The Fishing Reel Patent Archive

The mechanical heart of American angling

Anti-backlash

Patent drawing of a 19th-century fishing reel showing a front elevation with hand crank and level-wind mechanism, plus two circular sectional views revealing internal gearing including a fan-shaped brake regulator, small pinions, and a spiral-grooved traversing screw for the line guide.IMPROVEMENT IN ANGLING-REELSCharles L. Noe · January 28, 1873Patent drawing of a fishing reel showing a spooled reel frame with a metal brake plate mounted above it, engaging beveled reel heads, alongside detail views of the brake mechanism and a spring-loaded pivoted variant.LINE-REEL BRAKECharles H. Briggs · November 3, 1885Patent drawing of a Gibson fishing reel showing a round case with internal gear wheel, a swinging yoke holding the driving wheel, a brake lever, handle crank, and mounting foot, along with cross-section and end-plate views.FISHING-REELHenry B. Gibson · October 4, 1887Patent drawing of a fishing reel mounted on a pole, showing the circular reel case with internal gears, a pivoted brake shoe and trip lever, plus several detail views of the brake and gear-shifting mechanism.FISHING-REEL.Harrison H. Heskett · May 2, 1893Patent drawing of a fishing reel with an automatic line guide, showing internal cog wheels, a pivoting arm, and an adjustable slotted arm mounted on the reel's side plate, alongside plan and sectional views of the gear mechanism.AUTOMATIC REEL-GUIDE.J. Farnum Wellington · March 20, 1894Patent drawing showing a fishing reel in longitudinal section with labeled frame, spool, gearing, crank, and a friction spring inside the crank hub, plus enlarged cross-section views of the spring mechanism.AUTOMATIC FISHING-REEL.Henry S. Stebbins · June 18, 1895Patent drawing sheet showing seven figures of a mechanical fishing reel with a crank handle, spool, drum, ratchet wheel, pawls, and internal spring mechanisms, labeled with numbered reference parts.FISHING-REEL.Herbert McNulta · October 26, 1897Patent drawing showing a fishing reel mounted on a rod handle, with a curved metal plate and coil spring attachment pressing against the spool, plus close-up detail views of the plate, latch, and spring mechanism.FISHING-REEL ATTACHMENT.Charles C. Keyser · April 8, 1919