Kovalovsky Planetary Gears

[Deepfins791]

I've had a number of rim control Kov' reels with planetary gearing opened up for cleaning. My latest was a 16/0 Esquire cradle reel. I find the planetary gearing in these reels really cool. John Elder shared pictures on this board of the planetary gearing inside a reel he overhauled for Steve Morse. Arthur's design inspiration probably came from his work in the automobile industry (transmissions). Here is another example.











I know from doing a little research that fishing reels were being designed with planetary gears long before Arthur began using them. Pictures are pretty scarce, though. I'd love to see pictures of examples of these gears in other reels if anybody has some to post.

Cheers,
John

[Steve]

I'd love to see pictures of examples of these gears in other reels

The 1879 patent model for a reel with planetary gears is in the Smithsonian.

Maybe the best-known early example was the 1882 reel made by Wm. Mills & Son.

Henshall accused "B.F. Meek, a Mr. Barbour...and B.C. Milam" of making a few reels with what he called "centrifugal gearing."


The Smithsonian also has the model for the 1864 patent of a reel with a drum brake, invented by a guy better known for revolutionizing the manufacture of playing cards. These and the development of just about every reel-related feature to 1920 are described in my book.

[54bullseye]

Boy there was nothing FRAGILE about Kovalovsky's reels !! Looks like they were built to last for years on the open sea and that coupled with amount of old grease in that one BULLET PROOF !! Looks like the drags "TRUCK BRAKES" would also stand the test of time. Beautiful reels John !!! John Taylor

[Deepfins791]

Thanks, Steve for the information. The early application seems to be primarily for fly reels. Do you know of any examples of these gears being used in vintage conventional saltwater reels?

Yes, John, anytime I open up a Kovalovsky, the term "bullet proof" comes to mind! Although a bit "clunky", they were built to take on just about anything the ocean could dish out.

John

[Don Champion]

I have heard the gearing in Deepfins reel called a "Geneva Moovement". I don't know why. I have seen it before, just not in a reel.

[Steve]

Do you know of any examples of these gears being used in vintage conventional saltwater reels?

John, back in "the day," a conventional saltwater reel was just something big enough to be considered usable for larger, stronger saltwater fish. It took a long time before folks started making the huge trolling reels you're probably referring to. Anyway, W.H. Atkinson patented an amazing reel in 1891. It had planetary gears, a 2-speed transmission, and a drum brake. The transmission was provided to "increase power" when needed, a feature you would need more often for saltwater. Atkinson ran a business for many years making a variety of metal products, and later, auto parts. I can't imagine that he didn't attempt to make and market his reel, knowing that this was his second reel patent. The folks who collect the monster reels are in a better position to answer your question with regard to the later monsters.

Planetary gearing per se had been in use for two millennia before your reel was made; Leonardo drew them, and lots of machines employed them. Reelmakers often seem to be slow on the technological uptake.

Don, a Geneva movement is used to produce intermittent motion.

[Deepfins791]

Thanks, Steve. That's very interesting.

Any later big game reels from the 1920's-1940's with p-gears, anybody? Pictures?

[Jason]

back in "the day," a conventional saltwater reel was just something big enough to be considered usable for larger, stronger saltwater fish.

I would agree, most of the "New York" reels were used for hunking clams at strippers in the bay around NYC.

Here are a couple more pre-1900 reels with planetary gears.

[Steve]

reels were used for hunking clams at strippers

Cool, Jason! Never saw the guts of the first and completely forgot about the second. They really must have helped bring in those strippers.

[john elder]

...Er...I assume the translation for that would be on the order of “ using clams to fish for stripers?” .... sorry, not up on East Coast vernacular! (And I see that the board, in its infinite wisdom, insists on adding that extra “p”)

[Steve]

The bored added the "p" to liven things up. BTW, in East Coast vernacular, they--the clam targets--are rockfish.

[Jason]

Sorry, throwing clams at strippers is something else entirely.

I went fishing out of Atlantic Highlands NJ once and we used clams to catch Striped Bass (Stripers). I imagine fisherman having been using that technique for quite a while.

[Brian F.]

stripers strippers

Wasn't me that did that but just had to test it out.

[Steve]

Any later big game reels from the 1920's-1940's with p-gears, anybody?

Loquat I found. Stumbled across it while researching Indiana reels, of course. It became one of our Fin-Orest trolling reels.

[ReelOld]

Do you know of any examples of these gears being used in vintage conventional saltwater reels?

John, back in "the day," a conventional saltwater reel was just something big enough to be considered usable for larger, stronger saltwater fish. It took a long time before folks started making the huge trolling reels you're probably referring to. Anyway, W.H. Atkinson patented an amazing reel in 1891. It had planetary gears, a 2-speed transmission, and a drum brake. The transmission was provided to "increase power" when needed, a feature you would need more often for saltwater. Atkinson ran a business for many years making a variety of metal products, and later, auto parts. I can't imagine that he didn't attempt to make and market his reel, knowing that this was his second reel patent. The folks who collect the monster reels are in a better position to answer your question with regard to the later monsters.

Planetary gearing per se had been in use for two millennia before your reel was made; Leonardo drew them, and lots of machines employed them. Reelmakers often seem to be slow on the technological uptake.

Don, a Geneva movement is used to produce intermittent motion.

When did this change? I live on a coastal river with very dynamic salinity lines and ruin a lot of modern freshwater gear by guessing wrong about where the salt is. I use DAM 110's, Alcedo 2CS's etc a lot less than I would like because I'm afraid of doing the same to them. Should I relax about this?

The Orvis 150 had a saltwater edition labeled 150s. Was this just marketing or was there a material difference? Zangi didn't do this with Copte or Mascotte, right? I seem to have no trouble at all finding a clean, beautiful 150, but almost all of the 150s that I see are corroded trainwrecks That seems counterintuitive.

I want to use my Dam's, Alcedo's and Cargem's for skinny/salt water light tackle fishing, but I'm skeered!