Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/824,497 filed on Apr. 2, 2001 now abandoned in the name of Phillip John Campbell and entitled “Flexible Fish Landing Net” and claims the benefit of United States Provisional Application No. 60/301,103 filed on Jun. 26, 2001 in the name of Phillip John Campbell and entitled “Flexible Fishing Net Hoop”. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to net nets for landing fish, and, in particular, to a flexible fish landing net for use from elevated fishing stations. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Sport fishing is oftentimes conducted from elevated locations such as fishing piers and bridges. Various species of varying sizes are commonly caught at such locations. Smaller fish present few problems in landing with the size of the fish being within the strength limitations of the fishing tackle, thereby enabling landing by conventional reeling. Larger fish, however, can present considerable problems. Where a larger fish is hooked, there is a risk that the line will break, due to the weight and movement of the fish prior to successful landing. Under such circumstances, landing may be attempted by traversing the pier until a water location is reached, at which time the fish can be beached, a difficult, cumbersome and time consuming task. At heavily trafficked sites, rental shops may be available whereat the fisherman may be able to rent a suitable large mouth rigid landing net. Inasmuch as such landing nets are large, bulky and costly, few fishermen normally have this type of equipment. Typical of such a net is disclosed in Great Britain Patent No. GB 1,181,354 to Goddard wherein a solid metal ring supports a landing net and is raised as a rigid ring by lifting cords. The net is neither flexible or collapsible. A further version is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,187 to Marcinkowski wherein the netting is collapsible to position a crab trap, however, the support hoop is a rigid circular ring. A limitedly flexible crab net is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,780 to Pieron wherein the periphery of the net is provided by two semi-circular hoops that are diametrically constrained, such that upon lifting the sides are compressed inwardly narrowing the net perimeter. 
     Conventional landing nets are not adapted for such locations. The typical landing net has a fixed hoop with a small attached handle. No provisions are made for lowering these nets from elevated stations. Thus, nets of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,899 to Brosius, U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,956 to Hogg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,331 to Baker, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,783 to Willard have little utility in pier and bridge elevated fishing. 
     In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a fish landing net for pier, bridge and like elevated fishing that could readily be used by fishermen for safely and conveniently ensnaring heavy fish. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a fish landing net that may be collapsed for convenient storage and transportation, and expanded at the site to a full-size landing net that may be lowered from elevated location into the water for netting large and heavy fish that might otherwise escape due to tackle breakage or be released because of difficulties in successfully landing the fish. The landing net includes a flexible, prestressed circular hoop to which heavy duty netting is attached. The hoop is attached to a lifting line by three circumferentially spaced support ropes. The hoop sections around the support ropes have an annealed inner surface, which locally reduces the compressive strength and facilitates reverse bending under loading. When a larger fish is hooked and brought to an underneath location, the net is lowered into the water and maneuvered to ensnare the fish. As the net is raised, the loading forces overcome the prestressing and the reduced compressive strength at lifting locations thereby inwardly deflecting these section and constricting the hoop size and preventing the fish from escaping during landing as well as increasing the stability of the net during vertical movement. When the fish is landed and the load removed, the hoop returns to the original shape for reuse. For storage or transportation, the net hoop may be diametrically twisted into a “Figure- 8 ” shape thereby causing the hoop to fold into a plurality of concentric hoop sections, much is the same manner as band saw blades. The compacted hoop may be conveniently transported along normal fishing gear to be deployed when needed. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fish landing net for heavy fish that is convenient to transport and easy to deploy. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a fish landing net that provides a large opening for ensnaring a large fish and a constricted opening for retaining the fish during vertical movement to a landing site. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a fish landing net that is expandable on site to functional sizes and collapsible for convenient storage and transportation. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flexible fish landing net according to an embodiment of the invention, in the open position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fish landing net of FIG. 1, in the closed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the retaining hoop in the unformed position; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the retaining hoop in the open position; 
     FIG. 5 is side schematic view of the landing net in the open position, with the net attached, showing the suspension of the retaining hoop; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the retaining hoop showing the lifting rope mounting holes; 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the lifting rope on the retaining hoop in the open position; 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing lifting rope bending the retaining hoop section toward the closed position; and 
     FIGS. 9 through 11 are side elevation views showing the collapsing the retaining hoop from the open position to the collapsed position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings for the purpose of describing the preferred embodiment and not for limiting same, FIG. 1 illustrates a flexible fish landing net  10  for landing fish from a elevated fishing station, such as a pier or bridge wherein the weight and size of the fish is potentially greater than the strength of the fishing tackle. As such, the net is distinguished from regular fishing nets used by sports fisherman and typically ranges in size from two to three feet or larger. 
     The landing net  10  comprises a flexible retaining hoop  12  having a generally circular configuration in the illustrated open position, a netting  14  having top loops  16  periodically peripherally threaded over the retaining hoop  12  and depending therebelow, and a lifting rigging  18  attached at three circumferentially spaced locations to the hoop  12  and operable for lowering and raising the net  10  from the fishing station. 
     During the raising of the net  10 , with a larger fish carried in the netting, the load and the lifting rigging  18  are operative to cause the retaining hoop  12  to flex inwardly at three reversely bent lobes  19  to a closed position of restricted opening during raising movement, as shown in FIG. 2, to securely retain the fish within the netting  14  and stabilizing the lifting load. 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 through 11, for storage and transportation, the retaining hoop  12  in the open position of FIG. 9 may be diametrically twisted into a “Figure- 8 ” position, as shown in FIG. 10, and inwardly collapsed to form a series of concentric subhoops  20  as shown in FIG. 11, thereby establishing a compact storage position. 
     More particularly, the retaining hoop  12  is formed of an elastic material and establishes a prestressed circular condition in the open position sufficient for maintaining the continuous open profile while being insufficiently stressed or strong to resist locally inward deflection of the nodes  19  toward the closed positions shown in FIGS. 2 in the presence of a sufficiently large fish. As described in greater detail below, the retaining hoop is annealed at the inner surface by reverse bending at the attachment locations to reduce the inward loading required for establishing the nodes  19  and facilitate the inward deflection. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the retaining hoop  12  may be formed from an elongated single strip  30  of planar material. The strip  30  has a rectangular cross section of moderate to high aspect ratio for preventing vertical flexing about the transverse section axis while permitting the aforementioned inward deflection about the longitudinal section axis in the presence of threshold loading. An aspect ratio of height to thickness of at least 2:1 is satisfactory, an aspect ration in the range of 3:1 to 6:1 desirable, and an aspect ratio of about 4:1 preferred. A preferred material is plastic such a nylon. 
     The strip  30  is provided with a plurality of through holes for use in assembly and rigging. A pair of fastener holes  32  are formed at each end of the strip  30 . For assembly the ends are overlapped and suitable fasteners  34 , such as nuts and bolts, are inserted through the fastener holes and tightened to fixedly establish a circular shape for the retaining hoop by flexing the strip and establishing a stressed outer skin condition therein. Three evenly circumferentially and closely spaced sets of rigging holes  40  are formed along the length of the strip  30 . The rigging holes  40  in the assembled hoop are equally circumferentially spaced 120° apart. Consistent with the above, a retaining hoop formed of nylon with a ¾ by {fraction (3/16)} inch cross section, is effective for a 30 inch diameter hoop. 
     The netting  14  may be formed of any suitable, commercially available material and is configured to provide a closed lower end and an open upper end  52  terminating with the end loops  16 . The end loops  16  are threaded onto the strip  30  prior to assembly and thereafter uniformly circumferentially spaced thereabout. The length of the netting is sufficient to provide ample volume for retaining targeted species and sizes of fish. 
     The rigging  16  comprises a three-point rigging at a lower section  70  and an upper section  72  interconnected by a middle coupling section  74 . Referring to FIGS. 6 through 8, the lower section  70  includes three arms  76 . Each arm  76  terminates with outwardly diverging end  77  establishing circumferentially spaced loadings at the attachment locations. The arm is sequentially threaded inwardly under the hoop along a first run, through one of the holes  40 , along the inner periphery of the hoop, and outwardly through the other hole. The free end is then knotted to establish the lengths of the ends. In the preferred embodiment, the ropes are a tubular braided polyethylene. The distal end is heat terminated and inserted into the tubular core to fix the attachment. The upper ends of the rope arms  76  are gathered and knotted to form a lifting loop at the coupling section  74 . The lower end of the upper section  72 , preferably a single strand of roping, is attached at the lifting loop with a non-slipping marine knot. Under loading conditions, it bas been found as shown in FIG. 5 that an inclination of the arms at about 45° to 60° with respect to vertical provides preferable results. 
     Under sufficient loading at the net, the inwardly directed loading forces at the lower section of the rigging will overcome the prestressing and inwardly reversely flex the hoop at the nodes  19  at the attachment locations. The nodes  19  converging toward the center of the deformed hoop, causing the hoop to assume a progressively closed position under loading conditions that exceed the threshold prestressed value. Thus smaller fish raised by the landing net may be insufficient to close the net, but may nonetheless be securely upwardly raised under stable, balanced conditions. Larger fish, more prone to activity, will be prevented from escape, by the flexing closure of the hoop. 
     The flexing characteristics of the hoop are enhanced by locally annealing the hoop sections adjacent the attachment sections surrounding the holes sufficient to lower the compressive strength thereat and accommodate the reverse deflection. For the preferred nylon hoop material, the hoop sections may be annealed by reverse flexure as shown by the arrows in FIG.  8 . Such annealing has been determined to significantly reduce the net closing forces required to effect the collapse of the hoop as shown in FIG.  2 . The nodal tendencies are also increased by the circumferentially spaced points, and by the ends  77  engaging the lower surface of the hoop and exerting further inward and upward force vectors for overcoming the residual annealed compressive strength at the inner surface and promoting the nodal buckling. 
     The annealing of the strip may be performed either before hoop formation of after assembly, by manual or mechanical bending. A limited number of moderate bends are generally sufficient. 
     In use, when the user has hooked a fish and desires to utilize the landing net  10  for securing and landing a fish from the elevated fishing station, the collapsed landing net is removed from the carrying container and the subhoops reversely rotated allowing the prestressing to expand the hoop  12  to the open position. The expanded net is lowered into the water and maneuvered below the fish. The rigging  18  is manually raised to capture the fish within the netting  14  in the confines of the hoop. As the net is raised above water level, the increasing loading on the rope arms  76 , in the presence of a sufficiently large fish, will inwardly deflect the hoop  12  at the node  19  narrowing the top opening and thereby securing the fish therewithin. When the fish is landed at the elevated station, the loading is released allowing the hoop to assume the open position and faciliatating safe removal of the landed fish. 
     Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the sprit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claims.

Technology Category: 1