Abstract:
A cane has a foot and an opposite curved handle upon a cylindrical shaft. Then a fishing reel is mounted to the shaft near the handle and ferrules are provided along the length of the cane. The reel secures to the cane with elastic bands, bolts, screws, threaded rings, and the like. From the reel, fishing line is advanced through the ferrules so the user of the cane can make a cast as so desired as in the old times. This cane also has a solid shaft, an alternate hollow shaft, an alternate a telescoping shaft, a hook securing loop, and counterweights within the shaft.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This non-provisional application claims priority to the provisional application Ser. No. 60/779,256 filed on Mar. 3, 2006 and is commonly owned by the same inventor. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The combined walking aid and fishing rod generally relates to canes and more specifically to a cane having a functioning fishing reel and line for the fisherman still young at heart. 
         [0003]    Over the centuries, people have become lame in the feet and legs for various reasons. Injuries, diseases, and age bring about lameness in the legs for a variety of people. Injuries, from trauma and battle, damage legs enough so that an external support is required for people of all ages. Diseases weaken the bones and balance of people so much that external support is called for. And with the onset of age, legs, muscles, and related joints weaken and balance becomes compromised. People have sought various devices to steady themselves from the shoulders of others to staffs and rods. Staffs and rods have a generally elongated cylindrical form that serves as an auxiliary leg to a lame person. The staffs and rods have sufficient length so a person can grip them with a hand held high or low. Staffs and rods function as a portable pole upon which a lame person may lean. Staffs and rods, because of their length, become less practical indoors and in situations with numerous other people. Other people may see a staff or rod more as a weapon than as a support for a person. 
         [0004]    Seeking to make staffs and rods more versatile for indoor use, people developed canes. Canes have a generally cylindrical form with a handle extending perpendicular to the main part of the cane. Canes often have a curved handle and generally have a length of about waist height. Canes come in various colors, textures, shapes, and accessories but generally canes allow a person to grasp the handle at waist level with the hand at the side. The person then can lean upon the cane as it takes a person&#39;s weight during walking. The cane serves in place of a lame leg, a weak knee, or any of a host of ailments. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
       [0005]    Though primarily supporting a person&#39;s weight and aiding in balance, canes have served additional functions. While some canes are solid, other canes have a hollow construction that allows for additional devices and features. Canes have been known to hold miniature weapons, both blades and firearms, food, liquids, money, prescription pills, and the like. Some constructions of cane telescope to a small, compact size for carrying and storage and then expand to normal lengths while supporting normal weights. 
         [0006]    Yet few canes serve as fishing equipment whether actual or novelty equipment. Fishing equipment comes in various forms and components. The U.S. patent to McLeod, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,461 discloses a fishing rod with a heated handle. The handle has a chamber in the butt part of the handle opposite the tip. The chamber receives an aluminum tube that contains a heating fuel such as a dry stick. Though modifying a fishing rod, the McLeod patent lacks the reel in the present invention. 
         [0007]    The U.S. patent to Peissig, U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,786 shows another fishing rod with a heated handle. Heated handles provide comfort to the fisherman in colder waters and temperatures, and prevent ice accumulation further up the pole. This handle has an electrical heating tape wound within and powered by batteries in the handle. However, the Peissig patent lacks the reel and cane like handle of the present invention. 
         [0008]    The U.S. patent to Lucas et al., U.S. Pat. No. Des. 391,620 shows a dip net with a scale upon the handle. The handle ends in a T shape and has a spring loaded scale with markings upon the shaft of the handle. As the present invention has no net, the Lucas patent substantially differs from the present invention. 
         [0009]    And the U.S. Patent to Chestnut, U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,551 describes a fisherman&#39;s accessory shown in  FIG. 3  mounted upon a stick. The stick has a general cane shape with a point for embedment in the earth. Opposite the point, the stick has a curved handle similar to a walking cane. The accessory has a bait box with a cutting board upon one side of the stick and a sleeve upon the opposite side. The sleeve receives a fishing rod handle when placed by a fisherman. As this accessory lacks a reel fixed to the stick itself and ferrules, the accessory differs from the present invention. 
         [0010]    The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art. The present invention includes a reel omitted from the prior art and avoids a T shaped handle with an enclosed spring. The present invention operates so that a fisherman with a lame leg can still make a cast or two whether for fishing or for novelty. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    Generally, the present invention provides a cane with a foot and an opposite curved handle upon a cylindrical shaft. A reel is mounted to the shaft near the handle and ferrules are provided along the length of the cane. From the reel, fishing line is advanced through the ferrules so the user of the cane can make a cast if so desired. 
         [0012]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. The present invention also includes a solid shaft, a hollow shaft, a telescoping shaft, a loop for securing a hook, and counterweights within the shaft to balance the reel. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached. 
         [0013]    Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of the presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiment of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0014]    One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved walking aid combined with a fishing reel. 
         [0015]    Another object is to provide such a combined walking aid that serves as a working fishing rod. 
         [0016]    Another object is to provide such a combined walking aid that has a low cost of manufacturing so the consuming public can readily purchase the combined walking aid through existing retail outlets. 
         [0017]    These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    In referring to the drawings, 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the present invention in an orientation for fishing; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a cross section through the cane of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  shows an alternate cross section through the cane; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a cross section through the present invention proximate the reel where counterweights are included; and, 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  describes a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention for a telescoping cane. 
