Clutch mechanism for bait casting fishing reel

Claim 1

A fishing reel, comprising: a housing including side frame members; a spool including a transverse spool shaft extending between the side frame members; pinion gear means slidably mounted on the spool shaft for movement between a first position for rotating the spool shaft and a second position for rotating free of the spool shaft; clutch means mounted on the housing for linear movement perpendicular to the spool shaft for moving the pinion gear means between said positions; actuator means at least partially exposed exteriorly of the housing for manual engagement and mounted on the housing for linear movement oblique to the linear movement of the clutch means; a bell crank pivotally mounted on the housing and operatively associated between the clutch means and the actuator means for moving the clutch means and, therefore, the pinion gear means from said first position to said second position in response to linear movement of the actuator means, the bell crank means having first and second angularly oriented legs and being pivotally mounted on the housing at the juncture of the legs, the first leg being operatively associated pivotally with the actuator means and the second leg being operatively associated pivotally with the clutch means; lost motion means in the form of a link arm pivotally connected at opposite ends between the first leg and the actuator means; lost motion means in the form of a pin-and-slot means between the second leg and the clutch means; and said clutch means being mounted on the housing for linear movement by a pin-and-slot means, with the pin thereof defining the pivot means for the bell crank.