Abstract:
An elongated device with a self-contained vibration generating mechanism including a battery driven motor and eccentric weight and means to vary the vibration that can be easily attached to an ordinary fishing rod having a reel and line mounted thereon to cause the fishing rod shaft to vibrate in a manner to cause a bait or lure attached to the line to vibrate in a selective manner to attract fish, without passing the fishing line through the device. The device is firmly detachably attached to a fishing rod shaft by the combination of an extension of the device having a curvilinear cavity defined by a wall adapted to frictionally engage the top of a fishing rod shaft co-acting with a pair of straps wrappable around the device and secured by a hook and loop fastening system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a detachable device for converting an ordinary fishing rod into one which has a controllable vibration for causing a lure attached to the line of the fishing rod to tremble. 
         [0002]    It is known that if a fishing rod can be made to vibrate it will cause a lure attached to the end of the line to move in a fluttering action that attracts fish to strike. Some prior art devices attempted to achieve this by manufacturing a rod that contains a vibrator as an integral part of the device, such as, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,785,998 and 6,836,995. This had the disadvantage that the user had to buy the particular rod. Not only is such rod costly, but it limits the user to that particular rod. Fishermen are very particular about rods and the action that the rods play in casting a lure and playing and landing a fish, and want to have the freedom to select from a variety of rods of different lengths, materials and action. 
         [0003]    Other prior art devices such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,700,501 and 3,789,534 have detachable vibration devices which are cumbersome to attach, and have the line passing through the vibrating device and then through the eyelets of the rod. The feeding of the line modifies the particular inter-action of the rod reel and line intended by the manufacturer for the fishing line to pass from the reel through the eyelets to achieve a certain co-action between the rod and line which was intended by the manufacturer of the rod and tension on the line intended by the manufacturer of the reel to affect the action of the rod and the line in casting the line and in hooking and reeling in a fighting fish. 
         [0004]    Other prior art devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,920,774 required the power supply and switching and electrical adjustments to be placed separate from the fishing rod and connected by wires. This is not only cumbersome but it can also interfere with the freedom to hold the rod at any angle when casting and can cause the wire to become entangled with other items in the boat or on the dock. 
         [0005]    Still other devices had means for attaching a vibrating mechanism to a rod in a manner where the attachment means were cumbersome and difficult to attach and detach. This is a problem not only in the initial installation, but when a fisherman want to use a vibration apparatus for only part of their fishing day, and to try some fishing without it, much as they change lures when the fish are not biting to the degree that the fisherman desires. 
         [0006]    Moreover, some fishermen have more than one rod, and want to change the rod either to go after different kinds of fish, or because they want to try different kinds of rod actions 
         [0007]    Each of the different rods may have different cross-sectional dimensions of the shaft, complicating or prohibiting the attachment of a vibrating device on range of different fishing rods. 
         [0008]    Still others were subject to loosening and slipping on the device thereby severely interfering with the action of the rod in hooking, playing and landing a fish, or even causing the device to fall from the rod. This tendency to slip is compounded not only because of the forces attempting to loosen the attachment of the vibrating device that come from the action of the rod in casting and reeling in a fish, but also from the very vibrations generated by the device. Thus, it is essential that the means to fasten the device create a strong attachment. 
         [0009]    Accordingly there is a need for a fisherman to have a vibrating device that can be attached and unattached either to the same, or more than one, fishing rod easily and quickly, yet having the same firm attachment each that does not become loosened during the casting, hooking, playing and landing of a fish. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    A selective vibration generating device readily attachable to and detachable from a conventional fishing rod by an attachment means that not only is easy to attach and detach, but that firmly secures the device from shifting axially of, or rotating on, the shaft, and permits the transmission of selective vibrations to the fishing rod shaft and then to the fishing line that passes from a conventional reel through the conventional eyelets of the fishing rod without passing through the device to cause the fishing line, and any bait or lure attached thereto, to selectively vibrate. The attachment is secured from moving axially or circumferentially of the fishing rod shaft by combination of a rubber or silicone extension having a concave downward facing cavity to establish frictional engagement of the upper surface of the fishing rod shaft, and hook and loop fastening straps that co-act with the extension to effectively secure the device against movement of the device axially of, or rotationally on, the fishing rod shaft when the attachment secures the device to a range of fishing rod shaft diameters, and is subjected to the extreme forces involved in casting a lure or bait and in hooking playing and landing of a fish. In a modification, the extension is of a resilient material to self-adjustingly facilitate the assembly of the device on fishing rod shafts of a range of diameters. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the device assembled on the shaft of a conventional fishing rod that has a conventional reel that feeds a conventional line through the conventional loops of the shaft of the rod, with a lure mounted at the end of the line; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of the device prior to assembly on the fishing rod taken along the lines  2 - 2  in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the device prior to assembly on the fishing rod. