SAFETY GAFF

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to fishing gaffs (as defined below), and in particular to a

fishing gaff having a hook that can be selectively folded back upon the gaff s handle thereby

blocking the sharp point of the hook in order to prevent injury from inadvertent encounters with

the hook point. As used herein the terms "fishing gaff or "gaff refer to a steel or comparably

strong, generally U-shaped hook having a sharply pointed end, typically barbed, which hook is

affixed to generally an elongated handle, and used for landing large fish.

There are obvious advantages to having a gaff with a hook that can be selectively and

securely folded back upon the gaff handle to block the hook point. The most significant

advantage is that when the hook is securely folded, the chances of someone accidentally being

jabbed or scraped by the hook point are reduced to effectively zero. Other advantages include

preventing the hook's point from catching on things other than human flesh.

Other advantages and attributes of this invention will be readily discernable upon a

reading of the text hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is to provide a gaff with a hook that can be selectively and

securely folded back upon the gaff handle to block the hook point.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gaff with a hook having two dispositions,

open for gaffing purposes and closed for safety, and a mechanism for securing the hook at both

disposition, a finger actuated mechanism for releasing the hook from either disposition, and a

bias for urging the hook toward its open disposition.

These objects, and other objects expressed or implied in this document, are accomplished

by a fishing gaff including an elongated handle; a pointed fish hook rotatably affixed to one end

of the handle, the hook having two dispositions, a first disposition wherein the hook is open for

gaffing purposes and a second disposition wherein the hook is folded back against the handle to

block the hook point for safety; a mechanism for releasably locking the hook at either

disposition; and a finger actuated mechanism for releasing the hook from either disposition.

Preferably the gaff further includes a bias for urging the hook toward its open disposition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a side plan view of a gaff according to this invention with its hook in an open,

unfolded disposition.

Figure 2 is a side plan view of a gaff according to this invention with its hook in a closed,

folded disposition.

Figure 3 is a detail view of the hook of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view of a pushbutton assembly of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a pictorial view of a gaff according to this invention with its hook in an open,

unfolded disposition.

Figure 6 is a pictorial view of a gaff according to this invention with its hook in a closed,

folded disposition.

Figure 7 is a detail view of the hook of Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a detail view of a pushbutton assembly of Fig. 6.

Figure 9 is a detail view of the shaft head area.

Figure 10 is a pictorial view of the shaft head area and an open hook minus certain parts

for clarity.

Figure 11 is a pictorial view of the shaft head area and a closed hook minus certain parts

for clarity.

Figure 12 is a detail view of the hook mechanism with the torsion spring exploded out of

the spring hub.

Figure 13 is a detail view of the hook mechanism with the hook locking pin pulled out of

the hub by depression of the pushbutton.

Figures 14 and 15 are detail views of the pushbutton outside its housing in a depressed

and un-depressed state, respectively.

Figure 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the pushbutton and surrounding components.

Figure 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of an open hook and its associated mechanism.

Figure 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of a closed hook and its associated mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figs. 1-9, a fish gaff according to this invention is illustrated to include an

elongated hollow shaft having preferably, but not necessarily, two linearly aligned segments, 2A

and 2B, and a fish hook 4 pivotally affixed at a head of the shaft. The shaft also preferably

includes two handle grips 6 and 8, a first grip at a foot of the shaft, an end of the shaft opposite

the hook, and a second grip intermediate between the first grip and the fish hook. The fish hook

is U-shaped with a base end (opposite the pointed end) rigidly affixed to a hook hub 9 that can

pivot between a closed disposition (Fig. 2) and an open disposition (Fig. 1) on axle pins 11

rotatingly seated in a hub housing 10 affixed to the head of the shaft. Intermediate the hook and

the foot of the shaft is a pushbutton housing 12, which separates the preferable two segments of

the shaft. Preferably as illustrated the pushbutton housing is immediately adjacent, foot side, of

the second grip 8. As best illustrated in Figs. 2, 6 and 9, when the hook is in its closed

disposition, the hook's point is seated against a resilient, e.g. rubber, pad. Preferably the pad is a

grommet 14 having a central hole 16 into which the point sticks. The pad or grommet is affixed

in a strategically disposed hole defined by the hollow shaft forward segment 2B. As best seen in

Fig. 9, the hub housing 10 includes a forward projecting shoulder 18 that nests the hook when

open and braces the hook against forces the hook normally encounters when gaffing.

Referring to Figs. 10-13 and 17-18, the hub is disc shaped with sufficient thickness to

define two spaced radial holes, 2OA and 2OB, that are sized to receive non-bindingly a locking

pin 22 that is axially disposed and biased, preferably by a compression spring 24, toward the rim

of the hub. In operation, the pin is only axially movable with respect to the gaff shaft, and when

the pin is disposed in either of the hub rim holes, 20A or 20B, the hub, and consequently the

hook, is locked in place. The rim holes are strategically disposed to lock the hook in either of the

open or closed dispositions but not in between. As will be explained below, the pin is selectively

pulled out of the rim holes by a user pushing a button 26 disposed in the button housing 12, and

the operative link between the pin 24 and the button 26 is a cable 28, and the pin defines an axial

central hole 30 through which a fore end of the cable extends and a swage chamber 32 to

accommodate a swage 34 that is crimped to the fore end of the cable to secure the cable fore end

to the pin.

Referring again to Figs. 10-13 and 17-18, the hook hub 9 defines an annular, concentric

space 36 into which is disposed a torsion spring 38 one end of which is dogged in a transverse

groove defined by the hub within the space 26, the other end of which is dogged in a slot or hole

defined by the hub housing 10. The torsion spring is installed so as to bias the hub to align rim

hole 20A with the locking pin 22. In other words the spring biases the hook to be in its open

disposition.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 14-16, a pushbutton 26 is illustrated to preferably be an integral

part of a L- shaped lever 40 one leg of which is connected to the cable 28 by crimped swage 42

lodged in a hole defined by the leg. The opposite leg is the pushbutton 26, and the lever pivots at

the junction of the legs via pin 44 that is rotatingly seated in the housing 12. Figs. 14 and 15

illustrate the action on the cable when the button is pushed (Fig. 14) and released or not pushed

(Fig. 15). As can be seen, when the button is pushed the cable is pulled rearward or in an aft

direction. This pulls the pin 22 rearward releasing the hook hub, and the torsion spring causes

the hook to rotate to its open disposition. To close the hook, the button is again pushed and the

user then forces the hook to close until the hook point is seated in the grommet 14, and the user

releases the button which in turn releases the locking pin to seat in hole 2OA, thereby locking the

hook in the closed position.

Referring to the Figures, the cable preferably has a sheath 46 that is used by inserts 48 in

the hollow shaft to guide the cable and to prevent it from swinging against the shaft.

The foregoing description and drawings were given for illustrative purposes only, it being

understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is intended to

embrace any and all alternatives, equivalents, modifications and rearrangements of elements

falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I CLAIM: