Abstract:
A system, method and apparatus are provided for a fishing lure made with sugar. The system includes a mixing vat, a mixing mechanism, a mold, and a pump. The vat contains a mixture that includes resin, plasticizer, stabilizer, oil, and sugar. The mixing mechanism mixes the mixture in the vat. The mold forms a fishing lure of a desired shape. The pump pumps the mixture from the vat into the mold.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/843,728, which was filed on Jul. 8, 2013, and is entitled “Method and Apparatus for Fishing Lure Made with Sugar.” Provisional Patent No. 61/843,728 is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application as if fully set forth herein. The present application hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/843,728. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present application relates generally to fishing lures and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for a fishing lure made with sugar. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Flexible PVC fishing lures have been used to catch fish for many years. Flexible PVC lures have been produced with di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DOA) plasticizer and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DOP) plasticizer combinations. In other lures, high cost DOA plasticizer has been replaced with lower cost extender oils. In still other lures, due to concerns with toxicity, DOP plasticizer has been replaced by di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) plasticizer. 
         [0004]    Over the years, many materials have been added to flexible PVC lures. Additives include salt, fish oils, crayfish, anise oil and the like. Salt is a widely used additive for fishing lures. However salt tends to increase the viscosity of the liquid plastic, increase the specific gravity of the baits and to abrade pumps, line and other plastic processing equipment. 
         [0005]    Therefore, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems for fabricating fishing lures. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    To address the problems inherent in the prior art, a method and apparatus are provided for a fishing lure made with sugar. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a system is provided. The system includes a mixing vat, a mixing mechanism, a mold, and a pump. The vat contains a mixture that includes resin, plasticizer, stabilizer, oil, and sugar. The mixing mechanism is configured to mix the mixture in the vat. The mold is configured to form a fishing lure of a desired shape. The pump is configured to pump the mixture from the vat into the mold. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment of the disclosure, a method of producing a fishing lure including sugar is provided. The method includes mixing resin, plasticizer, stabilizer, oil, and sugar and pumping the mixture into a mold that is configured to produce a fishing lure having a desired shape. The method further includes allowing the mixture to set in the mold and removing the fishing lure from the mold. 
         [0008]    In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, a molded fishing lure includes resin, plasticizer, stabilizer, oil, and sugar. 
         [0009]    Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller” means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  presents an apparatus for making fishing lures with sugar according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  presents a procedure for making fishing lures with sugar according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  presents a fishing lure with sugar according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIGS. 1 through 3 , discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged method and apparatus for production of fishing lures with sugar. 
         [0015]    The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for making fishing lures with sugar. The lures may be molded in any suitable shape. Other materials may be included in the lures, in addition to sugar. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  presents an apparatus  100  for making fishing lures with sugar according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. Resins, plasticizers, stabilizers, and oils are placed in a mixing vat  102 . Proportions and quantities of such materials are discussed in greater detail below. Also added to the vat  102  is sugar. Pigments, glitter, and/or other ingredients suitable to change an appearance of the lure may also be added to the vat  102 . 
         [0017]    The system  100  further includes a mixer motor  104  operating an impeller (not shown) within the vat  102  to mix the combined ingredients in the vat  102 . The mixer motor  104  and the impeller comprise a mixing mechanism of the system  100 . 
         [0018]    Where needed, a heater  106  may warm the mixture to a homogeneous consistency that can be pumped by a pump  108  into a mold  110  and fill the cavities of the mold  110 . The heater  106  may heat the mixture in the vat  102  or in a pipe coupling the vat  102  to the pump  108 . The mixture is then allowed to set in the mold  110 , taking on a shape determined by the mold  110 . Once set, the finished fishing lures are then removed from the mold  110 . 
         [0019]    In a similar way, additional material from the vat  102  may be pumped by the pump  108  into the mold  110 , in order to fabricate more fishing lures. The process is repeated until all of the mixture in the vat  102  has been used. At that time, a new mixture may be prepared in the vat  102  to fabricate further fishing lures. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the elements of the system  100  may be operated manually. In other embodiments, a controller  112  may control one or more elements of the system  100 . In some such embodiments, the controller  112  may be a hardware controller comprising elements such as mechanical timers, relays, limit switches, and the like. In other such embodiments, the controller  112  may be a conventional computer-based controller, comprising an interconnected processor, memory, power supply, input/output interface circuitry (configured to couple to the elements of the system  100  being operated), and a user interface such as a display and one or more input devices, configured to enable a user to operate the system  100  via the controller  112 . 
         [0021]    Flexible PVC fishing lures are produced with a wide range of softness and flexibility. Harder baits intended for saltwater fishing are lower in plasticizer content, which makes these lures harder and tougher than freshwater baits. The amount of salt that can be added to a hard plastic is limited because the viscosity increase imparted by the salt makes the plastic difficult to process. 
         [0022]    Listed in Table 1 are typical polyvinyl chloride (PVC) formulas used to produce soft freshwater baits and harder and tougher saltwater baits containing salt. Quantities in Table 1 are expressed in parts—that is, the quantities represent relative amounts of each material. Persons of skill in the art will understand that other ingredients and other proportions may be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Ingredients 
                 Soft 
                 Medium Hard 
                 Hard 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PVC Resin 
                 100 
                 100 
                 100 
               