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a back view of the device prior to assembly on the fishing rod and showing the extension and the straps having hook and loop mating surfaces; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross sectional end view of the device mounted on a fishing rod shaft where the cavity defined by the wall at the bottom of the extension is deep 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional end view of a modification of the device mounted on a fishing rod shaft where the extension is sufficiently resilient to cause the extension cavity wall to expand on application of the extension to the fishing rod shaft; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional end view of the device mounted on a fishing rod shaft where the cavity defined by the wall at the bottom of the extension is shallower than the cavity of  FIG. 5  and the fishing rod shaft is of greater diameter than the fishing rod shaft of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional end view of the device mounted on a fishing rod shaft with the extension and a strap in assembled position on a fishing rod shaft. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional end view of the device mounted on a fishing rod shaft where the depth of the cavity is the same as the depth of the cavity of the extension of  FIG. 7 , and the diameter of the fishing rod is the same as on  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1 , shows an assembled view of a device  10  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted above the shaft  12  of a conventional fishing rod  14  adjacent its handle  15 . A conventional reel  16  is mounted above the handle. A fishing line  18  passes directly from the reel  16  through the conventional eyelets  22  of the shaft  12  and has a lure  23  attached at its end. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a partially cross sectional and partially broken away side elevation view of the device  10  prior to its attachment to the shaft  12  of the conventional fishing rod  14 . The device  10  has an elongated hollow cylindrical casing  11  of a water-proof material such as plastic, and generally resembling a flashlight in shape. At one end of the device  10  an electric motor  26  that drives a central shaft  28  is mounted in a compression fit between two cylindrical walls  34  and  35  in a removable housing  36 . The shaft  28  projects through an opening  31  in the front wall  34  and has a weight  40  eccentrically mounted thereon. When the windings (not shown) of the motors are energized, the shaft  28  rotates the eccentric weight  40  to produce vibrations. 
         [0023]    In the middle portion of the device  10  means is provided to mount a power supply in the form of a pair of series connected batteries, such as “AA” batteries  42  and  43  mounted in a channel  68  between a contact button  44  on one cylindrical wall  66  and a metallic spring  45  mounted on another wall  67 , as is known in the flashlight art. 
         [0024]    An “on/off” switch  46 , shown generally and schematically, is mounted on and through the casing  11  of the device  10  with the switching elements  71  and  72  of the switch  46  providing open and closed series electrical connection between the batteries  42  and  43  and the other elements connected in series thereto whereby the activation of the motor  26  and the vibrations it generates can be turned “on” and “off”. 
         [0025]    A rheostat  50  to regulate the speed of the motor  26  is mounted on and through the casing  48  of a housing  51  at the opposite end of the device  10  from the motor  26 . The rheostat  50 , the on/off switch  46 , and the windings of the motor  26  are connected in series electrical connection with the batteries  42  and  43  by a plurality of wires  54 , the button  44  and the spring. The rheostat  50  is a conventional rheostat as known in the rheostat art and has a rotational knob  56  for varying the internal resistance (not shown) of the rheostat, and thus the current flowing therethrough, as is well known in the rheostat art. When the on/off switch  46  is “on”, the current from the batteries  42  and  43  passes through the wirings of the motor  26  to cause the motor shaft  28  and its eccentrically mounted weight  40  to rotate, causing vibrations to be generated and pass through the walls  34  and  35  and out to the outer face  37  of the housing  36 . When the device  10  is secured on a fishing rod shaft  12 , as described hereinafter, and the on/off switch is “on”, the fisherman can then manually turn the knob  56  of the rheostat  50  to adjust the current flowing through the windings of the electric motor  26  to vary the speed of rotation of the motor shaft  28  to modulate the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations transmitted to the outer face  37  of the housing  36  and then ( FIG. 1 ) to the fishing rod shaft  12  and its line  18  and then to the lure  23 . 
         [0026]    Attachment means in accordance with one aspect of the invention allows the device to be easily attached to a fishing rod in a manner to prevent slippage of the device axially or rotationally of the shaft during the strenuous casting, and the hooking, playing and landing of a fish. 
         [0027]    In the preferred embodiment, referring now to  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ,  5  and  7 , the fastening means comprises a relatively resilient friction means in the form of an elongated extension  60  attached to the bottom of the device  10  by an adhesive and projecting downwardly from the bottom of the device  10 . The extension  60  is preferably of a length of at least two to two and one half inches, and has at its bottom an internal wall  61  defining a curvilinear in cross section cavity  74  which runs lengthwise of the device and opens downward from the device whereby the wall  61  of the cavity frictionally engages the top of the fishing rod shaft  12  to resist slippage of the device axially of, and rotationally on, the shaft  12  of an ordinary fishing rod in combination with at least two adjustable length strap-like wrapping means  62  and  63 , each comprising at least one hook  65  and loop  64  fastening surface, such as Velcro® mating surfaces. One end  75  of each wrapping strap is secured to the device  10  such as by adhesive (not shown). One wrapping strap  62  is secured to the device  10  above the extension adjacent the vibration mechanism housing  36  and another wrapping strap  63  is secured to the device  10  adjacent the vibration control rheostat housing  51 . By such arrangement the device  10  can be easily and securely attached to a fishing rod shaft, and remain attached despite the forces applied to it during the casting, hooking, playing and landing of the fish. 
