Improvements in Fishing-rods.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in Fishing-rods.
A communication from abroad by THE UNITED STATES NET AND TWINE
COMPANY, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of New
York, and doing business at 219, Fulton Street, in the City of New York, in
said State.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of fishing-rods in which a series of sections
consisting each of a stem and ferrules are connected to form a jointed rod; and the
invention consists of a rod constructed, as fully described hereinafter, so as to
secure increased strength and reduce liability to fracture when the rod is bent.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through one joint of a fishing rod
illustrating the invention;
Fig. 2 is a similar section showing a modification;
Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the construction of parts of an ordinary rod.
In fishing-rods as usually manufactured the sections a, which are connected to
constitute the rod, have each a socketed ferrule bat one end and a ferrule c at the
other provided with a tang or finger 2, adapted to fit in the socket of the adjacent
section. The wooden strip 4 of each section is generally reduced at the end where
it is fitted to the socket, thereby forming a shoulder, Fig. 3, so that the surface
of the ferrule is flush with that of the wood; and in any case the edge of the
metallic ferrule y bears directly upon the wood, and when any strain comes upon
the rod tending to bend the same the abrupt variation in stiffness at the point y
causes the bend to take place at that point, and, further, causes the bend to be
sharper at this point than would be the case if the socket were not practically rigid.
As a consequence of this abrupt sharp bend and the pressure of the edge of the
rigid socket into the yielding strip a, the latter is very apt to be broken under
strains that would not injure the rod if such abrupt bending could be prevented.
To obviate this defect, according to this invention the stem of each section is
reinforced at the point where the rigid permanently-attached socket-piece
terminates, this being preferably accomplished by making use of a re-enforcing
material that has more or less elasticity. This re-enforce may be secured in
different ways. As shown in Fig. 2, the stem is formed so as to thicken it at the
points, opposite the inner or attached ends of the ferrule-pieces, the latter being
expanded to receive the enlargements, so that the rod is strengthened at such
points, the bending out or flaring of the ferrules at their inner ends S reducing the
tendency of the edges to penetrate the stem when the rod is bent. A preferable
mode of re-enforcing the stems consists in applying thereto a sleeve 5, of somewhat
elastic material, as caoutchouc, rubber, or, preferably, zylonite. This sleeve is
made thickest at the point where the end of the ferrule terminates and extends in
both directions, gradually tapering until its surface meets that of the stem. As
thus re-enforced the pressure upon the sleeve 5, resulting from any bending of the
rod, instead of coming at one point, is distributed over a comparatively wide area,
so that the bend is gradual, the strain is prevented from being concentrated at one
point, and the fracture of the rod is prevented. The mouth or inner end S of the
socket of the ferrule being tapering to conform to the tapering face of the re-enforce,

page_text: any lateral deflection of the ferrule, instead of forcing a sharp edge onto the stem,
merely brings the broad tapering face of the socket against the face of the
re-enforce or sleeve, and as the latter is somewhat elastic the elasticity of the rod
is increased.
It will be obvious that the ferrules may be of different forms and constructions
without departing from the main features of the invention.
When zylonite or like material is used as a re-enforce, it is preferable to bind it
with silk and varnish the latter to make it waterproof.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction
and arrangement of parts shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
declare that what I claim is :-
1. A fishing-rod in which the sections are provided with ferrules and the stems
are thickened opposite the inner or attached end of each ferrule, substantially as
set forth.
2. The combination, in a fishing-rod, of sections having ferrules with flaring
inner ends adapted to thickened portions of the stems, substantially as set forth.
3. A fishing-rod provided with sections, each consisting of a wooden stem and
metallic ferrules, and tapering sleeves re-enforcing the stem opposite the inner end
of each ferrule, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, with the stem a of a fishing-rod, of a re-enforce 5 of elastic
material tapering from the centre toward each end, and a ferrule expanded at the
end to receive a portion of the re-enforce, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 18th day of January 1894.
1
J. C. MEWBURN.