       
    
    
       [0024]    The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various figures. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0025]    The present invention overcomes the prior art limitations and provides fishing equipment for the lame and aged fisherman. The present invention  1  shown in  FIG. 1  has a cane  2 , generally an elongated cylinder with a handle  3  upon one end and a foot  4  upon the opposite end. The handle extends in a plane perpendicular to the length of the cane and has a shape suitable for gripping by a person&#39;s hand at waist height. Here, the handle  3  is shown curved though other shapes of the handle are possible such as a right angle or an angle towards the cane. Away from the cane, the handle has a widening of width at its end. The wider end resists abrasion and wear when the handle is placed upon objects. 
         [0026]    Near the handle, the present invention has a fishing reel  5  mounted upon the cane. The fishing reel is manufactured by Shimano and other leading companies. As later shown in  FIG. 4 , the reel attaches to the cane by a clip  5   a  secured around the cane. Alternatively, two or more O-rings or elastic bands secure the reel to the shaft of cane. Alternatively, the reel is secures by bolts, screws, or other mechanical fasteners through its feet to the cane. Alternatively, the reel has its feet secured with threaded rings upon threaded portions of the cane. The fishing reel is generally positioned opposite the handle and slightly below where the handle joins the main portion of the cane. The fishing reel has a crank  6  that the user of the cane turns to advance and to retrieve fishing line. 
         [0027]    The fishing line  8  from the reel exits the reel and passes through a plurality of ferrules  7  here shown spaced along the length of the cane between the reel and the foot  4 . The ferrules are located in line with the reel and have a common center and progressively narrow diameter with the narrowest diameter near the foot. Between the two ferrules nearest the foot, the present invention has a loop  9  of lesser height from the cane than the nearby fishing line  8 . The loop provides a place to secure the hook of a lure or fly tied to the line when the cane is used for support while walking rather than for fishing. The ferrules attach to the cane using adhesives, banding, or embedment into the material of the cane. Opposite the handle and below the reel, the present invention has a foot  4 . The foot extends upon and over the end of the present invention and generally protects the end from wear and softer floor surfaces from abrasion. The foot is generally a hollow cylinder closed upon one end. In time, the foot requires replacement. Here shown, the foot  4  slips upon the end of the cane however, a foot can be fastened mechanically or with an adhesive to the bottom end of the cane. 
         [0028]    The cane has a solid cross section shown in  FIG. 2 . The solid cross section provides rigidity to the cane and material upon the perimeter and through the diameter for attaching the reel, ferrules, and loop using screws, mechanical fasteners, or adhesives. The solid cross section extends from the foot up the length of the cane and into the handle. However, the solid cross section adds weight to the cane which may be unsuitable to some lame fishermen. 
         [0029]    In an alternate embodiment, the present invention has a hollow cross section shown in  FIG. 3 . The hollow cross section has material in a generally circular form only upon the perimeter with the interior open. The hollow cross section has noticeably less weight than the solid cross section and it resists compression loads, such as a person&#39;s weight, comparably to the solid cross section. The fishermen must take care to avoid banging the length of the cane lest the hollow cross section collect dents and eventually weaken. 
         [0030]    As canes are used for walking and a lame fisherman takes many steps in a day, the swinging of the cane during walking has importance to the fisherman. The cane swings and moves when in motion about its center of gravity. The handle moves the center of gravity slightly away from the center of the cane towards the handle which aids planting of the cane when beginning a step. However, the reel opposite the handle, as in  FIG. 1 , moves the center of gravity also opposite the handle. The reel makes moving the cane forward slightly more tiresome for a fisherman who pulls the cane alongside him to plant the cane for a step. As a remedy for this, the present invention has at least one counterweight located opposite the reel within the hollow cross section cane as in  FIG. 4 . The counterweights have slightly more weight than the reel itself and a location diametrically opposite the fishing reel. The counterweights relocate the center of gravity of the cane at least towards the center of the cane and then towards the handle. 
         [0031]    In a further alternate embodiment, the present invention has a telescoping cane as shown in  FIG. 5 . The telescoping cane  2  has a handle  3  as before and a main length of the cane below and to one side of the handle. The main length of the cane  2  has at least two sections here shown as four. Each section,  2   a ,  2   b ,  2   c,    2   d  has a slightly narrower diameter than the preceding section where section  2   a  has the largest diameter, near the reel  5 , and section  2   d  has the narrowest diameter to hold the foot. At the end opposite the reel, each section has a releasable mechanism to admit the adjacent section as in section  2   d  inserts into section  2   c , section  2   c  inserts into section  2   b , and section  2   b  inserts into section  2   a . The loop  9  is located close to the ferrule on section  2   d  to allow for a compact form when the cane is collapsed for storage. Such a release mechanism includes a spring loaded ball bearing that engages a cooperating hole and a cooperating button upon one section that engages a cooperating hole or detent on an adjacent section. Also in this embodiment, the crank  6  is shown on the opposite side of the reel from the preferred embodiment. This location of the crank moves it away from the side of the leg for a right handed fisherman. The present invention blends a fishing rod and reel into a cane for the lame or aged fisherman. 
         [0032]    From the aforementioned description, a combined walking aid and fishing rod has been described. The combined walking aid and fishing rod is uniquely capable of casting a fishing line from a cane thus allowing the lame or the aged fisherman to drop a line or two for old time&#39;s sake or his buddies. The cane is preferably made from wood and the ferrules from stainless steel. The combined walking aid and fishing rod and its various components may be manufactured is from many materials, including but not limited to, polymers, polyvinyl chloride, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, steel, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, their alloys, and composites. 
         [0033]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Therefore, the claims include such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.