IMPROVEMENTS IN FISHING REELS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES CALDER of 7 Ellen Street, Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN FISHING REELS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My Invention, which relates to improvements in Fishing Reels, has reference
more particularly. to mechanism for throwing off and winding up the line. This is
effected by the employment of two ratchet levers or arms, one, the upper lever,
being operated by the thumb of the hand grasping the butt of the rod, the other,
or lower arm, being operated by the forefinger; it being understood that the reel
is attached to the underpart of the butt in the usual manner. Both arms have
their lower extremities formed with toothed segments which are capable of
engaging and disengaging with a pinion common to both, the said pinion being
fixed to or formed upon the axis of the winding drum at one side thereof. Both
arms are operated under the influence of springs and are so mounted in combination
with the pinion of the winding drum as to impart a motion of rapid rotation
thereto in different directions so as to enable a length of line to be thrown off
or drawn in instantly by the movement of the thumb or forefinger of the hand
grasping the butt of the rod.
In order that my Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1, of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of the reel with the
outer disc or plate of the framing removed in order to shew the arrangement of the
two ratchet arms and the pinion more clearly.
Figure 2, is a transverse vertical section of the reel.
Figure 3, is a side elevation of the right hand side of the reel or that side upon
which is usually placed the winding handle.
Figure 4, is a detailed view of parts of my improvements.
The frame carrying the winding drum or wheel consists of a disc A recessed on
its inner face, its periphery being formed with a flange a. The said disc has
opposite to it a flanged ring B which is connected to the disc A, by distance pieces
or pins C, the drum D, being mounted between the two parts A and B, and
revolving upon the spindle E, which is itself capable of revolving freely through
the centre of the reel. To the side of the disc d, of the winding drum is fixed the

page_text: pinion d', which lies between the frame plate A and the said disc. In gear with
the said pinion, are the two toothed segments F, G. The said segments are formed
upon the lower extremities of the arms f, g, which pass through the rim a², of the
plate A and are pivoted upon the studs or pius f, g, fixed to the flange a, of the
said plate A. The arms f, and g, are prolonged outside of the reel, the arm f,
being brought above the top of the butt H, of the rod and the arm g, being in a
position below the butt as shewn in Figure 1. The said arms are bridled or
connected by the cross-bars f, g², respectively, to arms pivoted upon the flange b,
of the opposite ring B, as shewn at f³, g³, the butt h, passing through the pivoted
parts of the arm f, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, the effect of this arrangement
being that a free or parallel motion is given to the ratchet arms when the cross-
bars f, g, are pressed in their required direction by the thumb or forefinger.
The ratchet arms f, g, are of a suitable length and form to be operated by the
thumb or forefinger of the hand grasping the butt H of the rod and are so
arranged, under the influence of the springs 1, 2, which are fixed to the frame
plate A, at the innerside thereof by the pins 3, 4, that when the arm f, is pressed
down against the power of the spring i towards the butt into the position.
shewn at Figure 1, out of its vertical position, the teeth f4, of the segment F,
are thrown in gear with the teeth of the pinion d', of the winding drum D,
and on releasing the arm f, the spring ¹, causes the said arm to return with a
recoil and in so doing to engage and disengage with the pinion d', and thus impart
a motion of rapid rotation to the pinion and the drum or reel D to which it is
attached and thus causing a length of line to be thrown off from the reel. The
arm g, when pulled up-from the position shewn in Figure 1, towards the butt and
against the spring 22, by the forefinger of the hand grasping the butt, brings the
teeth g, of the segment G, in a similar manner in gear with the pinion d, and on
the said arm being released, the spring 12 causes the arm to return with a recoil in
a similar manner to the arm f, and in so returning to impart a reverse motion of
rapid rotation to the pinion and so cause a length of line to be instantly wound up
upon the reel. The cross bar.g³, of the lever g, is formed with a trigger J, for the
purpose of conveniently operating the said arm by the forefinger of the hand
grasping the butt. In lieu of two levers or arms as hereinbefore described for
giving two different motions to the winding drum, it is to be observed that in
some cases one lever only in combination with the pinion may be employed on a
reel, without departing from the essential feature of my Invention. Upon the
edge of the ring B which forms part of the frame work is a spring brake to act
on the flange d provided on the disc d³ of the drum D, for the purpose of arresting
and regulating its motion, the said brake consisting of a button k, capable of being
pressed against the flange d³, of the drum under the action of a spiral or other
spring k
The spindle E, carrying the winding drum or wheel D, is preferably and as shewn
in Figure 2 mounted free to rotate through the reel, its extremities being provided
with screwed pins e, formed with flanged heads e', to keep the spindle secure.
For winding or unwinding the line in the ordinary way, when necessary, a
handle L, is fixed to the outer drum-disc d³, towards the edge thereof as shewn in
Figures 2 and 3.
•
In lieu of a button to be pressed against the edge of the drum as hereinbefore
described, I may use a brake constructed in combination with the ratchet arms f, g,
the said brake as shewn in Figure 4 consisting in the employment of a piece of
flexible steel or other suitable material f, g, to take the place of the first tooth of
the segments F, G, as in Figure 1, the said strips of steel being so arranged as
to bear with frictional contact against the teeth of the pinion by a motion of the
arms when the said arms are in their normal position or the position of the arm g,
in Figure 1.
In lieu of the employment of teeth for the ratchets and pinion as bereinbefore
described the said parts may be geared together by frictional contact by means of
India-rubber or similar material applied to their surfaces. With either teeth or

page_text: rubber or equivalent gearing the strength of " throw off" or "wind in "
regulated by the extent of the are described by the lever or levers.
may be
My improvements can be worked equally as well when using the rod either right
or left handed and all the actions and motions can be made without changing
hands and still grasping the rod with both hands.
It is to be observed that although the winding drum or wheel is arranged to
revolve upon a revolving pin as herein before described the mechanism constituting
the essential features of my Invention can be equally well applied to reels of the
ordinary construction.
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
First. In fishing reels the mechanism consisting of a ratchet arm or lever or
ratchet arins or levers actuated by a spring or springs and in combination with a
pinion fixed upon the winding drum, or the mechanical equivalents of the said
parts, for imparting a motion or motions of rapid rotation to the said drum as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
Second. In combination with the toothed gearing the employment of a brake or
brakes f, g, for arresting or retarding the motion or motions of the winding
drum as herein before described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.