US 6,634,136 B2Granted

Downrigger line clamp with adjustable clamping force

AssigneeScott Plastics Ltd.

InventorsJohn Barrett, Siegfried Bulling, Kevin Anthony Davis Scott

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Abstract

The invention described relates to a downrigger line clamp mechanism used in downrigger fishing and includes an adjustable clamping force for adjusting the overall release tension of a fishing line. The pre-stressed line clamp mechanism includes a pair of pivotally engaged, elongate arms which, when assembled, are resiliently flexed such that one portion of the arms, the proximal grip portions, are outward bowed, the tips of the proximal grip portions pinching together, thereby biassing another portion of the arms, the jaws, towards a closed clamp position. The line clamp mechanism uses an adjustable compression-force biassing device movably mounted between the tips of the proximal grip portions of the arms. The biassing device may include spacers of different spacing dimensions, each spacer being positionable into an active position between the tips of the proximal grip portions of the arms by moving the biassing device relative to the arms. The magnitude of clamping force at the jaws is adjustable by adjusting the spacing between the tips of the proximal grip portions of the arms.

Claims34

Dependent claims

Suitable for use in a line clamp mechanism having resiliently flexible elongate arms, each arm having a distal end and a proximal end, a jaw in the vicinity of the distal end of the arm and presenting an inwardly-facing jaw surface, a compression adjusting means in the vicinity of the proximal end of the arm, a grip portion located between the jaw and the compression-adjusting means, and an inwardly-facing pivot component located between the jaw and the grip portion, and proximate to the jaw, and the arms being pivotally connected together by means of pivotal engagement of a coupling means with the pivot components, wherein the jaw surfaces are in faced opposition, and the arm compression-adjusting means are proximate to each other wherein the jaw surfaces can be pivoted away from each other by pressing the grip portions toward one another, so as to permit the insertion of a fishing line for clamping between the jaw surfaces;

a spacer displaceably interposable between the compression-adjusting means wherein the spacer can be moved along the length of the elongate arms into or out of interposition between the compression-adjusting means, and wherein interposing the spacer between the compression-adjusting means forces the proximal ends of the arms apart so as to outwardly flex the elongate arms, wherein the clamping force between the jaw surfaces is greater when the spacer is interposed between the compression-adjusting means than when no spacer is interposed between the compression-adjusting means.

A line clamp mechanism, for releasably clamping a fishing line to a leader line in downrigger fishing, the line clamp mechanism comprising:

(a) a resiliently flexible first elongate arm having a distal end and
(i) a first jaw in the vicinity of the distal end thereof, said first jaw presenting an inwardly-facing first jaw surface;
(ii) a proximal first arm compression-adjusting end;
(iii) a first arm grip portion located between the first jaw and the first arm compression-adjusting end;
and
(iv) an inwardly-facing first pivot component located between the first jaw and the first arm grip portion, and proximate to the first jaw;
(b) a second elongate arm having a distal end and
(i) a second jaw in the vicinity of the distal end thereof, said second jaw presenting an inwardly-facing second jaw surface;
(ii) a proximal second arm compression-adjusting end;
(iii) a second arm grip portion located between the second jaw and the second arm compression-adjusting end;
and
(iv) an inwardly-facing second pivot component located between the second jaw and the second arm grip portion, and proximate to the second jaw;
(c) coupling means for pivotally connecting the first and second elongate arms together by means of pivotal engagement of the coupling means with the first and second pivot components, wherein the first and second jaw surfaces are in faced opposition, and the first and second arm compression-adjusting ends are proximate to each other;
(d) a removable biassing device for adjusting the spacing between the first and second arm compression-adjusting ends and providing at least two discrete spacing positions, viz a first spacing position and a second spacing position, between the first and second arm compression-adjusting ends, and
(e) means for connecting a leader line to at least one of the elongate arms in the vicinity of the proximal end thereof;
wherein, in the first and second spacing positions, the first arm grip portion is outwardly flexed thereby biassing the first and second jaw surfaces together toward a closed clamping position, the clamping force is adjustable by moving the biassing device between the first and second spacing positions, the first arm grip portion is inwardly flexible by means of inwardly-directed force applied to each of the first arm grip portion and the second arm grip portion so as to open the jaw surfaces for insertion of a fishing line between the jaw surfaces:
and in use, the biassing device is displaced along the length of the first and second elongate arms between the first and second spacing positions.

14 more elements

A line clamp mechanism, for releasably clamping a fishing line to a leader line in downrigger fishing, the line clamp mechanism comprising:

(a) a resiliently flexible first elongate arm having a distal end and
(i) a first jaw in the vicinity of the distal end thereof, said first jaw presenting an inwardly-facing first jaw surface;
(ii) a proximal first arm compression-adjusting end having an inwardly-facing first abutting surface;
(iii) a first arm grip portion located between the first jaw and the first arm compression-adjusting end;
and
(iv) an inwardly-facing first pivot component located between the first jaw and the first arm grip portion, and proximate to the first jaw;
(b) a resiliently flexible second elongate arm, in gross shape and configuration a substantial mirror image of the first elongate arm, having a distal end and
(i) a second jaw in the vicinity of the distal end thereof, said second jaw presenting an inwardly-facing second jaw surface;
(ii) a proximal second arm compression-adjusting end having an inwardly-facing second abutting surface;
(iii) a second arm grip portion located between the second jaw and the second arm compression-adjusting end;
and
(iv) an inwardly-facing second pivot component located between the second jaw and the second arm grip portion, and proximate to the second jaw;
(c) coupling means for pivotally connecting the first and second elongate arms together by means of pivotal engagement of the coupling means with the first and second pivot components, wherein the first and second jaw surfaces are in faced opposition, and the first and second abutting surfaces are in faced opposition;
(d) a removable biassing device for adjusting the spacing between the first and second abutting surfaces and providing at least two discrete spacing positions, at least a first spacing position and a second spacing position, the biassing device including a first spacer for providing the first spacing position, the first spacer being displaceably interposable between the first and second abutting surfaces and having spaced oppositely disposed outwardly-facing bearing surfaces wherein when the first spacer is interposed between the first and second abutting surfaces each bearing surface is in bearing engagement with an associated one of the abutting surfaces so as to position the abutting surfaces in a spaced apart relationship and outwardly flex the elongate arms;
and
(e) means for connecting a leader line to at least one of the elongate arms in the vicinity of the proximal end thereof;
wherein in the first and second spacing positions, the arm grip portions are outwardly flexed thereby biassing the first and second jaw surfaces together toward a closed clamping position, the clamping force is adjustable by moving the biassing device between the first and second spacing positions, and the first arm grip portion is inwardly flexible by means of inwardly-directed force applied to each of the first arm grip portion and the second arm grip portion so as to open the jaw surfaces for insertion of a fishing line between the jaw surfaces;
and in use, the biassing device is displaced along the length of the first and second elongate arms between the first and second spacing positions.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.