A DEVICE FOR USE IN SEA FISHING

Abstract

The invention provides a fishing chair for use in sea fishing; the fishing chair having pivotably mounted thereon a gimbal 2 comprising a socket structure for receiving a butt of a fishing rod; wherein a releasable restraining device is provided which can be set so as to prevent the gimbal from pivoting in a first direction, whereby pivoting movement of the gimbal in an opposite direction to the first direction serves to release the restraining device so that the gimbal can pivot in the said first direction. Also provided is a restraining device for use in the fishing chair of the invention.

Claims

1. A fishing chair for use in sea fishing; the fishing chair having pivotably mounted thereon a gimbal comprising a socket structure for receiving a butt of a fishing rod; wherein a releasable restraining device is provided which can be set so as to prevent the gimbal from pivoting in a first direction, whereby pivoting movement of the gimbal in an opposite direction to the first direction serves to release the restraining device so that the gimbal can pivot in the said first direction.

2. A fishing chair according to claim 1 wherein the releasable restraining device comprises a bracing member which extends between a mounting point or contact point on the chair and a surface of the gimbal.

3. A fishing chair according to claim 2 wherein the bracing member is in the form of an arm configured to engage the gimbal and restrain the gimbal against forwards rotation, the said arm being connected to a pivot mounting secured to the fishing chair.

4. A fishing chair according to claim 3, wherein the arm is arranged to pivot and fall away from the gimbal under the influence of gravity upon pivoting movement of the gimbal in an opposite direction to the first direction.

5. A fishing chair according to claim 4 wherein the arm is bifurcated at an end intended to engage the gimbal, the end of the arm having a pair of prongs which engage the gimbal so that it is held between the two prongs.

6. A fishing chair according to claim 5 wherein the end of the arm is approximately horse-shoe shaped.

7. A fishing chair according to claim 1 wherein the restraining device is extendable in length.

8. A fishing chair according to claim 7 wherein the restraining device comprises a pivot mounting for mounting the device on the chair, a gimbal-engaging portion, and a linking member connecting the gimbal-engaging portion to the pivot mounting, wherein the restraining device is configured to allow the distance between the gimbal-engaging portion and the pivot mounting to be varied.

9. A fishing chair according to claim 8 wherein the linking member comprises a threaded shaft having a thread which engages a complementary thread in the pivot mounting and/or the gimbal-engaging portion, whereby rotation of the gimbal-engaging portion relative to the pivot mounting serves to vary the distance therebetween.

10. A fishing chair according to claim 1 wherein the restraining device comprises a flexible tether anchored at one end to the chair and being connected at another end thereof to a gimbal-engaging portion which can be releasably secured to or around the gimbal to prevent it from pivoting in the first direction.

11. A fishing chair according to claim 10 wherein the restraining device comprises a flexible tether formed from two or more strands of wire, cord or chain, each of which is anchored at one end to a footplate of the chair and is connected at another end thereof to a gimbal-engaging element which is configured to hook over the gimbal, and wherein tension in the said strands serves to prevent the gimbal from pivoting in the first direction.

12. (canceled)

13. A restraining device for use on a fishing chair; the fishing chair being of a type having mounted thereon a gimbal comprising a socket structure for receiving a butt of a fishing rod, the gimbal being pivotable about an axis; wherein the releasable restraining device when fitted to the fishing chair can be engaged with the gimbal to prevent it from pivoting in a first direction and is released when the gimbal is rotated in a direction opposite to the first direction.

14. A restraining device according to claim 13 which when fitted to the fishing chair can be engaged with the gimbal to prevent it from pivoting in a forward direction and is released when the gimbal is rotated in a rearward direction.

15. A restraining device according to claim 13 comprising a bracing member which extends between a mounting point or contact point on the chair and a surface of the gimbal.

16. A restraining device according to claim 13 which is extendable in length.

17. A restraining device according to claim 16 comprising a pivot mounting for mounting the device on the chair, a gimbal-engaging portion, and a linking member connecting the gimbal-engaging portion to the pivot mounting, wherein the restraining device is configured to allow the distance between the gimbal-engaging portion and the pivot mounting to be varied.

18. A restraining device according to claim 17 wherein the linking member comprises a threaded shaft having a thread which engages a complementary thread in the pivot mounting and/or the gimbal-engaging portion, whereby rotation of the gimbal-engaging portion relative to the pivot mounting serves to vary the distance therebetween.

19. A restraining device to claim 13 comprising a flexible tether anchored at one end to the chair and being connected at another end thereof to a gimbal-engaging portion which can be releasably secured to or around the gimbal to prevent it from pivoting in the first direction.

20. A restraining device according to claim 19 comprising a flexible tether formed from two or more strands of wire, cord or chain, each of which in use is anchored at one end to a footplate of the chair and is connected at another end thereof to a gimbal-engaging element which is configured to hook over the gimbal, and wherein tension in the said strands serves to prevent the gimbal from pivoting in the first direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is side view of a person sitting in a fishing chair according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0034] FIG. 2 is in an enlarged view of the gimbal and restraining arm arrangement of the fishing chair illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a side view of the fishing chair of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the position of the restraining device as the rod is tilted backwards.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the position of the restraining device after the rod has been tilted backwards.

[0037] FIG. 5 is perspective view showing the fishing chair of FIGS. 1 to 4 without a rod in place.

[0038] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing the positions of the gimbal and restraining device in the fishing chair depicted in FIG. 5.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the underside of a fishing chair according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0040] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 7.

[0041] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part of the restraining device in the fishing chair shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0042] FIG. 10 is a perspective view from another angle of the underside of the fishing chair of FIGS. 7 to 9.

[0043] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 10.

[0044] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the underside of a fishing chair according to a third embodiment of the invention.

[0045] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the portion A in FIG. 12.

[0046] FIG. 14 is an isometric view of the gimbal-engaging portion of the restraining device in the chair shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] The invention will now be illustrated but not limited by reference to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings FIGS. 1 to 14.

[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates a fishing chair of generally conventional construction of the type used in game fishing boats, for example when fishing for large game fish such as tuna.

[0049] The fishing chair comprises a seat and a footrest that enables a user of the chair to brace himself (or herself) against forces exerted by a fish on the end of a fishing line which otherwise be sufficiently large to pull him (or her) out of the chair.

[0050] A gimbal 2 for a fishing rod FR is pivotably mounted on a frame member 4 on the underside of the chair. The holder 2 comprises a socket structure having a hollow interior 12 for receiving the butt of the fishing rod.

[0051] The socket structure, which may be formed for example from stainless steel or aluminium, has an external shape corresponding to a pair of truncated cones 6, 8 connected head to head, the region in which the heads of the two truncated cones meet defining a narrow point or waist 10. The socket structure of the gimbal 2 is connected to a pivot mounting 14 which is pivotably mounted on an axle attached to a frame member 16 extending downwardly from the underside of the chair.

[0052] The manner of mounting the gimbal (although not the shape of the socket structure) on the chair is conventional and allows the fisherman to anchor the butt of his rod so that the rod can be tilted backwards or forwards as necessary when reeling in a fish on the end of the fishing line.

[0053] However, the fishing chair differs from known fishing chairs in that it is provided with a restraining device for holding the gimbal 2 against rotation in a forwards direction.

[0054] The restraining device comprises a bracing element in the form of a horse-shoe shaped birfurcated member 18 having a pair of prongs 18a and 18b that embrace the socket structure. The bifurcated member 18 is linked by a threaded shaft 20 which is held in a threaded bore in a cylindrical pivot mounting 22. The pivot mounting 22 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 24 which is fixed to the frame member 26 extending from the underside of the chair. The shaft 24 passes through a bore extending through the pivot mounting 22. A tubular sleeve (not shown) of PTFE (or another low friction polymer) can be fitted on the shaft 24 so that it encircles the region of the shaft passing through the pivot mounting 22. The sleeve reduces friction between the shaft 24 and pivot mounting 22 thereby facilitating pivoting movement of the pivot mounting about the shaft 24. The sleeve also serves to prevent metal-to-metal contact between the pivot mounting 22 and the shaft 24 thereby preventing galvanic corrosion from occurring in the event that different metals are used to form the shaft 24 and mounting 22. The threaded shaft 20 provides a screw thread adjustment that enables the length of the restraining device to be varied. By varying the length of the restraining device, the angle of the gimbal 2 and hence the angle of the fishing rod FR can be varied.

[0055] In use, the line attached to the fishing rod FR is loaded with bait and the line is allowed to unwind to a suitable length off the back of the boat and the reel brake is set to a required weight (e.g. 70 lb). The restraining device is set to the position shown in FIG. 1 so that the two prongs 18a and 18b of the bifurcated member 18 embrace the gimbal 2 and slide down the lower frustoconical portion 8 until the diameter of the frustoconical portion 8 prevents the member 18 from sliding any further.

[0056] A fisherman can either sit in the chair waiting for a fish to take the bait or can vacate the chair until the fish bites. Once a fish of the required size takes the bait and pull exerted by the fish exceeds the reel brake setting, the reel will automatically unwind. The fisherman will then sit in the chair and clip the rod to a harness worn around his waist and, in doing so, will pull the rod backwards as shown in FIG. 3. As the rod FR is pulled backwards, the gimbal tilts backwards with it and the bifurcated member 18 slides down and off of the gimbal, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6. The gimbal is then free to pivot.

[0057] Thus, the invention provides a simple mechanical device for restraining the gimbal in a more upright orientation in which it can hold rods during bait trailing but can quickly be released as soon as the fisherman takes hold of the rod. The device thereby avoids the problems encountered with known fishing chairs where the fisherman has to lift a heavy rod with a large fish on the end of the line out of a gimbal and manoeuvre the rod across the boat to the fishing chair. If the bait and switch trolling method is used, rods mounted in rod holders around the edges of the boat deck can be used to carry the lines bearing bait but no hooks, whereas a rod held in the gimbal attached to the fishing chair can be used to carry a line bearing a hook and bait. Thus, if desired, the need to carry a rod from a rod holder at the edge of the deck to the fishing chair before playing the fish can be avoided altogether.

[0058] A further advantage of the restraining device of the invention is that can provide greater safety in the event that a young or relatively weak or inexperienced angler hooks a large fish that is well beyond his capabilities or becomes so tired that he is unable to continue. In such a situation, the rod can be pulled back and another person on the boat can reattach the restraining device to the gimbal. Whilst landing the fish would not then be permitted under the IGFA rules, the angler could then safely unclip his harness from the rod and exit the chair and enable another fisherman to play and release the fish.

[0059] A fishing chair and restraining device according to a second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0060] The fishing chair of FIGS. 7 to 11 is of similar construction to the fishing chair of FIGS. 1 to 6 but differs in relation to the shape of the gimbal and the restraining device used to restrain pivoting of the gimbal. In this embodiment, the gimbal 100 is of generally cylindrical form but has a flared upper end 101 into which the fishing rod is placed, and a frustoconical lower end 102. As with the chair illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, the chair shown in FIG. 7 has a footplate 103 which is attached to a pair of bars 104 which extend beneath the chair and are supported on a cross bar 106 mounted in brackets 108 extending downwardly from the underside of the chair. At the ends remote from the footplate, the bars 104 have a series of generally arc-shaped slots 110 which can accommodate lugs (not shown) on brackets 112 extending downwardly from the underside of the chair. The lugs and arc-shaped recesses cooperate to provide a mechanism for adjusting the position of the footplate 102 to accommodate people with different leg lengths.

