Releasable line-holding device

Claim 2

A releasable, fishing line-holding device for use with a downrigger line and weight system for trolling, for releasably holding a fishing line to the downrigger system, said device comprising a hollow outer housing having a line-holding end with a bore passing therethrough and a leading end, the bore of said outer housing at its line-holding end being tapered progressively smaller from the outside inwardly, a poppet-shaped, line-holding plug member having a tapered line-holding portion and a plug stem, said tapered line-holding plug portion tapering progressively smaller in diameter toward the juncture of said tapered line-holding plug portion with said plug stem, the angle of taper of the bore at the line-holding end of said outer housing being substantially equal to the angle of taper of said tapered line-holding plug portion so as to provide a line-holding seat in the line-holding end of said outer housing for said tapered line-holding plug portion, the diameter of of said plug stem being less than the inside diameter of the bore at the base of the line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing, said line-holding plug member being positioned with said plug stem projecting into said outer housing and the tapered surface of said line-holding plug portion resting against the tapered line-holding seat in the line-holding end of said outer housing, the size of said tapered line-holding plug portion being sufficiently large so that part of said line-holding plug portion projects outside the end of said outer housing, means for resiliently urging said tapered line-holding plug portion against the tapered line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing, and means for attaching said device to the downrigger system at an angle thereto whereby said line-holding end of said device is at an angle measured against the horizontal of between 20* above the horizontal and 45* below the horizontal.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said means for resiliently urging said tapered line-holding plug portion against said tapered line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing is a tension spring, one end of which is attached to the end of said plug stem within said outer housing and the other end of said tension spring being attached under elongated tension to means of fixedly holding said other end of said tension spring under elongated tension, the outside diameter of said tension spring being less than the inside diameter of said outer housing.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein the leading end of said outer housing is capped with a capping member and wherein said means for resiliently urging said tapered line-holding plug portion against said tapered line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing is a tension spring, one end of said tension spring being attached to the end of said plug stem within said outer housing and the other end of said tension spring being attached under elongated tension to the capping member, the outside diameter of said spring being less than the inside diameter of said outer housing.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3, wherein matching machine-threaded engaging surfaces of the outer housing at its leading end and the capping member are provided, whereby the tension of said tension spring can be adjusted by turning of the capping member on its threaded surface engaging the mating threaded surface of said outer housing.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 wherein said means for resiliently urging said tapered line-holding plug portion against said line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing is provided by an inner, spring-retaining flange at said line-holding end of said outer housing, a spring-retaining clip fixed to the end of said plug stem within said outer housing, a compression spring surrounding said plug stem under compression between said inner, spring-retaining flange on the line-holding end of said outer housing and said spring-retaining clip at said end of said plug stem within said outer housing, the outer diameter of said compression spring being less than the inside diameter of said outer housing.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1 wherein said means for resiliently urging said line-holding plug portion against said line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing is provided by an inner flange at said line-holding end of said outer housing, a spring housing having an inner spring-retaining flange at one end with a bore passing therethrough and a machine threaded surface at its other end, the outside diameter of said spring housing being less than the inside diameter of said outer housing, the bore of the inner spring-retaining flange of said spring housing being larger than the diameter of said plug stem, said spring housing being located within said outer housing with its flanged end abutting the inner flange at said line-holding end of said outer housing, said plug stem projecting within said spring housing, a compression spring surrounding said plug stem, the outside diameter of said compression spring being less than the inside diameter of said spring housing, a spring-retaining clip fixed to the end of said plug stem confining said compression spring between said spring-retaining clip and said inner spring-retaining flange of said spring housing, a capping member abutting the leading end of said outer housing, said capping member having a machine-threaded surface matching and engaging with said machine-threaded surface of said spring housing, means of preventing rotation of said spring housing within said outer housing without preventing longitudinal movement of said spring housing within said outer housing, whereby said capping member can be turned on the matching machine threads to move said spring housing and said spring-retaining flange of said spring housing longitudinally within said outer housing thereby increasing or decreasing the compression of said compression spring.

Claim 8

A releasable, fishing line-holding device for use with a downrigger line and weight system for trolling, for releasably holding a fishing line to the downrigger system, said device comprising a hollow outer housing having a line-holding end with a bore passing therethrough and a leading end, the bore of said outer housing at its line-holding end being tapered progressively smaller from the outside inwardly, a poppet-shaped, line-holding plug member having a tapered line-holding portion and a plug stem, said tapered line-holding plug portion tapering progressively smaller in diameter toward the juncture of said tapered line-holding plug portion with said plug stem, the angle of taper of the bore at the line-holding end of said outer housing being substantially equal to the angle of taper of said tapered line-holding plug portion so as to provide a line-holding seat in the line-holding end of said outer housing for said tapered line-holding plug portion, the diameter of said plug stem being less than the inside diameter of the bore at the base of the line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing, said line-holding plug member being positioned with said plug stem projecting into said outer housing and the tapered surface of said line-holding plug portion resting against the tapered line-holding seat in the line-holding end of said outer housing, the size of said tapered line-holding plug portion being sufficiently large so that part of said line-holding plug portion projects outside the end of said outer housing, an innEr flange at said line-holding end of said outer housing, a spring housing having an inner spring-retaining flange at one end with a bore passing therethrough and a machine threaded surface at its other end, the outside diameter of said spring housing being less than the inside diameter of said outer housing, the bore of the inner spring-retaining flange of said spring housing being larger than the diameter of said plug stem, said spring housing located within said outer housing with its flanged end abutting the inner flange at said line-holding end of said outer housing, said plug stem projecting within said spring housing, a compression spring surrounding said plug stem, the outside diameter of said compression spring being less than the inside diameter of said spring housing, a spring-retaining clip fixed to the end of said plug stem confining said compression spring between said spring-retaining clip and said inner spring-retaining flange of said spring housing, a capping member abutting the leading end of said outer housing, said capping member having a machine-threaded surface matching and engaging with said machine-threaded surface of said spring housing, a shaft passing through the walls of said outer housing and said spring housing, between said capping member and the end of said plug stem, wherein longitudinal slots in the wall of said spring housing permit passing therethrough of said shaft and permit longitudinal movement of said spring housing within said outer housing, whereby said capping member can be turned on the matching machine threads to move said spring housing and said spring-retaining flange of said spring housing longitudinally within said outer housing thereby increasing or decreasing the compression of said compression spring, and means for attaching said device to the downrigger system.

Claim 9

A releasable, fishing line-holding device for use with a downrigger line and weight system for trolling, for releasably holding a fishing line to the downrigger system, said device comprising a hollow outer housing having a line-holding end with a bore passing therethrough and a leading end, the bore of said outer housing at its line-holding end being tapered progressively smaller from the outside inwardly, a poppet-shaped, line-holding plug member having a tapered line-holding portion and a plug stem, said tapered line-holding plug portion tapering progressively smaller in diameter toward the juncture of said tapered line-holding plug portion with said plug stem, the angle of taper of the bore at the line-holding end of said outer housing being substantially equal to the angle of taper of said tapered line-holding plug portion so as to provide a line-holding seat in the line-holding end of said outer housing for said tapered line-holding plug portion, the diameter of said plug stem being less than the inside diameter of the bore at the base of the line-holding seat in said line-holding end of said outer housing, said line-holding plug member being positioned with said plug stem projecting into said outer housing and the tapered surface of said line-holding plug portion resting against the tapered line-holding seat in the line-holding end of said outer housing, the size of said tapered line-holding plug portion being sufficiently large so that part of said line-holding plug portion projects outside the end of said outer housing, an innEr flange at said line-holding end of said outer housing, a spring housing having an inner spring-retaining flange at one end with a bore passing therethrough and a machine threaded surface at its other end, the outside diameter of said spring housing being less than the inside diameter of said outer housing, the bore of the inner spring-retaining flange of said spring housing being larger than the diameter of said plug stem, said spring housing located within said outer housing with its flanged end abutting the inner flange at said line-holding end of said outer housing, said plug stem projecting within said spring housing, a compression spring surrounding said plug stem, the outside diameter of said compression spring being less than the inside diameter of said spring housing, a spring-retaining clip fixed to the end of said plug stem confining said compression spring between said spring-retaining clip and said inner spring-retaining flange of said spring housing, a capping member abutting the leading end of said outer housing, said capping member having a machine-threaded surface matching and engaging with said machine-threaded surface of said spring housing, a shaft passing through the walls of said outer housing and said spring housing, between said capping member and the end of said plug stem, wherein longitudinal slots in the wall of said spring housing permit passing therethrough of said shaft and permit longitudinal movement of said spring housing within said outer housing, whereby said capping member can be turned on the matching machine threads to move said spring housing and said spring-retaining flange of said spring housing longitudinally within said outer housing thereby increasing or decreasing the compression of said compression spring, and means for attaching said device to the downrigger system.

Claim 10

The device of claim 7 wherein said shaft is at an angle with the longitudinal axis of said outer housing in the range of 60* to 90*.