An Improvement or Improvements in Connecting Fishing Lines to Fish Hooks and in Machinery or Apparatus to be Employed for that Purpose.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1887
Complete Left, 30th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 30th Dec., 1887
An Improvement or Improvements in Connecting Fishing Lines to
Fish Hooks and in Machinery or Apparatus to be Employed for
that Purpose.
I, JOHN MORGAN the younger of Hyde House, Redditch in the County of Worcester
Needle and Fish Hook Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to
be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvement or improvements in connecting fishing
lines or "snoods" to fish hooks hereinafter described whereby the line or snood is
very effectually connected to the hook and also in the machinery or apparatus herein-
after described whereby the connection of the line or "snood" to the hook according
to my invention may be more rapidly and uniformly effected than by hand.
In connecting a fishing line or snood to a fish hook I take a fish hook the end of the
shank of which has been flattened or a fish hook on the shank of which cross indenta-
tions or depressions have been made either in place of or in conjunction with the
flattened end of the shank. I place the end of the line on the back or front of the
hook shank so that the said end of the line extends along the greater part of the back
or front of the shank and I fix the hook and end of the line in a vice or clamp or other
holder by which the hook and line will be held in the relative positions described
I take a long fine wire preferably of tinned iron or copper and I coil the said wire
tightly around the shank of the hook and the end of the line so as to bind the two
firmly together the ends of the coiled wire being secured so as to prevent its uncoiling
by passing the said ends through or around the line. The fish hook and fishing line
are thus very securely connected together. Instead of effecting the coiling of the wire
around the shank of the hook and end of the line by. hand as described I prefer to
effect the said coiling by the use of machinery or apparatus constructed as follows:-
I attach to the spindle of a lathe a clamp or holder of a size and shape suitable for
holding the hook and end of the line in such a position that the shank of the hook is
in line with the spindle of the lathe. The end of the wire to be coiled upon the com-
bined shank of the fish hook and end of the line being attached preferably by being
passed through the line rotation is given to the lathe spindle. The hook and end of
Pid

page_text: the line are thus put into rapid rotation and the end of the wire being payed out with
considerable tension upon it, the said wire is rapidly, uniformly and tightly coiled
upon the shank and end of the line and the two firmly connected together. In order
to obtain the requisite pressure I prefer to pass the end of the wire through a hole in or
twist it round a knob on the holder.
Instead of giving rotary motion to the combined shank and end of the line they may
be made to move only longitudinally that is in the line of the axis of the lathe spindle.
In this case the lathe spindle carries one or two reels or bobbins on which the con-
necting wire is coiled. On the rotation of the lathe head the bobbins are carried
round the shank and end of the line which are slowly moved longitudinally as the
wire is coiled upon them and the firm binding of the shank and end of the line is
effected.
When the coiling is effected by the machinery or apparatus described the cross
grooves or depressions in the shank of the hook may be dispensed with.
The binding wire both in the hand worked process and in the use of the first
described machine may be conveniently made into large coils or wound upon reels or
bobbins from which coils reels or bobbins it is payed out under tension as the binding
together of the shank and end of the line proceeds.
Although I have found tinned iron or copper wire answer well in practice I do not
confine myself thereto as other strong and ductile wire may be employed and where
the binding is effected by the machinery or apparatus described binding threads or
lines of hemp or cotton or other fibrous non-metallic material may be used.