[0061] As with the chair of FIGS. 1 to 6, the chair of FIGS. 7 to 11 has a restraining device in the form of an arm 113 which is pivotally mounted on the cross bar 106 by means of the pivot mounting block 114. The arm 112 has a gimbal-engaging portion 116 similar to the bifurcated member 18 in the chair of FIGS. 1 to 6. Although not shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, the arm 113 and gimbal-engaging portion 116 may be provided with complementary threads to enable fine adjustment of the position of the gimbal-engaging portion 116. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 9, the pivot mounting block 114 is of generally cylindrical form and has an eccentric bore 118, through which the cross bar 106 passes, and a threaded bore 120 for connection to the correspondingly threaded end of the arm 112. A tubular sleeve (not shown) formed from PTFE or another low friction polymer can be placed on the cross bar 106 so that it encircles the section of the cross bar passing through the eccentric bore 118. By placing a PTFE sleeve between the inner wall of the bore 118 and the cross bar 106, friction between the cross bar and the inner wall is reduced and the pivot block is able to pivot more freely. The sleeve also serves to prevent galvanic corrosion taking place through contact between the cross bar 106 and block 114 when they are formed from different metals (e.g. steel and aluminium).

[0062] In both of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 11, the restraining device is mounted via a pivot block on the cross bar 106 supporting the arms of the footplate. In the event that a very large fish is hooked, the torque applied through the gimbal and the consequent force exerted through the arm 112 on the cross bar 106 could theoretically be large enough to bend the cross bar 106. In order to prevent this from happening, a further bracing structure can be attached to the pillar or stem 120 of the chair as shown in detail in FIGS. 8 and 11. The bracing structure comprises a pair of bracing elements 122, 124 which are clamped together about the pillar 120 by means of clamping bolts and nuts (not shown). The rear bracing element 122 is of semi-circular form and has a pair of end flanges for accommodating the clamping bolts. The front bracing element 124 has a semi-circular portion from which extend a pair of arms 126. The lower edges of the arms 126 are provided with open ended slots 128 which fit over the cross bar 106. The arms 126 of the bracing element 124 prevent the cross bar 106 from bending under the forces applied through the restraining device resulting from the hooking of a large fish.

[0063] A fishing chair according to a third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 12 to 14. The fishing chair of FIGS. 12 to 14 is generally similar to the chair illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 11 but lacks the additional bracing structure 122, 124 and has a different type of restraining device. Thus, instead of the pivot-mounted bracing arm arrangement shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, the fishing chair shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 is provided with a restraining device in the form of a flexible tether comprising a pair of tensioned wires or cords 130 which are each anchored at one end to the footplate 103 by means of loops of the wire or cord passing through holes 132 in the footplate. The other ends of the wires or cords 130 are secured to a horseshoe-shaped gimbal-engaging element 134. By way of example, the cords can be metal cables formed from multiple twisted metal wires or ropes formed from polymeric (e.g. polypropylene) or natural fibres. The wires or cords can be secured to the element 134 by means of D-shackles (not shown) passing through holes 135 in the ends of the arms of element 134. In order to restrain pivoting of the gimbal, the horseshoe-shaped gimbal-engaging element 134 can be hooked over the gimbal as shown in the drawings. The frustoconical lower end 102 of the gimbal prevents or reduces the likelihood of accidental dislodgement of the element 134 from the gimbal. In order to ensure that the element 134 remains close to the gimbal after release, so that it can quickly be reattached if necessary, a secondary tether 136 is provided. The secondary tether comprises a length of cord which, at one end, loops around the cross bar 106 and, at the other end, is fastened to the eyelet 138 in the element 134.

[0064] In order to release the restraining device, the gimbal is pivoted in a rearwards direction (as it would be if a rod mounted in the gimbal is pulled backwards) causing the horseshoe-shaped gimbal-engaging element 134 to fall away under the influence of gravity. The gimbal, and hence any rod held in the gimbal, is then free to pivot in a forwards direction. The presence of the secondary tether holds the element 134 close to the gimbal to facilitate quick reattachment and also prevents the element 134 from falling to the deck of the boat and either damaging the deck or being damaged itself. The length of the arms of the horseshoe-shaped gimbal-engaging element 134 is typically selected so as to provide optimal release of the element 134 from the gimbal when the rod is pulled backwards. Thus, for example, the arms may be shorter, relative to the width of the element 134, than is shown in FIG. 14 in order to facilitate more rapid release from the gimbal.

[0065] It will readily be apparent that numerous modifications and alterations could be made to the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 14 without departing from the principles underlying the invention and all such modifications and alterations are intended to be embraced by this application.