Finger brake for a spinning reel and method of assembling same

Claim 2

In a closed face spinning reel, a front spinner head, a body having a deck plate with a center passageway in the deck plate defining a central axis, a center shaft having a center section mounted for longitudinal movement in the center passageway and having a front section projecting forward of the deck plate with means for mounting and securing said spinner head thereto, a rear section projecting rearward of the deck plate, spring means urging the center shaft and spinner head in a rearward direction to a line winding position, and a brake lever actuable to move said shaft and spinner head forward to casting and brake positions, the improvement comprising: a brake lever finger grip portion, a brake lever bellcrank portion with two legs, joined with said finger grip portion along one leg of said bellcrank, said brake lever finger grip portion is a molded plastic part, mounting means in said bellcrank, pivotally mounting the brake lever on said body with the other of said legs of the bellcrank extending into proximity with the rear end of the center shaft and engageable therewith upon pivotal movement of the bellcrank; and resilient means for urging said lever to a stop position with the end of said other leg out of contact with said center shaft for minimizing rattling of said lever in the reel and for locating said finger grip in a uniform position after each release of said lever, said resilient means comprises a flexible element molded integrally with said finger grip portion.

Claim 3

The spinning reel of claim 1 in which said flexible element bears against a surface of said reel body to urge said lever to the stop position.

Claim 4

The spinning reel of claim 1 in which said reel body has an outwardly extending bracket to which said bellcrank portion of the brake lever is pivotally mounted and in which said flexible element bears against a surface of said bracket to urge said lever to the stop position.

Claim 5

The spinning reel of claim 3 in which said bracket has a forwardly facing surface against which said flexible element bears.

Claim 6

The spinning reel of claim 3 in which the bracket comprises a pair of outwardly extending bracket members on said body defining a slot therebetween with said bellcrank pivotally mounted in said slot, said bracket members each having a forwardly facing surface and said plastic part has a pair of flexible elements one bearing against each of said forwardly facing bracket surfaces to urge said lever to the stop position.

Claim 7

In a closed face spinning reel, a front spinner head, a body having a deck plate with a center passageway in the deck plate defining a central axis, a center shaft having a center section mounted for longitudinal movement in the center passageway and having a front section projecting forward of the deck plate with means for mounting and securing said spinner head thereto, a rear section projecting rearward of the deck plate, spring means urging the center shaft and spinner head in a rearward direction to a line winding position, and a brake lever actuable to move said shaft and spinner head forward to casting and brake positions, the improvement comprising: a brake lever finger grip portion, a brake lever bellcrank portion with two legs, joined with said finger grip portion along one leg of said bellcrank, said brake lever finger grip portion is a molded plastic part, mounting means in said bellcrank, pivotally mounting the brake lever on said body, with the other of said legs of the bellcrank extending into proximity with the rear end of the center shaft and engageable therewith upon pivotal movement of the bellcrank; and resilient means of urging said lever to a stop position with the end of said other leg out of contact with said center shaft for minimizing rattling of said lever in the reel and for locating said finger grip in a uniform position after each release of said lever, said resilient means comprises a flexible element molded integrally with said finger grip portion and bearing against a surface of said reel body to urge said lever to the stop position, and said molded plastic part has a surface which engages said reel body to define the lever stop position.

Claim 8

In a closed face spinning reel, a front spinner head, a body having a deck plate with a center passageway in the deck plate defining a central axis, a center shaft having a center section mounted for longitudinal movement in the center passageway and having a front section projecting forward of the deck plate with means for mounting and securing said spinner head thereto, a rear section projecting rearward of the deck plate, spring means urging the center shaft and spinner head in a rearward direction to a line winding position, and a brake lever actuable to move said shaft and spinner head forward to casting and brake positions, the improvement comprising: a brake lever finger grip portion, a brake lever bellcrank portion with two legs, joined with said finger grip portion along one leg of said bellcrank, said brake lever finger grip portion is a molded plastic part, mounting means in said bellcrank, pivotally mounting the brake lever on said body, with the other of said legs of the bellcrank extending into proximity with the rear end of the center shaft and engageable therewith upon pivotal movement of the bellcrank; and resilient means of urging said lever to a stop position with the end of said other leg out of contact with said center shaft for minimizing rattling of said lever in the reel and for locating said finger grip in a uniform position after each release of said lever, said resilient means comprises a flexible element molded integrally with said finger grip portion and bearing against a surface of said reel body to urge said lever to the stop position, and said molded plastic part has a surface which engages said reel body to define the lever stop position.

Claim 9

In a closed face spinning reel, a front spinner head, a body having a deck plate with a center passageway in the deck plate defining a central axis, a center shaft having a center section mounted for longitudinal movement in the center passageway and having a front section projecting forward of the deck plate with means for mounting and securing said spinner head thereto, a rear section projecting rearward of the deck plate, spring means urging the center shaft and spinner head in a rearward direction to a line winding position, and a brake lever actuable to move said shaft and spinner head forward to casting and brake positions, the improvement comprising: a brake lever finger grip portion, a brake lever bellcrank portion with two legs, joined with said finger grip portion along one leg of said bellcrank, said brake lever finger grip portion is a molded plastic part, mounting means in said bellcrank, pivotally mounting the brake lever on said body, with the other of said legs of the bellcrank extending into proximity with the rear end of the center shaft and engageable therewith upon pivotal movement of the bellcrank, said reel body has a peripheral surface with a pair of spaced apart bracket members extending outwardly therefrom and defining a slot therebetween which receives said bellcrank, the bracket members having forwardly facing surfaces, a pivot pin extends between said bracket members to mount said bellcrank for pivotal movement, and resilient means for urging said lever to a stop position with the end of said other leg out of contact with said center shaft for minimizing rattling of said lever in the reel and for locating said finger grip in a uniform position after each release of said lever, said resilient means comprises a pair of flexible elements molded integrally therewith and bearing against said forwardly facing bracket surfaces to urge said lever to the stop position, and said molded plastic part has a surface which bears against a surface of said body to define the stop position.

Claim 10

In a closed face spinning reel, a front spinner head, a body having a deck plate with a center passageway in the deck plate defining a central axis, a center shaft having a center section mounted for longitudinal movement in the center passageway and having a front section projecting forward of the deck plate with means for mounting and securing said spinner head thereto, a rear section projecting rearward of the deck plate, spring means urging the center shaft and spinner head in a rearward direction to a line winding position, and a brake lever actuable to move said shaft and spinner head forward to casting and brake positions, the improvement comprising: a brake lever finger grip portion, a brake lever bellcrank portion with two legs, joined with said finger grip portion along one leg of said bellcrank, said brake lever finger grip portion is a molded plastic part, mounting means in said bellcrank, pivotally mounting the brake lever on said body, with the other of said legs of the bellcrank extending into proximity with the rear end of the center shaft and engageable therewith upon pivotal movement of the bellcrank, said reel body has a peripheral surface with a pair of spaced apart bracket members extending outwardly therefrom and defining a slot therebetween which receives said bellcrank, the bracket members having forwardly facing surfaces, a pivot pin extends between said bracket members to mount said bellcrank for pivotal movement, and resilient means for urging said lever to a stop position with the end of said other leg out of contact with said center shaft for minimizing rattling of said lever in the reel and for locating said finger grip in a uniform position after each release of said lever, said resilient means comprises a pair of flexible elements molded integrally therewith and bearing against said forwardly facing bracket surfaces to urge said lever to the stop position, and said molded plastic part has a surface which bears against a surface of said body to define the stop position.

Claim 11

In a closed face spinning reel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bellcrank portion is made of metal and has the molded plastic part of the finger grip portion interlocked with a surface of said one leg of said bellcrank portion to hold the plastic part on the leg.

Claim 12

The spinning reel brake lever of claim 8 in which said plastic part is molded with an axial slot to receive the one leg of said metal bellcrank portion, the slot and the leg having complementary facing surfaces which abut upon insertion of the leg to limit the depth of insertion of the leg into the plastic part.

Claim 13

The spinning reel brake lever of claim 8 wherein the one leg of the bellcrank is of sheet metal of uniform thickness and has an end received in the plastic part with a pair of surfaces adjacent said end and facing away therefrom which are interlocked with the plastic of said plastic part to hold the plastic part on the one leg of the bellcrank.