CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FISH HOOKS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FISH HOOKS."-A communication
from abroad by Theodore Frederic Weil, of New Orleans, in the United
States of America.
Sealed the 29th September 1859, and dated the 5th May 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th May 1859.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,.
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FISH Hooks," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in that description of fish
hooks known in the United States as the Sockdologer Fish Hooks, and by
means of which improvements they are rendered more simple in construction,
perfect and sure in their operation, and less dangerous to be handled while
baiting than those of the old construction. The Invention consists in arranging
between the main hooks, and connected to the same by two arms, a bait hook,
in such a manner that by forcing the two arms up to a horizontal position, the
main hooks are spread open, or set, and the arms are so arranged that they

page_text: cannot be forced open up beyond a horizontal position, and the top portion of
the main hooks is made elastic, so that by the action of this portion together
with the power obtained by two additional springs, the main hooks spring
together as soon as the slightest strain on the bait hook disturbs the horizontal
position of the two arms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th November 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN FISH HOокs," being a communication
from Theodore Frederic Weil, of New Orleans, in the United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, relates

page_text: to an improved arrangement of what is known in the United States of America
as the "Sockdologer " Fish Hooks, the object being to render them in con-
struction perfect and sure in their operation, and less dangerous to be handled
while baiting than heretofore. The Invention consists in arranging between
the main hooks and connected to the same by two arms a bait hook, in such
a manner that by forcing the two arms up to a horizontal position, the main
hooks are spread open, or set, the arms being so arranged that they cannot be
forced open up beyond a horizontal position. The top portion of the main
hooks is made elastic, so that by the action of this portion the main hooks
when set will spring together directly a strain on the bait hook disturbs the
horizontal position of the two arms, and thus hold the fish firmly. The
Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Fig. 1 represents a side view of the improved fish hook; Fig. 2 is a side
elevation of the same; and Figs. 3 are detached views of the toggle arms used
for setting the hooks. Similar letters of reference denote like parts in all the
Figures.
A, A, are the main hooks, the upper portion of the stems of which are
made elastic, and rivetted together at a, an eyelet piece being secured
between the stems. This eyelet piece serves to give a hold to the rope to
which the fish hook is tied. Attached to the main hooks A, A, by means of
two pivots d, d', are two toggle arms D, D, the ends of which are connected
together by a pivot e, which also carries an eye f for retaining the bait hook F.
One or both of the toggle arms D are provided with a lip g to form a kind of
butt joint, which will effectually prevent the toggle arms being forced up
beyond a horizontal position, a disadvantage which has often been experienced
in the use of the Sockdologer Fish Hook as ordinarily constructed, from the
force required to set the springs in action when the toggle arms have passed
the horizontal position. The operation is as follows:-The toggle arms being
drawn up from the dotted position of Fig. 1, the main hooks begin to spread,
and by the time the toggle arms have arrived in a horizontal position, the main
hooks have assumed their expanded position and become set. The bait is
attached to the bait hook before the toggle arms are drawn up, as it would be
dangerous to venture between the main hooks after they are set. As long as
the toggle arms retain their horizontal position they offer resistance enough to
keep the main hooks apart; but so soon as the horizontal position of the
toggle arms is disturbed by a slight strain on the bait hooks, the elastic stems
of the main hooks A, A, cause the toggle arms to collapse, and the hooks
catch hold of the body of the animal which has caused the strain on the bait
hook; and as the toggle arms are not retarded by any appreciable friction, the

page_text: action of the hooks will be instantaneous and powerful. If desired a bent
spring or springs attached to the eyelet piece b may be used to give a supple-
mentary pressure, and ensure the efficient action of the hooks A.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements in fish
hooks, as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim the arrangement of expanding fish hook,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)