Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the provision of such improvements in fishing reels
as will enable the angler, when the fish takes the bait, to keep him under a continuous
and regular pull, whether he runs "out" or off with the bait, or "in," in order to
quickly exhaust him and bring his violent struggles to an end, so that he may be
brought to land, or to the landing net.
My invention consists broadly in a fishing reel having a barrel upon which the
line is adapted to be wound, a rotary journal shaft upon which the barrel is adapted
to revolve, and a spring surrounding the said shaft and having its ends operatively
connected respectively to the barrel and shaft, so that when the shaft is prevented
from rotating and the spring is under suitable tension, the spring will impart a
continuous rotative yielding stress to the barrel and thus maintain a regular or even
pull or strain on the line, whether it is run "out" or "in."
My invention also consists in addition to the foregoing of a crank for rotating the
journal shaft, and means whereby it may be connected with or disconnected from the
barrel or hub of the barrel, in order that said barrel may be positively rotated,
unaffected by the spring; or be allowed to revolve on the shaft, retarded or
influenced by the spring.
My invention also consists in certain details whereby injury to the spring by over
winding or by backwardly rotating the shaft is prevented.
The reel frame is of usual construction, and consists of two end plates. the inter-
mediate space or stay rods and the base plate for attaching the reel to a fishing rod.
The barrel is composed of two cylindrical parts, the one fitting upon or telescoping
the other, like the lid of a blacking box upon the body of the box.
Any other
suitable form or structure that will constitute a hollow body for the barrel, will
however, answer as well. Each part of the barrel is provided with a flange of usual
form. One end of the barrel is provided with an enlarged hub which extends
beyond the flange at that end of the barrel and is provided with pins.

page_text: A shaft extends through the barrel and its hub and the end plates of the reel frame
and is adapted to rotate loosely or independently in the said hub. The end of the
shaft adjacent to the enlarged hub of the barrel is squared or otherwise fitted to receive
a crank whereby the shaft may be rotated. The shaft is provided at a point within
the barrel with a notch or pocket which is formed to receive the reversely bent or
hook shaped inner end of a spring. The said spring is coiled about the shaft, and
frictionally connected at its outer end with the barrel, either by simply bearing there-
against or by being connected with a piece or shoe arranged to bear on the barrel and
exert a drag thereon as it is revolved on the shaft. A slide is adapted to be moved
longitudinally in and be supported by bearings secured to the crank, and so
constructed or formed at its inner end as to adapt it to pass between the pins of the
enlarged hub, said inner end constituting a latch or bolt which, when projected
between the pins locks the crank to the hub of the barrel, and when withdrawn
releases the crank from the hub and barrel so that the barrel and its hub can be
rotated independently on the shaft. When the crank and shaft are engaged with the
hub of the barrel by the latch the reel is operated like an ordinary reel and the
spring has no function, the reel being simply rotated in either direction by the crank
to wind or unwind the line.
When, on the other hand, the bolt or latch is withdrawn from the pins and the
barrel and its hub are thereby disengaged from the shaft the angler by holding the
crank to prevent the shaft from rotating makes the spring operative and causes it to
exert a yielding rotative stress on the barrel, so that when a fish has taken the hook
and is pulling on the line the barrel will be rotated by the pull of the fish against
the stress of the spring. When the fish moves inwardly the spring rotates the reel
in the direction required to draw in the line, so that an inward, though constantly
yielding pull is always automatically exerted on the line without the rotation of the
crank, the fisherman having only to hold the crank from rotating, excepting when it
is necessary or desirable to increase the tension of the spring, which may be done at
any time by rotating the crank in the direction required to wind up the spring, the
barrel being at the same time prevented from rotating freely by the pull exerted on
the line by the fish, or by the operator holding the line. When the spring is fully
wound its frictional bearing on the barrel permits it to slip on the inner surface of
the barrel, so that no injury is caused by over winding.
•
The described engagement of the inner end of the spring with the shaft by the
interlocking of the hook of the spring with the slot or pocket in the shaft, permits
the automatic disengagement of the spring from the shaft in case the shaft is
rotated backwardly, the pocket and hook being so formed that by a backward
rotation of the shaft the pocket will leave the hook and the shaft will rotate alone;
but, when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction the pocket will receive and
operatively engage the book. Provision is thus made against the possibility of
damage by backward rotation of the shaft.
It will be seen that by making the barrel and its operating shaft independently
rotatable, and providing a spring connecting the barrel and shaft, and means for
disengaging the shaft from the barrel, the necessity of constant rotation of the barrel
by the angler while a fish is on the line is obviated, the spring acting automatically
and permitting the fish to play in either direction, letting out the line as the fish
recedes and taking it in as the fish moves inward and at all times exerting a yielding
inward pull which is calculated to speedily weary and subdue the fish. If the inward
pull of the spring becomes insufficient by the continued inward movement of the fish,
the fisherman can increase said pull by rotating the shaft to wind the spring, as
already stated.
Doted thie 19th day of June 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: JO UBIE
Improvements in Fishing-reels.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
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:—
My invention relates to fishing reels and has for its object to provide means whereby
the angler is able, when the fish takes the bait to keep him under a continuous and
regular pull, whether he runs "out" or off with the bait, or "in," in order to quickly
exhaust him and bring his violent struggles to an end, so that he may be brought to
land, or to the landing net.
My invention consists broadly in a fishing reel having a barrel upon which the line
is adapted to be wound, a rotary journal shaft upon which the barrel is adapted to
revolve, and a spring surrounding the said shaft and having its ends operatively con-
nected respectively to the barrel and shaft, so that when the shaft is prevented from
rotating and the spring is under suitable tension, the spring will impart a continuous
rotative yielding stress to the barrel and thus maintain a regular or even pull or strain
on the line, whether it is run "out" or "in."
My invention also consists in addition to the foregoing of a crank for rotating
the journal shaft, and means whereby it may be connected with or disconnected
from the barrel or hub of the barrel, in order that said barrel may be positively
rotated, unaffected by the spring; or be allowed to revolve on the shaft, retarded or
influenced by the said spring.
My invention also consists in certain details whereby injury to the spring by over
winding or by backwardly rotating the shaft is prevented.
My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is an end view of my improved reel, the crank for rotating the shaft
being removed.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same, the crank being shown in position on
the shaft.
Figure 3 is a section on the line x, x of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section on the line y, y of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the crank and its adjuncts.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the journal shaft.
Figure 7 represents an enlarged transverse section of the shaft and a portion of
the spring.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the Figures.
A designates a reel frame which is of usual construction and consists of two end
plates 2, 2, the intermediate space or stay rods 3, and the base plate 4 for attaching the
reel to a fishing rod. The barrel a is shown as composed of two cylindrical parts, the
one fitting upon or telescoping the other, like the lid upon the body of a blacking
box. Any other suitable form or structure that will constitute a hollow" body for

page_text: the barrel will, however, answer as well. Each part of the barrel is provided with
a flange a¹ of usual form. One end of the barrel is provided with an enlarged
hub which extends beyond the flange at that end of the barrel and is provided with
pins as shown. h designates a shaft which extends through the barrel and its hub f
and the end plates of the reel frame and adapted to rotate loosely or independently
in the said hub. The end of the shaft adjacent to the enlarged hub of the barrel is
squared or otherwise fitted to receive a crank i whereby the shaft may be rotated.
The shaft is provided at a point within the barrel with a notch or pocket j
which is formed to receive the reversely bent or hook shaped inner end k² of a
spring k. The said spring is coiled about the shaft, and frictionally connected at
its outer end with the barrel either by simply bearing thereagainst or by being
connected with a piece or shoe arranged to bear on the barrel and exert a drag
thereon as it is revolved on the shaft." m designates a slide adapted to be moved
longitudinally in and supported by bearings n secured to the crank, and so con-
structed or formed at its inner end as to adapt it to pass between the pins 9 of
the enlarged hub f, said inner end constituting a latch or bolt m¹ which, when
projected between the pins 9 (as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2), locks the crank
to the hub of the barrel, and when withdrawn (as shown in full lines in Figure 2)
releases the crank from the hub and barrel so that the barrel and its hub can be
rotated independently on the shaft. When the crank and shaft are engaged with
the hub of the barrel by the latch m¹ the reel is operated like an ordinary reel and
the spring has no function, the reel being simply rotated in either direction by the
crank to wind or unwind the line.
When on the other hand, the bolt or latch m¹ is withdrawn from the pins g and
the barrel and its hub are thereby disengaged from the shaft h the angler by holding
the crank to prevent the shaft from rotating makes the spring operative and
causes it to exert a yielding rotative stress on the barrel, so that when a fish has
taken the hook and is pulling on the line the barrel will be rotated by the pull
of the fish against the stress of the spring. When the fish moves inwardly the
spring rotates the reel in the direction required to draw in the line, so that an
inward, though constantly yielding pull is always automatically exerted on the line
without the rotation of the crank, the angler having only to hold the crank froin
rotating, excepting when it is necessary or desirable to increase the tension of the
spring, which may be done at any time by rotating the crank in the direction required
to wind up the spring the barrel being at the same time prevented from rotating
freely by the pull exerted on the line by the fish, or by the operator holding the
line. When the spring is fully wound its frictional bearing on the barrel permits it
to slip on the inner surface of the barrel, so that no injury is caused by over
winding.
The described engagement of the inner end of the spring with the shaft by the
interlocking of the hook k¹ of the spring with the slot or pocket j in the shaft, permits
the automatic disengagement of the spring from the shaft in case the shaft is rotated
backwardly as indicated by the arrow in Figure 7, the pocket j and hook k¹ being so
formed that by a backward rotation of the shaft the pocket will leave the hook and
the shaft will rotate alone; but when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction the
pocket will receive and operatively engage the hook. Provision is thus made against
the possibility of damage by backward rotation of the shaft.
It will be seen that by making the barrel and its operating shaft independently
rotatable; and providing a spring connecting the barrel and shaft and means for
disengaging the shaft from the barrel, the necessity of constant rotation of the barrel
by the angler while a fish is on the line is obviated; the spring acting automatically
and permitting the fish to play in either direction letting out the line as the fish
recedes and taking it in as the fish moves inward, and at all times exerting a yielding
inward pull which is calculated to speedily weary and subdue the fish. If the inward
pull of the spring becomes insufficient by the continued inward movement of the
fish the fisherman can increase said pull by rotating the shaft to wind the spring as
already stated.

page_text: 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 correspondent I declare that what I claim is
First. In a reel for fishing rods, the combination of a supporting frame, a shaft
journalled in the said frame, a drum or barrel mounted to rotate loosely on said shaft,
a coiled spring engaged at its inner end with the shaft and at its outer end with the
barrel, a crank or handle affixed to the shaft whereby the operator may hold the shaft
and the end of the spring engaged therewith and thereby enable the spring to rotate
the barrel independently of the crank, and a movable locking device whereby the
crank or handle may be locked to the barrel to enable the latter to be rotated by the
crank instead of by the spring, as set forth.
Second. The combination of a supporting frame, a shaft journalled therein and
provided with a slot or pocket ja barrel or drum mounted to rotate loosely on the
shaft and a spring having a hook at its inner end detachably engaged with the pocket
of the shaft and having its outer end operatively engaged with the barrel, the
described engagement of the inner end of the spring with the shaft enabling the
spring to be disconnected from the shaft by a backward rotation of the latter, as
set forth.
Third. The combination of a supporting frame, a shaft journalled therein, a
barrel or drum mounted to rotate loosely on the shaft, and a spring having its inner
end engaged with said shaft and its outer portion in frictional contact with the inner
surface of the barrel whereby the spring may slip on the barrel when fully wound, as
set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the supporting frame a shaft journalled therein and
provided with a crank or handle, a barrel or drum mounted to rotate loosely on the
shaft and provided with a hub having pins or projections g, the spring operatively
engaged with the barrel and shaft, and a bolt adapted to slide on the handle of
the shaft into or out of engagement with the projections g of the barrel, as set
forth.
Date : 12th 1
1000