Knots serve a number of purposes in day to day living. Whilst they are very useful in a range of circumstances, they can often be difficult to master, requiring dexterity, skill and patience.
In many circumstances, hand-tying knots can be cumbersome. For example, age can bring on a lack of control of fine-tune movements, often resulting in inadequately prepared or untrustworthy knots. For these and other reasons, numerous types of knot tying devices have been prepared in attempt to aid the tying of knots, improve reproducibility, and remove the difficulty which can otherwise be required in preparing knots manually.
Knot tying devices are particularly relevant to the fishing industry, both recreational, and commercial, where a range of knots can be required depending on the circumstance. It is important that these knots can be prepared relatively easily, are reproducible, and impart the required level of integrity to the fishing line.
One type of fishing knot is called the dropper knot. The dropper knot is considered by some to be one of the most important knots in the fishing industry, and can be used for a number of purposes. For example, the dropper knot can be used for: the tag end of a braided or mono-filament line; preparing a double line on offshore trolling reels; preparing a shock leader for casting; attaching a hook; preparing fly leaders; or substantially any use requiring a reliable, strong knot.
When tied in a fishing line, the dropper knot typically can impart greater strength at the knot than the unknotted portion of the line. However, manual preparation of the dropper knot (and other types of fishing knots) requires a high level of dexterity, skill and control.
As for a bimini knot the fisher to use his/her hands and feet to tie the knot, and in some circumstances, often two fishers need to be involved due to the complexity of the knot. No doubt this can be very impractical, especially when on-board a fishing vessel where manpower and space can be limited.
In the April 2009 issue of the New Zealand Fishing News, an article demonstrated the most up-to-date method for manually preparing the dropper knot. This method, whilst not using a knot tying device, does describe a complex process to tie the knot utilising both the arms and legs of the fisher.
A number of devices have been made to aid in the preparation of knots in fishing lines.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,200 describes a mechanical device capable of preparing two types of fishing knots, namely a dropper knot and an offshore swivel knot. The dropper knot is prepared using a complex system with a spool assembly and spinner assembly, each comprising mechanical components.
An offshore swivel knot is disclosed as being prepared using a U-shaped cavity in a device, five pegs, a slideable snap swivel and the complex use of the user's hands to both manipulate the line and provide tension to the line during the procedure. The need for the user's hands to provide tension while being able to manipulate the line can make it difficult to use. For example, when the device is used on board a fishing vessel, movement of the fisher due to a wave can result in the fishing line slipping in the device, leading to errors whilst preparing the knot.
The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,200 is bulky, which can be a disadvantage when attempting to store it on a fishing vessel with limited space. Furthermore, the mechanical components used for preparing the dropper knot are likely to add to the manufacturing costs (and therefore purchase cost) as well as to the weight of the device. Mechanical components can also be disadvantageous as they will be susceptible to damage caused by corrosion, which can be a particular problem out at sea.
Furthermore, mechanical componentry can require maintenance (servicing, repair or replacement of parts) and can be susceptible to general wear and tear, all of which can add to the maintenance cost of the device.
As a further example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,822 discloses a knot tying device which also requires mechanical parts such as a rotatable hook and geared twisting means. As discussed above, these types of components add to the overall complexity of the apparatus, increase the likelihood of malfunction and the need for repair.
Furthermore, mechanical parts can limit the range of knots able to be made with a given device. For example, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,822 is disclosed as able to make a dropper knot only. If a fisher requires a different knot, the user would then need to prepare this different knot by hand, or utilise an alternative knot tying device. As discussed previously, fishing vessels often have limited space, which restricts the space available for multiple knot making devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,822 also discloses that a constant pulling force is required from the user. This requirement can limit the ability of the user to carry out other tasks whilst the line is being tensioned.
It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.
Throughout this specification, the word “comprise”, or variations thereof such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.