Patent Publication Number: US-2003230023-A1

Title: Rod rest

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to fishing implement, and more specifically, to a rod rest for supporting a fishing rod during fishing.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] When fishing, the fisher may install a rod rest in the boat or the handrail around the fishing pool to support the fishing rod, so that the fisher needs not to hold the fishing rod all the time when fishing.  
       [0005]FIG. 1 shows a rod rest according to the prior art. According to this design, the rod rest comprises a mounting barrel  1 , a swivel block  2  pivoted to the front side of the mounting barrel  1  and turned leftwards/rightwards to the desired angle, two screw bolts  3  bilaterally fastened to the mounting barrel  1  and adapted to limit the turning angle of the swivel block  2  relative to the mounting barrel  1 , a receiving tube  4  pivoted to the front side of the swivel block  2  and turned upwards/downwards to the desired angle, a lock screw  5  adapted for locking the receiving tube  4 , and a tightening up screw  6  adapted for locking the fishing rod after insertion of the fishing rod into the receiving tube  4 . This structure of rod rest is not convenient in use. When the fishing rod inserted into the receiving tube  4 , the tightening up screw  6  must be fastened tight to fix the fishing rod in position. When adjusting the tilting angle of the fishing rod, the user must loosen the lock screw  5 , and then turn the receiving tube  4  relative to the swivel block  2  to the desired angle, and then fasten up the lock screw  5  again. Further, the mounting barrel  1  is adapted for mounting on a protruded member or the end of a rod member. It cannot be fastened to a mid part of a handrail or rod member.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] It is one object of the present invention to provide a rod rest, which can easily stably fastened to a fixed object for supporting a fishing rod during fishing.  
       [0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a rod rest, which has a simple structure and, is convenient to operate.  
       [0008] To achieve these objects of the present invention, the rod rest comprises a mounting shaft having a shaft body, an endpiece extended from one end of the shaft body, and a hook extended from an opposite end of the shaft body and suspended above the endpiece, the endpiece having screw hole; a tension clamp adapted for securing the mounting shaft to a fixed object; a swivel member pivoted to an outer side of the shaft body of the mounting shaft for revolution, the swivel member having a plurality of peripheral notches spaced around the periphery thereof; a rack mounted on the swivel member and adapted for supporting a fishing rod and keeping the supported fishing rod in direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the swivel member; a shaft tip outwardly extended from the shaft body of the mounting shaft adjacent to the swivel member; a hollow retaining pin sleeved onto the shaft tip and movable along the shaft tip between a first position where the retaining pin is disposed in engagement with one peripheral notch of the swivel member to stop the swivel member from rotary motion and a second position where the retaining pin is disengaged from the periphery notches of the swivel member for enabling the swivel member to be rotated; and spring means mounted on the shaft tip and connected between the shaft tip and the retaining pin to hold the retaining pin in the first position. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0009]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a rod rest according to the prior art.  
     [0010]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a rod rest according to the present invention.  
     [0011]FIG. 3 is an assembly view of the rod rest according to the present invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 4 is an applied view of the present invention, showing the rod rest installed in a vertical round bar.  
     [0013]FIG. 5 is a rear side view of the present invention corresponding to the application status shown in FIG. 4.  
     [0014]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5.  
     [0015]FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 but showing the retaining pin disengaged from the periphery notches of the swivel member.  
     [0016]FIG. 8 is an applied view of the present invention, showing the rod rest installed in a transverse bar. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0017] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a rod rest in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a mounting shaft  10 , a tension clamp  20 , a swivel member  30 , a pivot  35 , a rack  40 , a shaft tip  50 , a retaining pin  60 , and a spring  70 .  
     [0018] The mounting shaft  10  is made of a flat metal bar comprising a longitudinal shaft body  11 , an endpiece  12  extended one end, namely, the rear end of the longitudinal shaft body  11  at right angles, a hook  13  extended from the other end, namely, the front end of the longitudinal shaft body  11  and suspended above the endpiece  12 , a first screw hole  14  extended through the center of the endpiece  12  and axially aimed at the center of the hook  13 , and a second screw hole  15  and a third screw hole  16  transversely extended through the shaft body  11 . The hook  13  is smoothly arched, having the inner side curved inwards and facing the endpiece  12 .  
     [0019] The tension clamp  20  comprises a metal screw rod  21  threaded into the first screw hole  14  of the endpiece  12  of the mounting shaft  10 , a disk-like clamping plate  22  riveted to one end, namely, the inner end of the screw rod  21  and facing the hook  13 , and a handle  23  integral with the other end, namely, the outer end of the screw rod  21  outside the mounting shaft  10 . Through the handle  23 , the user can rotate the tension clamp  20  in the first screw hole  14  of the endpiece  12  of the mounting shaft  10  to move the disk-like clamping plate  22  relative to the hook  13 , i.e., to adjust the pitch between the disk-like clamping plate  22  and the hook  13 .  
