Patent Publication Number: US-2017347637-A1

Title: Fishing Gaff

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates generally to a fishing gaff. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a sophisticated fishing gaff which is adapted to land a large gamefish. 
     A number of improvements to traditional fishing gaff technology have been advanced. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,683,734 of the present applicant discloses a fishing gaff having a handle and an offset portion. A shaft extends from the offset portion. Spaced openings in the shaft facilitate movement through the water. 
     SUMMARY 
     Briefly stated, a fishing gaff comprises an elongated tubular body having opposed first and second end portions. A coupler having a releasable lock is disposed at the first end portion and has a longitudinally extending receiving bore. A hook has a shank. The shank is receivable in the bore and releasably lockable to the body by the coupler. A release is received in the tubular body and has an actuator at one end and a button at a second end. The release is spring biased toward the second end portion. The hook is locked by the coupler when the button is in an inactivated locked mode and the button is depressible to force the actuator to engage the releasable lock and release the hook from the tubular body. 
     The coupler further comprises a plurality of jaws which engage the shank. The actuator comprises an angled surface portion which engages the jaws to spread the jaws apart. Each jaw comprises a locking lug and the shank has a recess which axially retains the locking lug. The actuator comprises a truncated conical surface. The button projects axially outwardly from the body in a locked mode of the hook. The hook preferably has an eyelet. 
     A fishing gaff comprises an elongated tubular body having opposed first and second end portions. A coupler has a releasable lock disposed at the first end portion. A hook having a shank is releasably lockable to the body by the coupler. A release is received in the tubular body and has an actuator at one end and a button at a second end. The hook is locked by the coupler when the button is in an inactivated locked mode and the button is actuatable to force said actuator to engage the releasable lock and release the hook from the tubular body. 
     The coupler comprises a plurality of jaws which engage the shank. The activator has an angled portion which engages the jaws and spreads the jaws apart. Each jaw has a locking lug and the shank has a recess which axially retains the locking lug. 
     A gaff comprises an elongated tubular body with opposed first and second end portions. A hook having a shank is releasably lockable to the body by the coupler which is disposed at the first end portion. A spring loaded release assembly is received in the tubular body and has an actuator and a manual release member which has a locked mode and a release mode. The hook is locked by the coupler when the release member is in the locked mode. The release member is transformable to force the actuator to engage the releasable lock and release the hook from the tubular body of the shaft. 
     The coupler has a plurality of jaws which engage the connector. The actuator comprises an angled surface portion which engages the jaws to disengage the jaws from the shank of the hook. The release member is biased by a spring to project outwardly from the shaft body in the locked mode of the hook. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fishing gaff; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 2 , taken along the line A-A thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a designated portion of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged sectional view of a right end portion of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged fragmentary view, portions removed to illustrate a hook/lock mode and portions in section, of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged fragmentary view, portions removed to illustrate a hook/release mode and portions in section, of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a composite schematic side view, portions in section and enlarged, illustrating the hook/lock mode of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an annotated schematic side view, portions in section and enlarged, illustrating the hook/release mode for the fishing gaff of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, portions removed, illustrating the fishing gaff of  FIG. 1  in a hook/lock mode; 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged fragmentary end perspective view of the fishing gaff for the hook/lock mode of  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged fragmentary perspective opposed end view of the fishing gaff of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the figures, a fishing gaff is generally designated by the numeral  10 . The fishing gaff includes a hook  20  and a tubular shaft  30  constructed from sturdy materials of high structural integrity so as to be capable of landing gamefish of significant magnitude. The fishing gaff  10  functions to allow the hook  20  to be selectively released from the shaft  30  upon manual actuation by the operator, as will be detailed below. The shaft  30  has multiple components, including an outer tube  32  and a tubular extension  34 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4, 6 and 7 , the hook  20  has a compound bend with a rod-like axial shank  22 . The shank  22  includes a recessed locking groove  24  which preferably circumferential extends around the shank axis and has a uniform depth and axial dimension. The shank terminates in a nose-like terminus  26 . The hook  20  may also include an eyelet  28  for attachment of a lanyard (not illustrated) to retain the hook upon release from the shaft  30 . 
     A coupler  40  includes a base  42  having a circumferential thread  44  which threads into one end of the tubular shaft  30 . The coupler  40  has a central axial bore  46  which closely receives the hook shank  22 . With additional reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a plurality of pivotal arm-like jaws  50  each have an intermediate locking lug  52 . Each lug  52  is dimensioned and positioned to engage into the locking groove  24  of the hook shank. The jaws  50  are pivotally mounted to the coupler base  42  and/or are resiliently biased toward each other and toward the axial center line of the receiving bore  46 . Two, three, four or other numbers of locking jaws may be provided. The distal end  54  of each of the jaws has a smooth contoured surface. When the hook shank  22  is inserted into the receiving bore  46  of the coupler, the jaws  50  are biased inwardly and each end  54  is contoured so that each locking lug  52  rides over the shank until it aligns with the locking groove  24 , in which instance, the lugs  52  are biased for engagement into the locking groove to lock the hook to the shaft in a fixed axial position. 
     With additional reference to  FIGS. 4 and 8 , a release assembly  60  includes an elongated tube  62  of reduced diameter relative to tube  32  is disposed inside and generally coaxial with the outer tube  32 . Tube  62  is adapted for limited longitudinal displacement within tube  32 . The distal end of the release tube interiorly threadably connects with a quasi-bullet-shaped actuator  70 . The actuator  70  has a generally cylindrical surface  72  which extends from an annular shoulder  74  with a reduced diameter and terminates in a truncated conical end surface  76  ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ). The end surface inwardly tapers and terminates in a substantially snub nose  78  which axially engages between the ends of the jaws  50 . When the release tube  62  and the actuator  70  carried by the tube are longitudinally displaced toward the hook, the actuator  70  engages between the interior end portions of the jaws  50  and the conical surface  76  forces the jaws to spread apart radially so that the lugs  52  disengage from the locking groove  24  and the hook  20  may be released from the shaft of the gaff. 
     A quasi-cylindrical connector  80  includes a pair of longitudinally spaced threaded surfaces  82  and  84  which thread into the interior outer shaft tube  32  and a tubular extension  34  which secures the coupler  40  to the shaft  30 . A coil spring  86  is engageable against an interior shoulder  88  of the connector and against a shoulder of the actuator  70  to spring bias the release assembly  60 , including the tube  62 , toward the proximal end of the outer tubular shaft  32 . 
     With additional reference to  FIGS. 5, 8 and 9 , a release button assembly  90  includes a cap  92 . The cap  92  has an interior threaded surface  94  which threads to the outer end of the tubular shaft  32 . A button  96  is received in an interior outer annulus of the cap and has a cylindrical inner wall  98  which threads into the interior end of the release tube  62 . It will be appreciated that the button  96  is axially biased to an outer axial position. The button  96  may then be longitudinally moved axially or depressed toward the hook end so that the actuator  70  engages the jaws  50  to release the locking engagement of the hook  20 . In the normal locked position, the button  96  is projected axially outwardly from the cap ( FIG. 12 ). The spring  86  preferably exerts a significant force resisting depression of the release button  96  so that separation of the hook  20  is intentional on the part of the user and not inadvertent. 
     As best illustrated in  FIG. 8 , when the hook is locked to the shaft assembly, the actuator  70  is axially displaced from the jaws  50 , and the button is in an extended position. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , when it is desired to release the hook, the button is depressed in the direction of the lower  FIG. 9  arrow. The latter forces the actuator  70  to engage the locking jaws  50  and force them outwardly, as illustrated by the opposed arrows and release the hook  20 . 
     The hook shank  22  may then be reinserted into the coupler  40  and the locking jaws  50  reengage for securely locking the hook  20  to the shaft  30 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the lock/release modes may be reversed. The release button or operator is depressed by the user to maintain a lock mode for the hook, and released to separate the hook from the shaft. For this embodiment, the fisherman holds the operator while the hook is in the fish and then releases the hook from the shaft. Release mechanisms which employ operators other than buttons may also be incorporated into the fishing gaff. 
     While preferred embodiments of the foregoing have been set for purposes of illustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.