# US 5,346,158 A · Casting reel with automatic drag and casting mechanism

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- Number: US 5,346,158 A
- Document ID: US5346158A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 07/960,137
- Filed: 1992-10-13
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1991-06-13
- Assignees: F.M.&G., Inc.
- Inventors: Frank E. Epperson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346158A

## CPC

- A01K 89/0102: {with a closed face}
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS

## Abstract

An open-faced spin-casting reel utilizes a weighted member which in response to a casting motion will automatically release the line from the spool, and drag control mechanism is incorporated directly into the reeling mechanism off of the crankshaft to control the amount of drag on the line as it is reeled onto the spool.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a casting reel wherein there is provided a housing, a crankshaft internally of said housing with a handle projecting from one end of said crankshaft, a line pick-up member, and a spool at one end of said housing for a fishing line, the improvement comprising;
a drive shaft drivingly connected to said line pick-up member including drive means for imparting rotation of said crankshaft to said line pick-up member in order to reel said line onto said spool; and
first and second releasable drag means to selectively impart rotation of said crankshaft to said drive shaft, said first drag means being axially movable in response to rotation of said crankshaft in one direction to frictionally engage said second drag means whereby to gradually impart the rotation of said crankshaft to said second drag means, said second drag means being drivingly connected to said drive means whereby to cause said drive means to rotate said line pick-up member when said first drag means is moved into engagement with said second drag means, said second drag means including at least one frictional surface member, and said first drag means including at least one sleeve member movable in response to rotation of said crankshaft in the one direction into engagement with said friction plate member and said first drag means being further movable in a direction away from said second drag means in response to rotation of said crankshaft in the opposite direction whereby to release said second drag means from locking engagement with said first drag means.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

In a casting reel according to claim 1, said drive means including a drive gear in spaced relation to said crankshaft, said second drag means drivingly connected to said drive gear, and a driven gear fixed for rotation on said drive shaft in response to rotation of said drive gear.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

In a casting reel according to claim 1, said second drag means including a pair of axially spaced annular frictional surface members, and said first drag means including a pair of inner and outer concentric sleeve members interposed between said annular friction plate members and movable in opposite directions with respect to one another in response to rotation of said crankshaft into frictional engagement with said annular frictional surface members.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

In a casting reel according to claim 3, said concentric sleeves being threadedly engageable with one another whereby rotation of one of said sleeves will cause said sleeves to advance in opposite axial directions with respect to the axis of said crankshaft.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

In a casting reel according to claim 4, including anti-reversing means on said crankshaft for limiting rotation of said crankshaft in a direction reverse that of reeling in said fishing line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

In a casting reel according to claim 1, including variable drag means engageable with said drive shaft independently of said first and second drag means to regulate the resistance to rotation of said spool in response to tension applied to said fishing line.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

In a casting reel according to claim 1, wherein said line pick-up member includes a nose portion mounted for rotation on said drive shaft, reciprocating means for reciprocating said spool toward and away from said nose portion in response to rotation of said crankshaft, and fishing line pick-up means on said nose portion being movable into the path of advancement of said fishing line in response to rotation of said crankshaft whereby to guide said fishing line onto said spool when said crankshaft is rotated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

In a casting reel according to claim 7, wherein release means are movable into engagement with said pick-up means for retracting said pick-up means out of the path of movement of said fishing line, and casting control means for moving said release means into engagement with said pick-up means solely in response to centrifugal force resulting from a forward casting motion of said reel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

In a casting reel according to claim 8, said release means including a release tube coaxial with said drive shaft, said tube movable forwardly into engagement with said line pick-up means by said casting control means.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

In a casting reel according to claim 9, wherein said casting control means is defined by a slidable weighted member engageable with said release tube.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

In a casting reel according to claim 8, wherein manual control means are provided for engaging said release means to retract said pick-up means out of the path of movement of said fishing line.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

In a casting reel according to claim 7, wherein means are provided for pivotally mounting said pick-up means in said nose portion and said pick-up means including a free end portion movable through a slot in said nose portion into the path of advancement of said fishing line.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

In a casting reel according to claim 7, wherein said reciprocating means is movable into engagement with said pick-up means for moving said pick-up means into the path of advancement of said fishing line in response to rotation of said crankshaft.

### Claim 14

In a casting reel wherein there is provided a housing, a crankshaft internally of said housing with a reel projecting from one end of said crankshaft, and a spool at one end of said housing for a fishing line, the improvement comprising:
a drive shaft;
a nose member mounted for rotation on said drive shaft;
said drive shaft drivingly connected to said nose member including drive means for imparting rotation of said crankshaft to said nose member in order to reel said line onto said spool;
fishing line pick-up means on said nose member being movable into the path of advancement of said fishing line in response to rotation of said crankshaft whereby to guide said fishing line onto said spool when said crankshaft is rotated;
release means for retracting said pick-up means out of the path of movement of said fishing line; and
casting control means for activating said release means in response to centrifugal force resulting from a forward casting motion of said reel.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

In a casting reel according to claim 14, wherein reciprocating means are provided for reciprocating said spool toward and away from said nose member in response to rotation of said crankshaft.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

In a casting reel according to claim 14, said release means including a release tube coaxial with said drive shaft, said tube movable forwardly into engagement with said line pick-up member when activated by said casting control means.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

In a casting reel according to claim 16, wherein said casting control means is defined by a slidable weight member engageable with said release tube.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

In a casting reel according to claim 14, wherein means are provided for pivotally mounting said fishing line pick-up means in said nose member and said pick-up means including a free end portion movable through a slot in said nose member into the path of advancement of said fishing line.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

In a casting reel according to claim 14, wherein said reciprocating means is operable to advance said spool into engagement with said pick-up means for moving said pickup-up means into the path of advancement of said fishing line in response to rotation of said crankshaft.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

In a casting reel according to claim 14, wherein manual control means is provided for manually activating said release means to retract said fishing line pick-up means out of the path of movement of said fishing line.