     [0020] The swivel member  30  is a metal member comprising a wheel body  31  and a shaft  33  perpendicularly extended from one side of the wheel body  31  at the center, and an axle hole  34  axially extended through the axis of the shaft  33  and the center of the wheel body  31  (see also FIG. 6). The wheel body  31  is shaped like a gear (see also FIG. 4), having a plurality of smoothly arched peripheral notches  32  equiangularly spaced around the periphery (there are nine peripheral notches  32  equally spaced from one another at 40°). The pivot  35  is inserted through the axle hole  34  of the swivel member  30 , having a head  36  disposed at one end and slightly stopped at the outer end of the shaft  33  remote from the wheel body  31 , and a threaded mounting portion  37  axially disposed at the other end and threaded into the second screw hole  15  of the mounting shaft  10 . After installation of the pivot  35 , the swivel member  30  can be turned about the pivot  35  to the desired angle.  
     [0021] The rack  40  is made of a metal wire rod comprising a mounting portion  41  disposed at one end and welded to the periphery of the shaft  33  of the swivel member  30 , a supporting portion  44  disposed at the other end, a holding down portion  42  connected between the mounting portion  41  and the supporting portion  44 , and an extension portion  43  connected between the supporting portion  44  and the holding down portion  42 . The mounting portion  41  is a straight rod section perpendicularly extended from the periphery of the shaft  33  of the swivel member  30 . The holding down portion  42  extends from one end of the mounting portion  41  remote from the shaft  33  of the swivel member  30 , and curves in direction toward the swivel member  30 , defining with the mounting portion  41  a substantially semi-circular opening. The extension portion  43  is straightly extended from one end of the holding down portion  42  remote from the mounting portion  41  at an angle about 45° relative to the mounting portion  41  (see FIG. 4). The supporting portion  44  extends from one end of the extension portion  43  remote from the holding down portion  42 , and curves in direction reverse to the holding down portion  42 .  
     [0022] The shaft tip  50  is provided on the outer side of the shaft body  11  of the mounting shaft  10 . According to the present preferred embodiment, the shaft tip  50  is a screw bolt, having the threaded rod  51  threaded into the third screw hole  16  of the mounting shaft  10  and the head  52  disposed outside the mounting shaft  10 .  
     [0023] The retaining pin  60  is a metal hollow pin sleeved onto the shaft tip  50  and moved along the shaft tip  50  between the first position shown in FIG. 1 and the second position shown in FIG. 7. The outer diameter of the retaining pin  60  fits the curvature of the peripheral notches  32  of the swivel member  30 . When the retaining pin  60  moved to the first position, it is engaged into one peripheral notch  32  of the swivel member  30  to stop the rotary member  30  from rotation. When the retaining pin  60  is moved to the second position, it is disengaged from the peripheral notches  32  of the swivel member  30 , enabling the swivel member  30  to be turned about the pivot  35  to the desired angle. The retaining pin  60  comprises an axial center through hole  61 , which receives the shaft tip  50 , an outside flange  62  extended around the periphery of one end thereof remote from the mounting shaft  10 , and an inside annular flange  63  concentrically disposed inside the axial center through hole  61  around the periphery of the shaft tip  50  (see FIG. 6).  
     [0024] The spring  70  is mounted on the shaft tip  50  and stopped between the inside annular flange  63  of the retaining pin  60  and the head  52  of the shaft tip  50 . The spring  70  holds the retaining pin  60  in the first position when receiving no pressure.  
     [0025] The use of the rod rest is outlined hereinafter. When installing the rod rest in, for example, a vertical round bar  82 , as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and  6 , the hook  13  of the mounting shaft  10  is hooked on the round bar  82 , and then the tension clamp  20  is rotated inwards to force the disk-like clamping plate  22  against the periphery of the round bar  82 , enabling the rod rest to be stably fastened to the round bar at the desired elevation. Thereafter, the retaining pin  60  is pulled outwards to the second position (see FIG. 7) to unlock the swivel member  30 , and then the rack  40  is turned with the swivel member  30  about the pivot  35  to the desired angle, and then the retaining pin  60  is released from the hand and forced by the spring  70  into engagement with the peripheral notches  32  of the swivel member  30  to lock the swivel member  30  and the rack  40  in the desired angle. When pulling the retaining pin  60  from the first position to the second position, rest the thumb on the head  52  of the shaft tip  50 , and then pull the outside flange  62  of the retaining pin  60  outwards with the forefinger and the middle finger. After installation of the rod rest, the fishing rod  90  can then be rested on the rod rest, keeping a front part of the fishing rod  90  supported on the supporting portion  44  of the rack  40  and a rear part of the fishing rod  90  held down by the holding down portion  42  of the rack  40 .  
     [0026] Referring to FIG. 8, the rod rest can be fastened to a horizontal bar  84  in the same way. Of course, the rod rest can also be easily fastened to an obliquely extended rod member or a protruding member.