IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES FOR HOLDING SALMON, TROUT, & OTHER FLIES READY FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN BONHAM CARTER Jun, of 19 High Street, Portsmouth, in the County
of Southampton, Brewery Manager do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES FOR HOLDING SALMON, TROUT, & OTHER FLIES
READY FOR IMMEDIATE USE to be as follows:-
(1.) A tin box as shown in elevation in Fig I of accompanying drawing, in plan
in Fig II, & in section in Fig V.
(2) A revolving carrier-of wood, brass, ebonite etc if solid, or tin etc if hollow-
as shown partly in elevation & partly in section in Fig III, in plan in Fig IV, & in
section (thro XX, Fig IV) in Fig V.
(3.) A ring of spongiopiline or other absorbent material, shown in dotted section
at F in Fig V & filling up the space between the flange, R, of the carrier & the
bottom of the box, but cut thro' coincidently with the sloping cut, S, in the side of
the box, Fig I; such ring of spongiopiline being fixed inside the box either by
india-rubber solution, a few stitches passing thro' holes in the side of the box, or
otherwise.
The carrier, (2), fits inside the box, (1) the drum D fitting the depression b, b, in
the bottom of the box: & the flange, R, resting level with & close to the rim, r, of
the box the flange, R, & the drum D closely compressing the ring of spongiopiline
against bottom & side of box.
To insert flies: turn the carrier-by putting finger & thumb into holes T. T-
until one of the sloping slits, S, say, in the flange R, is opposite to the slit S in the
side of the box. Pass the gut of the fly through the slit S into the slit S, & draw
through until fly is stopped by. flange (as shown at Fl, Fig V), the gut lying down
the drum & passing out through the slit S continued from the side into the bottom
of the box as shown in Fig II. Now turn the next slit into position (while so
doing slightly winding the gut of first fly onto the druin D) & insert another fly:
and so on: & finally wind in the ends of gut by giving the carrier two or three
whole turns, thus disposing of them round the drum D & under the flange R,
between the said drum or flange & the spongiopiline F.
NB. The slits in the box-side & in the flange of the carrier being, as shown,
portions of left-handed screws, the carrier must always be rotated in the same

page_text: .
direction as the hands of a watch: if they be made portions of right hauded screws,
the carrier should be always rotated in the opposite direction.
The ends of the gut must be free from loops or knots, & if this be the case, any
fly required for use may be withdrawn separately, either by simply pulling it out,
or better by first turning it opposite the slit S, releasing it from the slit in the
flange R. & then pulling out the gut thro' the slit S; the gut ends of the other
flies being held by friction between the drum & the spongiopiline will not draw out
with it.
A single fly can at any time be inserted in the usual way & the gut end at once
wound in.
The spongiopiline can be moistened & kept moist, thus securing the great
desideratum of a dry fly with moist gut: for if it be wetted before the carrier is
placed in position, it will be found that the latter can at any time be. momentarily
removed without disturbing the flies arranged upon it, & the box & spongiopiline
dipped together into water. Probably, however, a thorough wetting before
inserting the flies will be found sufficient for a day's fishing.
The crown or raised portion, C, of the carrier, Fig III, prevents the lid of the box
from shutting down onto & squashing the flies (see Fig. V) & likewise prevents the
carrier moving axially in the box.
The object of the depression b. b. b. b in the bottom of the box is to prevent the
ends of gut from getting underneath the carrier when being wound in; and this may
be more simply tho' not so effectually secured by leaving a portion of the spongio-
piline not cut away opposite the lower end of the slit S, the bottom of the box
being then left flat.
:

page_text: I JOHN BONHAM CARTER Junt of 19 High Street Portsmouth in the County of
Southampton Brewery Manager do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES FOR HOLDING SALMON TROUT & OTHER FLIES READY
FOR IMMEDIATE USE and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
23
According to this invention I construct boxes for holding salmon trout and other
flies of a flat circular box around the inner circumference of which is a ring of
absorbent material which can be kept moist and of a roller or drum which fits
within the inner circumference of the absorbent ring and this roller or drum I form
in such manner that the flies might be carried by it away from the moistened ring:
whilst the gut to which each fly is attached may be wound around the exterior
of the drum and kept moist by being maintained in contact with the absorbent
ring.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn examples of boxes constructed
in the above manner.
Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 show one way in which the box may be formed.
Figure 5 shows a modified construction of the box and Figures 6. 7. 8 and 9
shew another modified construction.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the box. Figure 2 a cross section of the same,
Figure 3 is a plan view of the inner drum or roller and Figure 4 a side elevation of
the same..
In these figures A is the outer flat circular box or casing. B is the ring of
absorbent material preferably of spongio-piline. It may conveniently either be
cemented into the box with india rubber cement or sewn in by a few stitches
passing through holes in the side of the box. C is the inner roller or drum fitting
within the absorbent ring it is also formed with a projecting flange C¹ which comes
above the top of the absorbent ring. In this flange are a number of slits cut at
an angle as shown in Figures 3 and 4 through which the gut attached to the flies
may be passed. In the side of the box or case A and through that portion
of the bottom of the box upon which the absorbent ring B rests and through
this ring itself is also a slot A¹ to allow of the gut attached to a fly being inserted
into one or other of the slits in the flange C without withdrawing the roller or
drum C from the box. D is a lid by which the top of the box can be closed in...
In the forms represented at Figures 2 and 7 the central part of the bottom of the
box projects downwards below that portion of the bottom upon which the ring B.
rests and the lower part of the drum fits closely within this descending portion of
the bottom of the box to prevent the gut from getting below the bottom of the
drum.
21

