Fishing rod wrapping device

Sept. 2, 1952

B. S. FOSNAUGH

FISHING ROD WRAPPING DEVICE

2,609,155

Filed June 15 , 1950

SHEETS—SHEET 1

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attorneys

Sept. 2, 1952

B. S. FOSNAUGH

FISHING ROD WRAPPING DEVICE

2,609,155

Filed June 15, 1950

SHEETS—SHEET 2

<img file="US2609155A_D0002.tif" />

BENJAMIN

Qttorneg$

S. FOSNAUGH

Jnuentor

Patented Sept. 2, 1952

2,609,155

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,609,155

FISHING ROD WRAPPING DEVICE

Benjamin S. Fosnaugh, Renton, Wash., assignor of one-half to Adolph Spreckles, Seattle, Wash.

Application June 15,

Claims.

This present invention consists of a plurality of spaced support members mounted upon a base so as to hold them in spaced, aligned relationship. Each of these support members is provided with a resilient clamping means, which coacts with rest portions formed similarly in each of the support members, so that rod sections of varying sizes can be adequately supported in a convenient position and the spring clamping means will apply sufficient pressure to, at all times, hold the rod against rotary movement, except when a force is deliberately applied to the same, at which time the rest portions and the clamping means form bearings in which the rod is manually revolved.

The lower portions of said support members have similarly positioned rest portions adapted to receive, preferably a metal rod, which serves as a support means for the spools of winding threads and also provides a guide-way for the rod positioning member, which acts as a steady rest, and also provides the final guide for the thread used in wrapping the pole.

Despite the recent inroads into the fishing pole business of materials based upon use of plastics with various reinforcing materials such as cloth, fiber glass, and the like, and despite the long use of tubular metal rods, it is believed to be generally recognized that there still is no substitute for a good bamboo rod.

Bamboo rods are made, by preferably splitting the stock of select bamboo and beveling the two opposite edges of the material which are split so that a plurality of strips can be edge-glued together to form a complete rod. In the larger sizes such a construction produces, in effect, a tubular rod; but in the sizes used for fly fishing, bait casting and spinning the thickness of the bamboo stock usually is sufficient so that the rod is, in effect, solid bamboo with the original outer surface of the bamboo on the outside of the rod since this is the dense, smooth, firm material. The number of pieces employed in making a rod is usually six, although many expert rod makers have employed a greater or lesser number. Quite often an uneven number of sticks are used on the premise that there is no diametrically opposed flats, and therefore the action of the rod sould be more uniform. This is a matter of conjecture, however, and has not been fully accepted. In all the stripped bamboo fishing rods it as been found generally desirable to reinforce the glued joints by wrapping silk thread at closely spaced intervals throughout the length of the pole, and further, wrappings are made usually

1950, Serial No. 168,233 (Cl. 242—7) at the end of the ferrules, particularly where serrated type ferrules are used, and no convenient way has ever been found to attach the line guides except by wrapping them on with silk thread.

’ The gradual improvement in the quality of glues gives rise to some question as to the necessity of the small closely spaced wrappings, but usually they are employed on the better makes of rods and if not used for strengthening the glued ⁰ joints, add a degree of ornamentation to the rods.

In the past many devices have been provided to assist in the wrapping of fishing poles. Many of the larger manufacturers employ power driven ⁵ devices of this order, and for use, particularly of the custom rod builders, ingenious, but relatively expensive wrapping devices have been provided for manual operation. This present device is not intended as a substitute for these well ⁰ known devices; it is rather intended to supply the need for the serious fisherman, so that he can conveniently and accurately repair or rewind completely any of his fishing poles. A true fish_ erman, after all, is more of a hobbyist than a ^J taker of fish, and derives a great deal of satisfaction in maintaining, re-working or even home building fly rods or parts thereof. This present invention is intended to supply this type of individual with a rod winding device which will ₀ permit him to do as fine work as it is possible to do in winding a fish pole, yet a device with which he can start working on a fish pole joint, wind a portion of it, and then as time runs out, the entire device including the joint can be set ₅ aside to be picked up at a later time with no loss of time or the necessity of re-organizing his equipment. To make this condition possible the device must fully support the rod joints and must hold them secure at any time when the hands 0 are removed from it, so that partially finished winding will not loosen or unwind. It is believed that this present invention fully supplies this need.

The principal object of this present invention, 5 therefore, is to provide a fishing rod wrapping device, which is simple in construction and can be produced very economically to the end that it can be purchased for his own use, by an individual fishing enthusiast.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple, unitary structure which combines all the elements needed to do a professional-like job of wrapping a fishing rod, including means for properly holding a plurality of spools of thread, including tensioning devices for the

2,609,155 thread, and providing guiding means for the same.

A further object of this invention is to provide spaced apart supports for a fishing rod employing a plurality of rest portions and resilient clamping means so that a fishing rod can be revolved by hand in a properly sized bearing and can be left at any time and the clamping means will hold the work in the exact position in which the work was stopped so that it can be picked up at some future time, and the work completed.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities Will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent in the device.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the rod wrapping device with a section of fishing rod therein, and illustrating the manner in which the equipment is used;

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating in an enlarged scale the thread guiding and rod supporting follower rest, shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of the support members and showing the resilient clamping means revolved for the easy insertion of rods or shaft into the rest portions of the support;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view in elevation taken in a plane cutting transversely across Figure 1 at about its mid-point; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the left hand end of the device of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the numerals 10 and (2 designate typical support members used with this fish pole wrapping device. These are mounted upon a base as 14 to which they are fixedly secured as by screws or bolts 16,., In Figure 1 two such support members have been shown; this has been found to be a practical, workable arrangement when dealing with jointed fish poles. It will be readily understood, it is believed, that if long onepiece poles or tips are to be handled, it would be desirable to have, possibly, one or more additional support members, which preferably should be mounted upon the same base as 14, which would then be extended in length so as to insure the accurate placement and continued alignment of these support members. The form of support members shown throughout the drawings is believed to be the most convenient for general use, in that a sloping rest support portion ί 7 is employed with the substantially vertical leg 18 each having their ends bent inwardly, preferably, as. shown at 20 and 21. This makes a compact arrangement with the bolts or screws disposed within the compass of the support members so there is nothing to entangle thread or the clothing or hands of the user.

It is desirable that the various support members be of uniform structure so that a plurality of them may be aligned and insure that a fishing pole joint as P, can be accurately positioned and rotated. To facilitate this rotation, bearinglike rests are provided as 24 and 26. These rest members may be of any number in accordance with the capacity of the equipment on which they are used and should be of a depth somewhat less than the diameter of the pole P that is to be used in them. This depth relationship is necessary in order that the resilient clamp member 28 may clamp down on the protruding portion of the pole so as to, on one hand, hold the pole in the rest intended, and secondly, place a definite frictional contact or pressure thereon sd that the rod will be, in effect, clamped in position as against accidental rotation, yet by nature of the clamp members 28 being supported, preferably at one point as 30, they cannot exert excessive pressure and the pole P can be rotated by the thumb and fingers of one or both hands, as is desirable in the wrapping operation. Clamp member 23 has a downward extention portion 32 which is adapted to cover a lower rest 34. This rest, which should similarly occur in the various support members used, is adapted to receive the metal rod 36 forming the slide-way for the rod supporting follower rest and line guiding member 38. In seating guide rod 36, it is best to revolve clamp member 28 on its pivot 30, after the showing of Figure 3 so that the rod can be seated in the lower guides or rests 34 without unduly flexing the lower portion 32 of the clamp member. This rod 36 preferably is held in position, under considerable pressure, against rotation or longitudinal movement. Key means may be employed for this purpose as a screw or pin; however, the form as shown in Figures 1 and 5 have been found to adequately prevent the undesired movement of rod 36.

Secured under foot 20 of each of the support members shown and held in place by the throughbolt or screw 16 is a thread tensioning and spool holding resilient member 40. The construction of this member is best shown in Figures 1 and 3. It will be noted that there is a decided upward bowing near the end of the member 49 to accommodate it to the use with a spool as shown in Figure 1. Further, there is a down-bend at the extreme end of the same which enables the operator to easily slip a spool of thread, as S, onto the end of rod 36, then as the upward bowed portion only of member 40 engages the thread portion of the spool it acts as a centering means to prevent the spool working off the end of the rod without any other retaining means being necessary.

A preferred form of construction is to rather sharply bend the two ends of rod 35 as at 42 and

44. When so bent, the bends themselves coming into, abutment with the supports 10 and 12 prevent longitudinal movement of rod 36, and this provides an angularly disposed journal for spool S, which assists in feeding the thread evenly. In use, the thread should be taken from the top of the spool as is indicated on the left hand side of Figure 1; thus any tendency of the thread in being pulled off the spool to rotate rod 36 will be resisted by the spring members 40, and a secondary purpose is then provided in that the rod 36, without additional securing means, will be maintained in the general position shown in Figure 1. This is very desirable in that the manual movement of the thread guiding member 38 often tends to displace this rod if means are not definitely provided to prevent this lineal or rotary displacement.

In winding a fishing pole, it has been found very desirable to have a thread guide approximate the plane normal to the wrapping which is being made. Such guide means are shown at 48 and. 49, normally one for each of the spools disposed on the opposite ends of rods 36. It is very common to have the body of the wrapping of one color and a margin of another color, consisting of a few turns of thread of a contrasting color so one spool would be of one color thread and the other sppol would be of another color thread. Normally when making a wrapping of

2,609,155 silk on a fish pole, it is best practice to have “the line guide, as 48, positioned in a transverse plane of the rod passing through the wrapping. This causes the thread T to tend to climb up on the turns previously placed on the rod. The technique required is that this condition be fostered only to the extent that the new turn does not quite climb up on the old turn, in this manner the succeeding turns are abutted quite firmly against the body of the wrapping previously made. Having this condition in mind, it is essential that guide device 38 be capable of longitudinal movement upon rod 36 and this is achieved by having a body formed of spring stock with the two angularly disposed arms 52 and 53, each of which are pierced with an opening slightly larger than rod 36 and which tend to lock thereon, but which may be released from the locked position by squeezing the upper ends together, after the showing of Figure 2, then the device can be slid along rod 36 to the desired position. Normally, the operator makes the fine adjustments to get the tight lay of the threads by moving pole P lengthwise slightly, manually, as he revolves the same. This is a relatively simple operation as the thickness of the thread is very slight and but very little movement is required to give the tightlaying effect previously recommended.

It has been found that when wrapping the upper joints of the average fish pole or any joint of a light rod, that there will be a marked tendency for the rod to bow in the center. This defeats the evenness of wrapping and to this end a follower rest 54 is provided. It has been found convenient to make this of a tempered spring wire, after the showing of Figures 1, 2, and 4, and by having it a part of the thread guiding means, the rest portion 56 will always be adjacent the point of making a wrapping. To provide for the smooth unwinding of thread T, guide means as screw-eyes 58 and 59 are provided, positioned so that thread will run to the guide means in a direction normally perpendicular to the axis of the spool.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that such change in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.