Automatic fishing machine

Claim 2

An automatic fishing device, comprising: a. a housing having a chamber therein defined by a sidewall and a pair of spaced end walls; b. a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing to extend through said chamber; c. vane means carried by said shaft within said chamber, said vane means extending radially and being engageable with said sidewall and said spaced end walls defining said chamber, anad dividing said chamber into a first arcuate portion on one side of said vane means, and a second arcuate portion on the other side of said vane means; d. said housing having a pair of control ports therein, a first one of said control ports being in communication with the outer end of said first arcuate chamber portion, and the second one of said control ports being in communication with the outer end of said second arcuate chamber portion; e. fishing tackle coupled with one end of said shaft for movement therewith; f. a source of pressurized fluid; g. a three-position main valve connected between said source of pressurized fluid and said first and said second control ports, said main valve when in a first operating position not conducting pressurized fluid to or from said first and said second arcuate chamber portions, when in a second operating position transmitting pressurized fluid to said first arcuate chamber portion while draining fluid from said second arcuate chamber portion, and when in a third operating position transmitting pressurized fluid to said second arcuate chamber portion while draining fluid from said first arcuate chamber portion; h. a control valve connected with said source of pressurized fluid and said main valve, and operable to move said main valve from its said first operating position to its said second operating position; i. sensing means mechanically linked between said fishing tackle and said control valve and arranged to operate said control valve in response to a predetermined change in the load on said fishing tackle, whereby said main valve is moved from its said first operating position to its said second operating position when the load on said fishing tackle exceeds said predetermined change and said shaft is rotated to move said fishing tackle from a fishing position to a retracted position, said control valve being arranged to return to its initial condition when said load on said fishing tackle subsequently decreases a predetermined amount; j. an auxiliary valve connected with said main valve and said control valve, and operable to stop the working of said control valve; and k. actuator means carried by said shaft and engageable with said auxiliary valve, arranged to mechanically operate said auxiliary valve after said shaft has rotated through a predetermined arc length from said first control port toward said second control port.

Claim 3

An automatic fishing device as recited in claim 1, including additionally: a. said housing having an intermediate port means positioned between said first control port and said second control port; b. conduit means connecting said intermediate port means with said second control port; and c. one-way check valve means in said conduit means, arranged to permit flow from said intermediate port means toward said second control port, and to check flow in the opposite direction, said intermediate port means being effective to relieve fluid pressure in said first arcuate chamber portion after said shaft has rotated to partially retract said fishing tackle, whereby the retraction movement of said fishing tackle is suddenly slowed.

Claim 4

An automatic fishing device as recited in claim 2, wherein said intermediate port means comprises: a. a rotor rotatably mounted in an opening in said housing, said housing having a plurality of circumferentially spaced exit ports therein behind said rotor, and said rotor having an off-center exhaust port therein alignable with any selected one of said spaced exit ports by rotating said rotor, whereby the point during the retraction movement of said fishing tackle where pressure in said first arcuate chamber portion is relieved can be adjusted.

Claim 5

An automatic fishing device as recited in claim 1, wherein: a. said shaft has a radially-directed groove therein; and b. said vane means comprises a vane member slidably received in said radially-directed groove, and urged into engagement with the sidewall of said housing chamber by spring means located within said groove beneath said vane member.

Claim 6

An automatic fishing device as recited in claim 4, wherein the tip portion of said vane member includes first and second tapering sides which converge in a radially outward direction relative to said vane, said first side being disposed toward said first arcuate chamber portion, and said vane member having at least one bore therethrough leading from said first tapered side into said radial groove in said shaft beneath said vane member.

Claim 7

An automatic fishing device as recited in claim 4, wherein the cross-sectional area of said housing chamber progressively diminishes from said first control port toward said second control port, whereby to accelerate the rotation of said shaft and the rate of retraction of said fishing tackle.

Claim 8

An automatic fishing device as recited in claim 1, including additionally: a. a cam mechanism arranged to be selectively engageable with said control valve and said auxiliary valve, and operable manually to override the operation of said sensing means and said actuator means.

Claim 9

An automatic fishing device as recited in claim 7, further including: a. a manually operable intermediate valve connected with said main valve, said control valve and said auxiliary valve and operatively associated with said cam mechanism, said intermediate valve being selectively manually shiftable between an automatic mode, a neutral mode, and a manual mode, said intermediate valve when in said automatic mode maintaining coupling of said sensing means and said actuator means with said control valve and said auxiliary valve for automatic operation of the fishing device, when in said neutral mode shifting said main valve to its first position, and when in said manual mode cooperating with said override cam mechanism for manual operation of said fishing device.

Claim 10

An automatic fishing device, comprising: a. a housing having a chamber therein defined by a sidewall and a pair of spaced end walls; b. a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing to extend through said chamber, said shaft having a radially-directed groove therein; c. a vane member slidingly received in said groove in said shaft and urged into engagement with the sidewall of said housing chamber by spring means located within said groove beneath said vane member, said vane member dividing said chamber into a first arcuate portion on one side of said vane member, and a second arcuate portion on the other side of said vane member; d. said housing having a pair of control ports therein, a first one of said control ports being in communication with the outer end of said first arcuate chamber portion, and the second one of said control ports being in communication with the outer end of said second arcuate chamber portion, the cross-sectional area of said housing chamber progressively diminishing from said first control port toward said second control port; e. said housing further having an intermediate port means positioned between said first control port and said second control port; f. conduit means connecting said intermediate port means with said second control port, and including check valve means arranged to permit fluid flow only in a direction from said intermediate port means toward said second control port; g. fishing tackle coupled with one end of said shaft for movement therewith; h. a source of pressurized fluid; i. a three-position main valve connected between said source of pressurized fluid and said first and said second control ports, said main valve when in a first operating position not conducting pressurized fluid to or from said first and said second arcuate chamber portions, when in a second operating position transmitting pressurized fluid to said first arcuate chamber portion while draining fluid from said second arcuate chamber portion, and when in a third operating position transmitting pressurized fluid to said second arcuate chamber portion while draining fluid from said first arcuate chamber portion; j. a control valve connected with said source of pressurized fluid and said main valve, and operable to move said main valve from its said first operating position to its said second operating position; k. sensing means mechanically linked between said fishing tackle and said control valve and arranged to operate said control valve in response to a predetermined change in the load on said fishing tackle, whereby said main valve is moved from its said first operating position to its said second operating position when the load on said fishing tackle exceeds said predetermined change and said shaft is rotated to move said fishing tackle from a fishing position to a retracted position, said control valve being arranged to return to its initial condition when said load on said fishing tackle subsequently decreases a predetermined amount; 1. an auxiliary valve connected with said main valve and said control valve, and operable to stop the working of said control valve; and m. actuator means carried by said shaft and engageable with said auxiliary valve, arranged to mechanically operate said auxiliary valve after said shaft has rotated through a predetermined arc length from said first control port toward said second control port.

Claim 11

An automatic fishing device, comprising: a. a housing having a chamber therein defined by a sidewall and a pair of spaced end walls; b. a shaft rotatably mounted in said housing to extend through said chamber, said shaft having a radially-directed groove therein; c. a vane member slidingly received in said groove in said shaft and urged into engagement with the sidewall of said housing chamber by spring means located within said groove beneath said vane member, said vane member dividing said chamber into a first arcuate portion on one side of said vane member, and a second arcuate portion on the other side of said vane member; d. said housing having a pair of control ports therein, a first one of said control ports being in communication with the outer end of said first arcuate chamber portion, and the second one of said control ports being in communication with the outer end of said second arcuate chamber portion, the cross-sectional area of said housing chamber progressively diminishing from said first control port toward said second control port; e. said housing further having an intermediate port means positioned between said first control port and said second control port; f. conduit means connecting said intermediate port means with said second control port, and including check valve means arranged to permit fluid flow only in a direction from said intermediate port means toward said second control port; g. fishing tackle coupled with one end of said shaft for movement therewith; h. a source of pressurized fluid; i. a three-position main valve connected between said source of pressurized fluid and said first and said second control ports, said main valve when in a first operating position not conducting pressurized fluid to or from said first and said second arcuate chamber portions, when in a second operating position transmitting pressurized fluid to said first arcuate chamber portion while draining fluid from said second arcuate chamber portion, and when in a third operating position transmitting pressurized fluid to said second arcuate chamber portion while draining fluid from said first arcuate chamber portion; j. a control valve connected with said source of pressurized fluid and said main valve, and operable to move said main valve from its said first operating position to its said second operating position; k. sensing means mechanically linked between said fishing tackle and said control valve and arranged to operate said control valve in response to a predetermined change in the load on said fishing tackle, whereby said main valve is moved from its said first operating position to its said second operating position when the load on said fishing tackle exceeds said predetermined change and said shaft is rotated to move said fishing tackle from a fishing position to a retracted position, said control valve being arranged to return to its initial condition when said load on said fishing tackle subsequently decreases a predetermined amount; 1. an auxiliary valve connected with said main valve and said control valve, and operable to stop the working of said control valve; and m. actuator means carried by said shaft and engageable with said auxiliary valve, arranged to mechanically operate said auxiliary valve after said shaft has rotated through a predetermined arc length from said first control port toward said second control port.