Improvements in Fishing Rods.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fishing Rods.
I, ARCHER EDWARDS, of 6, Luke Street, Curtain Road, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to ordinary fishing rods, consisting of several parts or joints
fitted together so as to form a rod of sufficient length for use, and capable of being
taken apart for convenience of carriage when not in use. It has for its object novel
methods of attaching to the rod the rings through which the fishing line passes,
and of adjusting and fixing such rings, so that they stand out firmly and rigidly
from the rod when in use, but can be easily folded against the latter when not in
use, so as to occupy little space and not to interfere with the packing together of the
several parts of the rod.
In order to put my invention in operation, 1 use metal rings of any required size
and strength, and I attach each ring to the rod by loops or brackets of metal fitting
closely round the ring and attached to the rod by silk or other thread wound neatly
and tightly round its projecting ends which lie against the rod.
I take a flat or slightly curved metal spring, one end of which I pass through the
ring whilst the other end which lies upon the rod at a short distance from the ring
is firmly attached to the rod by binding it with thread as already described. I make
the end of the spring which passes through the ring, of such width that when the
latter is standing up at right angles from the rod, the spring presses against its two
sides at some little distance from the bottom, and at these two points I make a small
notch at each edge of the spring, the ring fitting into these notches and being
thereby firmly and securely held in an upright position. When it is required to
lower or fold down the ring, the outer end of the spring is raised sufficiently to clear
the notches from the ring, and the latter is folded down against the rod with its
outer edge projecting beyond the end or point of the spring, and the elasticity of the
latter keeps it in its folded position.
The spring is preferably slightly curved, so as to lie sufficiently above the surface
of the rod to keep the fishing line from coming in contact with the rod to which
when wet, it is liable to adhere.
The device described may be modified more or less. For instance, instead of the
flat spring arranged as described, a spring may be used embracing and holding firm
the top or outer part of the ring when the latter is erected, the spring being
directed diagonally from the point where it is attached to the rod to the top of the
ring, so as not to interfere with the free passage of the line. Or, a separate spring
may be used one upon each side of the erected ring.
Or, a double spring may be used the two sides of which embrace the outside of
the ring, and support and hold it by notches on their inner edges.
The spring may be doubled back upon itself, the inner part having formned upon
it the joint in which the ring fits, instead of such joint being made in a separate
piece in the usual way.
In this case, a single winding or binding with thread is sufficient to hold both the
spring and the joint. The edges of the notches which hold the ring when the latter
is erected may be bevelled so that it can be folded down when required by using
sufficient force, without first raising the point of the spring.
Instead of the more or less flat spring described, a sufficiently elastic wire may be
used, consisting of two parallel arms which are held upon the rod by thread winding
as already described, and are connected at their outer ends by a cross wire, which
occupies the same position as the end or point of the flat spring first described. The
side arms, which may pass either inside or outside the ring are formed into notches

page_text: at their sides in proper positions to hold the ring when the latter is erected, as in
the arrangements first described.
The points of the wire where it is fastened to the rod may be turned inward and
driven into the surface of the rod before being wound with thread, in order to
prevent the wire from shifting.
Or the wire and the joint for the ring may be made in one piece, the side arms
being bent or doubled back, as already described when a flat spring is used.
The sides of the ring may be bent forward, so that when folded down it lies closer
against the rod.
In all cases the spring or springs are arranged so as to lie as closely as possible
against the rod when not in use, the principal object of my invention being that
there shall be as little projection as possible above the rod when the latter is not in
use, whilst when in use the rings shall be strongly and firmly fixed in their proper
position at right angles to the rod.
Dated this 24th day of March 1892.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fishing Rods.
I, ARCHER EDWARDS, of 6, Luke Street, Curtain Road, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
My invention relates to ordinary fishing rods, consisting of several parts or joints
fitted together so as to form a rod of sufficient length for use, and capable of being
taken apart for convenience of carriage when not in use. It has for its object novel
methods of attaching to the rod the rings through which the fishing line passes, and
of adjusting and fixing such rings, so that they stand out sufficiently firmly and
rigidly from the rod when in use, but can be easily folded against the latter when
not in use, so as to occupy little space and not to interfere with the packing
together of the several parts of the rod, in a bag or case in which they are usually
carried.
In order to put my invention in operation, I use metal rings of any required size
and strength, and I attach each ring to the rod by loops or brackets of metal fitting
closely round the ring and attached to the rod by silk or other thread wound neatly
and tightly round its projecting ends which lie against the rod.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, a is a flat or slightly curved metal spring, one end of
which I pass through the ring b whilst the other end which lies upon the rod c at a
short distance from the ring is firmly attached to the rod by binding it with thread d
as already described. I make the end of the spring a which passes through the
ring b, of such width that when the latter is standing up at right angles from the
rod, as shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the spring presses against its two sides at some
little distance from the bottom, and at these two points 1 make a small notch e, e, at
each edge of the spring (which is shewn separately in Figure 4) the ring b fitting
into these notches and being thereby firmly and securely held in an upright
position. When it is required to lower or fold down the ring, the outer end of the
spring a is raised sufficiently to clear the notches from the ring, and the latter is
folded down against the rod (as shewn in Figure 5) with its outer edge projecting
beyond the end or point of the spring, and the elasticity of the latter keeps it in its
folded position.
The spring is preferably slightly curved, as shewn, so as to lie sufficiently above
the surface of the rod, to keep the fishing line from coming in contact with the rod
to which when wet, it is liable to adhere.

page_text: The device described may be modified more or less.
For instance, instead of the flat spring arranged as described, a spring may be
used embracing and holding firm the top or outer part of the ring when the latter
is erected, the spring being directed diagonally from the point where it is attached
to the rod to the top of the ring, so as not to interfere with the free passage of the
line. Or a separate spring may be used one upon each side of the erected ring.
Or a double spring may be used the two sides of which embrace the outside of
the ring, and support and hold it by notches on their inner edges.
The spring may be doubled back upon itself (as shewn in Figure 6), the inner
part having formed upon it the joint in which the ring 6 fits, instead of such joint
being made in a separate piece in the usual way.
In this case, a single or winding or binding with thread is sufficient to hold both
the spring a and the joint for the ring. The edges of the notches which hold the
ring when the latter is erected may be bevelled so that it can be folded down when
required by using sufficient force, without first raising the point of the spring.
Instead of the more or less flat spring described, a sufficiently elastic wire may
be used (as shewn in Figure 9) consisting of two parallel arms which are held upon
the rod by thread winding as already described, and are connected at their outer
ends by a cross wire, which occupies the same position as the end or point of the
flat spring first described. The side arms, which may be made to pass either inside
the ring (as shewn in Figure 9) or outside (as shewn in Figure 10) are formed into
notches e e at their sides in proper positions to hold the ring when the latter is
erected, as in the arrangements first described.
The points of the wire where it is fastened to the rod may be turned inward (as
shewn at f) and driven into the surface of the rod before being wound with thread,
in order to prevent the wire from shifting.
Or the wire and the joint for the ring may be made in one piece (as illustrated in
Figure 11), the side arms being bent or doubled back, as already described when a
flat spring is used.
The sides of the ring may be bent forward, so that when folded down it lies
closer against the rod as shewn in Figure 8. At Figure 7 the same ring is shewn
erect.
In all cases the spring or springs are arranged so as to lie as closely as possible
against the rod when not in use, the principal object of my invention being that
there shall be as little projection as possible above the rod when the latter is not in
use, whilst when in use the rings shall be strongly and firmly fixed in their proper
position at right angles to the rod.
I do not confine myself to the precise details of form and arrangement of the
several parts of my improved device, which may be varied more or less as may be
found desirable, and they may be made of any suitable metal or material, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The guide for the lines of fishing rods, consisting of the ring 6 turning in a
joint attached to the rod, and the notched spring a also attached to the rod,
arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described
and illustrated.
2. The method of curving forward the sides of the ring b, substantially as and
for the purpose described and illustrated in Figures 7 and 8.
3. The method of making the elastic notched spring a of wire, substantially as
described and illustrated in Figures 9, 10, and 11.
1000
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.