AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE APPARATUS AT THE TOP OF FISHING RODS THROUGH WHICH THE LINE PASSES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, CHARLES HENRY COOK, barrister at law of 3 Middle Temple Lane in the
City of London, and JOSEPH EDGAR WARNER of Hewell Works, Redditch, in the
County of Worcester, manufacturer of hooks and fishing tackle do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE APPARATUS AT THE TOP
OF FISHING RODS THROUGH WHICH THE LINE PASSES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
Whereas owing to great improvements in fishing tackle of late years it has become
the common custom to carry a number of yards of line coiled on a reel attached to
the butts of fishing rods and which line is led along the rod by means of rings, and
whereas it has become of importance to have at the top of the rod a ring so arranged
that the line will run through it as easily and with as little friction as possible, and
which will accommodate itself to the various angles the line makes with the rod
according to the position in which the rod is held and the distance the bait, fish-
hook or fish is away from the rod, Now I have invented an apparatus for that
purpose, which I believe to be superior to any other which has yet been invented.
In all or most of such apparatus which are in use, the ring through which the line
runs is fixed and immoveable and consequently when the rod is held nearly vertical
there is considerable friction between the line (which is frequently dressed with oil
or other waterproof dressing) and the ring, and when the rod is vertical or nearly
BO (as it must be when the angler is wading and landing the fish himself) the line
is apt to slip to the side of the ring and the rod is bent sideways to its detriment.
Now in my invention the ring is moveable working on pivots between two thin
steel supports the lower ends of which are bent together so that they can be lashed
on to the top of the rod and the upper ends of which are sufficiently apart to
admit the ring between them. The pivots on which the ring works are fixed
through the end of the steel supports and the holes in the ring in which the pivots
work are at points some distance apart in the circumference of the ring which need
not be a perfect circle. Where extra strength is required as in heavy pike or
salmon rods the steel supports are continued until they meet above the moveable
ring or additional strength is given by a thin curved bar of metal joining the two
side pieces under the ring. The steel supports may be slightly curved downwarda

page_text: when it is desirable to position the centre of the ring a little below the line of the
rod, this would be necessary in a few special cases for rods used by anglers who are
in the habit of playing their fish on the back of the rod i.e. turning all the rings
except the end one upwards. When great lightness is required as in trout rods
the upper part of the rings, all that on one side of the pivots, can be cut away, the
pivot being continued right across from side to side. The side pieces or supports
to the rings need not necessarily be of steel but of any metal possessing the
requisite strength to bear the strain put upon them. The pivots can be made to
work either in holes in the ring or be fixed in the ring and work in holes in the
side pieces.
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
An apparatus to be used at the top of fishing-rods, differing from those now in
use in that the ring or half ring through which the line passes works on pivots
or a pivot respectively and varies its position according to the angle the line
makes with the rod.