               
                   
                 DINP Plasticizer 
                 623 
                 543 
                 486 
               
               
                   
                 Epoxy Soybean Oil 
                 15 
                 15 
                 15 
               
               
                   
                 Mixed Metal Stabilizer 
                 15 
                 15 
                 15 
               
               
                   
                 Secondary Plasticizer 
                 188 
                 180 
                 137 
               
               
                   
                 Salt 
                 118-236 
                 118-236 
                 118-236 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0023]    PVC lures may be made according to the mixture described in Table  1  or other suitable mixtures, where granulated sugar is included instead of salt. In such mixtures sugar may be used in higher proportions than salt. It is believed that this is due to the irregular shape of the ground sugar compared with the much more regular cubical shape of salt. 
         [0024]    The density of table salt is 2.16 grams per cubic centimeter (cc), or 18 pounds per gallon. For sugar, the density is 1.59 g/cc, or 13.3 pounds/gallon. Thus, lower density lures may be produced with sugar than with salt. 
         [0025]    In trials conducted it was discovered that between 1 and 3 pounds of sugar may be added to one gallon of liquid plastic mixture and the plastic remains easily processed to mold soft plastic fishing lures. If an equivalent amount of salt is added to one gallon of plastic, the mixture is much more difficult to process with molding equipment currently used. Specifically, a mixture made with salt is more viscous; results in greater abrasion of pumps, lines, and other processing equipment; and produces lures having a higher specific gravity, than a mixture made with sugar. 
         [0026]    Particularly for mixtures producing harder lures, more sugar can be added to the mixture than salt before the mixture is too viscous to be pumped and molded. As such, hard lures having a higher specific gravity may be fabricated using sugar in place of salt. 
         [0027]    Further, sugar may be used to produce a lure having greater flavor for a desired specific gravity. Specific gravity for a lure may be selected in order to produce a desired rate at which the lure sinks in the water. 
         [0028]    Additionally, a lure with a higher specific gravity may be produced from a less viscous mixture by using sugar in place of salt. 
         [0029]    A further benefit is that sugar settles out of the liquid plastic at a reduced rate compared with salt. In some embodiments, the vat  102  may be configured with valves and couplers so that it can be decoupled from the molding system  100  and set aside before all the mixture in the vat  102  has been used. A second vat  102  containing a different mixture of ingredients may then be coupled to the molding system  100  and lures of different characteristics molded from a mixture in the second vat  102 . 
         [0030]    While the first vat  102  is in storage, the materials in the mixture typically settle out. When the first vat  102  is to be reconnected to the molding system  100  to resume making lures from the mixture therein, the mixture must be remixed. When salt settles, remixing the mixture and re-dispersing the salt requires much manual stirring followed by machine stirring to obtain a plastic that can be processed. With sugar, settling of the sugar occurs at a reduced rate and such intensive manual labor is typically not required. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  presents a procedure  200  for making fishing lures with sugar according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. Describing the procedure  200  with reference to the system  100  shown in  FIG. 1 , in step  202 , resins, plasticizers, stabilizers, and oils in desired amounts are placed in the mixing vat  102  and are mixed. In step  204 , sugar in a desired amount is added to the vat  102  and the combined materials further mixed. In other embodiments of the procedure  200 , pigments, glitter, and/or other suitable materials may be added to the vat  102  in step  202 , step  204 , or in a subsequent step (not shown), and the combined materials further mixed. In optional step  206 , the heater  106  heats the mixture to a desired viscosity and, in step  208 , the pump  108  pumps the mixture into the mold  110 . In step  210 , the mixture is permitted to set in the mold  110  and in a subsequent step (not shown), the resulting molded fishing lures are removed from the mold  110 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  presents a fishing lure  300  according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. The lure  300  comprises a body  302  molded according to the procedure  200 , described with reference to  FIG. 2 , using the system  100 , described with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
         [0033]    The lure may further include a fishing hook  304  coupled to the body  302 . While  FIG. 3  shows a single hook  304 , it will be understood that in other embodiments, two or more hooks  304  may be included in the lure  300 . While  FIG. 3  shows the hook  304  extending from opposite sides of the body  302 , it will be understood that the hook  304  may be coupled to the body  302  with any element of the hook  304  extending from any side of the body  302 . 
         [0034]    In some embodiments, the hook  304  is coupled to the body  302  after the body  302  is removed from the mold  110 . In other embodiments, the hook  304  may be placed in the mold  110  prior to the mixture being pumped into the mold  110  and coupled to the body  302  as the mixture sets in the mold  110 . 
         [0035]    Although the present disclosure has been described with exemplary embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.