Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention a communication to me
from abroad by Jorgen Johansen Eskil of Florence in the County of Florence and
State of Wisconsin United States of America, Photographer to be as follows:-
•
This Invention relates to that class of fish hooks in which a pivoted hook is
concealed in an artificial bait, to be attached to a fishing line, and has for its object
to provide a combined hook and bait, simple in construction, alluring in appearance,
and effective in operation.
The invention consists in an artificial bait, having a bar to slide longitudinally
therein and in hooks pivoted in the bait to the bar and provided with slots
engaging & fixed part of the bait, the said parts being so constructed and arranged
that the points of said hooks will be projected from the bait, when the bar is
moved by tension on the line to which it is attached, as will be hereinafter more
particularly described.
The body of the bait is composed of two separate parts, which are hollowed out
and also cut away on the meeting faces sufficiently to contain the hooks and
working mechanism and are fastened together by rivets at the head and tail of
the bait.
A flat bar passes through the entire length of the fish and is provided at its
outer end with an eye, adapted to receive the fishing line, the inner end of the bar
being enlarged and having a slot formed in it through which passes one of the
rivets above mentioned. A spiral spring on the bar forces the bar backward.
Two fish hooks are pivoted to the bar, one on each side and in rear of the said
slot, the said hooks being provided at a short distance in front of the pivot with
diagonal slots, which receive the rivet or pin that passes through the longitudinal
slot in the bar. By this construction the spring acting on the bar forces it rear-
ward and hence also causes the fish hooks to remain concealed in the body of the
fish, in the normal position. When however the bar is drawn forward it draws
the hooks forward, and the oblique direction of their slots causes the points of the

page_text: hooks to be thrown outward. The greater the tension on the fishing line, the
farther out will the points of the hooks be thrown and the game more securely
attached to the bait.
When it is desired to release the hooks, the bar is pressed backward, whereby
the hooks are brought back within the body of the bait. The rear ends of the
hooks are curved to form a homocercal tail.
When the bait is thrown, the artificial fish shows nothing of the hooks save the
very points, which represent fins and the tail pieces. If desired the body may be
weighted in order to make it sink more readily.
The mechanism described may also be applied with very slight modification to
flies, worms, or other form of bait.
The lower part of the artificial bait may be painted with luminous paint, in
order to give it a more natural, and life like appearance, and so that it will attract
the game as it flashes through the water.
It will be observed that when the fish closes his mouth over the bait pressure
will be brought to bear upon the tail of the artificial fish and the points of the
hooks will spread out and catch firm hold upon the game.
Dim 17th J

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Jorgen Johansen Eskil of Florence, Florence County, State of
Wisconsin, United States of America, Photographer, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
'
This Invention relates to an artificial bait in which a pivoted hook is concealed,
to be attached to a fishing line, and the Invention has for its object to provide
a combined hook and bait simple in construction, alluring in appearance, and
effective in operation.
The Invention consists in an artificial bait having a bar to slide longitudinally
therein and in hooks pivoted in the bait to the bar and provided with slots
engaging a fixed part of the bait, the said parts being so constructed and arranged
that the points of said hooks will be projected from the bait when the bar is
moved by tension on the line to which it is attached as will be hereinafter more
particularly described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification in which figure 1 is a side view of the improved artificial bait.
Figure 2 is an edge view of the same enlarged. Figure 3 is a side view of the
same enlarged, having one half of the artificial fish removed and showing the rivets
in cross-section. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
figures.
A indicates a body of an artificial fish which may be of any desired size and may
be shaped and colored to represent any variety of fish suitable as bait. The body
may be made of wood, metal, rubber, paper, or any suitable material and is com-
posed of two separate parts B and C which are hollowed out and also cut away on
the meeting faces as at a sufficiently to contain the hooks and working mechanism
The parts B and C are fastened together by the rivets E and F at the head and tail
of the fish respectively. In figure 3 the part C is removed showing the inner side
of part B and working mechanism. A flat bar G passes through the entire length
of the fish, and is provided at its outer end with an eye H adapted to receive
the fishing line; the the inner end of the bar G is enlarged and has the slot I
formed in it through which passes the rivet F. A spiral spring J on the central
part of the bar G is fastened to the bar at one end and bears at its other end
against the solid portion of the parts B and C at the head of the fish, so as to force
the bar G backward towards the tail of the artificial bait Two fish-hooks Land M
are pivoted to the bar G one on each side and in rear of the slot I by the pivot K.
The said hooks are of the ordinary pattern, and are provided at a short distance in
front of the pivot K with the diagonal slots N and O respectively which receive
the rivet or pin F. By this construction the spring J acting on the bar G forces it
rearward and hence also causes the fish hooks to remain concealed in the body of
the fish in the normal position as represented in the figures. When, however, the

page_text: bar G is drawn forward it acts also upon the hooks L and M by means of the
pivot K whereby the said hoods are also drawn forward, and the rivet F acting in
the oblique slots N and O forces the points of the hooks outward. The greater
the tension on the fishing line the farther out will the points of the hooks be
thrown and the more securely will the fish caught become attached to the bait.
When it is desired to release the hooks the bar G is pressed backward whereby the
hooks are retracted within the body of the .bait.. The rear-ends of the hooks L
and M are curved as at P and Q to form a homocercal tail. When the bait is
thrown nothing of the hooks is visible save the very points R and S which
represent fins and the tail pieces P and Q. If desired the body A may be weighted
in order to make it sink more readily. The mechanism shown may also be applied
with very slight modification to flies, worms, or other form of bait. The under-
side of the artificial bait may be painted with luminous paint in order to give it a
more natural and life-like appearance and so that it will attract the fish as it
flashes through the water. It will be observed that when the fish closes his mouth
over the bait pressure will be brought to bear upon the tail of the artificial bait
and the points of the hooks will be caused to spread out and catch firm hold of
the fish.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is ;
1. The combination with an artificial bait of a longitudinally sliding bar therein
of two hooks pivoted to said bar and having diagonal slots to receive a fixed part.
of said bait and of a spring acting on said bar substantially as shown and
described,. whereby the hooks are normally held within the bait and projected
therefrom when tension is put on a line to which the bait is attached as set forth.
2. The combination with an artificial bait of a bar having its onter end adapted
for attachment to a fish-line and slotted near its inner end two hooks pivoted at
the lower ends to the inner end of said bar and provided each with a diagonal slot
a. pin or rivet passing through the said bait and through the slots in the bar and
hooks and of a spring attached to said bar and bearing against the head end of
the bait, substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination with the bait A of the bar G having slot I the hooks L
and M. pivoted at K to said bar and provided with the slots N and O respectively
the rivet F and the spring J substantially as shown and described.
"
4. The combination with the artificial bait A painted with luminous paint of the
bar G fitted to slide longitudinally in said bait the hooks L and M having diagonal
slots the spring J and the rivet or pin F substantially as shown and described.
5. A. combined artificial bait and book consisting essentially of the slotted
body A, the bar G having slot I, the hooks L and M pivoted to the inner end of
bar G and having diagonal slots N O, the pin or rivet F, and the spring J all
constructed and arranged substantially as shown and described and for operation
as set forth.
ALL
1000