Improvements in Fish-hooks.
Year: 1891

page_text: ate of Application, 13th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOSEPH STRETCH and ALEXANDER MILNE, both
of Newark, New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Fish-hooks.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to produce a fish hook of the duplex type, which
is simple in form, cheap to manufacture, and that will spread its duplicate hooks
into position for engagement with the mouth of a fish when the bait is gripped and
pulled by the fish.
To these ends my invention consists in certain features of construction and the
combination of parts, as are hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in all the figures,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the duplex hook in its closed position.
Figure 2 represents the opposite side of the fish hook, baited, the bait being shown
in dotted lines.
Figure 3 is an edge view of the device looking in the direction of the arrow
in Figure 1, and
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the fish hook as it appears when the duplex hooks
are spread apart.
As indicated, the fish-hook is composed of two portions A and B. The portion A,
is made of steel wire shaped as a fish hook of well approved form, barbed at a, as
usual, the shank of this hook portion having an enlargement a¹ formed on it at a
suitable distance from the bow portion b. The enlargement a' is designed to afford
a loose support to the duplicate hook portion B, being laterally perforated at C, for
this purpose.
The lower portion of the piece B, is furnished with a bowd and barbed terminal e,
of a shape which corresponds to that of the hook portion A, it will be seen
however in Figure 3, that the lateral "set" given the barbed ends of the portion A, B,
is in opposite directions.
For the proper operation of the duplex hook, it is necessary that the bows b, d,
lie oppositely or nearly so when the parts are in closed adjustment, as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
To effect a rocking connection of the portion B, with the piece A, and provide a
correct length for the shank of the portion B, a bend is made in said shank at g,
near its upper extremity, so as to project the upper portion at a right angle to the
shank body, and form a journal on the same, which journal is inserted through the
perforation c in the enlargement a².
After the parts A and B, are loosely connected by the introduction of the journal
portion of B, into the perforation of the enlargement a', the shank body of the
portion B, is bent to align with the face of the enlargement which is opposite to the
side it entered at, so as to provide a short limb h, that lies in a nearly horizontal
plane when the entire device is in an upright position, and the hook portions A and B,
in folded condition as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Upon the free pointed end portion of the limb h a small curved hook i, is
bent upwardly and returned toward the journal portion of the shank for a purpose
which will appear.
A projection m is formed on the side of the enlargement a', near the orifice c,
which is designed to have contact with the swinging hook portion B, and prevent

page_text: its improper divergence from the other portion A, when the parts are folded
together as shown in Figure 1, a similar projection or check lug n, being provided
to restrain all divergence of the hook portions in an opposite direction as shown in
Figure 4.
A proper length is given to the upper end portion of the piece A, which
projects above the enlargement a' whereon the cat gut snell o is looped in the usual
manner.
As shown in Figure 2, the bait p p', is applied in a peculiar way, the bait
piece being strung on the hook portion B, by insertion of the barb e at one end,
the stringing being continued until the shank is fully covered, and at the upper
end, a sufficient portion of the bait is extended to have a firm hooked engagement
with the small curved hook i.
The other hook portion A is similarly encased with the bait piece p¹, the
terminal upper end of which lies near to the enlargement a¹, care being taken to
cover the barbed terminals of the duplex hook with the bait.
Angle worms, minnows, shrimps or lampreys may be used for bait, or any other
suitable material that is used on the ordinary hook.
In use, when the hook is baited as shown in Figure 2, and gripped by a fish that
is of a size to take in its mouth the major portion of the bait, the seizure of the
bait piece p, and pull upon the same will rock the hook portion B, so as to spread
the barbed ends of both portions A, B, which will enter the walls of the mouth
and secure the fish.
The normal position of the hook portions A, B, is so baited, as to completely
mask the barbs on the same, and present the bait in compact form, thus inviting
the fish of a shy nature to bite; and if the baited hook is seized, a capture of the
fish is the result, if the bait is in good condition and properly applied..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a fish hook, two similar and jointed hook portions which have their
bows adjacent and their barbs oppositely projected but concealed when in closed
adjustment, one swinging hook portion being provided with a limb projected at
right angles to a journal that is bent laterally from the body of this hook portion
on which it vibrates, and an integral curved small hook formed on the free end of
the limb, substantially as set forth.
Second. In a fish hook, the combination with a shank having a bow and a barb
on one end portion, and an enlargement on its body near the opposite end portion,
which is laterally perforated, of a duplicate hook portion which is bent near its
upper end laterally to engage loosely the hole in the enlargement and has a limb
extended parallel to the enlargement and away from the barb on this hook
portion, and an upwardly and inwardly curved hook on the end of this limb,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of January 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.