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US 9,591,841 B2Granted
Fly-fishing float or strike indicator and attachment methods
OwnerLarry Schoenikeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fly fishing float and/or strike indicator is attached by an interference fit to a leader, by sliding the float up the leader to a thicker-diameter portion of the leader for a tight fit, and preferably a leader-compressing fit, between the leader and an axial bore in the float. A bore surface, that is non-compressible and/or less compressible than the leader, may be supplied as an insert around which a buoyant main body of the float is formed. The insert may also have features that prevent separation of the main body from the insert and that help transmit force on the main body to the bore surface for quick and efficient securement of the float to the leader by the interference fit.
Claims29
A fishing leader and float combination comprising:
- a tapered fly-fishing leader having a tip end with a diameter, a butt end with a diameter, and a tapered, axial outer surface extending from said tip end to said butt end, wherein the tip end diameter is smaller than the diameter of the butt end;
- a float attached to said leader, the float comprising a main body of compressible material formed around an insert of different material than the main body, wherein the insert comprises an elongated longitudinal portion having a first end and second end and a longitudinal axis between said first and second ends, and an axial bore surface forming a single axial bore wherein the axial bore surface is less compressible than the leader;
- wherein the insert further comprises a flange extending out from and around the longitudinal portion, perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis, so that the flange extends through the main body to at or near an outer surface of the main body, and wherein the flange is adapted to prevent axial movement of the insert relative to the main body and to prevent rotation of the insert relative to the main body;
- wherein the longitudinal portion is adapted to prevent rotation of the insert relative to the main body by having an outer surface comprising axial ridges extending parallel to the longitudinal axis all or substantially along a length of the longitudinal portion;
- and
- wherein the leader extends through the bore, and said float is secured to the leader by being slid axially on said leader toward said butt end to a location where said float is immovable on the leader only by means of an interference fit between the axial bore surface and the tapered, axial outer surface of the leader, wherein the interference fit comprises compression of the leader by the axial bore surface, and the float does not comprise any member in the bore except said leader.
3 more elements
A fishing leader and float combination comprising:
- a tapered fly-fishing leader having a tip end with a diameter, a butt end with a diameter, and a tapered, axial outer surface extending from said tip end to said butt end, wherein the tip end diameter is smaller than the diameter of the butt end;
- a float attached to said leader, the float comprising a main body of compressible material formed around an insert of different material than the main body, wherein the insert comprises an elongated longitudinal portion having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis between said first and second ends, and an axial bore surface forming a single axial bore wherein the axial bore surface is less compressible than the leader;
- wherein the insert further comprises a flange extending out from and around the longitudinal portion, perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis, so that the flange extends through the main body to at or near an outer surface of the main body, and wherein the flange is adapted to prevent axial movement of the insert relative to the main body and to prevent rotation of the insert relative to the main body;
- wherein the leader extends through the bore, and said float is secured to the leader by being slid axially on said leader toward said butt end to a location wherein said float is immovable on the leader only by means of an interference fit between the axial bore surface and the tapered, axial outer surface of the leader, wherein the interference fit comprises compression of the leader by the axial bore surface, and the float does not comprise any member in the bore except said leader;
- wherein said flange is adapted to prevent rotation of the insert relative to the main body by said flange having a radial top surface perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and nearer said first end, and a radial bottom surface perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and nearer said second end, and apertures extending axially through the flange parallel to said longitudinal axis from said top surface to said bottom surface, wherein the main body extends through said apertures from the top surface to the bottom surface.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.