Apparatus for making fishing lures

#Fishing lures have been conventionally produced on the basis of using a length of wire having integral eyes at its opposite ends for attachment of lines, hooks, etc. Also conventionally, the wire will include threaded thereon between the eyes a plurality of beads, etc. In most instances, the forming of an eye at one end is performed in the absence of the beads, etc., but, before the second eye can be formed, the beads must be strung on the wire, thus making formation of the second eye a fairly difficult process. Moreover, many lures are handmade and the eyes are formed by hand-held twisters and therefore lack uniformity, symmetry and adequate twists. According to the present invention, the disadvantages of prior manufacture are eliminated and the "backbone" wire of the lure is provided at opposite ends with closed eyes that are uniform, symmetrical and feature a positive multi-coil wrap that assures a product that has long life, is easy to manufacture and is made available to the market at relatively low cost.

#A feature of the invention resides in the preliminary shaping of a straight length of wire, one end at a time, into a modified V shape including a pair of coplanar legs that converge to the apex of the V and which meet the apex, which is rounded to form an open loop, at small radii so that the legs are symmetrical about an axis that bisects the angle between the legs and passes centrally through the open loop. The legs are then held and guided and a rotating twister engages the loop and rotates about an axis generally concident with one leg of the V whereby to wrap the other leg several times about the one leg, thus closing the loop to form an eye securely closed by the multi-wrap of one leg about the other. The mechanism for forming the V produces the rounded loop as well as the radii at the junctions of the legs with the loop. The twisting mechanism includes holding and guide means for the legs so that the loop projects for engagement with a pintle on a rotatable twister shaft. The guide means functions to control the wrap of one leg about the other and the holding means is provided at one face with a cavity that accommodates the successive coils of the wrapped wire as the twisting operation is performed. The opposite face of the holding and guide means has a recess for accommodating a bead on the wire so that formed eye is close to the nearest bead and thus the set of beads is relatively closely confined between the eyes at opposite ends of the wire.

#Further features and objects of the invention will appear as a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1 is a view of a representative fishing lure.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective of the loop-forming mechanism.

#FIGS. 3 through 6 illustrate successive steps in the shaping of a modified V at an end of the wire.

#Reference will be had first to FIG. 1 for a description of a generally typical fishing lure of the type made up of a plurality of objects strung on a straight length of wire 20 provided at its opposite ends with closed eyes 22 for the attachment of lines, hooks, etc. (not shown). Among the objects strung on the wire are beads 24, a spinner blade 26 and a sleeve 28. According to the present invention, one eye 22 is formed before the beads, etc., are strung and the other eye is formed after the stringing.

#FIG. 2 best shows the basics or the shaping of loop-forming mechanism as comprising a base or support 30 which journals a movable member in the form of shaping head 32. This head is provided here as the upper end of a vertical shaft 34 suitably journalled in the base and projecting below the base to a pinion 36 keyed to the shaft and meshing with a rack 38. The particular orientation of the parts as horizontal, vertical, etc., is preferred but is not a limitation on the invention. Also, the parts are shown generally pictorially, omitting bearings, supports, etc., that may take many forms and thus do not constitute significant parts of the invention beyond serving to perform the inventive functions. The rack is power-operated for reciprocation by any suitable power means, here suggested as being an air cylinder 40 controlled by a suitable valve. The arrangement is such that the cylinder when actuated turns the shaft 34 and thus the head 32 through an angular range to be described later. Further, the head is turned through this range and reversed through the same range, also as will appear later.

#Reference is now had to FIGS. 3-6 for a description of the formation in one end of the wire of shapes preliminary to the ultimate forming of an eye 22.