Back to results
US 6,637,146 B2Granted
Fishing rod holder
AssigneeCarter Day International, Inc.
InventorMatthew J. Ernst
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fishing rod holder that allows horizontal striking of fish either while trolling or still-fishing. The fishing rod holder consists of a rod holder support arm assembly, a rotating unit, a base unit and an optional mounting adapter. The rod holder may be mounted for horizontal striking on the top surface of a gunnel wall on a boat or other substantially flat horizontal surface. Alternatively, the mounting adapter may be used to mount the rod holder to a boat handle rail. The rod holder support arms are slidably engaged in the support arm assembly and allow for customized vertical orientation of the rod's tip with respect to the reel. In addition, the horizontal orientation of the rod may be customized to accommodate fishing technique and fishing conditions.
Claims8
A fishing rod holder apparatus comprising:
- A support arm assembly, including
- a sleeve holder for receiving the butt end of a fishing rod, said sleeve holder including:
- a top surface;
- a bottom surface;
- a proximal end;
- and
- a distal end;
- at least two support arms including:
- a proximal end;
- a distal end;
- and
- a central section therebetween;
- said support arms being fixedly attached to said bottom surface of said distal end of said sleeve holder, said support arms being substantially separated from each other and parallel to each other with and having a substantially curvilinear profile, said support arms being connected to each other in at least one place in said central section, said support arms being bent outward and upward at said distal end so as to receivably support and retain the central section of a fishing rod;
- A rod cap holder with a top surface and a bottom surface;
- Said bottom surface of said rod cap holder having a transverse lip;
- and
- Said rod cap holder having a central bore;
- A arm support base unit including:
- A top surface;
- and
- A bottom surface;
- Said top surface of said arm support base unit having a transverse groove disposed therein;
- Said arm support base unit further having a central bore with a splined profile;
- A rotating unit including:
- A top surface;
- and
- A bottom surface;
- A circumferential edge;
- A splined mounting shaft disposed substantially near the center of said top surface of said rotating unit;
- Said bottom surface having a rotational stop pin channel disposed circumferentially thereon forming an inner lip and an outer lip;
- A rotational stop pin is fixedly attached in substantially the center of said rotational stop pin channel, said rotational stop pin is visible on said top surface of rotating unit, but not extending substantially above said top surface;
- Said rotational stop pin is disposed a fixed distance from the circumferential edge of said rotating unit;
- A smooth shaft having a bottom surface is disposed substantially near the center of said bottom surface of said rotating unit;
- An anti-rotate pin is fixedly attached to said bottom surface of said smooth shaft;
- and
- A threaded central bore is disposed within said splined mounting shaft and said smooth shaft;
- A base unit including:
- A top surface;
- A bottom surface;
- And a circumferential edge;
- A central bore;
- and
- A flange bearing that partially covers said central bore and extends above said top surface forming a flange bearing lip, said central bore rotatably receives said smooth shaft on said rotating unit;
- Said central bore widens forming a lip, said flange bearing covers the narrow portion of said central bore;
- Said top surface further includes a rotational stop pin that is disposed at substantially the same distance from said circumferential edge of said base unit as said rotational stop pin disposed on said bottom of said rotating unit is disposed from said circumferential edge;
- A thrust bearing is disposed on said lip within said central bore;
- Said thrust bearing is held in position by a bearing retainer, said bearing retainer having a substantially smooth central bore and an aperture to receive said anti-rotate pin;
- A retaining bolt is disposed through compression washers and through said central bore of said bearing retainer;
- said retaining bolt threadably engages said threaded central bore of said smooth shaft of said rotating unit;
- Said splined central bore of said arms support base is engaged with said splined mounting shaft of said rotating unit;
- Said support arms are placed in said transverse groove of said arms support base and said rod cap holder engages said arms support base, said transverse lip of said rod cap holder is disposed between said support arms;
- A thumb screw is disposed through said central bore of said rod cap holder and threadably engages said threaded central bore of said splined mounting shaft;
- a means for adjusting the horizontal directional orientation of the rod;
- a means for mounting said apparatus to a substantially flat surface or to substantially cylindrical objects, wherein said rotating assembly is rotatably engaged with said base unit;
- and
- A means for mounting said base unit to a substantially flat surface or to substantially cylindrical objects.
53 more elements
A fishing rod holder comprising:
- a support arm assembly including a sleeve holder and one or more support arms for holding a fishing rod;
- an arm support holder that slidably engages said support arms to allow vertical orientation of the fishing rod;
- a rotating unit that rotatably engages said arm support holder, the rotating unit having a bottom surface wherein a circumferential channel is disposed thereon, a rotating unit rotational stop pin being mounted within said circumferential channel;
- and
- a base unit configured to be secured to a structure that rotatably engages said rotating unit, said base unit having a top surface and a base unit rotational stop pin extending from said top surface such that said base unit rotational stop pin slidably engages said circumferential channel of said rotating unit when said base unit and said rotating unit are engaged, said rotating unit being capable of free horizontal rotation relative to said base unit until said rotating unit rotational stop pin and said base unit rotational stop pin are in contact and a means for mounting said base unit to a boat or other fixed structures.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.