Downrigger reel and temperature indicator

A temperature and depth indicator downrigger structure comprising:

• a spoked drum selectively operable for rotation on its axis and having a radial opening therein:
• a cable wound on said drum and one end thereof extending through said radial opening in said drum, said cable including an outer resin coating, a plurality of strands of load bearing material and a strand of highly conductive resin coated material;
• a two-piece flanged case disposed between a pair of spokes of said drum and into which case said cable extends;
• an electronic circuit and an electrometric gage inside of said case interconnected to said strand of highly conductive material and said plural strands of load bearing material;
• a calibrated counter drivably connected to said cable and operable as said is extended and retracted;
• and
• a thermistor adjacent the outer terminal end of the said cable and electrically connected to said circuit by connection to said highly conductive strand and to said plural load bearing strands.

A downrigger reel and temperature indicator comprising:

• a rod supported drum, said drum having spokes;
• a coated cable on said drum, said cable comprising plural strands of load bearing material and one coated strand of a highly conductive metal;
• a counter over which said cable passes;
• a flanged gage case and battery support enclosure including an electronic circuit powered by a battery in said case in accord with the closure of a switch in said circuit, and said circuit directly connected to said load bearing cable and to said conductive metal strand;
• and
• a thermal sensor element operably connected to said highly conductive strand of metal and to said load bearing strands of metal at the end opposite from connection to said electronic circuit.

An improved temperature sensing and depth indicating downrigger reel comprising:

• a rod supported drum;
• a plurality of spokes on said drum;
• a two-piece flanged case between two of said spokes and said flange of said case bearing against said spokes on both sides thereof;
• a gage inside said case and visible from one side of said drum;
• an electronic circuit within said case and connected to said gage;
• a battery in said case and operably connected to said circuit, said battery accessible through said case;
• a switch normally interrupting said circuit and selectively closed from outside said case;
• a cable having plural load bearing strands and a coated highly conductive strand in an outer protective resin wrapper and having one end connected to said electronic circuit and the other end extendable from said drum;
• a thermistor operably connected at said other end of said cable and said load bearing strands of said cable forming an eye below said sensor;
• a wedge-like friction brake selectively pivotal into braking relation between flanges of said drum;
• a calibrated counter activated by withdrawal of said cable from said drum;
• a swivel support for said counter;
• and
• a sheave depending from said swivel in a plane substantially and normally parallel to the plane of said drum and said cable passing over said sheave and fed from beneath said drum.