Leader connector

Claim 2

A connector in combination with knotted ends of two pliable lines, which lines do not differ greatly in diameter, such as a fly line and a leader, and comprising: a tubular connecting member having an axial passageway extending through it and a side opening intercepting the passageway, said passageway being slightly larger in cross section than the diameter of one of said lines, said side opening being somewhat larger than the diameter of said lines and being dimensioned with respect to said knotted ends such that, when assembled, the knotted ends are fitted within said side opening against one another with a tight fit, said connecting member being proportioned such that the axial passageway receives the lines with a small clearance, the clearance being such that a knot in the line cannot fit in the passageway, with one line extending into the passageway from one end thereof, with the other line extending into the passageway from the other end thereof, and with the knotted ends of each line being fitted within the side opening whereby to interconnect the lines.

Claim 3

A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting member is an elongated member having a diameter at its central portion in the approximate range of twice the diameter of the axial passageway.

Claim 4

A connector as defined in claim 2, wherein the axial passageway in said connecting member extends completely therethrough, and wherein a transverse hole through the side of the connecting member at the central portioN thereof forms side openings at each side of the connecting member, whereby each line is threaded into the axial passageway from its end and extended from one of the side openings with the other line being threaded into the passageway from the other end and extended from the other side opening, whereby the lines so threaded into the passageway and extended from the side openings are pulled from the axial passageway to pull the knotted ends into the hole forming the side openings to effect said assembly.

Claim 5

A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein the side opening has a diameter in the range of one-third to two-thirds greater than the diameter of the axial passageway.

Claim 6

A connector as defined in claim 4, wherein the side opening connecting with the axial passageway is flared inwardly to a smaller diameter adjacent to the passageway to facilitate gripping the knots pulled thereinto.

Claim 7

A connector as defined in claim 2, wherein the end of the axial passageway at the side opening is flared inwardly to further facilitate gripping the knot of a line threaded thereinto.

Claim 8

A connector as defined in claim 2, wherein the axial passageway extends completely through the connecting member, and wherein the side opening comprises a notch at the center of the connecting member proportioned to permit the end of each line to be extended therefrom when the lines are threaded into the respective ends of the connecting member to permit the ends of the lines to be knotted and pulled into the aforesaid notch.

Claim 9

A connector as defined in claim 2, wherein the side opening is flattened.

Claim 10

A connector as defined in claim 2, wherein the side opening is inclined with respect to the transverse axis of the connecting member.

Claim 11

A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting member is of a stretchable material and the side opening is smaller than the knot whereby the knot must be forced into the opening by stretching the connector.

Claim 12

A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting member is made of a synthetic resin plastic of a type which may be stretched to impart to it a plastic memory action responsive to heating and the axial passageway is of a diameter less than the diameter of the line, but the connector is stretched to a diameter greater than the diameter of the line, whereby when the end of a line is inserted into the passageway, the connector may be heated to shrink it and securely grip the line.

Claim 13

A connector as defined in claim 11, including particles within the axial passageway adapted to grip the line whenever the connector is shrunk as by heating.

Claim 16

The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the tag end portions of the line are cut away adjacent to the respective knots after the knots have been pulled into the side opening.

Claim 17

A connector in combination with knotted ends of two pliable lines, which lines do not differ greatly in diameter, such as a fly line and a leader, and comprising: a tubular connecting member constructed of a stretchable material and having an axial passageway extending through it and A side opening intersecting the passageway, said passageway being slightly larger in cross-section than the diameter of one of said lines, said side opening being somewhat larger than the diameter of said lines and smaller than a knotted end thereof, the side opening being dimensioned with respect to said knotted ends such that, when assembled, the knotted ends are forced into the side opening by stretching the connector thereby effecting a tight fit of the knotted ends within said side opening, said connecting member being proportioned such that the axial passageway receives the lines with a small clearance, the clearance being such that a knot in the line cannot fit in the passageway, with one line extending into the passageway from one end thereof, with the other line extending into the passageway from the other end thereof, and with the knotted ends of each line being fitted within the side opening, whereby to interconnect the lines.

Claim 18

A connector in combination with knotted ends of two pliable lines, which lines do not differ greatly in diameter, such as a fly line and a leader, and comprising: a tubular connecting member constructed of a stretchable material and having an axial passageway extending through it and A side opening intersecting the passageway, said passageway being slightly larger in cross-section than the diameter of one of said lines, said side opening being somewhat larger than the diameter of said lines and smaller than a knotted end thereof, the side opening being dimensioned with respect to said knotted ends such that, when assembled, the knotted ends are forced into the side opening by stretching the connector thereby effecting a tight fit of the knotted ends within said side opening, said connecting member being proportioned such that the axial passageway receives the lines with a small clearance, the clearance being such that a knot in the line cannot fit in the passageway, with one line extending into the passageway from one end thereof, with the other line extending into the passageway from the other end thereof, and with the knotted ends of each line being fitted within the side opening, whereby to interconnect the lines.

Claim 19

A connector as defined in claim 15, wherein said connecting member is made of a synthetic resin plastic.