page_text: The central part of the top of the drum stands upwards above the flange C¹ so
that it may form a support for the central portion of the lid and prevent its being
pressed inwards. C² are two holes formed through the drum into which a finger
and thumb may be inserted when the drum is to be turned.
To insert flies turn the drum or carrièr C, C¹ unti lone of the sloping slits in the
flange C¹ comes opposite to the slit A' in the side of the box and absorbent ring
pass the gut of the fly through the slit A¹ into the slit in the flange and draw the
gut through this slit until the fly comes against the top of the flange as shewn in
the drawing now turn the drum or carrier until the next slit in the flange C¹
comes opposite the slit A¹-in doing this the gut of first fly will be slightly wound
on to the drum-another fly can now be inserted and so on until all the slits in the
flange C¹ of the carrier are filled-finally wind in the ends of all the guts by giving
the carrier two or three turns. In this way the guts will be wound on to the drum
between it and the moistened absorbent ring.
When the slits in the flange C' Figure 4 and the slit A¹ are sloped in the direction
shown in the drawing the carrier should be turned always in the opposite direction
to the movement of the hands of a watch. If the slits were sloped in the opposite
direction then the carrier would have to be turned in the opposite direction. The
ends of the several guts should be free from loops or knots and if this be the case
any fly required for use may be withdrawn separately either by simply pulling it
out or better by first turning the carrier until that fly is opposite the slit A¹ in the
side of the box and then pulling the gut out through this slit. The gut ends of the
other flies being held by friction between the drum and the absorbent ring will not
draw out with it. A single fly can at any time be inserted in the way previously
described and its gut end at once wound in.
In the form shewn at Figure 5 when the fly is removed from the slit, the gut
may simply be unwound and this with a little care, whether the gut ends in a loop
or not.
The ring of spongio-piline or other absorbent material should be moistened before
the drum or carrier is placed in position by dipping the box with the spongio-piline
ring within it into water. If the spongio-piline be well moistened in this way it
will usually be found to retain its moisture sufficiently for a day's fishing but if it
be desired at any time to again moisten it this can readily be done without dis-
turbing the flies, by taking out with a rotatory movement the drum or carrier with
the flies upon it and with the lines of gut wound around it and then dipping the
box into water the drum or carrier can again readily be inserted into its place as
the gut remains closely wound around it.
At Figure 5 I have shown a cross section of a box somewhat modified in form-
the flange C¹ being made wider than in the box shewn at Figures 1 to 4 and the
slits in it not being cut through the whole width of the flange so that the lines of
gut may wind themselves in coils between the upper surface of the absorbent ring
and the bottom surface of the flange.
At figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 I have shown another modified form of the box in which
the roller or drum C is made hollow and carried downwards through the bottom of
the box A and has a lid E fitted to it so that it may serve as a receptacle for any
small articles used when fishing.
In Figures 1, 2 and 5 the outer box or casing A is shown to be of metal such as
tin plate and in Figures 6 and 7 of wood ebonite or such like suitable material.
The carrier C may conveniently be formed of wood or vulcanite or ebonite or it
might be formed of metal if made hollow.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of boxes for. holding salmon trout and other flies in such
manner that each fly is kept separate, visible at a glance, and capable of being
removed and replaced without disturbing the remainder substantially as described.

page_text: 2. The construction of boxes for holding salmon trout and other flies in such
manner that the gut connected to the flies may be wound on to a drum or carrier
within the box and be kept in contact with a moist absorbent ring whilst the flies
themselves are kept away from such moistened ring substantially as described.
3. The construction of boxes for holding salmon trout and other flies substantially
as herein before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
DL1
100
T1100-