Abstract:
An improved fish hook having multiple barbs utilized in conjunction with a penetrating point of a hook portion of a fishing hook and which barbs are longitudinally spaced from each other so as to more securely attach the fish to the line once the fish has been initially hooked and in that way increase the secure attachment. The improved hook configuration is particularly useful for recreational and survival fishing activities.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    One of the recurring problems in recreational or even survival fishing is that once a fish is hooked by a conventional hook having a point and adjacent barb, the fish can often wiggle free and dislodge the embedded hook at any number of points along the path or process of landing the fish to a secure location. Conventional fishing hooks include a shank, which terminates at one end in an eyelet that defines an opening through which fishing line can be threaded to securely attach the hook. Such shank terminates at its other end in a hook portion connected to the shank by means of a curved connector throat. The hook portion in turn terminates in a sharpened point which serves to penetrate the skin or internal skin flesh areas of the fish generally around its mouth and in some cases even external body portions depending upon how the hook is baited and how the fish attacks such. Immediately adjacent the penetrating point is an outwardly extending barb—the purpose of which is to prevent the rearward movement of the hook vis-A-vis the fish and thus retain the hook in the fish during the landing process and until purposely removed by the fisherman. Such barb, however, often fails to serve the aforementioned purpose and becomes loose through the fish&#39;s struggle or otherwise is forced through the opening initially formed by the penetrating point on impact or otherwise tears flesh away so that the hook becomes dislodged and the fish is lost.  
           [0002]    Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a hook configured such that it is more difficult for the fish to be removed therefrom either during the catching or struggling process so that once hooked, there is a high relative degree of surety of being able to land the fish. This is particularly important in recreational and survival type fishing.  
           [0003]    Another object of the present invention is to provide for the aforementioned results in such a way that the force needed to penetrate the fish&#39;s body is not materially increased such that the fishing process is otherwise unaltered.  
           [0004]    These and other objects are accomplished by a fish hook comprising a shank, a point portion and a curved connecting portion connecting said point and shank portions, said shank including an eyelet for connecting the hook to a fish line, said point portion terminating in a sharp fish penetrating point, a first outwardly extending barb positioned on said point portion immediately adjacent said penetrating point and a second outwardly extending barb positioned on said point portion at a location rearwardly longitudinally spaced from said first barb. 
       
    
    
       [0005]    Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a conventional prior art fishing hook;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing one form of the novel fishing hook of the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view of FIG. 2;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a further embodiment of the fishing hook of the present invention showing another form that such may take;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4A is a further modified form of the fishing hook of the present invention similar to the form shown in FIG. 4 but with the lower barb displaced out of the plane of the penetrating point and the first barb; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a still further form that the present invention may take.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, a conventional fishing hook  10  is depicted as having a shank portion  12  which in turn terminates at one end in an eyelet  14  defining an opening  15  therethrough such that fishing line (not shown) may be attached thereto. The other end of the hook terminates in a hook portion  16  terminating in a sharpened point  18  that includes a rearwardly outwardly extending barb  20  as an integral portion thereof. The barb  20  includes an inset or reversed curved portion or shelf  22  such that once the hook pierces or penetrates through the skin or flesh of the fish, the shelf  22  tends to retain such position if the hook is pulled in the reverse position especially when the hook is twisted after penetration of the skin or flesh.  
         [0014]    A curved connection throat  26  serves to connect the hook portion with the shank. It should also be pointed out that it is conventional to slightly inwardly curve the hook portion so that it extends somewhat closer to the shank portion at its penetrating tip than at its lower portion connected to the connector throat although such to a great extent is dependent upon the fishing activity envisioned. Generally, conventional fish hooks such as fish hook  10  depicted and fish hooks constructed in accordance with the present invention as will hereinafter be more fully explained are formed from thin circular metal stock such as varieties of rust resistant steel which is then bent and stamped or otherwise formed by progressive measures into the final configuration of the hook desired. Obviously, materials other than metal may be utilized such as plastic and the like and, accordingly, could be injection molded.  
         [0015]    Turning now to the remainder of the drawings and particularly at least initially to FIGS. 2 and 3, one form of a fishing hook constructed in accordance with the present invention is depicted. Such hook  30  includes a shank  32  which at one end thereof terminates in an eyelet  34  which defines an opening  35  through which fishing line is threaded to attach the hook  30 . Such eyelet connection configuration is the preferred form of attaching fishing line to the fishing hook although other alternate mechanisms can be utilized, and that portion of the hook structure is not a critical aspect of the invention so long as attachment in a secure manner is achieved.  
         [0016]    The shank  32  extends downwardly from the eyelet to a curved connector portion  36  which then upwardly extends so as to form a hook portion  38  which in turn terminates in a penetrating point  40  including a first outwardly rearwardly extending barb  42  also exhibiting a stop or shelf  44 . In addition to such structure, the present hook includes a second barb  50  located at a position longitudinally upwardly spaced from the first barb  42  and in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, positioned on the outer side of the hook portion. It should be pointed out the hook portion can be defined as including a outer or distal surface  60  which faces away from the shank and an inner or proximal surface  62  which faces towards the shank.  
         [0017]    The presence of the two barbs  42  and  50  and their position longitudinally spaced from each other serves to more securely capture the fish once the penetrating point  40  punctures the skin or flesh of the fish and the hook is embedded therein. It should also be noted that the outward extent or flare of both of the barbs  42  and  50  is approximately the same, that is, their lateral extent away from the body of the hook portion itself is approximately equal so that the degree of force needed to penetrate the fish&#39;s body is not increased but that the force necessary to remove a fish once hooked is substantially increased and thus provides for a more secure attachment thus assuring the objects of the present invention.  
         [0018]    Turning now to FIG. 4, a further embodiment of the invention is depicted in which the second bard  50   a  is positioned longitudinally spaced from the first barb  42  downwardly along the body of the hook portion but on the same distal surface thereof as is the initial barb  42 . Again the outward extent and thickness of the barb  50   a  approximates that of barb  42  and accomplishes generally the same result as that depicted in the FIGS. 2 and 3 configurations although it should be pointed out that having the second barb positioned on the surface opposite the first barb in some cases achieves a more secure attachment of the fish hook to the fish in that a greater area of the fish&#39;s skin or flesh must be pulled away in order to dislodge the embedded hook from the fish, that is, the return opening hole may be smaller in the case of barbs affixed to one side of the hook portion only assuming, of course, that the hook is pulled straight out in the same direction that it was forced in.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4A shows an alternate second barb construction that is outwardly flared from the plane of the penetrating point and first barb so as to, in effect, create a more complex puncture configuration, that is, L-shaped, as contrasted to a straight line generally caused by the FIG. 4 alternative.  
         [0020]    Turning now to FIG. 5 of the drawing, a still further embodiment of the invention is shown in which the secondary hook  50   b  is shown in a position significantly longitudinally downwardly spaced from the initial barb  42  and, as in the case of the FIGS. 2 and 3 embodiment, positioned on the inside or proximal surface of the hook portion.  
         [0021]    In all the embodiments, it should be pointed out that the multiple barbs are positioned on the hook portion of the hook rather than on the shank portion in which regard it is common to provide a barb or at least roughened areas in order to secure bait thereon but not for the purpose of the present invention to more securely embed the fishing hook into the fish once the fish is caught to make it more able to be securely retrieved by the fisherman.  
         [0022]    While each of the above-described embodiments utilizes two barbs, a primary barb and secondary barb, it should be pointed out that further additional secondary barbs can be utilized in some cases, for instance, a tertiary barb similar to barb  50   a  of FIG. 4 could be positioned in the same general area but on the hook shown in FIG. 2 or similarly the secondary barb  50  shown in FIG. 2 could also be utilized in conjunction with the hook configuration shown in FIG. 5. The important feature being that at least two barbs, which are longitudinally spaced from each other along the hook portion of the hook, are utilized.  
         [0023]    While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.