IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICAL FISHING APPARATUS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the Firm of Wirth and Company,
Patent Solicitors, at Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICAL FISHING APPARATUS."
A communication from Richard Brësch, of Berlin, in the Empire of Germany.
Sealed the 23rd September 1879, and dated the 27th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th March 1879.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTO-
MATICAL FISHING APPARATUS." [A communication from Richard Brësch, of
Berlin, in the Empire of Germany.]
This Invention relates to an automatic fishing apparatus, and comprises the
combination of a fishing line and hook with an electric battery, in such a manner
that the bite of the fish either opens or closes the circuit, thereby effecting a
jerking up of the line, and striking or drawing in of the hook.
The apparatus consists of the following chief parts, namely:-The hook which opens
the current upon the bite of a fish, and the electric wires which conduct the
current to the jerking apparatus. The said hook is similar to an ordinary fishing
hook, and adjacent to the same is arranged a second hook, which is isolated from
and attached to the first named hook by a tube piece in which it is hinged, a
spring presses the head of the second hook against the fish or first named hook,
thus closing the electric circuit. One of the electric wires is attached at one end
to one pole of an electric battery, and at the other end to the first named hook, the
wire attached to the other pole being fastened by its other end to the other hook.
By the bite of the fish the head of the second hook is moved away from the other
hook, and the electric circuit is thus broken, taking into account the great
resistance of water.
The wires on their way from the battery to the first named hook pass round an
electric magnet, which holds down a small lever so long as the circuit is complete ;
this small lever supports the shorter end of a long lever which would otherwise be
drawn down by a spiral spring. Thus it will be seen that as soon as the electric
current is broken the small lever is liberated, and allows the short end of the afore-
said long lever to be drawn down by the aforesaid spring, thereby causing the
Prine 621

page_text: jerking up of the long end of the said lever, and the penetration of the hook into
the fishes' jaws.
The said apparatus may also be arranged in connection with an electric alarm
apparatus, to give notice of the fishes' bite.
The battery and other parts are contained in a floating box, which also contains
the apparatus
clock-work mechanism provided with a propeller serving to move
away from the bank.
In place of the electric magnet a wire can be used which grows red hot or
melts upon the bite of the fish, thereby permitting the spring in connection with
the short arm of the aforesaid long lever to act.
In connection with the said apparatus I use a small weight for automatically
measuring the depth, and consisting of a half ball or weight in which another
weight is hung from below, each being connected with one of the aforesaid electric
wires, thus keeping the circuit closed as long as the two weights remain together.
On a spindle on an arm attached to the aforesaid floating box a small reel provided
with a spur wheel rests, and upon this reel the wires are wound.
If it is desired to measure the depth at a certain point where it is intended to
fish, the hook being detached from the wires and the weights attached and
connected with each other, are placed on a small plate attached to the floating box
by a hinge, and held in a horizontal position by a curved arm provided with a ring
at its lower end through which passes a pin; through one end of this pin is carried
the string which connects the apparatus with the land. The apparatus propelled
by the clock-work having arrived in the desired position the said pin is withdrawn
from the said curved arm, and the small plate attached to the floating box is
thus free to fall down; the weights are thus let into the water and sink to the
bottom, unwinding the wires from the aforesaid reel as they descend, and having
arrived at the bottom the lower weight which is hung to the other weight rests on
the bottom and becomes unhooked, and thus breaks the electric circuit, thereby
causing the long arm of the aforesaid lever to be jerked upward as above described.
On the said long arm of the lever is situated a catch pawl, which on moving
upwards with the arm arrests the motion of the aforesaid reel. The apparatus is
now drawn back to land, and the weights are replaced by the hook.
The above are the chief features of the Invention, but it will be understood that
the details of construction can be modified without altering the principle of the
Invention.
In order that the electric current should not become too weak on passing through
a long wire, the said wire may be connected with an electro-magnet, and a
secondary current conducted through the same; if this current is broken by the
bite of a fish, the anchor of the small magnet will break the chief current.
The hook may also be attached to one wire only, and the return electric current
be carried by the water.
A small wheel moved by electricity can also be used to retain the apparatus in
one position in running water. Or it may be anchored to effect the same object.
The hooks can also be so constructed that the bite of the fish closes the electric
current in place of breaking the same, but I prefer the latter.
An electric fly fishing apparatus can be constructed as follows, that is to say :-
An electric spiral suspended over the water is provided at one end with a line, to
'the lower end of which is attached a fly and hook constructed as before described;
each time the fly comes in contact with the water the electric current passing
through the spiral causes the same to contract, thus jerking the fly back into the
air, and in this manner the fly is made to dance upon the water; upon a fish biting,
an electric jerking apparatus is put in motion, as above described.

page_text: +
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th September
1879.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTO-
MATICAL FISHING APPARATUS." A communication from Richard Bresch, of Berlin,
in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention relates to automatic fishing apparatus, and comprises the combi-
nation of a fishing line and hook with an electric battery in such a manner that
the bite of the fish either opens or closes the circuit, thereby causing the jerking up
of the line and striking in of the hook.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
The said apparatus consists chiefly of the following parts, namely:-The hook
which opens the circuit upon the bite of a fish, and the electric wires which conduct
the current to the jerking apparatus. The hook. A consists of an ordinary fishing
hook a, and a second hook c which is insulated from and attached to the hook a by
the tube piece b wherein it is hinged. A spring e presses the head of the second
hook c against the fish-hook a, thus closing the electric circuit at f. One of the
electric wires is attached by one end to one pole of an electric battery, and by the
other to the hook a; the wire attached to the other pole is fastened by its other
end to the hook c. By the bite of the fish the head f of the hook c is moved away
from the hook a, and the electric circuit is thus broken, taking into account the
great resistance of water.
The wires on their way from the battery B to the hook A pass around an
electro-magnet g which holds down the small lever h, so long as the circuit is
complete; this small lever supports the shorter end of the long lever k, which would
otherwise be drawn down by the spring i. Thus it will be seen that as soon as
the electric current is broken, the small lever is liberated and allows the short end
of the lever k to be drawn down by the spring i, thereby causing the jerking up of
the long end of the said lever, and the penetration by the hook of the fishes' jaws.
The said apparatus may also be arranged in connection with an electrical alarm
apparatus, to give notice of the biting or taking of the bait by the fish. The
battery B and other parts are contained in a floating box C. This box also
contains clockwork mechanism D arranged to drive the propeller E, serving to move
the apparatus away from the bank.
In place of the aforesaid electro-magnet, a wire can be arranged to become red
hot, or to melt upon the bite of the fish, thereby liberating the spring i.
Figure 3 represents a small device for automatically measuring the depth; it
consists of the half ball Z in which the weight on is hung from below; each of these
parts is connected with one of the aforesaid electric wires, and the circuit will be
kept closed so long as the said two parts remain together. On an arm attached to
the box C, I arrange a small reel provided with a spur wheel on its spindle n;
and upon this reel the wires are wound.
If it is desired to measure the depth of the water wherein it is intended to fish,
the hook being detached from the wires, and the weights and m attached and
connected with each other as shewn, the latter are placed on the small plate O
attached to the box C by a hinge, and held in a horizontal position by a curved
arm p provided with a ring at its lower end, through which passes a pin q; through
one end of this pin is carried the line which connects the apparatus with the land.
The said apparatus propelled by the clock-work having reached the desired
position, the pin q is withdrawn from the arm p, and the small plate O is free to
fall; the weights are thus dropped into the water and sink to the bottom,

page_text: unwinding the wires from the reel as they descend, and having arrived at the
bottom, the weight m resting thereon becomes unhooked, and thus breaks the
electric circuit, thereby causing the lever arm k to be jerked upward as above
described. On the arm k is situated the catch pawl r, which on moving upwards
with the arm, arrests the motion of the aforesaid reel. The apparatus is now
drawn back to land, and the weights, Figure 3, are replaced by the hook. The above
description explains the principle of the said Invention, but it will be understood
that the details of construction may be modified without departing from the said
Invention.
In order that the electric current should not become too weak in passing through
a long wire, the latter may be connected with an electro-magnet, and a secondary
circuit formed through the same; if this circuit is interrupted by the bite of a fish,
the anchor of the small magnet will break the main circuit.
The hook may also be attached to one wire only, and the return current pass
through the water.
A small wheel moved by electricity can also be used to retain the apparatus in
one position in running water; or the said apparatus may be anchored to effect the
same result.
The hooks may also be so constructed, that the bite of the fish closes the electric
circuit instead of breaking the same, but I prefer the latter.
An electric fly-fishing apparatus may be constructed according to this Invention
as follows, that is to say: An electric spiral suspended over the water, is provided
at one end with a line, to the lower end of which is attached a fly and a hook
constructed as above described; each time the fly comes in contact with the water
the electric current passing through the spiral causes the same to contract, thus
jerking the fly up into the air, and in this manner the fly is made to dance upon
the water; when a fish bites, the electric jerking apparatus is caused to operate as
above described.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. A fishing apparatus provided with an electric battery and an electric
circuit closing or breaking apparatus caused to operate by the bite of a fish, and
thereby jerk the hook into the mouth of the same, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose set forth.
Second. The self-acting depth measuring apparatus, substantially as described
and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Third. The fly fishing apparatus constructed and operating substantially in the
manner and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Wirth, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty third day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
FRANK WIRTH. (L.S.)