page_text: I JOHN MORGAN the younger of Hyde House Redditch in the County of Worcester
Needle and Fish Hook Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention consists of the improvement or improvements in connecting fishing
lines or "snoods" to fish hooks hereinafter described, whereby the line or snood is very
effectually connected to the hook and also in the machinery or apparatus hereinafter
described whereby the connection of the line or
" snood "
to the hook according to my
invention may be more rapidly and uniformly effected than by hand.
In connecting a fishing line or snood to a fish hook I take a fish hook the end of the
shank of which has been flattened or a fish hook on the shank of which cross indenta-
tions or depressions or a longitudinal groove have been made in place of or in
conjunction with the flattened end of the shank. I place the end of the line on the
back or front of the hook shank so that the said end of the line extends along the
greater part of the back or front of the shank and I fix the hook and end of the line in
a vice or clamp or other holder by which the hook and line will be held in the relative
positions described. I take a long fine wire preferably of tinned iron or copper and
I coil the said wire tightly around the shank of the hook and the end of the line so as
to bind the two firmly together, the ends of the coiled wire being secured so as to
prevent its uncoiling by passing the said ends through or around the line or soldering
them or pinching them by a pair of plyers. The fish hook and fishing line are thus
very securely connected together.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in side elevation and edge view
a fish hook the end of the shank or stem of which is flattened at a and has cross
indentations or depressions in the shank or stem but the said cross indentations may
be omitted and Figure 2 represents the hook Figure 1 connected to the fishing line or
snood 6 by thin wire at c being coiled upon the shank or stem and line or snood as
herein before described, that is, the line or snood 6 is placed on the front or back of
the shank or stem and the fine wire is coiled tightly around the shank or stem of the
hook and the end of the line or snood so as to securely connect the line to the hook.
Figure 3 represents a fish hook on the shank of which cross indentations are made
and Figure 4 represents the hook Figure 3 connected to the fishing line or snood 6 by
fine wire at c being coiled around the shank or stem of the hook and the line or
nood.

page_text: Figure 5 represents a fish hook in the back of the shank or stem of which a
longitudinal groove d is made for the end of the line or snood to partly lie in, the
front of the stem having cross depressions or indentations made upon it, but the said
depressions need not be used; and Figure 6 represents the hook Figure 5 connected
to the fishing line or snood 6 by the fine wire coils at c. In this case the line or
snood is placed in the groove d in the back of the hook stem before the fine wire c is
coiled around the said stem and line or snood.
Figure 7 represents a fish hook having a flat ended stem a, a longitudinal groove d
in the back of the flat ended stem and cross indentations in the front of the stem and
Figure
represents a fishing line or snood b connected to the said stem by the coiled
wire c.
Or the line or snood b may be connected to the stem in the manner shown in
Figure 2.
Instead of effecting the coiling of the wire around the shank of the hook and end of
the line by hand as described I prefer to effect the said coiling by the use of machinery
or apparatus constructed as follows:-
I attach to the spindle of a lathe a clamp or holder of a size and shape suitable for
holding the hook, and end of the line in such a position that the stem or shank of the
hook is in line with the spindle of the lathe. The end of the wire to be coiled upon
the combined shank of the fish hook and the end of the line being attached by being
passed through the line or around the line and shank, rotation is given to the lathe
spindle. The hook and end of the line are thus put into rapid rotation and the end of
the wire being payed out with considerable tension upon it the said wire is rapidly
uniformly and tightly coiled upon the shank and the end of the line and the two firmly
connected together. The said machinery or apparatus is represented in Figures 9, 10
and 11 Figure 9 being a side clevation Figure 10 an end elevation (partly in cross
section) and Figure 11 a plan; Figure 12 represents the combined fishing line or
snood and hook drawn to a larger scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 9, 10 and 11.
g is the bed of the machine carrying the double headstocks h, i. In the headstock h
the spindle turns being driven by the hand wheel k². The said spindle k carries a
clamp or holder m, m² for holding the shank of the fish hook in the line of the axis of
the spindle k. The said clamp or holder consists of the fixed jaw m and the loose or
movable jaw m² (partly broken away in Figure 9) the said movable jaw being bound
to the fixed. jaw m and the bend of the hook fixed between them by the clamping
screw m³. In each of the opposed faces of the jaws m and m² of the clamp is a curved
groove or recess for the bent part of the hook to lie in. I do not limit myself to the
particular construction of clamp or holder represented as various kinds of clamps may
be used; for example both the gripping faces of the jaws m and m² may be plain that
is, without the grooves or recesses for receiving the bent part of the hook, and one of
the jaws of the clamp may be jointed to the spindle and secured against the fixed jaw
by a spring snap fastening.
This kind of clamp permits of the rapid fixing of the hook to and its removal from
the spindle k. In the headstock a hollow spindle works through which hollow
spindle the fishing line or snood b is passed and by which a rotary motion is given to
it during the coiling operation. At the front of the hollow spindle 7 is a spring
gripping lever p by which the fishing line or snood 6 is gripped and fixed to the
rotating spindle 7. By means of the adjustable nose 12 of the hollow spindle / fish
hooks having different lengths of stems may be operated upon by the machine. But
when the gripping faces of the clamp m, m² are made without grooves or recesses for
receiving the bent part of the hook the adjustable nose of the hollow spindle / may
be dispensed with as the position of the fish hook in the machine may be adjusted by
causing the bent part of the hook to be gripped nearer to or further from the outer end
of the said clamp m m².
.
The two spindles k and are geared together and made to rotate at the same speed
and in the same direction by means of the following gearing. On the driving end of
the spindle k is a spur wheel q which gears with a spur wheel q² on one end of the

page_text: shaft r.
On the opposite end of the shaft r is a spur wheels (connected to the shaft
by a sliding key) which gears with the spur wheel t on the spindle 1. By giving
motion to the spindle by the hand wheel k² its motion is transmitted through the
spur wheels
q and q², shaft r and spur wheels s and t to the hollow spindle 1, the two
spindles k and rotating at the same speed and in the same direction.
By sliding the spur wheel s on its shaft it may be thrown out of gear with the
spur wheel t when it is wished to give motion only to the spindle carrying the
clamp m, m2.
The machine may be driven by steam or other power instead of by hand and by
means of speed gearing any desired rate of motion may be given to the coupled
spindles k and l.
In using the machinery the bent part of the fish hook is fixed in the clamp m, m²
carried by the spindle k and the stem of the hook is passed into the adjustable nose
of the spindle. The gripping lever p being raised the end of the fishing line or
snood b to be attached to the stem of the hook is passed through the hollow spindle
and placed on the front or back of the said stem. After the end of the snood b has
been adjusted on the stem of the hook the gripping lever p is released when it grips
the said snood and binds it and the stem of the hook to the hollow spindle . The end
of the wire to be coiled upon the combined stem and snood being attached by tying
to the end of the snood or passed through the said snood and tension being put on the
wire the hand wheel is turned and a rapid rotation is given to the spindles k and
and to the hook and end of the snood fixed thereto by the gearing described and repre-
sented. The coiling of the wire upon the end of the snood and shank of the hook may
commence either at the parts nearest the hollow spindle or nearest the bend of the
hook. The wire being payed out under tension it is rapidly uniformly and tightly
coiled upon the shank or stem and end of the line or snood and the two firmly con-
nected together as represented in the machine and in the separate view of the
connected fish hook and snood shown in Figure 12. The line is represented connected
to the back of the hook in Figure 12 and to the front of the hook in the machine
Figures 9 and 11.
In order to obtain the requisite tension on the wire during the coiling operation the
said wire may be passed through a hole in the bed g or bent round the neck of a knob
on the said bed.
Instead of giving rotary motion to the combined shank, and end of the line they
may be made to move only longitudinally, that is, in the line of the axis of the
machine spindle. In this case the machine spindle carries one or two reels or bobbins
on which the connecting wire is coiled. On the rotation of the machine spindle the
bobbins are carried round the shank and end of the line which are slowly moved
longitudinally as the wire is coiled upon them and the firm binding of the shank and
end of the line is effected.
When the coiling is effected by the machinery or apparatus described, the cross
grooves or depressions in the shank of the hook may be dispensed with.
The binding wire both in the hand worked process and in the use of the first
described machine may be conveniently made into large coils or wound upon reels or
bobbins from which coils reels or bobbins it is payed out under tension as the binding
together of the shank and end of the line proceeds.
Although I have found tinned iron or copper wire answer well in practice I do not
confine myself thereto as other strong and ductile wire may be employed and where
the binding is effected by the machinery or apparatus described binding threads or
lines of hemp or cotton or other fibrous non metallic material may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention :-
First. Connecting the end of the fishing line or snood to the shank or stem of the
fish hook by coiling thin flexible wire around the line or snood either by hand

page_text: or by machinery substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8 and 12 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The construction and combinations of the parts of hand or power worked
machinery or apparatus herein before described and illustrated in Figures 9. 10 and 11
of the accompanying Drawings for coiling the binding wire or binding thread or line 5
of hemp or cotton or other fibrous non-metallic material around the combined shank
or stem of the fish hook and the end of the fishing line or snood.
Dated this Twenty eighth day of November 1887.