Spinning reel with finger controlled drag

Claim 1

A spinning reel, comprising: (a) a reel body (1), (b) a first shaft (4) rotatably mounted in the reel body and extending outwardly therefrom, (c) a line carrying spool (5) mounted on the outward end of the shaft, (d) a bail carrying rotor (3) mounted coaxially with the spool on a second shaft (2) coaxial with the first shaft, (e) means (6,26,7,8) for rotatably driving the second shaft and rotor, (f) means (9) for axially oscillating the spool, (g) support means (10,15) for mounting the reel body to a fishing rod (30), (h) finger controlled drag lever means (11,12) pivotally mounted on the support means and having one end thereof extending into the reel body, (i) an axially compressable drag force generating mechanism (18) mounted in the reel body between the body and the first shaft, (j) pressing lever means (16) pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof completely within the reel body with one end engaging said one end of the drag lever means and another end engaging the generating mechanism, whereby the movement of the drag lever means controls the axial compression of the generating mechanism via the pressing lever means and thereby the drag applied to the first shaft and spool, and (k) eccentric cam means (24,24a) mounted in the reel body proximate said one end of the pressing lever means for limiting the movement thereof in a drag force reduction direction to thereby establish a minimum drag force, and (1) adjustment means (28,29) for rotating the cam means to set the minimum drag force.