the top spring mount pin  12  serves to prevent the keeper cup  3  of the top keeper  2  from moving upwardly away from the top coiled spring  9 . A bottom spring mount pin  13  is extended through a similar transverse bottom spring mount pin opening  12   b  spaced-apart from the top spring mount pin opening  12   a,  for securing a top spring retainer  14  in place beneath the bottom spring end  11  of the top coiled spring  9  at a top spring retainer opening  15 , as further illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  of the drawings. Accordingly, the top coiled spring  9  is inserted and mounted on that upper portion of the keeper shaft  5  which lies between the respective top spring mount pin  12  and bottom spring mount pin  13  to bias the keeper cup  3  of the top hook keeper  2  upwardly, as further illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings. In a preferred embodiment a typically cylindrically-shaped wafer or “donut” of a suitable resilient hook medium  4  is inserted in the keeper cup  4 , rests against the cup bottom  3   a  and the top spring mount pin  12  and includes a medium opening  4   a,  more particularly illustrated in  FIG. 3 , for registering with the bottom opening  3   b  in the cup bottom  3   a  and receiving the top shaft end  6  of the keeper shaft  5 . The hook medium  4  may be characterized by an expanded foam material such as polyurethane or the like, of suitable density and resiliency, for the purpose of receiving the points  29  of various hooks  26 , each having a shank  27  and an eye  28 , on the drop hook lines  24 , as hereinafter further described. Alternatively, the hook medium  4  may be omitted from the keeper cup  3  and the respective hooks  26  fitted over the lip or rim of the empty keeper cup  4 , as hereinafter described.  
         [0013]     Referring again to  FIGS. 1-3  of the drawings a clip mount  16  is mounted in a slip-fit on the keeper shaft  5  at or near the opposite or bottom shaft end  7  and the keeper shaft  5  may be extended below the clip mount  16  to define a shaft handle  8 , as desired. Multiple clip mount openings  17  are provided in the periphery of the typically round clip mount  16  and a shaft opening  16   a  is provided in the middle of the clip mount  16  for accommodating the keeper shaft  5 . A clip mount retainer  18  is typically also fitted to the bottom shaft end  7  of the keeper shaft  5 , above the clip mount  16  at the clip mount retainer opening  19 . The clip mount retainer  18  is maintained in place on the keeper shaft  5  in fixed relationship with respect to the clip mount  16  and the keeper shaft  5 , by means of a clip mount pin  20 , which extends through a corresponding transversely-oriented clip mount pin opening  21 , located in the keeper shaft  5  above the bottom shaft end  7 , as illustrated. Accordingly, the clip mount  16  is maintained in place on the keeper shaft  5  against the clip mount retainer  18 , by the tension in the respective drop hook lines  24 .  
         [0014]     As further illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  of the drawings the multiple drop hook lines  24  are each characterized by a flexible line  25  of selected material, size and strength, having one end secured to an eye  28  at one end of the shank  27  of a hook  26  having a point  29  at the curved opposite end, and the opposite end of the flexible lines  25  each attached to a corresponding clip  30 . Each of the clips  30  is extended through a corresponding clip mount opening  17  provided in the clip mount  16  and is removably secured thereon in conventional fashion. Each of the hooks  26  attached to the opposite ends of the respective flexible lines  25  of the drop hook lines  24  is extended to the top of the top hook keeper  2  and the point  29  is either embedded in the hook medium  4  located in the top hook keeper  2  as further illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, or positioned over the top edge or lip of the keeper cup  3 , if no hook medium  4  is used. This arrangement maintains tension in the flexible lines  25  by virtue of the tension in the top coiled spring  9 , which tension is exerted against the cup bottom  3   a  of the keeper cup  3 , since the top hook keeper  2  is slidably mounted on the keeper shaft  5 . Accordingly, release of the respective drop hook lines  24  from the hook medium  4  or the lip of the keeper cup  3  and the top hook keeper  2  is effected by applying hand or finger pressure downwardly against the keeper cup  3  to slidably displace the top hook keeper  2  on the top shaft end  6  of the keeper shaft  5 , create slack in the flexible lines  25  of each of the drop hook lines  24  and enable quick and easy removal of the respective hooks  26  from the hook medium  4  or the lip or rim of the keeper cup  3 . Each clip  30  is then removed from a corresponding clip mount opening  17  in the clip mount  16  to free the respective drop hook lines  24  from the single keeper drop hook organizer  1 . Replacement of the respective drop hook lines  24  on the top hook keeper  2  is effected in like reverse manner and release of hand or finger pressure from the top hook keeper  2  re-establishes tension in the flexible lines  25  of the respective drop hook lines  24 .  
         [0015]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4-6  of the drawings in another preferred embodiment of the invention, a double keeper drop hook organizer  32  is illustrated and also includes an elongated keeper shaft  5  having a top shaft end  6  and a bottom shaft end  7 . A top hook keeper  2  is slidably mounted on or near the top shaft end  6  of the keeper shaft  5  in the same manner as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  of the drawings. As described above, the top coiled spring  9 , fixed to the keeper shaft  5  beneath the keeper cup  3  of the top hook keeper  2 , serves to maintain pressure on the top hook keeper  2  and tension in each of the drop hook lines  24 , since the opposite ends of the drop hook lines  24  are attached by means of corresponding clips  30  to a clip mount  16 , as further above described with respect to the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  of the drawings. A bottom hook keeper  34  is also slidably disposed on the keeper shaft  5 , beneath and in tandem orientation with the top hook keeper  2  and is fitted with a bottom coiled spring  33 , typically mounted on the keeper shaft  5  by means of a bottom spring retainer  35 , having a bottom spring retainer opening  36  that fits on the keeper shaft  5  beneath the bottom spring end  11  of the bottom coiled spring  33 . The keeper shaft  5  projects through the bottom opening  3   b  in the cup bottom  3   a  of the keeper cup  3  element of the bottom hook keeper  34 . A top spring mount pin  12  and bottom spring mount pin  13  are extended through corresponding transversely-oriented top spring mount pin openings  12   a  (located above the bottom opening  3   b ) and bottom spring mount pin openings  12   b,  respectively, as further illustrated in  FIG. 6  of the drawings. Accordingly, the top hook keeper  2  and the bottom hook keeper  34  are similarly mounted in sliding relationship on the keeper shaft  5  in tandem orientation with respect to each other, against the bias of the respective fixed top coiled spring  9  and bottom coiled spring  33 . A second clip mount  16  is also fitted on the keeper shaft  5  at or near the bottom shaft end  7 , typically by means of a clip mount retainer  18 , having a clip mount retainer opening  19  for accommodating the keeper shaft  5 . A second clip mount pin  20  extends through a corresponding clip mount pin opening  21  transversely located in the bottom shaft end  7  of the keeper shaft  5  in spaced-apart relationship with respect to the first clip mount pin opening  21 , to secure both the clip mount retainer  18  and the clip mount  16  in position, spaced-apart from each other on the keeper shaft  5 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 4-6  of the drawings.  
         [0016]     It will be appreciated from a consideration of  FIGS. 4 and 5  of the drawings that the double keeper drop hook organizer  32  is capable of receiving, organizing and storing more drop hook lines  24  than is possible using the single keeper drop hook organizer  1  embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . This facility is realized because of the doubling effect of using a top hook keeper  2  and a bottom hook keeper  34 , as well as a corresponding pair of spaced-apart clip mounts  16 . Accordingly, multiple drop hook lines  24  can be tensioned in place between the corresponding top hook keeper  2  and one of the clip mounts  16  and the bottom hook keeper  34  and the other of the clip mounts  16 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 4  of the drawings. As in the case of the single keeper drop hook organizer  1  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  of the drawings, the respective hooks  26  attached to one end of each of the corresponding flexible lines  25  in each of the drop hook lines  24  can be embedded in the donut or wafer-shaped hook medium  4 , placed in the keeper cups  3  of the top hook keeper  2  and the bottom hook keeper  34 , respectively. Alternatively, as described above, the hooks  26  can be positioned over the respective lips or rims of the keeper cups  3  for the same purpose. Furthermore, the clips  30  attached to the opposite ends of the flexible lines  25  are quickly and easily removably secured to corresponding ones of the clip mount openings  17  in the two clip mounts  16 , respectively.  
         [0017]     Referring again to  FIGS. 4 and 5  of the drawings, access of the respective drop hook lines  24  and removal of the corresponding hooks  26  from the respective hook medium  4  or the rim or lip of the keeper cup or cups  3  in the top hook keeper  2  and the bottom hook keeper  34 , is effected by applying downward pressure to either the top hook keeper  2  or the bottom hook keeper  34 , against the respective tension in the top coiled spring  9  and the bottom coiled spring  33  and creating corresponding slack in the drop hook lines  24 , for removal of the respective hooks  26  and clips  30 , as described heretofore with respect to the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 .  
         [0018]     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the single keeper drop hook organizer  1  and the double keeper drop hook organizer  32  of this invention can be designed in several different ways, including the provision of a top hook keeper  2  and a bottom hook keeper  34  of various size and shape, for example, in polygon configurations rather than as a cylinder, according to the desires of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the nature, consistency and density of the optional hook medium  4  provided in the keeper cup  3  of both the top hook keeper  2  and the bottom hook keeper  34  can be chosen further according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Additionally, it will be appreciated that the shape of the clip mounts  16  and the number of clip mount openings  17  provided in the clip mounts  16  can be selected such that a selected number of drop hook lines  24  are organized on both the single keeper drop hook organizer  1  and the double keeper drop hook organizer  32 , further according to the desires of the user. The length of the keeper shaft  5  and the spacing between the respective keeper cup or cups  3  and the corresponding clip mount or mounts  16  can also be selected according to the desired length of the drop hook lines  24 .  
         [0019]     It will be understood from a consideration of the above that the single keeper drop hook organizer  1  and the double keeper drop hook organizer  32  are characterized by convenience, portability, safety and flexibility, in that multiple drop hook lines  24  of desired length and size of the hooks  26  can be safely stored without entanglement until it is desired to remove the drop hook lines  24  and attach them to a primary trot line support cord or line by means of the respective clips  30 . For example, a trot line support cord (not illustrated) of selected length having loops or clips provided at selected intervals along the cord length can be supplied with the drop hook lines  24  as the clips  30  are attached to the loops or clips in the trot line cord. The drop hook lines  24  can therefore be quickly and easily installed and disassembled from the loops or clips provided on the trot line cord and then placed in the single keeper drop hook organizer  1  or the double keeper hook organizer  32 , as heretofore described.  
         [0020]     While the preferred embodiments have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.