GB2592578A - A catapult for firing bait during fishing - Google Patents

Abstract

A catapult 2 for firing bait during angling, comprising a hand grip portion; first 6 and second 8 arms which are spaced apart from each other and which extend from the hand grip portion; elastic material 10; a pouch 12 for receiving bait; and at least two retaining apertures 14 in each of the first and second arms. The elastic extends through each of the retaining apertures, folding back on itself, and is secured by retaining formations 20, which may be integral slots. The retaining apertures may extend longitudinally along the arms. The elastic may be a single length, along which the pouch may be slidable.

Description

A CATAPULT FOR FIRING BAIT DURING ANGLING

This invention relates to a catapult and, more especially, this invention relates to a catapult for firing bait during angling.

Catapults for firing bait during angling are well known. The catapults typically comprise a hand grip portion, first and second arms which are spaced apart from each other and which extend from the hand grip portion, elastic material, and a pouch for receiving the bait. The elastic material extends between the first and second arms and the pouch. The elastic material may be secured at its ends to the arms and/or to the pouch. The elastic material may break during use. In this case, the remaining shortened elastic material may be reattached or new elastic material may be employed. Anglers require that the elastic material is reattached or replaced quickly and simply. However, the securing of the elastic material to the arms or the pouch is typically time consuming and fiddly. If separate attachment devices are required in order to secure the elastic material in position, it often happens that these attachment devices become lost.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a catapult for firing bait during angling, which catapult comprises: (i) a hand grip portion; (ii) first and second arms which are spaced apart from each other and which extend from the hand grip portion; (iii) elastic material; (iv) a pouch for receiving the bait; and (v) at least two retaining apertures in each of the first and second arms, and wherein: (vi) a first end of the elastic material extends through the retaining apertures in the first arm; (vii) a second end of the elastic material extends through the retaining apertures in the second arm; (viii) each of the first and second ends of the elastic material extends back on itself; and (ix) the first arm comprises a first retaining formation for retaining the first end of the elastic material and the second arm comprises a second retaining formation for retaining the second end of the elastic material; and (x) the first and second retaining formations respectively releasable retain the first and second ends of the elastic material in the retaining formations.

With the catapult of the present invention, the elastic material can easily be reattached or replaced if it breaks. Also, if anglers should require to use different lengths, sizes or strengths of elastic material for firing bait during different angling conditions, for example for firing the bait to different distances, then the elastic material is easily changed. It is only necessary for an angler to carry one catapult and different types of replacement elastic material. The elastic material is easily secured to the remainder of the catapult by virtue of the retaining apertures and the retaining formations.

Preferably, the catapult is one in which the first retaining formation is formed as an integral part of the first arm, and in which the second retaining formation is formed as an integral part of the second arm.

Preferably the first and second formations are first and second retaining slots. Other types of first and second retaining formations may be employed.

The catapult may be one in which there are three of the retaining apertures in each of the first and second arms. More or less than three of the retaining apertures may be employed. Preferably, the catapult is one in which the retaining apertures extend longitudinally along their arms. The retaining apertures may alternatively extend transversely with respect to their arms, for example with appropriately moulded ends of the first and second arms.

The elastic material is preferably in the form of a single length. In this case, there are only two ends of the elastic material requiring fixing in position, and these will be fixed to the first and second arms via the retaining apertures and the retaining formations. The catapult may alternatively be one in which the elastic material is in the form of two separate lengths. In this case, each separate length may have one of its ends attached to the pouch, and the other of its ends attached to the first or second arm via the retaining apertures.

The catapult may be one in which the pouch is slidably mounted on the elastic material. In this case, the elastic material may be in the form of a single length.

The pouch may comprise a plurality of receiving apertures for receiving the elastic material. The receiving apertures may be in the form of simple holes or eyelets. The single length of the elastic material is easily able to be threaded through the receiving apertures.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the pouch may be fixed to the elastic material. In this case, the elastic material will typically be in the form of two separate lengths. Each separate length may have one of its ends attached to the pouch, and the other of its ends attached to one of the first and second arms. The ends of the two separate lengths of elastic material attached to the pouch may be attached to the pouch by any suitable fixing means. Preferably the fixing means will be an easily releasable fixing means for convenience of use for anglers.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view from the front and one side of a catapult of the present invention; Figure 2 is a view from the rear and one side of the catapult shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of the frame part of the catapult shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of the catapult as shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a rear view of the catapult as shown in Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a top plan view of the catapult as shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a catapult 2 for firing bait during angling. The catapult 2 comprises a hand grip portion 4 and first and second arms 6, 8 respectively. The first and second arms 6, 8 are spaced apart from each other and they extend from the hand grip portion 4. The catapult 2 further comprises elastic material 10 and a pouch 12 for receiving the bait.

There are at least two retaining apertures 14 in each of the first and second arms 6, 8. A first end 16 of the elastic material extends through the retaining apertures 14 in the first arm 6. A second end 18 of the elastic material 10 extends through the retaining apertures 14 in the second arm 8.

The elastic material 10 is easily passed through the retaining apertures. This enables the elastic material 10 easily to be reattached if it should break or if it should simply require replacing by other elastic material having a different characteristic, for example a different firing tension or a different cross-sectional shape or size. The operational length of the elastic material (10) can also easily be adjusted if this should be required.

There are three of the retaining apertures 14 in each of the first and second arms. The appropriate end of the elastic material (10) is passed through each of these three apertures 14 so that the elastic material (10) bends back on itself twice to form an S-shape. Each of first and second ends 16, 18 is then pulled into a retaining formation in the form of a gripping slot 20. The retaining formations in the form of the gripping slots 20 are advantageous in that they are able to be formed integrally with the ends of their arms 6, 8. Separate gripping or locking components are not required and thus these components are not available for becoming lost and thereby causing the catapult to become non-functional.

As can best be appreciated from Figures 1 -3 and 5, the retaining apertures 14 extend longitudinally along the first and the second arms 6, 8. Alternative constructions may be employed so that, for example, the retaining apertures 14 in each of the first and second arms 6, 5 could extend transversely across their arms 6, 8.

Figure 7 shows the S-shape achieved by the doubling of the elastic material 10 such that is goes through the retaining apertures 14. Figures 3 and 8 show how the lowermost retaining aperture 14 is provided with a gripping slot 20. Figure 8 shows the first end 16 of the elastic material 10 and how the elastic material 10 at the first end 16 has been pulled upwardly from the lowermost retaining aperture 14 and into the gripping slot 20. The edges of the first arm 6 defining the gripping slot 20 thus grip the first end 16 and securely retain it in position in the end of the first arm 6. The gripping slot 20 in the second arm 8 similarly retains the second end 18 of the elastic material 10 securely in position, as can be appreciated from Figure 1.

As can best be appreciated from Figures 1 and 2, the elastic material 10 is in the form of a single length. The use of the single length of elastic material 10 only requires the first and second ends 16, 18 of the elastic material 10 to be secured in position.

The single length of the elastic material 10 enables the pouch 12 to be slidably mounted on the elastic material 10. As shown, the pouch 12 comprises a plurality of receiving apertures 22 for receiving the elastic material 10. More specifically, the pouch 12 comprises three of the receiving apertures 22. The receiving apertures 22 are in the form of eyelets. Other configurations for the receiving apertures 22 may be employed.

In an embodiment of the invention (not shown), the elastic material 10 may be in two separate lengths. In this case, one length of the elastic material 10 can have the first end 16, and a second end secured to the pouch 12. Similarly, the other length of the elastic material 10 can have the second end 18 and the other end attached to the pouch 12. The attaching of the ends of the two lengths of elastic material 10 to the pouch 12 can be effected using any suitable fixing means. Preferably the fixing will be a releasable fixing means for enabling the two lengths of elastic material 10 easily and quickly to be separated from the pouch 12, for example for the purposes of replacing a length of the elastic material 10 due to a breakage in the length of the elastic material 10 or for replacing both lengths of elastic material 10 by two different types of elastic material 10 having different firing properties.

As best appreciated from Figures 1 and 2, the pouch 12 is provided with a pull tab 24 for pulling the pouch 12 away from the first and second arms 6, 8 in order to tension the elastic material 10 and enable the firing of the bait to a required position, for example in water of a lake or river. In order to enable the hand grip portion 4 easily to be gripped, it will be seen that the hand grip portion 4 is provided with finger gripping formations 26.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the shape of the hand grip portion 4, the first and second arms 6, 8 and the pouch 12 may be different from those shown. Gripping formations other than the gripping slots 20 may be employed. A gripping formation 24 could also be provided in the centre one of the three gripping slots 20, thereby giving an angler the option of passing the elastic material 10 through two or three of the gripping slots 20. The pull tab 24 may be of a different shape or it may be omitted. The frame of the catapult formed by the hand grip portion 4 and the first and second arms 6, 8 may be moulded from any suitable plastics material. The frame of the catapult may alternatively be machined from any suitable plastics material or metal. The hand grip portion 4 and/or the first and second arms may be solid or hollow. Any suitable required material may be used for the various component parts of the catapult 2. The elastic material 10 will usually be of a round hollow cross section, but the elastic material may alternatively be solid and/or of other cross sectional shapes. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention. The invention also extends to the individual components mentioned and/or shown above, taken singly or in any combination.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS1. A catapult for firing bait during angling, which catapult comprises: (i) a hand grip portion; (ii) first and second arms which are spaced apart from each other and which extend from the hand grip portion; (iii) elastic material; (iv) a pouch for receiving the bait; and (v) at least two retaining apertures in each of the first and second arms, and wherein: (vi) a first end of the elastic material extends through the retaining apertures in the first arm; (vii) a second end of the elastic material extends through the retaining apertures in the second arm; (viii) each of the first and second ends of the elastic material extends back on itself; (ix) the first arm comprises a first retaining formation for retaining the first end of the elastic material, and the second arm comprises a second retaining formation for retaining the second end of the elastic material; and (x) the first and second retaining formations respectively releasably retain the first and second ends of the elastic material in the retaining formations.
2. 2. A catapult according to claim 1 in which the first retaining formation is formed as an integral part of the first arm, and in which the second retaining formation is formed as an integral part of the second arm.
3. 3. A catapult according to claim 2 in which the first retaining formation is a slot, and in which the second retaining formation is a slot.
4. 4. A catapult according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are three of the retaining apertures in each of the first and second arms.
5. 5. A catapult according to any one of the preceding claims in which the retaining apertures extend longitudinally along their arms.
6. 6. A catapult according to any one of the preceding claims in which the elastic material is in the form of a single length.
7. 7. A catapult according to any one of claims 1 -5 in which the elastic material is in the form of two separate lengths.
8. 8. A catapult according to any one of claims 1 -6 in which the pouch is slidably mounted on the elastic material.
9. 9. A catapult according to claim 8 in which the pouch comprises a plurality of receiving apertures for receiving the elastic material.