Does anyone recognize early this reel design?

[Paul M]

Does anyone recognize early this reel design? I would describe it as a single action fly reel with level wind. This is a drawing from an 1891 reel patent in the Canadian patent office https://www.ic.gc.ca... patent 36202. I would like to learn if this was ever produced.

[Steve]

Maybe no one but the inventor saw a crying need for a mechanical LW on a narrow-spool fly reel. Even such later luminaries as Herbert Frost were not inspired to add much more than doodads like this to fly reels:

[RAM]

Recall seeing a chap using a fly reel with a level wind for tournament accuracy casting. Required precise amount of line to be stripped out for successive targets at differing distances so a binding overlapped line was a potential problem. He was good. Don't know anything about the reel other than that or if the rules required use of a stock reel. Never have seen such since. No shortage of seemingly unneeded do dads but some do have a need. But what do I know?

Bad Bob

[reelsmith.]

Not really a level-wind, but kind of. By Heaton.



Dean.

[Paul M]

Thanks. I looked at the patent again and maybe I was fooled by the proportions of the reel in the drawing. It looks like the shape of a modern fly reel but maybe the proportions in the drawing are just an exaggeration. Claim 1 discusses the design for a ("reciprocating transverse guide or carrier... and means for imparting motion to such carrier" ) level winding mechanism in a reel, not necessarily a fly reel. The claims could probably be embodied in a wide spool bait caster. Maybe the patent was 'inspired' by the earlier Canadian patent filed by Costigan for his reel with a level-wind function. The co-inventors of the subject patent were machinists so I would think that at least prototypes were made and I would like to find one for my collection.

Paul M

[Steve]

The Costigan device was a lot more than just a "reciprocating transverse guide or carrier... and means for imparting motion to such carrier", as it included a line unkinking tension device. It would be more likely that any inspiration might have come from the Palmer level wind, which this one resembles. Sure, the claims could have been embodied in a multiplier, but probably only after a Eureka! moment by the inventors. They would have described the gearing necessary for driving the LW. Looks to me as if gear K is attached at the end of the LW shaft, but what turns it?

maybe the proportions in the drawing are just an exaggeration

Hmmm...not giving those guys much credit, methinks. Nevertheless, I'm sure they built a prototype, maybe even a bunch of them, and I hope you find one. Meanwhile, if you run across a Palmer LW during your search, I'd like one of those for my collection.

[john elder]

Dean, I assume that round line guide floats? interesting that there are cuts on the far side into the pot metal, as often seen from stipping sandy line off the reel....but no marks on the ring! Must be a pretty tough piece of metal or a later add-on?

[bcstones]

just saw this while skimming.....I picked up a small brass(?) reel (only makring on it is "German Silver 80yards"), w/a similar device which fell of when I cleaned the gunk up. Either it's missing a backing of some sort or.....? It falls off....