         [0028]    Attachment means in accordance with one aspect of the invention allows the device to be easily attached to a fishing rod in a manner to prevent slippage of the device axially or rotationally of the shaft during the strenuous casting, and the hooking, playing and landing of a fish. 
         [0029]    In the preferred embodiment, referring now to  FIGS. 2 ,  4 ,  5  and  7 , the fastening means comprises a relatively resilient friction means in the form of an elongated extension  60  attached to the bottom of the device  10  by an adhesive and projecting downwardly from the bottom of the device  10 . The extension  60  is preferably of a length of at least two to two and one half inches, and has at its bottom an internal wall  61  defining a curvilinear in cross section cavity  74  which runs lengthwise of the device and opens downward from the device whereby the wall  61  of the cavity frictionally engages the top of the fishing rod shaft  12  to resist slippage of the device axially of, and rotationally on, the shaft  12  of an ordinary fishing rod in combination with at least two adjustable length strap-like wrapping means  62  and  63 , each comprising at least one hook  65  and loop  64  fastening surface, such as Velcro® mating surfaces. One end  75  of each wrapping strap is secured to the device  10  such as by adhesive (not shown). One wrapping strap  62  is secured to the device  10  above the extension adjacent the vibration mechanism housing  36  and another wrapping strap  63  is secured to the device  10  adjacent the vibration control rheostat housing  51 . By such arrangement the device  10  can be easily and securely attached to a fishing rod shaft, and remain attached despite the forces applied to it during the casting, hooking, playing and landing of the fish. 
         [0030]    I have found that the device can be made to accommodate a range of fishing pole shaft diameters by varying the depth of the curvilinear-in-cross-section cavity  61  defined by the wall  74  and/or the durometer of the material. For example,  FIG. 5  shows the wall  61  defining a cavity wherein the cavity defined by the wall  74  is deep, as at depth  92 , and the fishing rod shaft is small. In such case, the wall  74  of extension  60  engages the fishing rod shaft as far down as the center line of the shaft. Unless the durometer of the extension is made soft as described later herein, such extension could not be pushed down on a larger diameter fishing rod. On the other hand  FIG. 7  shows an extension having a more shallow depth  92 A of the wall  74  defining the cavity  74 . Such shallower depth accommodates a larger diameter shaft  12 A than the deeper cavity  74  of  FIG. 5  could accommodate. Yet, as  FIG. 9  shows, the shallow cavity  92 A can also accommodate the smaller diameter fishing rod shaft. It could also accommodate fishing rod shafts of diameters between the large diameters shown in  FIG. 7  and the small diameter shown in  FIG. 5 . But in the combination of the present invention, involving the co-action with the above described wrapping means, the arrangements of  FIGS. 5 ,  7 , and  9  would all hold the device  10  securely on the rod during the rigors of casting the lure and hooking, playing and landing the fish. 
         [0031]    Thus, the more shallow the cavity, the wider the range of fishing rod shafts it will fit. In a modification of the invention, I have found that where the durometer is soft, in the range between 30 and 45, the device can have a deep cavity, with its consequent frictional advantages, but will expand to fit more than one size of fishing rod. This is illustrated by a comparison of the assemblies of  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The use of a softer durometer extension  60  ( FIG. 6 ) of the same dimension as the cavity  60  defined by the inner wall  61  of the extension  60  ( FIG. 5 ) will allow the extension to expand to accommodate and compressively grip a much larger diameter fishing rod shaft  12 A. Thus it can be seen that by varying the length of the projection, the flexibility of the material, and the depth of the cavity of the extension, the device can be manufactured to accommodate a single size of fishing rod shaft or a range of sizes 
         [0032]    It is to be noted that the modification using the softer, lower durometer range, of material for the extension has the additional advantage of enabling a simple two-step assembly process wherein, by simply pushing the frictional extension  60  down against the top of the fishing rod shaft until a firm frictional engagement is established, the extension exerts sufficient friction to hold the device  10  firmly in place even before the straps are applied. This facilitates the attachment of the wrapping straps which provide the desired co-action with the extension to provide the ultimate securing of the device to withstand the forces of the casting, hooking, playing and landing of the fish. 
         [0033]    In the preferred embodiment, the device  10  is of waterproof material and construction. The front and rear housings  36  and  51  can be removable for providing access to the vibrating mechanism and battery compartment and rheostat respectively. The caps can be removably attached by threading means as is well known in the flashlight art. The foregoing removable connections can be water-proofed by gaskets and the like as is also well known in the flashlight art. 
         [0034]    Whereas, the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art and it is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.