The present invention relates generally to fishing and underwater hunting and, more particularly, to weapons for use in scuba diving and the like.
In conventional aquatic hunting, for instance, where the weapon of choice is typically a spear gun, various devices have been developed to hold a front end of the spear shaft in a selected position at a distal end of the gun until the trigger is pulled and the spear is launched towards the intended prey.
In one such known device, the distal end of the gun is fitted with a fixed bridge defining an axial seat in which the spear shaft engages, remaining in position until the gun is fired, despite any movement by the scuba diver. In this type of device, there is also a metal bar in the form of an arch, conventionally called the nosepiece, attached to the distal end of the gun, the substantially U-shaped arch having its open end facing the proximal end of the gun. The arch can rotate freely around the distal end of the gun and its two arms are attached to the ends of an elastic cable, generally made of rubber, which is first tensioned and then released to launch the spear shaft. Since the two ends of the elastic cable are fixed to the arms of the nosepiece, which is free to rotate around the distal end of the gun, when the elastic cable is released, it can rise away from the gun, and thus avoids obstructing the sliding movement of the spear shaft.
This first conventional system has the disadvantage of allowing the spear shaft some degree of slack inside the above-mentioned bridge, which prevents the scuba diver from taking an accurate aim.
A simplified version of the previous solution involves having the bridge at the distal end of the gun, while the ends of the elastic cable are connected directly, in a fixed position, to either side of the distal end of the gun.
In another known device of this type, no bridge is used and the front end of the spear shaft is held in position by the rope attached to the spear, which passes crosswise over the spear shaft, holding it against the end of the gun. The structural simplification involved in this solution is countered by the scuba diver having to adopt a more complicated procedure to load the gun.
In short, according to the known solutions, when there is a bridge, which facilitates the procedure for loading the spear, the end of the shaft is held in place by the bridge with an unavoidable degree of slack that reduces the accuracy of the scuba diver's aim if the diver changes position. On the other hand, eliminating the nosepiece makes it more complicated to load the spear.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for locking a front end of a shaft in a spear gun that eliminates slack inside the bridge at the distal end of the spear shaft and, thereby, allows the scuba diver to take accurate aim.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a locking device is provided for a front end of a shaft for a spear gun. The device preferably comprises a bridge-shaped element extending generally crosswise over a distal end of the gun with a substantially U-shaped nosepiece connected to the distal end so that the device may revolve about a selected crosswise axis. The nosepiece desirably includes at least two arms that are connected respectively to ends of a relatively elastic cable that may be tensioned against a rear end of the shaft, when the shaft is placed on a support surface along the body of the gun. The ends of the elastic cable are attached to and integrally with the bridge element, which is at a selected distance from the support surface such that the shaft is held or retained against the surface when the spear is in a stowed or loaded position in the gun.
A specific, illustrative locking device, according to the present invention, is with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Still other objects and advantages ofthe present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments.
Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly, to
A bridge 6 is integrally attached in a crosswise position between the two bushings 4. The distance of the bridge 6 from the surface 1a for supporting the shaft 2 at the distal end 1 is such that, when the spear is in the loaded position in the gun, the bridge 6 holds the shaft 1 against the gun, preventing any movement of the shaft. In other words, the distance between the bridge 6 and the supporting surface 1a is essentially equal to the diameter of the shaft 2, so that when the spear is in the loaded position, the underside of the bridge 6 rests against the shaft 2, holding it in position against the supporting surface 1a of the gun even if the scuba diver moves prior to firing the gun (see
From the above description, it is clear that the invention, which consists in the bridge being integrally to the nosepiece so that they rotate together when the previously tensioned elastic cable is released, fully achieves the previously-stated objects. In fact, this rotation increases the cross-section of the space where the spear shaft passes, thus allowing it to slide freely when it is fired; when in the loaded position, on the other hand, the bridge abuts against the spear shaft, thereby retaining it in a fixed position even if the scuba diver moves prior to firing the gun.
Various modifications and alterations to the invention may be appreciated based on a review of the disclosure. These changes and additions are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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FI2006U000040 | Jun 2006 | IT | national |