US4744169A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fishing lure
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1986-12-22
•
Granted: 1988-05-17
•
Expires: 2006-12-22
Abstract
Abstract A fishing lure comprises an elongate body of flexible plastics material having an internal sound producing device comprising at least one chamber of small dimensions containing a single ball. The relative dimensions of the ball and cavity are such that the ball is constrained against rattling against the walls of the cavity with movement of the lure and instead is guided to follow a rolling movement around the walls of the cavity, producing a sound frequency attractive to fish. The chamber is provided in a suitable lightweight plastics material capsule embedded in the lure body, and may be of circular dome or annular shape.
Inventors
- 👤 George A. Nochta
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 07:25
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01K; A01K85/00; A01K85/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait-shaped, generally solid lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded and completely enclosed within the soft plastics material of the lure body, the device having at least one chamber having a generally circular outer periphery and an axial length less than its outer diameter; a single ball located within the chamber, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chamber comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait-shaped, generally solid lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded and completely enclosed within the soft plastics material of the lure body, the device having at least one chamber having a generally circular outer periphery and an axial length less than its outer diameter; a single ball located within the chamber, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chamber comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The lure according to claim 1, wherein the axial length of the chamber is not greater than twice the diameter of the ball.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The lure according to claim 1, in which the chamber is of circular dome-shape.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The lure according to claim 1, in which the chamber has an annular cavity for guiding the ball to follow an annular rolling path around the cavity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The lure according to claim 4, in which the chamber is donut shaped.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The lure according to claim 4, in which the chamber is disc-shaped and has a central post for defining the annular cavity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The lure according to claim 4, in which the cross-sectional area of the annular cavity is slightly greater than that of the ball.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The lure according to claim 1, in which the chamber walls are of a rigid, lightweight plastics material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The lure according to claim 1, in which the sound producing device has a plurality of adjacent chambers, each containing one ball.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The lure according to claim 9, wherein the chambers are separated by hollow air filled cavities.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The lure according to claim 1, wherein the lure body is of elongate shape and the sound producing device is embedded at an intermediate point in the length of the lure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The lure according to claim 1, wherein the ball has a diameter of approximately 1 mm and the chamber diameter is between 2 and 3 mm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The lure according to claim 11, wherein the chamber has an annular internal cavity in which the ball is located, the annular cavity having a width and height of approximately 1.25 mm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The lure according to claim 12, wherein the axial height of the chamber is approximately 2 mm.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The lure according to claim 1, in which the sound producing device includes at least one air filled cavity adjacent the ball containing chamber.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
The lure according to claim 15, in which the chamber is of circular dome shape and the sound producing device comprises two dome shape chambers, each containing a single ball with a disc shaped air cavity between the chambers.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
The lure according to claim 15, in which the chamber is of circular dome shape and the sound producing device comprises an outer tube of diameter slightly greater than that of the dome chamber, and a plurality of circular dome shape chambers, each containing a single ball located in the tube with an air gap between adjacent chambers and at opposite ends of the tube.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
81 words
The lure according to claim 15, in which the chamber is of disc-shape and has a central hollow post defining an annular passageway in which the ball is located, and the sound producing device comprises a plurality of disc-shaped chambers, each having an annular passageway containing a single ball, the chambers being arranged end to end in coaxial relationship and the device having a disc-shaped air cavity between each adjacent pair of chambers and at opposite axial ends of the device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the member has three adjacent cavities, the outer two cavities being identical and each containing a single ball and the central cavity comprising an air filled cavity.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
62 words
The lure according to claim 15, in which the chamber is of donut-shape, the sound producing device comprising a hollow air filled tube of diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the donut-shaped chamber, and a plurality of donut shaped chambers each containing a single ball, the chambers being spaced apart with the air filled tube extending through their central openings.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
129 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait-shaped, generally solid lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded and completely enclosed within the flexible plastics material of the lure body, the device comprising an enclosure having at least one internal ball chamber having a generally circular outer periphery and an axial length less than its outer diameter, and at least one separate air-filled chamber adjacent the ball chamber; a single ball located within the ball chamber, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chamber comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
129 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait-shaped, generally solid lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded and completely enclosed within the flexible plastics material of the lure body, the device comprising an enclosure having at least one internal ball chamber having a generally circular outer periphery and an axial length less than its outer diameter, and at least one separate air-filled chamber adjacent the ball chamber; a single ball located within the ball chamber, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chamber comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
108 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising two circular dome shape chambers each having an axial length less than its outer diameter with a disc shaped air cavity between the chambers; each chamber containing a single ball, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; and each chamber comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
108 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising two circular dome shape chambers each having an axial length less than its outer diameter with a disc shaped air cavity between the chambers; each chamber containing a single ball, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; and each chamber comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
122 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising an outer tube and a plurality of circular dome shape chamber within the tube, each chamber having an axial length less than its outer diameter, and an air gap between adjacent chambers and at opposite ends of the tube; each chamber containing a single ball, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chambers comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chambers and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chambers with movement of the body.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
122 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising an outer tube and a plurality of circular dome shape chamber within the tube, each chamber having an axial length less than its outer diameter, and an air gap between adjacent chambers and at opposite ends of the tube; each chamber containing a single ball, the axial length of the chamber being not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chambers comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chambers and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chambers with movement of the body.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
122 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising a plurality of disc-shaped chambers arranged end to end in coaxial relationship, each chamber having a central hollow post defining an annular passageway and a single ball within the passageway, and a disc-shaped air cavity between each adjacent pair of chambers; each chamber having axial length less than its outer diameter and not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chambers comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
122 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising a plurality of disc-shaped chambers arranged end to end in coaxial relationship, each chamber having a central hollow post defining an annular passageway and a single ball within the passageway, and a disc-shaped air cavity between each adjacent pair of chambers; each chamber having axial length less than its outer diameter and not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chambers comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chamber and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chamber with movement of the body.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
106 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising a plurality of donut shaped chambers each containing a single ball, and a hollow, air-filled tube extending through the central openings of the chambers; each chamber having an axial length less than its outer diameter and not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chambers comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chambers and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chambers with movement of the body.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
106 words
An artificial fishing lure, comprising: a bait shaped lure body of soft, flexible plastics material; a sound producing device embedded within the lure body, the device comprising a plurality of donut shaped chambers each containing a single ball, and a hollow, air-filled tube extending through the central openings of the chambers; each chamber having an axial length less than its outer diameter and not greater than twice the diameter of the ball; the chambers comprising means for constraining the ball against rattling against the walls of the chambers and for guiding the ball to roll around the walls of the chambers with movement of the body.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-05-17 | 1991-11-16 | 1992-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-05-17 | 1995-11-16 | 1996-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-05-17 | 1999-11-16 | 2000-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |