Apparatus for protecting fishing rods
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 670,577, filed Mar. 18, 1991 for FISHING ROD HOLDER now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the protection of a plurality of inactive fishing rods in position to be grasped and activated when desired; while being transported for fishing; and while in storage. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There are devices for supporting fishing rods while fishing and there are devices for protecting fishing rods in storage. The following patents are representative of the known prior art: 
     
         ______________________________________                                    
U.S.                                                                      
PAT.   ISSUE      IN-                                                     
NO.    DATE       VENTOR    TITLE                                         
______________________________________                                    
358,527                                                                   
       Mar 1, 1887                                                        
                  Zwoyer    FISHERMAN&#39;s POLE                              
                            REST                                          
420,592                                                                   
       Feb 4, 1890                                                        
                  Dayton    REST FOR FISHING                              
                            RODS                                          
704,991                                                                   
       July 15, 1902                                                      
                  Warren    FISHING ROD HOLDER                            
1,025,657                                                                 
       May 7, 1912                                                        
                  Towne     FISH ROD HOLDER                               
1,283,511                                                                 
       Nov 5, 1918                                                        
                  Heidtmann FISHING ROD HOLDER                            
1,719,695                                                                 
       July 2, 1919                                                       
                  Ferguson  FISHING ROD                                   
                            SUPPORT                                       
1,776,425                                                                 
       Sep 23, 1930                                                       
                  Geisinger COLLAPSIBLE POLE                              
                            AND ROD HOLDER                                
2,099,254                                                                 
       Nov 16, 1937                                                       
                  Ballman   FISHING ROD HOLDER                            
2,454,458                                                                 
       Nov 23, 1948                                                       
                  Kaetker   FISHING POLE                                  
                            HOLDER                                        
2,540,584                                                                 
       Feb 6, 1951                                                        
                  Jaycox    TROLLING FIXTURE                              
2,674,426                                                                 
       Apr 6, 1954                                                        
                  Hiles     FISHING ROD                                   
                            HOLDER WITH                                   
                            FOLDABLE PROP                                 
4,424,907                                                                 
       Jan 10, 1984                                                       
                  Robb      FISHING TACKLE                                
                            STORAGE RACK                                  
4,133,131                                                                 
       Jan 9, 1979                                                        
                  Davy      FISHING ROD                                   
                            STORAGE AND                                   
                            SUPPORT APPARATUS                             
4,759,963                                                                 
       July 26, 1988                                                      
                  Uso, Jr.  FISHING POLE                                  
                            FASTENING DEVICE                              
4,841,660                                                                 
       June 27, 1989                                                      
                  James     FISHING ROD HOLDER                            
4,876,980                                                                 
       Oct 31, 1989                                                       
                  Bell, III FISHING ROD HOLDER                            
                            EXTENSION                                     
4,881,674                                                                 
       Nov 21, 1989                                                       
                  Medianik  FISHING ROD HOLDER                            
______________________________________                                    
 
    
     None of the foregoing patents relate to the protection of a plurality of fishing rods while fishing. The utility of the storage racks shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,907 to Robb and U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,674 to Medianik is limited to protecting fishing rods in dead storage. They teach nothing about the protection of inactive rods while supporting them in position to be readily available when needed. James teaches only that a tackle box may support one or more rods while fishing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The protective apparatus of the present invention offers the user more options for utility than have been heretofore known in the art. It will support and protect a plurality of fishing rods in many environments, including storage, transit, and active fishing, but is particularly adapted for protecting a plurality of inactive fishing rods while supporting them in position to be readily grasped and activated during tournament fishing. 
     Tournament fishing, as for bass, is a competition where a number of registered contestants fish in a large area from individual boats capable of reaching high speeds. The object is to catch more fish than other contestants within a designated period of time. Each contestant carries a plurality of fishing rods, each baited with a different lure to be used in different environments and under different conditions. The contestants may use their boats to fish anywhere within the designated area and they rely on the speed of their boats to get from one location to another as quickly as possible so as to have as much time as possible for fishing instead of traveling between locations. The boats sometimes reach speeds in excess of fifty miles per hour, which subjects the boat and all of its contents to violent pounding. 
     The fishing rods carried on each boat must be secured to keep from losing them. At the same time, it is desirable to have the fishing rods readily available for instant use when arriving at a new location. The protective apparatus of the present invention is intended to fulfill the double function of protecting the rods in transit from location to location while supporting the rods in position to be readily available for instant use when arriving at a new location. 
     The apparatus of the present invention generally comprises a base, a rod holding plate pivotally connected to one end of the base, and an angularly adjustable support arm pivotally connected to the other end of the base. The base may be temporarily attached or permanently fastened in substantially parallel relation to a supporting surface and the rod holding plate and support arm angularly adjusted relative to the base and to each other to support one or more fishing rods at a selected angle while being actively used for fishing, and to support and protect a plurality of inactive fishing rods in position to be readily grasped and actively used for fishing. As previously noted the utility of the protective apparatus of this invention also extends to protecting the plurality of fishing rods in transit by automotive vehicle or boat, and to protecting a plurality of fishing rods in dead storage. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the protective apparatus mounted on the deck of a boat and adjusted to support a plurality of fishing rods at a selected angle; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the protective apparatus positioned for assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fishing rod holding plate fastened at a selected angle to protect the rods in position to be grasped and used for tournament fishing; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the apparatus adjusted to a flat compact unit for transportation or for dead storage of fishing rods; and 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the apparatus adjusted to the position of FIG. 5 and hung on a wall for the storage of fishing rods. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring more specifically to the drawings, the apparatus of this invention is broadly designated at 10. The apparatus 10 comprises a base 11 pivotally connected at its end 12 with a rod holding plate 14 and at its end 13 with a support arm 15. These components are preferably molded from a suitable plastic, but may be made of any desired material. 
     The base 11 includes a generally planar body portion 16 with flanges 17 and 18 extending perpendicularly from its sides. The flanges 17 and 18 have opposed openings 20 near the end 12 of the base to receive a pin 21 for connecting the rod holding plate 14 to the base. 
     The rod holding plate 14 includes a generally planar body portion 22 with ends 23 and 24 and flanges 25 and 26 extending perpendicularly from its sides. The flanges 25 and 26 have opposed openings 27 near the end 23 of the plate 14 to receive the pin 21 which connects the rod holding plate 14 to the base 11. 
     The rod holding plate 14 has a plurality of transversely spaced slots 30 extending longitudinally of the plate 14 from points 31 near the end 23 of the plate. A U-shaped resilient grip 32 is adjustably mounted in each slot 30 to receive and support the handle portion H of a fishing rod R. The grips 32 are movable along their respective slots 30 to offset the reel on each rod from the reels on adjoining rods. Also, fishing rods of different lengths may be easily and conveniently supported in the same fishing rod holder 10. 
     The other or free ends F of the fishing rods R are supported at the end 24 of the rod holder plate 14 in a notched retainer 33, there being a notch 34 for each rod R. The apparatus 10 is illustrated as being built to hold four fishing rods but it is intended that it accomodate any desired number of rods. 
     The support arm 15 includes a generally planar body portion 40 with ends 41 and 42 and flanges 43 and 44 extending perpendicularly from its sides. The flanges 43 and 44 have opposed openings 45 near the end 41 of the support arm. The openings 45 register with a selected pair of a series of longitudinally spaced and opposed openings 46 extending inwardly along the flanges 17, 18 from the end 13 of the base 11. Pins 47 extend through registered openings 45 and 46 to connect the support arm 15 to the base 11. 
     A tongue 50 extends beyond the medial portion of the end 42 of the support arm 15. The tongue 50 registers with a selected one of a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots 51 extending transversely through the medial portion of the body 22 of the rod holding plate 14. The tongue 50 is slotted as at 52 to receive a keeper 53 which retains the tongue in a selected slot 51. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the keeper 53 is L-shaped. One leg of the keeper penetrates the tongue 50 and the other leg of the keeper penetrates a selected slot 51 to fasten the tongue in place and thereby maintain the rod holding plate 14 and the fishing rods supported thereby at a selected angle despite the buffeting of the boat during high speeds. 
     The apparatus 10 may be folded into a compact unit for carrying, as shown in FIG. 5, by first pivoting the support arm 15 about the pins 47 to bring the body portion 40 of the support arm into superposed relation to the body portion 16 of the base 11, with the flanges 43, 44 of the support arm extending in inwardly spaced juxtaposition to the flanges 17, 18 of the base 11. The rod holding plate 14 is then pivoted about the pin 21 to bring the body portion 22 of the plate 14 into superposed relation to both the body portion 40 of the support arm 15 and the body portion 16 of the base 11, with the flanges 25, 26 of the rod holding plate 14 extending in outwardly spaced juxtaposition to the flanges 17, 18 of the base 11. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the fishing rod holder 10 may function as permanent storge for fishing rods not in use when the components 11, 14, and 15 of the holder 10 are folded into the compact configuration of FIG. 5. For this purpose, the body portion 22 of the rod holding plate 14 has openings 54 spaced inwardly from the end 24 of the plate 14 to receive fastening screws, such as indicated at 55 in FIG. 6, to fasten the fishing rod holder 10 to a wall W or other desired supporting surface. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the apparatus 10 is specifically adapted to be folded into a selected angular position and support a plurality of fishing rods at a selected angle while tournament fishing. The apparatus 10 is easily erected from the passive or inactive position of FIG. 5 to the active position of FIGS. 1 and 3 by first pivoting the rod holding plate 14 about the pin 21 to elevate the end 24 of the rod holding plate 14 above the base 11. The support arm 15 is then pivoted about the pins 47 to elevate the end 42 of the support arm 15 above the base 11. 
     The base 11 is generally supported on a substantially horizontal surface, such as the deck D of a boat or dock (FIG. 4). The angularity of the rod holder plate 14 and its support arm 15 relative to the base 11 is adjustable by use of the series of openings 46 in the flanges of the base 11 and the series of slots 51 in the body of the rod holding plate 14. 
     The angle at which the support arm 15 intersects the plate 14 determines the angularity of the rod holding plate relative to the base and the angularity of the fishing rods held on the plate 14. The steepest angle is provided by using the innermost pair of openings 46 to connect the support arm to the base with the pins 47, and positioning the tongue 50 through the slot 51 closest to the grips 32. The angularity of the plate relative to the base may be lessened by keeping the pin 47 in the innermost pair of openings 46 and moving the tongue 50 into the slots 51 further away from the grips 32. The biggest decrease in the angularity of the rod holding plate relative to the base is obtained by using the outermost pair of openings in the flanges of the base to connect the support arm to the base, and positioning the tongue of the support arm through the slot furthest from the grips 32 on the base 11. 
     The apparatus 10 may be temporarily stabilized while fishing by extending one element 60 of a hook and loop fastener transversely across the lower surface of the body 16 of base 11 and through a pair of slots 61 near the end 13 of the body 16 (FIGS. 2 and 4). The element 60 of the hook and loop fastener is formed with a strap and buckle that extends across the upper surface of the body 16 of base 11. The other element 62 of the hook and loop fastener is fastened to the deck or other supporting surface D, as by adhesive. 
     An element of hook and loop fastener (not shown), corresponding to element 60, may extend similarly through the slots 61 near the end 12 of body 16 for additional stability. 
     Alternatively, the fishing rod holder 10 may be stabilized while fishing by fastening the base 11 to a supporting surface, such as the boat deck D, with screws (not shown) penetrating openings 63 provided in the base 11 for that purpose. 
     There is thus provided a apparatus which is readily adaptable to either an active or inactive configuration and which may be easily and quickly adjusted to support fishing rods at a selected angle while tournament fishing. 
     Although specific terms have been used in describing the invention, they have been used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation.