Improvements in Trolling Spoons.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Trolling Spoons.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co. the Genera
Patent Office, No. 4 South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
abroad by Warren Montgomery Brinkerhoff, of No. 11 Washington Street, Auburn,
in the County of Cayuga and State of New York, in the United States of America,)
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 improvements in trolling spoons for fishing, in which means
are provided for preventing the fish hook from catching in grass or weeds, and the
object is to provide a simple and very effective trolling spoon which will overcome all
tendency, in the hook to catch, and at the same time operate when taken by a fish,
without any tripping appliances.
My invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and is fully disclosed in the
following specification and claims.
In specifying my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming
a part of this specification, like letters indicating corresponding parts in all the views,
in which
Figure 1 is a top plan of the front side of my improved trolling spoon illustrating
the elongated slot at or near one end of the spoon provided with a depression in
which the point or bill of the fish hook rests normally.
Figure 2 is a like view of the rear side of the trolling spoon illustrating the spring
hook secured to the spoon and bearing with its point or bill on the stop in the
elongated slot at or near the other end of the spoon.
Figure 3 shows a longitudinal edge view illustrating the hook in its position in
relation to the spoon, and
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a modification taken through the centre of the
spoon illustrating the detail construction and arrangement of the parts.

page_text: A indicates the trolling spoon, which may be of any suitable form or shape, but I
prefer the form illustrated in figure 1.
The spoon A is provided at or near one extremity thereof with a slot c which is
elongated and provided near its upper end with a depression a, Figures 1 and 4,
which is sufficiently lower than the metal of the exterior of the spoon to provide a
depressed seat or stop for the point or bill of the fish hook for the purpose presently
explained.
The opposite extremity of the spoon is provided with means for connecting the
same with the line.
Upon the reverse side of the spoon in the lugs E, figures 2, 3, and 4, I secure the
hook C provided with a spring shank D and a point or bill b.
It will be observed that the bill or point of the hook is inserted in the slot above
the shank.
The spring D is secured to the lugs E, E of the spoon A in order that the spring D
may exert its tension outwardly from the spoon A so that the bill or point 6 of the
hook C is drawn with a constant force into the depression a of the spoon A.
It will now be apparent that the office of the depression a is to afford a depressed
seat or stop for the point or bill of the fish hook so as to leave the outer surface of
the spoon A perfectly free from such projecting points on the surface as will catch
in weeds or grass or upon other obstructions as the hook is drawn through the
water in trolling, and also to form a stop to arrest the backward movement of the
hook.
The back of the hook projects in a curve as best shown in the edge view,
figure 3, hence there is nothing on the reverse side of the spoon to catch or entangle
as the hook is drawn through the water.
I am aware that other trolling spoons have been made and patented with the
purpose in view of avoiding entanglement with weeds, logs, &c., when drawn through
the water, but in all of such prior devices some sort of a tripping appliance was
connected to the hook and spoon whereby it was necessary to trip the hook in order
to hook the fish, and such tripping appliances were very liable to catch in the
weeds and grass in fishing and thereby defeat the very purpose for which such
devices were designed.
My invention differs from these preceding devices in that I do not employ a tripping
device, but locate the bill of my hook so that the point will be shielded and will
preferably lie in the depression or seat in the spoon with the spring pressure exerted
to draw the hook into the said depression or against the seat with a constant force,
hence the normal condition of things is such that it is absolutely impossible to
entangle the spoon in grass or weeds, or to catch it upon submerged logs. The con-
struction is also such that when a fish is secured the spring power exerted upon the
hook forces the spoon and hook against the engaged portion of the fish so that the
hook cannot be thrown out or disengaged, and thus I accomplish a desirable result
and produce a trolling fish hook greatly superior to the devices which have
preceded it.
Furthermore, the construction is greatly simplified by dispensing with the tripping
appliances, while my invention is just as positive and effective in taking a fish, since
the slightest pressure of the hook toward the spoon when struck by the fish forces the
hook immediately into the fish and hooks him securely.
I do not restrict myself to the specific construction of the trolling spoon illustrated
in figures 1, 2, and 3 since it is obvious that the construction may be radically
changed without departing from the principle of my invention, which as stated
consists essentially in providing the depressed seat a at the end of the slot c in the
spoon S, and seating the bill or point of the hook b yieldingly therein so as to leave
the outer surface of the spoon flush and free from catching points while the hook may
be readily caused to protrude through when struck by a fish.
I have illustrated a modified construction which is very simple and effective in the
longitudinal sectional view, figure 4, in which the spring is soldered to the spoon A at
or near the depressed seat a, and its free end projects downward engaging the book at

page_text: the point d-In this construction it will be observed that the ordinary hook ()
terminating in the ring d may be employed, and the lug E is simply elongated and
bifurcated so as to provide bearings for the pine which passes through the lugs E and
ring d of the hook C thereby pivotting the same to the spoon A.
The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing and
from a consideration of the drawings.
It will be observed that the spring bearing at the extreme rear end or shank of the
hook yields freely to pressure at the point of greatest curvature where the hook is
invariably struck when taken by the fish hence the point is forced into the fish's
mouth so as to ensure great efficiency in use.
The invention presents a most effective device for avoiding entanglement with grass,
weeds, submerged logs &c., and consequently is very durable in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A trolling spoon having a seat for the bill or point of the fish hook and a slot
at or near one end through which the hook may protrude when struck by a fish,
substantially as described.
2. The combination with a trolling spoon provided with a slot at or near one end
and a seat for the bill or point of the hook to rest against, of a spring actuated hook
secured to the reverse side of the spoon, substantially as described.
3. A trolling spoon fish hook comprising a spoon, a fish hook yieldingly secured to
one side of the spoon, with the main part of its body exposed to the strike of the
fish, and its point seated against the opposite face of the spoon so as to prevent the
hook from catching or entangling with obstructions as it is drawn through the water,
substantially as described.
4. A trolling spoon provided with a slot at or near one end through which the hook
may protrude, the said hook being actuated by a spring power to throw the point of
the hook towards the spoon, substantially as described.
5. An artificial bait provided with a spring actuated hook, the force of the said
spring tending to throw the point of the hook towards the body of the bait, as and
for the purpose set forth.
221
1
P T T
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.