Drag mechanism for a fishing reel

Claim 1

IN A FISHING REEL HAVING A FIXED MOUNTING FRAME, A CENTRAL SHAFT JOURNALED THEREON, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE SHAFT TO PROVIDE ROTATION THEREOF A FLANGED SPOOL ROTATABLY CARRIED ON THE SHAFT HAVING FRICTION SURFACES ON THE FLANGED ENDS, AN IMPROVED BRAKE FOR CONTROLLING ROTATION OF THE SPOOL COMPRISING, FIRST AND SECOND CLUTCH PLATES MOUNTED UPON THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND BEING IN NON-ROTATING RELATION THEREWITH, THE CLUTCH PLATES BEING SO MOUNTED UPON THE CENTRAL SHAFT AS TO FLANK THE SPOOL, FRICTION MEMBERS FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE CLUTCH PLATES AND ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CORRESPONDING FRICTION SURFACES ON THE SPOOL UPON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE CLUTCH PLATES AND THE SPOOL, THE FIRST CLUTCH PLATE BEING FIXEDLY SECURED UPON THE CENTRAL SHAFT, THE SECOND CLUTCH PLATE BEING SLIDABLY MOUNTED UPON THE CENTRAL SHAFT, SPRING MEANS LOCATED UPON THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE CLUTCH PLATES ADAPTED TO YIELDINGLY URGE THE CLUTCH PLATES OUT OF FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SPOOL, A CYLINDRICAL RECESS LOCATED ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE OF THE CENTRAL SHAFT AND OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF FOR HOUSING MEANS TO MOVE THE SECOND CLUTCH PLATE AND THE SPOOL AXIALLY OF THE CENTRAL SHAFT TO ENGAGE THE FRICTION SURFACES OF THE CLUTCH PLATES AND THE SPOOL SO AS TO EXERT BRAKING PRESSURE UPON THE SPOOL, THE MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED DRAW BAR ADAPTED TO MOVE IN A RECIPROCATIVE MANNER WITHIN THE CENTRAL SHAFT CYLINDRICAL RECESS, THE DRAW BAR BEING COUPLED AT ONE END TO THE SECOND CLUTCH PLATE, THE OTHER END OF THE DRAW BAR BEING THREADED AND EXTENDING EXTERIORLY OF THE REEL MOUNTING FRAME, A THUMB SCREW ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE THREADED END OF THE DRAW BAR, A FLAT LEVER ARM MOUNTED ADJACENT THE FRAME AND FULCRUMED THEREON, AN ELONGATED APERTURE IN ONE END OF THE LEVER ARM ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ABOUT THE DRAW BAR AND A PLURALITY OF FOLLOWER PINS PROJECTING FROM THE OTHER END TOWARD THE FRAME, AN ARCUATE CAM ARM ECCENTRICALLY MOUNTED UPON THE FRAME AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE FOLLOWER PINS, AN INCLINED CAM SURFACE ALONG THE PORTION OF THE LEVER ARM HAVING THE ELONGATED APERTURE, COOPERATING CAM MEANS POSITIONED TO BEAR AGAINST THE INCLINED CAM SURFACE, THE THUMB SCREW BEING SO POSITIONED TO RETAIN THE COOPERATING CAM MEANS IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE INCLINED CAM SURFACE TO OPERATIVELY COUPLE THE LEVER ARM AND DRAW BAR, WHEREBY WHEN THE LEVER ARM IS TRAVELED ALONG THE ARCUATE CAM ARM THE INCLINED CAM SURFACE OPERATIVELY MOVES THE DRAW BAR AXIALLY TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE THE CLUTCH PLATES FRICTION MEMBERS AGAINST THE SPOOL FRICTION MEMBERS.