Abstract:
A fishing line spool holder for facilitating the transfer of fishing line from a supply spool to a fishing reel. The spool holder is adapted to mount to the outside of a tackle box or other suitable surface. It includes a mounting bracket and a substantially L-shaped respooling arm pivotally attached to the mounting bracket. The pivoting action allows the respooling arm to be placed in a retracted position flush with the surface to which it is mounted when not in use. A frictionally engaging notch mechanism locks the arm into respooling position prior to use. The device further includes at least one tension-cap to prevent uncontrolled rotation and unfurling of the supply spool fishing line during respooling, and at least one ball-bearing washer to assure that the mounting plate apparatus does not interfere with the respooling operation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to spooling devices, and more particularly to fishing line respoolers and respooler holders. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     It is common knowledge that fishing line is generally packaged and sold on plastic spools. The usual procedure for replacing the fishing line in a reel on a fishing rod is to connect the end of the line on a supply spool to the rod and reel in the normal manner and then to wind the line off the supply spool and onto to the reel with the reel winding mechanism. 
     The process, while appearing to be quite simple, is really not so easy to practice in the absence of devices facilitating the process, especially for one person acting alone. The supply spool must be held in place and allowed to spin in order to dispense the line in an orderly manner without tangling. At the same time, however, it requires both of a person&#39;s hands merely to hold the fishing rod and to operate the winding mechanism of its reel. Consequently, if a second person is not available to assist, some other means must be employed to hold the supply spool in a spinnable manner. 
     Finding some other device to hold the supply spool in a spoolable manner can become a significant problem especially when the need to replace the fishing line arises in the middle of a fishing excursion. In the absence of a device specifically adapted to hold the supply spool in a spinnable manner, the seemingly simple task of winding new line onto a fishing reel can quickly become a frustrating, time-consuming experience, quite easily resulting in a tangled, wildly strewn mass of loose fishing line. 
     Given the manifest need for a device of this type for use especially during fishing excursions, it is further desirable that the device be readily at hand for use when needed. The most convenient sort of location for a respooling device intended for use during fishing excursions is on an exposed and readily accessible surface, such as the side of a fishing tackle box or an exposed location on a boat, dock, or the like. Additionally, it is desirable that a respooling device adapted to be mounted on a surface of this sort be constructed in a manner which allows it to be moved completely out of the way when not in use. 
     The prior art contains several examples of fishing line respooling devices. U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,702, issued to Latincich, describes a hand-cranked fishing line respooling mechanism which is readily attachable to a supporting structure by means of a C-clamp. The device is ill-suited for use on fishing excursions, however, since it is by no means guaranteed that a suitable supporting will be available while fishing from a boat, dock, or streamside. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,354, issued to Bagby, describes a fishing reel loading and unloading device which is adapted for removable attachment to the shaft of a fishing rod in a position either in front of or to the rear of the reel to be replenished or stripped with its aid. The device is equipped with a crank means for spooling a spent supply of line thereon from a reel; this crank means may be disengaged in the event that the device is instead to be used to replenish the supply of line on a fishing reel. The use of this device is problematic for two reasons, however. First, the apparatus whereby the respooler is removably attached to the rod is quite elaborate and cumbersome to attach. Second, the respooling device together with the associated mounting apparatus is rather bulky and heavy, and is therefore not convenient to store and carry on fishing excursions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,172, issued to Cope, describes a respooling device for fishing reels which consists of a holder for a spool of bulk line that is permanently mountable on any rigid support. The supply line arm may be adjusted to position the spool in various positions relative both to the support and to the fishing rod so as to enable twist-free and kink-free spooling of the line onto the reel, regardless of the type of reel being used. This invention suffers from a significant disadvantage, however, in that its use requires its spooling arm to protrude conspicuously and in a potentially interfering manner from its associated mounting surface. Unfortunately, the device lacks a storage position wherein the spooling arm is neatly tucked away when not in use. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,862, issued to Panasewich, describes a fishing tackle box having a number of separate housings adjacent the front of the box wherein spools of fishing leader lines may rotate freely about their own axes. The loose free ends of leader line from the spools extend out the front side of the box through a slot therein. Means are provided exteriorly of the box for cutting leader line as it is pulled from the openings after being used to respool a reel. This particular configuration is impractical, however, in that it requires substantial modification of the tackle box&#39;s interior and front face, and is therefore also quite costly to implement. Moreover, a significant amount of space within the tackle box is thus lost to the user. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,244, issued to Fish et al., discloses a fishing line spool holder for tackle boxes which are specifically equipped with trays. The spool holder includes a spindle on which the fishing spool is rotatably mounted, a support for holding the spindle, and means for engaging the support with the tackle box tray. U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,982, issued to Black et al., discloses a fishing line dispenser also for use with tackle boxes equipped with trays which consists of an elongated spooling shaft that is pivotally mounted on the tray either in a permanent manner, or by means of removable clips. The usefulness of the two aforementioned devices is limited, however, to fishing tackle boxes having trays. Moreover, use of both devices is rendered cumbersome and inconvenient because of the fact that the tackle box lid must be open, and because substantial manipulation of the other contents of the tray is likely to be necessary in order for the respooling operation to proceed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,784, issued to Totten, discloses a collapsible fishing line respooling device consisting of a base plate, two pivot arms, two pins to hold the arms on the sides of the base plate, and a shaft that snaps into the pivot arms. The surface of the base plate facing the supply spool is defined by a relieved radius groove designed to accommodate the cylindrical body of a supply spool. During use, the frictional engagement of the supply spool with the shallow concave groove tends to inhibit the tendency of the supply spool to unfurl with excessive rapidity. Since this frictional engagement is achieved only in the presence of a gravitational force pushing the reel onto the surface of the groove, however, the aforementioned device cannot effectively be mounted on vertical surfaces. But it is precisely vertical surfaces which are much more likely to be conveniently free for use on tackle boxes, boats, docks, and the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,839, issued to Burch, describes a fishing line respooling device consisting of a generally U-shaped base member whose side walls receive a shaft which holds the core of the spool during respooling. The bottom wall of the base is removably attachable to a mounting surface by means of suction cups, and the invention includes a variety of means whereby the rate of rotation of the supply spool may be frictionally regulated during respooling. A considerable difficulty associated with this invention arises from the fact that suction cups are often unsuitable means to securely mount things to surfaces. The surface must be exceptionally smooth, but this is unlikely to be the case on docks or on surfaces within boats. In the event that one instead mounts the device permanently by means of screws or the like, one is faced with the same difficulty attending the use of many of the aforementioned devices, namely, that the device juts out conspicuously and is thus liable to cause interference when not in use. 
     Finally, World Patent No. WO 93/09667, issued May 27, 1993 to Karr, et al., describes a fishing line respooler consisting of a generally C-shaped frame with a clamp arrangement at one end thereof and a spool arm at the opposite end thereof. The clamp arrangement permits the device to be removably attached to a fishing rod in proximity to the reel to be respooled. This clamp apparatus presents a considerable difficulty in use, however, since it includes a profusion of bolts, thumbscrews, and loose holding brackets which require an involved and time-consuming procedure to engage and disengage from a fishing pole. Moreover, the various components are easily dropped and lost during the process of applying and removing the device. 
     Examples of other prior art usages for spooling devices that are not specifically intended for employment as fishing line respoolers include: U.S. Pat. No. 902,787, issued to Wiebke, which describes a hand-cranked machine for winding ribbons or other materials upon cards, thin boards, or frames; U.S. Pat. No. 1,795,043, issued to Ross, which describes a dual-spindle sewing machine spool holder intended to permit quick change from one colored thread to another; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,361, issued to Jones, Jr., which describes a water ski towline playout and retrieval apparatus intended both to store water ski tow-rope when not in use, as well as allow the water ski tow-rope to be neatly dispensed and respooled during use. 
     None of the above respooling devices are specifically adapted for montage to an exposed and therefore readily accessible surface while also remaining inconspicuous and non-interfering during periods of non-use. Therefore, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to facilitate the process of respooling reels on fishing rods. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a respooling device which may be conveniently mounted to an exposed and therefore readily accessible surface on a tackle-box, boat, dock, or the like. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a respooling device which may be easily moved form one position to another, such that it can be located in a position that is out of the way when not in use. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     The present invention describes a fishing line spool holder for facilitating the transfer of fishing line from a supply spool to a fishing reel. The spool holder is adapted to be mounted onto the outside of a tackle box, or some other suitable surface affording the particular advantage of being exposed and therefore readily accessible. It includes a mounting bracket and a substantially L-shaped respooling arm pivotally attached to the mounting bracket. The pivoting action allows the respooling arm to be placed in a retracted position flush with the surface to which it is mounted when not in use, and thus out of the way. A frictionally engaging notch mechanism locks the arm into respooling position prior to use. The device further includes at least one tension-cap to prevent uncontrolled rotation and unfurling of the supply spool fishing line during respooling, and at least one ball-bearing washer to assure that the mounting plate apparatus does not interfere with the respooling operation. A spring supplies pressure to the tension cap, and a locking cylinder secures the spool on the device. 
     The fishing line spool holder of the present invention makes it possible for a fisherman to easily and efficiently replace the fishing line in the reel of his fishing rod without the presence of a second person holding a supply spool. Therefore, what was once an awkward and frustrating process is now readily accomplished with a minimal amount of time and effort. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a environmental, perspective view showing the respooling device of the present invention attached to the side of a tackle box and aligned in the respooling position. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the respooling device and associated tackle box with the respooling device held in the retained position. 
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, designated therein by the general reference numeral  10 , in combination with a fishing tackle box assigned the general reference numeral  12 . As depicted herein, the respooler  10  is conveniently attached to the front side  16  of the top lid  18  on the box  12 . It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be attached to other locations on tackle boxes, as well as to other surfaces altogether, such as to the sides of boats, docks or the like. FIG. 1 depicts the respooler  10  in the respooling position and ready for use. As such, the respooler  10  has been outfitted with a supply spool of fishing line, designated generally by the reference numeral  14 . 
     The respooler  10  is attached to the tackle box  12  by means of a mounting bracket  20 . In the preferred embodiment, this mounting bracket  20  has an upper ledge  22  and a lower ledge  24 . Each of the ledges  22  and  24  defines a circular hole or aperture, denoted by the numerals  23  and  25 , respectively. The holes  23  and  25  are in orthogonal alignment with respect to the parallel planes defined by the upper and lower ledges,  22  and  24 , and are designed to rotatably accommodate a pivoting arm  26 , having preferably, a substantially L-shaped spindle element  28 . The L-shaped spindle element  28  further includes a horizontally disposed respooling arm  30 , along with the vertically disposed pivoting arm  26 . Any number of commonly known methods may be used to secure the mounting bracket to the toolbox or an other surface. These methods include, but are not limited to, rivets, nut-and-bolt combinations, and double sided adhesive tape. 
     The pivoting action of the L-shaped spindle element  28  allows it to be placed into two distinct positions. The first is the respooling position, depicted in FIG. 1, wherein the respooling arm  30  is substantially orthogonal to the mounting surface  16  on the tackle box  12 . The second is the retained position, depicted in FIG. 2, wherein the respooling arm  30  is placed in a position longitudinally adjacent the mounting surface  16  of the tackle box  12 . 
     The holding means whereby the respooling arm  30  may be retained in the respooling position consists of a holding bracket  32  affixed to the topmost surface  34  of the upper ledge  22  of the mounting bracket  20 . The holding bracket  32  defines a semi-circular retaining notch  36  having a radial center aligned to be coincident with the radial axis of the respooling arm  30  when the respooling arm is in the respooling position. The retaining notch  36  is specifically shaped to frictionally engage the respooling arm  30  when it is moved from the retained position (shown in FIG. 2) into the respooling position (shown in FIG.  1 ). The notch  36  is shaped so as to circumferentially confine the respooling arm  30  therein, when the respooling arm  30  is positioned in the respooling position. 
     In order to operate or engage the respooling arm  30  into the respooling position, the respooling arm  30  is placed within the retaining notch  36  by simply snapping the respooling arm  30  into place within the notch. The degree of frictional engagement encountered upon inserting the respooling arm  30  into the retaining notch  36 , by a snapping action, should be sufficiently firm enough such that the respooling arm is securely anchored within the retaining notch  36  during the respooling process, but not so firm as to require an undue amount of force to disengage the respooling arm  30  from the retaining notch  36 , or to cause any potentially permanent deformation of either the respooling arm  30  or the retaining notch  36 . 
     In a similar manner, a variety of retaining means may be employed to affix the respooling arm  30  in the retained position pictured in FIG.  2 . The embodiment presently depicted employs a retaining bracket  38  for this purpose. The retaining bracket  38  comprises a rectangular band, preferably of metal, having a bent end  40  bent in such a manner that it forms a cradle  42  suitable to engage and retain the respooling arm  30 . As depicted in FIG. 2, the retaining bracket  38  is mounted on the surface  16  of the tackle box  12  at a location predetermined to allow the respooling arm  30  to rest in the cradle  42  when the respooling arm  30  is in the retained position. 
     The structure and function of the various components circumposed on the respooling arm  30  when the respooling arm  30  is in the respooling position and ready for use may best be appreciated in FIG.  1 . As depicted in FIG. 1, a cylindrical supply spool  14 , shown in phantom, for holding a supply of replacement fishing thread is positioned on respooling arm  30 . Additionally, a ball-bearing washer  44  is inserted between the retaining notch  36  and the end of the supply spool  14  facing the retaining notch. The function of the ball-bearing washer  44  is to frictionally engage the supply spool  14  during the process of respooling. 
     A preferred manner in which the instant invention may be used to respool a fishing rod is as follows. After moving the respooling arm  30  from a retained position to a respooling position, a user inserts the supply spool  14  onto the respooling arm  30  such that the supply spool  14  rests against the ball-bearing washer  44 . Next, the free end of the fishing line on the spool (not shown) is affixed to a fishing rod and to a reeling device located thereon (also not shown), in the usual and customary fashion. Once this step has been completed, the fishing reel mechanism can be operated in the normal manner, and readied to be respooled with fishing line from the supply spool  14 . 
     Some degree of frictional engagement of at least one of the sides of the supply spool with a fixed object is, however, necessary to prevent the spool from spinning wildly and releasing uncontrolled amounts of fishing line during respooling. But the degree of frictional engagement is preferably fully under the control of the user and thus not affected by structural characteristics of the device not intended to result in frictional engagement. In order to render the degree of frictional engagement fully under control of the user, the present invention in its preferred embodiment and as depicted in FIG. 1, is further equipped with at least one tension cap affixed between outward-facing end of the spool and the open end of the respooling arm. The user may adjust the lateral tension exerted against the side of the supply spool  14  by the tension cap  46  so as to control the rotation of the spool  14  during unspooling. As seen in FIG. 1, the tension cap  46  is preferably shaped as a truncated cone having a cylindrical passage centered at its radial axis passing therethrough. The diameter of this passage should be as such to allow the tension cap  46  to firmly frictionally engage the supply spool  14  when inserted thereon. The tension cap  46  is further secured by locking cylinder  60 . The locking cylinder  60  has an internal diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of the respooling arm, so that it can be placed over the respooling arm. Screw  62 , located within and perpendicular to locking cylinder  60 , is then turned so that it bears on the respooling arm, securing the locking cylinder  60  in place. 
     In an alternative preferred embodiment, a second tension cap  48  located on the side of the supply spool  14  opposite the side the tension cap  46  is located, may be included to further aid the user in adequately controlling the degree of frictional engagement applied to the supply spool  14 . A spring  64 , surrounding the respooling arm, biases the tension cap  46  towards the spool  14 . When the tension caps  46  and  48  are used, the respooling method as previously described must be adjusted to include their use. Such that the final step of operating a reel to release fishing line off the supply spool  14  is preceded by a step wherein the user positions each tension cap  46  and  48  against the edges of the supply spool  14 , such that sufficient lateral tension is applied to the spool  14  in order to control the freedom of the spool  14  to rotate during respooling. 
     The efficiency and compactness of the present invention greatly enhances the fishing experience. No longer is the process of supplying fishing line from a supply spool to the reel of a fishing rod a time-consuming, tedious task when done by one person. The fishing line spool holder of the present invention facilitates the smooth and even transfer of fishing line from a supply spool to a fishing rod reel in a deft and convenient manner. 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention disclosed herein is intended to be illustrative only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and adaptations of the present invention as well as alternative embodiments of the present invention may be contemplated. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.