US3786586A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and article for determining how much line to use when trolling
Assignee: Majestic Lures
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Filing: 1973-01-11
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Granted: 1974-01-22
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Expires: 1993-01-11
Abstract
Abstract The depth at which fish are located is first measured using, for example, a sonar depth finder. The line depth finder of this invention is a plastic plate in the form of a truncated right triangle which is held vertically with its horizontal reference line horizontal, and the slope of the fish line while trolling is compared to a plurality of differently sloped and marked lines on the line depth finder. After selecting the sloped line that most closely matches the actual slope of the fish line, reference is made to a depth chart located directly on the line depth finder. The depth chart plots ''''depth in feet'''' against the various sloped lines and gives the length of line required to position the hook at that depth while trolling. The line depth finder has the same information printed on both sides, and all of the sloped lines preferably emanate from a single index point.
Inventors
- 👤 E Swan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 08:47
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01K; A01K91/00; A01K91/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
An article for determining how much fish line to let out when trolling comprising: a. a line depth finder in the form of a plate adapted to be positioned in a vertical plane and having a side surface; b. a plurality of sloped, straight lines on said surface, each of said lines being at a different angle to the horizontal; c. a different indicium associated with each of said sloped lines for indentification thereof; d. a horizontal reference line on said surface; and e. a depth chart on said surface of said line depth finder including a plurality of squares formed by a plurality of columns and a plurality of intersecting rows, one of said columns and rows being for said indicium, and the other of said columns and rows being a series of numerals indicating depth in feet, and a numeral located in most of said squares and being the length of line required for that depth of fish and for a fish line of that slope whereby the length of line required to be let out to locate the hOok at the correct depth can be determined for any boat speed and any desired depth.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
197 words
An article for determining how much fish line to let out when trolling comprising: a. a line depth finder in the form of a plate adapted to be positioned in a vertical plane and having a side surface; b. a plurality of sloped, straight lines on said surface, each of said lines being at a different angle to the horizontal; c. a different indicium associated with each of said sloped lines for indentification thereof; d. a horizontal reference line on said surface; and e. a depth chart on said surface of said line depth finder including a plurality of squares formed by a plurality of columns and a plurality of intersecting rows, one of said columns and rows being for said indicium, and the other of said columns and rows being a series of numerals indicating depth in feet, and a numeral located in most of said squares and being the length of line required for that depth of fish and for a fish line of that slope whereby the length of line required to be let out to locate the hOok at the correct depth can be determined for any boat speed and any desired depth.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The article according to claim 1 wherein said line depth finder is flat and includes two side surfaces and wherein a separate set of said sloped lines, indicium, reference line, and chart are located on each of said side surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The article according to claim 1 including an index point and wherein all of said lines emanate from said index point.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The article according to claim 3 wherein said index point is adjacent a bottom edge and a rear edge of said line depth finder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The article according to claim 1 wherein said line depth finder is made of plastic in the general shape of a truncated right triangle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The article according to claim 1 wherein said horizontal reference line is a bottom edge of said line depth finder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The article according to claim 6 wherein said line depth finder is flat and includes two side surfaces and wherein a separate set of said sloped lins, indicium, reference line, and chart are located on each of said side surfaces.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The article according to claim 7 including an index point and wherein all of said lines emanate from said index point.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The article according to claim 8 wherein said index point is adjacent a bottom edge and a rear edge of said line depth finder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
The article according to claim 9 wherein said line depth finder is made of plastic in the general shape of a truncated right triangle, with the right angle being adjacent a front edge of said triangle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The article according to claim 10 wherein said series of numerals indicating depth in feet is in increments of 10 feet starting at 10 feet.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for retaining how much line to let out when trolling, comprising: a. using a line depth finder adapted to be positioned in a vertical plane and having a side surface, a plurality of sloped, straight lines on said surface, each of said lines being at a different angle to the horizontal, a different indicium associated with each of said sloped lines for identification thereof, a horizontal reference line on said surface; b. trolling a fishing line behind a moving boat, c. placing said line depth finder in an approximately vertical plane with said horizontal reference line approximately horizontal; d. comparing the slope of said fishing line with said lines on said line depth finder and selecting that line that most closely matches the slope of said fishing line; e. referring to a chart plotting depth in feet against said sloped lines and selecting that square corresponding to the depth at which the fish are located and corresponding to said selected line; and f. letting out that length of fish line equal to the numeral in said selected square.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for retaining how much line to let out when trolling, comprising: a. using a line depth finder adapted to be positioned in a vertical plane and having a side surface, a plurality of sloped, straight lines on said surface, each of said lines being at a different angle to the horizontal, a different indicium associated with each of said sloped lines for identification thereof, a horizontal reference line on said surface; b. trolling a fishing line behind a moving boat, c. placing said line depth finder in an approximately vertical plane with said horizontal reference line approximately horizontal; d. comparing the slope of said fishing line with said lines on said line depth finder and selecting that line that most closely matches the slope of said fishing line; e. referring to a chart plotting depth in feet against said sloped lines and selecting that square corresponding to the depth at which the fish are located and corresponding to said selected line; and f. letting out that length of fish line equal to the numeral in said selected square.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 12 wherein said using step (a) includes providing said lines, indicium, and chart on both sides of said line depth finder, and providing an index point thereon from which all of said lines emanate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method according to claim 12 including the preliminary step of measuring the depth at which fish are located.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 12 including maintaining the speed of the boat approximately constant.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-21 | 1977-07-23 | 1978-01-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-21 | 1981-07-23 | 1982-01-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-21 | 1985-07-23 | 1986-01-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |