Fishing reel

Claim 2

In a fishing reel comprising a housing having shaft means therein, a line spool rotatably mounted on said shaft means to allow the unwinding of line therefrom; means for rotating said spool; and a friction clutch located substantially wholly within the spool and normally engaged to maintain said spool in driven connection with said rotating means, the improvement of means to equip said fishing reel for casting comprising releasing means for said spool, said releasing means being so constructed and arranged as to be manually operated by the user during the cast to release said clutch substantially instantaneously, at least some parts of said releasing means being located internally of said shaft means.

Claim 3

In a fishing reel wherein a line spool is rotatably mounted in a housing to allow the unwinding of line therefrom during operations such as casting, said reel having a main shaft defining an axis of rotation for said spool, operating means for rotating said spool, a one-way drive mechanism between said operating means and said spool, and a friction clutch coupling said spool and said operating means with resilient means tending to maintain said clutch in engagement, said clutch lying substantially wholly internally of the spool, the improvement of means to equip said fishing reel for casting comprising releasing means adapted to move in one direction under manual pressure to overcome said resilient means, thereby disengaging said clutch, said releasing means being so constructed and arranged within said main shaft as to move in an opposite direction upon release of the manual pressure, thereby permitting re-engagement of said clutch.

Claim 4

In a fishing reel wherein a line spool is rotatably mounted in a housing to allow the unwinding of line therefrom during operations such as casting, said reel having a main shaft defining an axis of rotation for said spool, operating means for rotating said spool, a one-way drive mechanism between said operating means and said spool, and a friction clutch coupling said spool and said operating means with resilient means tending to maintain said clutch in engagement, said clutch lying substantially wholly internally of the spool, the improvement of means to equip said fishing reel for casting comprising releasing means adapted to move in one direction under manual pressure to overcome said resilient means, thereby disengaging said clutch, said releasing means being so constructed and arranged within said main shaft as to move in an opposite direction upon release of the manual pressure, thereby permitting re-engagement of said clutch.

Claim 5

A fishing reel equipped for use in casting comprising a line spool rotatably mounted in a housing to allow the unwinding of line therefrom during operations such as casting, a main shaft having said spool mounted thereon and defining an axis of rotation, operating means for rotating said spool in a wind-up direction, a one-way drive mechanism and a friction clutch coupling said operating means to said spool, said clutch being located substantially wholly in the interior of the spool, resilient means normally biasing said clutch to an engaged position to maintain the spool in drivable condition with said operating means and clutch-releasing means manually operable independently of said operating means to release the clutch substantially instantaneously during the cast thus disconnecting the spool from the operating means thereby allowing the spool to rotate substantially freely, at least some parts of said clutch-releasing means being located internally of the main shaft.

Claim 6

A fishing reel equipped for use in casting comprising a line spool rotatably mounted in a housing to allow the unwinding of line therefrom during operations such as casting, a main shaft having said spool mounted thereon and defining an axis of rotation, operating means for rotating said spool in a wind-up direction, a one-way drive mechanism and a friction clutch coupling said operating means to said spool, said clutch being located substantially wholly in the interior of the spool, resilient means normally biasing said clutch to an engaged position to maintain the spool in drivable condition with said operating means and clutch-releasing means manually operable independently of said operating means to release the clutch substantially instantaneously during the cast thus disconnecting the spool from the operating means thereby allowing the spool to rotate substantially freely, at least some parts of said clutch-releasing means being located internally of the main shaft.

Claim 7

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 3 wherein said main shaft is hollow; said resilient means comprising a compression spring located within said shaft, and a rod slidably movable axially of the interior of said shaft, said rod being acted upon by said compression spring; and said clutch comprises movable elements adapted to be urged outwardly by said rod from the axis of said shaft, and clutch members adapted to be pressed into frictional engagement with said spool by said movable elements.

Claim 8

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 4 wherein one end of the interior of the hollow main shaft is screw-threaded, a correspondingly screw-threaded spindle received in said one end, said spindle bearing against one end of the compression spring; manual rotating means operatingly attached to said spindle so that the torque required to cause said clutch to slip can be adjusted by altering the degree of initial compression of the spring to enable said clutch to act as a line brake.

Claim 9

The fishing reel of claim 4 wherein said rod has a tapered portion formed therein and said movable elements are balls, said balls cooperating with said tapered portion to press said clutch members into frictional engagement with said spool.

Claim 10

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the releasing means comprises a lever manually turnable about the axis of the main shaft, said lever being indirectly connected to the tapered portion of said rod in such a way that the lever can be turned to move the rod in a direction that will further compress said spring and allow the clutch members to become free of frictional engagement with the spool.

Claim 11

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an audible alarm mechanism movable between operative and inoperative settings, means in the former setting to cause the one-way mechanism to be neutrailzed to allow the spool to rotate in the normally prohibited direction to the accompaniment of an alarm sound.

Claim 12

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the alarm mechanism is so arranged that, upon the spool commencing to be wound in the normally allowed direction, means are actuated to bring the alarm mechanism automatically to its inoperative setting and the one-way mechanism automatically to an operative condition.

Claim 13

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the audible alarm mechanism comprises a star wheel, a boss shaped to define a plurality of recesses and a resilient element adapted to contact the star wheel, the arrangement being such that when the alarm is operative, a tooth of the star wheel meshes with a further toothed wheel, the resilient element tending to maintain the angular setting of the star wheel in such a way that rotation of said further toothed wheel causes ''''hammering'''' of said one tooth of the star wheel against the teeth of said further toothed wheel, the boss cooperating with a part of the one-way mechanism to render the latter inoperative at such time.

Claim 14

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 3 further comprising an adjustable over-run brake for said spool.

Claim 15

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 3, further comprising change speed gearing connecting the operating means to said maIn shaft, said operating handle, change speed gearing, and main shaft being arranged in such a way that the axes of rotation of the handle and shaft are substantially coincident.

Claim 16

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one pinion of the change-speed gearing also forms part of the one-way mechanism.

Claim 17

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 3, further comprising adjusting means manually operable to adjust said resilient means prior to the cast.

Claim 18

A fishing reel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the one-way mechanism comprises a pivotally mounted pawl lever turnable between engagement and disengagement with a toothed member connected to the main shaft, an element non-rigidly connected to said pawl lever, and a part rigidly connected to said toothed member, said part being frictionally engaged by said element, the construction and arrangement being such that, upon the toothed member tending to rotate in the prohibited direction, the element turns the pawl lever about its pivot to prevent such rotation, and such that, upon the toothed member tending to rotate in the allowed direction, the element turns the pawl about its pivot to a position in which it is clear of contact with said toothed member whereby substantially silent rotation of the toothed member in the allowed direction is effected, said element slipping relative to said part as soon as the pawl lever is blocked against further turning about its pivot.